Year 12 - 2024/25 - Support, Discussion and Looking After Each Other (Thread 2)

@Newlease DD is v thin too (normally) but now much to her annoyance instead of having any hint of sun kissed skin from her week in the sun, she is her usual pale English rose colour due to studying UCAT in the hotel room because it was too noisy by the pool 😂. I mean it isn't funny really but if I don't laugh I'd be crying by now!

I'm back at work being subjected to regular text updates on the latest mock score and which unis she isn't going to be able to apply to because the score is 'so bad'.... I am biting my tongue and being supportive, counting the days until she actually has some concrete evidence to back these dramatic claims up.

@gingercat02 your car dilemma sound similar to what ours were when DD started learning. One work lease car, one electric so nothing to practice in. We did pool with DD and helped her buy her own car which I am now driving whilst she is still learning as my lease car went back in May. I am quite loving her little mini though so don't mind driving it for now. Difference is DD did want to learn and is still keen to pass asap, maybe a couple of lessons might ignite interest in your DS like you say.

DS has no interest in driving. He has only been 17 for a month, but we currently have nothing he can drive. The insurance on DH car would be monumental and mine is a lease from work, which is over 21 insurance.
My plan was to give my car back when the lease is up in November and buy a second hand manual car we could share but he says he doesn't want to learn.
Leaving me a difficult choice, get a lovely shiny new lease car he can't drive (3 year contract) or poodle about in a car I don't really want until he change his mind!!! Bloody children.
He already has a provisional licence and we have a family friend who is a driving instructor so I might ask him for a couple of lessons to see if that persuades him.

@Newlease you're not the only one with no driving lessons - same here! Mine's prepping for the CAT, but (her words) all her "properly clever" friends are doing UCAT x2 , ESATx1 PATx1 - plus trying to get to grips with everything else - sorry to hear DD had stomach woes on your holiday - just rotten!
My one continues to look like a stray cat - sooo thin🙁 went to the Drs for bloods today, shockingly her bmi is 17 - although eating & grazing well, lovely reassuring dr, so we'll see have bought Spatone for Iron & watching the vit tab be swallowed like Nurse Ratchet😁.

@Wehaditsogood will keep fingers crossed for a half term cancellation - its such a mission these days.

Just found this thread for anyone thinking of Oxbridge, https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/higher_education/5267816-any-oxbridge-tutors-here-should-dd-bother-applying-for-english-at-cambs-with-these-grades?utm_campaign=thread&utm_medium=share
I am constantly in search of tips and hints, please share if you found any useful info

Sounds like we are the only one leaving the driving lessons for late. DD kept on saying she don’t have a signature, so no application made for Provisional yet😬 Good Luck @ComingInByAnsible and Others who managed to book it !! Feb half term would be a calm time between next set of exam troubles and exhaustion:)
I thought the same would be for PS and I was so worried I might have posted asked multiple times here! Thanks for all the info @Waspie we have the first draft ready, it’s draft and I haven’t seen it, but it’s as good as it gets
@bluefineliner DDs friend came last week after her UCAT done on the same day, that girl has gone very slim( apparently I shouldn’t say that) but you can see how much they are all working hard. Good Luck with yours next week. Mine is the same, it didn’t help with her kept getting tummy trouble and nausea during holidays. @JessyCarr well done your DD, sounds like she had an amazing time. @GirlsInGreen Is your DD applying STEM too? Same situation here, one day it’s okay I will manage and then next day I was so much better at this beginning of July! Head down and sitting for hours doing courses, competitions, CCF stuff and ESAT. No idea how she is dividing her time between these though! I have booked her a guitar lesson( only 3 available) and she did enjoy it so much ! It felt like the much needed break from all things going on right now.

Our driving test is in January, but I hope for a cancellation in the October half-term. No chance of that!

Good luck for all theory/driving test/ UCAT takers!😅
DD is working hard for a early application test, full of confidence one minute - total eyore the next (send wine/vodka 🙏) keeps popping her head round the kitchen door "I've done another line for my personal statement".

I feel a long hard Autumn/Winter ahead - i'm oscillating between wanting it all over & wanting time to stand still so I can have her a bit longer.

Sounds like you all had a busy summer -which is lovely.

@Muchtoomuchtodo thanks! Sadly not in half term but first thing in the morning so if we don’t shift the slot and all goes well he should still be in time for school.

Good work @ComingInByAnsible. Is it during half term?

ds’s was booked by his driving school but isn’t until December which is ideal to get the TMUA and MAT out of the way and then concentrate on the driving for a bit.

Practical driving test booked! 15 miles away and for February, but with everything else DS has to do in the next few months it’s probably not a bad thing that it’s not for a while.

@bluefinelinergood question about recommended entrance tests prep time! I’ve just scared myself by googling TSA and the AI summary coming up with 6 months! Really hope that’s not necessary. 6-8 weeks for UCAT sounds much more sensible.

@Muchtoomuchtodo yes DD should really be working on PS too but we can't really see past UCAT atm so we are ignoring that for now! The hours they need to put in for these exams is ridiculous. Early entry mid Oct seems so early!

@ComingInByAnsible that was me lurking last year but not really taking too much notice, it comes round so quick can't believe we are about to apply now. Still feels a bit unreal but we are going with it 😁. Is there a recommended time for the other entrance exams? UCAT seems to be 6-8 weeks before.

Thanks @Muchtoomuchtodo. It’s tempting but feels a bit mean to leave DS to get up by himself especially as we all hate early mornings equally in this house! 😂

Thanks @bluefinelinerit’s good to know that it might be possible to book a local test the first time round. Good luck to your DD with the UCAT. My younger DD wants to do medicine so I’m lurking on medicine threads in with morbid fascination and a growing sense of foreboding!

TSA is in the October half term and DS hasn’t started the prep yet but he should do soon.

@bluefineliner the TMUA and MAT are mid October and DS is working away for those already. He needs to get cracking on his ps too ready for the Oxbridge application deadline. It’s going to be a full on first half term I think.

His mocks won’t be until after Christmas, sanded they were in year 12. I think doing AS levels has been good for him, he’s not really taken his foot off the pedal at all - true of the driving practice too 🤣

Sounds like everyone is having a productive summer!

@ComingInByAnsible congrats on the theory test. We booked DDs practical by doing the early Mon log in and did get one at our local test centre. Booked in June for a December test but we were ok with this as DD took her theory straight away so still a lot of practice required here.

We have just returned from a week abroad and DD has her UCAT in a week's time 😱. She studied every day whilst away so it was a strange holiday but think it was still worth going for the change of scenery. It also gave us lots of time to discuss which unis she might apply to when she has her result and research a lot more. We are making plan B, C and D to allow for whatever happens on the day.

She is now is full on 'lock in' for the next week doing mock exams. I can't wait for it to be over for her. Are other entrance exams later in the year than this or are your kids knee deep in exam prep too now?

I have no idea sorry @ComingInByAnsible

Can you task DS with the early morning log in duty and enjoy a lie in yourself?

Thanks very much @Tebheag@Muchtoomuchtodo@gingercat02@SilverBlue56and @Waspie! Very helpful advice.

Sounds like an early start for us tomorrow morning rather than a bank holiday lie in! Or would they not release slots on a bank holiday?

Congratulations @ComingInByAnsible! I second what the others have said - log in at 5.45am on Monday and get the closest possible test.

Ive got Testi but it hasn’t helped us. By the time it’s told me there is a cancellation it’s way too late to log in and grab it. I’ve also been blocked by the DVSA for hitting refresh too often. It thinks I’m a bot!

DS has his practical booked for early October at a test centre 40miles away but I’ve stopped trying to change it as life is just too short for that level of frustration 😂

Geography NEA sounds awful. DS has to do history and English literature but at least they are fairly contained in terms of scope and word limits. He is doing lots of background reading for both.

Well done to your daughter @JessyCarrher French experience sounds amazing. We didn’t go to Manchester so can’t help I’m afraid.

@gingercat02- super productive week from your son!

There's a chrome extension to help you get the first one booked but it does usually end up getting you banned from the website for a bit, after a while 😅

I used it and got one in a far flung location and test shift found a slot at our local centre within a few days after that. It's not until Christmas though!

Test shift is better for moving a test to your local centre once you've managed to book one (anywhere) in the first place, as instead of notifying you about open slots, it actually books it for you so you don't even need to be paying attention to notifications etc.

@ComingInByAnsible that’s great news! Ds’s driving school takes care of their practical test bookings but friends have said that they release new slots at 6am on a Monday. The top tips are to get in the queue 15 minutes in advance and just book a test anywhere, then use one if the apps like Testi to get notified of more acceptable locations and do a swap. I’d get onto it asap as ds’s was 6 months from the time of booking. Good luck.

@ComingInByAnsible we got Geography NEA out of the way last year, it was a huge amount of work! Hope it's done soon, and well done on the theory test

@ComingInByAnsiblecongrats to him passing his theory. log on at 5.45 am to be ready to join the queue at 6am on a Monday morning to book the practical driving test. If he is planning to sit it in h his instructors car ask the instructor for his reference before you book, you only have 15 mins once you start.

A year since GCSE results - wow! Amazing how the time flies but also how they have all grown and matured! DS’s younger sister is getting nervous as it’s going to be her next up for GCSEs next year!

Well done to all your young people on progress this summer, @JessyCarrthe French school sounds brilliant, well done to your DD. Great work on PS, @Waspie’s and @Tebheag’s DSs, and @gingercat02’s on coursework and uni plans.

The biggest news here is that DS passed the driving theory test (hooray!), any tips on booking the practical test gratefully received!

No PS starter here yet as he’s still torturing his gigantic geography NEA. I am really hoping he’ll be finally done with it this weekend though, then it will be onto history, PS and fingers crossed TSA practice.

Hi everyone. Hasn’t the year flown since GCSE results! Lovely to hear of all the plans coming together for your youngsters.

DD has finished her French summer school and it’s been so good. She’s now officially certified at CEFR level C1 in French and was the youngest student to achieve that in her cohort. So she’s feeling pleased with herself and has absolutely loved her time in Paris and Montpellier this summer (also “met a boy” about whom her little brother is predictably pestering for more details).

Now to catch up on all the homework not yet tackled!

Do any of you who went to a Manchester open day in the summer still have the email containing the day’s timetable? We should receive one by about 8 September for the 11 October open day, but ideally I’d like to get the trains booked before then. I fear useful stuff like accommodation talks may be first thing in the morning.

DS has had a v productive week so far.
History and Geography course work well under way. UCAS started, we appear to have finally settled on Business and marketing. Northumbria and Leeds definite we just need to research the other possibilities.
He seems to have his head back in the game for Y13, after a bit of downtime.
I have a few friends with GCSE kids today, it was so stressful I'm glad of a year off (and an only)