Year 12 - 2024/25 - Support, Discussion and Looking After Each Other

Time is flying by for my DS. He is finishing his Maths A level syllabus tomorrow. (He is doing Maths y12 and FM in y13). It's past papers and revision now until the exam. This seems extraordinary and quite scary to think that he is already prepping for his first A level! Eek.

My DD is also doing maths and is the only girl in her class. She says she doesn't contribute much, but the teachers keep an eye on her. To be fair, the boys know she is a maths whizz, so don't say anything!! She loves math!!
English however is causing her much hassle!!!

@waspie study smarter sounds great- stop dd from spending too much time making her revision cards look beautiful!

I hope the antibiotics do the trick and your daughter can use the WE week to catch up @steppemum

@PinkChaires my son says the same - he likes to write more than type. He is the opposite, he uses a tablet in lessons and then organises these into revision notes. I agree with steppemum that if she is using a laptop in exams it would be beneficial to use it in class too. Would a beginners typing course help? If she can type quickly and fluently this might help the words and thoughts flow.

DS is raving about an app he's started using to compile revision notes and flash cards called "Study Smarter". He is using the free version to test it but thinks it might be worth the investment to upgrade to the full version. Apparently it picks up all of your revision notes then sorts and compiles them for you and creates flash cards. You tell it the subjects, exam board and modules.

Oh that's difficult @Teadrinker81 - being reticent to speak in class is a very female trait, especially if the rest of the class are boys and you are nervous. I agree with @bluefineliner, it sounds as though she will settle and find her place, she just needs time and support (which you are giving her in spades) and she will start to feel more comfortable. She will get there I'm sure.

Haha - if there was a GCSE in "Keeping one's bedroom tidy" I suspect most of the year group would fail 😂

My dd uses a laptop.
But she uses it in class and for exams.
personally I think she should use it in class if she is going to use it for exams.
Someone upthread talked about their ds doing a timed writing assessment on laptop and handwriting to see which was faster. Could she do that for herself?

It is a different skill writing by hand compared to on a laptop, on the laptop you can cut and paste to re-organise your thoughts whereas handwriting you have to be planned out before you begin (this is one reason my dd uses it) so the skill needs practise

@bluefineliner - our dd do sound spookily similar! 🤣 that’s exactly that she says… she likes to get involved and be thought of by her peers as bright and be someone others go to for help and advice. Unfortunately dd isn’t that confident and does struggle with social anxiety so this is almost her way of making herself heard in a group. She loves to contribute in her other lessons and doesn’t struggle even with giving speeches and presentations. She’s certainly a perfectionist in all areas but keeping her bedroom/bathroom tidy! 😉

That is good news @steppemum hopefully she'll start to feel better soon and catch up in the work experience week. Poor thing, it seems so pressured that they feel like they've fallen behind just by missing a few lessons.

@Teadrinker81 your DD sounds exactly like mine! She struggled with her maths class being majority boys (she had gone from a girls school!) and how she lost confidence in answering questions she could have done comfortably before. However she is getting better at this in her other subjects now, it was almost as though she had to 'prove' herself to the others in class to feel she could contribute. She is generally a very confident person too but if they are perfectionists and don't like to get things wrong I think it can overshadow things sometimes. Maybe once your DD has done these tests and can see she is doing ok it will give her some positivity she will improve. It is so hard.

dd has a chest infection. Started antibiotics yesterday. Not really surprised as she got worse over the weekend rather than better. Quite relieved actually as it means that with the antibiotics she should now get well.

I also had a good chat to her academic support. They have a work experience week coming up and dd is going to be allowed to skip it in order to spend the week catching up, then half term, so by the end of half term, hopefully she will be back on track and well again.
Thanks for all your good wishes.

Dd is facing a problem. She has a laptop for exams however is finding that shes a bit slower and so not finishing exams. Also apparently the ideas arent 'flowing' to her as it does when she writes apparently? The only problem is her handwriting. Do you think it's better for her to improve handwriting or to increase typing speed? It comes after she hasnt finished two important tests , so is wondering whether the laptop is worth it as she doesn't use it at all in class

@Waspie
Great idea- I suggested that but she’s in a class full of boys and she says they stare at her like she’s an alien! 🙄🤣 she has male friends but she hasn’t gelled with anyone. I think that’s part of the problem as she daren’t speak or contribute in class. She says she always did during gcse and liked getting things right
. She has been put in a ‘catch up’ group which has students drawn from several of the a level maths groups but again they are all boys! She had an extra session today so waiting to hear how it went. She said last week was painful! 😊🙄

Does she have friends in the class she could work with outside of school? Perhaps working on things they find tough in a more social setting would be helpful. Does the school have remedial sessions before or after school? DS' school has drop in remedial for all subjects and there's no stigma around going; even the most able students have sticky bits they would appreciate working with a teacher on.

I hope the assessments go well next week and your daughter gets the boost she needs

@waspie the cut off for transferring subject was half term I’m afraid.
There is another assessment next week so I suppose it’s time to brace ourselves and see how that goes. I’m hoping she sees an improvement, think her confidence in maths needs a boost. If she could see a significant improvement then I think it will spur her endeavours on, otherwise we need to have some serious conversations with her college. She said tutoring yesterday was really tough so I’m not feeling too positive but still smiling 😉🙄😊 and being her cheerleader!

I too heaved a sigh of relief when DS (a solid 8 at GCSE) decided not to take maths A Level. His girlfriend did start with maths but swapped to economics as she wasn't doing well (or enjoying the maths course). Is there still the option to swap maths for another subject @Teadrinker81?

I hope your daughter feels better soon @steppemum. DS has had more time off school this year than in his entire secondary school life! So much going on for our young people at the moment - physically, emotionally and intellectually. I hope the doctor has been able to help her

@steppemum how did you get on at the Doctors?

@Tebheag I agree and think we are all worriers. DS maths teacher made a good point at parents evening that often at this stage those that have sailed through GCSEs with top grades come a bit unstuck when they face difficulties as they are used to just getting it and haven't built any strategies to cope and it is the students who may have scored equally well at GCSE but had to work harder for it and so have already built their own strategies that are more able to handle the challenge and it takes time for those who sailed through to build resilience. This made a lot of sense to me so it's good that she's showing a lot of resilience and hopefully she'll start to see some daylight again soon. DS seems to be ok at the moment but a bit like @bluefineliner Chem and Bio are much stronger.

@bluefineliner
thank you, it really does help to know we aren’t alone and in the grand scale of things it’s a blip in life nothing too dramatic. I only worry as she did struggle with her mental health during lockdown and my greatest fear are those dark days returning. However, she’s showing lots of resilience and strength. I’ve even said that perhaps she will look back and think this was a positive and shoving her into a path hadn’t thought of before.
No chance of changing subject now fortunately. Really wish she’d done it when she initially started to question herself like your daughter did. But hey ho- we move on. 😊
She isn’t settled on a career at the moment- was considering architecture hence the maths but I don’t think she’d be upset if that didn’t happen. Also psychology but I think she’d be ok without maths for that as well.
She’s got an extra session today so see how that goes!
Take me back to those ‘carefree’ toddlers years please! 🙈🙄

@Teadrinker81 I think most of us are 'worriers' on here 😀but that is not a bad thing! My DD sounds the same as yours, she took chem, bio and maths intially and loved maths, got an 8, insisted she wanted to do A level despite our reservations on how much time it would take to achieve a high grade compared to another choice.

She gave it a week into yr12 and suddenly changed her mind. She needed 3 As (although changed her career ideas now so probably not necessary) and didn't feel she would do it in maths so swapped to psychology. I know this doesn't help you but at least you know she is not alone in her struggles despite being an academic child. Is there any chance she could swap at this point or is there too much to catch up on with a new subject? Has she discussed it with her teachers?

What are her other two subjects? Will it really matter if she drops a grade or two in maths for her career aspirations?

Maths is such a unique subject for people understanding it, DD is working at A and A* at chem and bio, but could not see herself achieving anywhere near that in maths (and I agree with her).

@Philandbill thank you and my head is telling me that all will work out in the end but it’s so tough watching them struggle. She is doing so well at the other two subjects 🙈.
We’ve been so lucky until now with her sailing through academically.
@JessyCarr - it’s certainly something to think about.

@Teadrinker81 Sorry to hear about the maths difficulties. I certainly breathed a sigh of relief when DD (also a solid 8 at GCSE maths) decided not to take it at A Level, as I think we’d have been in the same position.

Apologies for suggesting ways of spending £££, but I wonder whether there is merit in considering an intensive tutoring course (in person or online) at half term or in the Easter holidays? E.g. Justin Craig or similar?

@steppemum hope DD gets better soon.
@Teadrinker81 it is very hard when a subject is not going well. DD1 had two subjects that went swimmingly and then there was biology....She worked very hard and had a tutor etc but it was such a slog. Her a level grade was a C but I was prouder of that C than the other two grades because she worked so hard for it, she actually failed her end of year 12 biology exam. We discussed it and decided that she would take a different A level in the year after if she failed biology and I think having this option took some of the pressure off her, there is usually another path, even if it's not the one you thought you'd take. DD1 is now thriving at university and has just got a job for her industry placement year. Biology seems a distant memory thankfully!

steppemum- hope you get some answers at the doctors.

worried about dd1- after not really enjoying secondary school and struggling with social anxiety she is settled and happy at college. She loves it and I can see her thriving.
Two of her a level choices are going great, she loves the subjects and is getting really good results.
However… she is hating maths and really struggling. I think she’s hating it because she’s finding it so hard. She loved gcse maths - got an 8 so she has the aptitude but we should have known this was a possibility as she hated further maths and only got a 6. She started off ok but is now floundering and having to have booster sessions.
her aspirations are high with thoughts of Russell group unis and unless a miracle occurs it’s going to be out of her grasp. Tutor is in place and she’s working like crazy but wonder if it’s just not going to happen for her. She says she’s taken 3 hours to do some ‘easy’ homework. This just isn’t sustainable.
I’ve recommended she speak to her tutor about restarting year 12 but this doesn’t seem an easy option looking at some stuff on line. Some colleges don’t seem to allow it and some make you change all your a level choices which she won’t be keen to do. It will be hard enough restarting and making friends again.
rural living so not easy to change to a different college either.
can you tell I’m a worrier? Trying to be so positive and upbeat for her when she’s chatting but inside I’m worried!

@steppemum sorry to hear DD is still not well. Hopefully Dr will be able to give answers this afternoon.
DS just had his first Mock using word processor said it went well even had more room to write longer answers, so fingers crossed. His college are doing Mocks in Feb and June for year 1.

we've got a GP appointment booked for this afternoon, as she seems to be getting worse not better.
It could be glandular fever as we know a girl who has had it, but I don't actually think so, partly because she hasn't really had a temperature, and she hasn't had the prolonged sore throat.
I think she has had Covid (her taste has gone funny) I am just wandering if there is now a secondary infection. I am also trying not to think of long covid etc.

Oh dear @steppemum your poor DD. Maybe a trip to the GP now to rule out anything other than bad cold/flu. Although there is a lot of long and lingering chest infection, bad colds/flu going around atm as others have mentioned, glandular fever may be a possibility. Hope she starts to feel better soon.

My DD had a cold all last week but insisted on going to school, she has developed a cough now and just came in this morning saying she's barely slept due to coughing. I've agreed she can stay at home but she has a bio practical this PM so is going in for that. It is so hard knowing what to advise her to do as I want her to just stay at home and sleep but she stresses too over missed work.

Thanks for the UCAS date info @JessyCarr I didn't know they were bringing the closing date forward.

@steppemum I was going to suggest glandular fever, too. It's not uncommon in teenage girls at stressful times.