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

Finally DS has got his PS partially done just needs work experience and grades to be added according to him when I questioned why it was showing 62% completed though will see what his tutor says.
Hope things aren't getting to stressful last couple of weeks before kids start back.

Checking in. I can’t believe it’s a year since our DC got their GCSE results!

I hope your daughter enjoys Reading this weekend @wonderstuff. At least it’s not going to be a quagmire this year.

I hope all of the study for the TMUA, ESAT, LNAT etc exams is going well.

DS has shared his PS first draft with us and I’m really impressed, he’s obviously given it a lot of thought. It needs editing as it’s over by about 400 characters but after he’s done that he will share it with his teacher for initial comments.

DD booked her CAT yesterday , all a bit real and scary now!

And TSA booked here! We were on a flight back from the holiday when the booking opened so DS booked after we landed between the plane and the passport control. Only 8am slots at a centre about an hour drive from us seemed to have been left by that point so that’s what he went for! Ah well, at least it’s booked.

MAT booked! Way easier than the TMUA malarkey and free too 😀

My dd is the opposite, we are not to talk about personal statements or university. Too overwhelming. She is however desperately trying to get through her mountain of homework before Reading Festival starts on Friday. I think she took her foot off the gas a bit too much in summer term, and she’s had a few days of feeling unwell so has a fair amount. Credit to her though she’s cracking on with it.

DD has apparently done her PS. However, I'm not sure she has done any of the homework she should have and we are now away on our family holiday. She is however enjoying The Importance of Being Earnest for her English NEA.

Yes try and do that it's easier for English and R.E to find more journal articles, documentaries, wider reading that you'd use for A-level or university, lectures on the subjects (Gresham College is great for this, they do free online lectures and have a bank of archived ones). I'd also speak to teachers in those subjects and ask for the more challenging work, things I've mentioned above.

Also the challenge to Y11 is remembering Y10 content whilst learning Y11 content - I'd get her to start making revision resources for all her Y10 content and do spaced repetition (watch YouTube videos on this) to make sure she's going over content periodically enough that she doesn't forget it and make sure her resources use active recall (again good YouTube videos on this). Other than that, try sports, arts (painting etc), baking and just resting as Y11 is a lot and balance is key, it's not always 50-50 but both must exist at the same time.

@TheLivelyViper sorry to hear it is a chronic illness hope you find your baseline soon.
Thanks for the tips about MacBeth will look into that. To be honest she finds all but Electronics boring, English and RE 7,8,8 rest are 9s worried it will go down in grades as she keeps saying she is bored. Apart from Spanish where she did 30mins revision she did nothing else for end of year exams.

Thank you for the well wishes, unfortunately it's just a flare up of my chronic illnesses, but hoping I'm back to more baseline symptoms soon and medication works better, so I can sleep.

Get her to do wider reading of journal papers, articles etc and ask her teachers. I'd did a lot of A-level content for English Lit, Sociology because I found it interesting and wasn't really pushed that much by GCSE, my teachers gave me most of it and integrated it into my lessons, I'd get more challenging reading and concepts and for History as well, it meant I was enjoying learning more. So I'd have discussion with teachers on this and also do some herself. Watch videos on content slightly more challenging e.g gener theories for Macbeth but look on Jstor and journal articles and see how she can integrate that into her analysis of Macbeth and more. What subjects is she less bored in? She could also focus more on those and getting better at them.

@TheLivelyViper wishing you a speedy recovery.

@Waspie @TheLivelyViper thank you she is getting oldish for a GSD nearly 12 and seems to have a upset stomach hoping it's just due to the heat!

For those of you with high achievers did you have to speak to the school or anything DD is getting bored, she is doing Gcses next year. Maths teacher only stated DD could have probably done the stats gcse paper after she got highest mark again for end of year exams. She did no revision . There was a clash in subjects and she chose Electronics instead. Only subject she ain't bored in. Sorry asking on here as I can't find a year 11 2025/26 or yr10 2024/25.

I’m sorry you are unwell @TheLivelyViper, I hope you recover soon 💐

I hope your dog gets well soon too @Tebheag💐

Have a great holiday @bluefineliner!

Positive decision by your son @AuntyBulgaria. I agree with @MuchtoomuchtodoYear 13 is going to fly by.

I felt really nervous too @JustHereWithMyPopcorn. We had friends with DC waiting on results and I was anxiously checking my phone for messages! I also kept an eye on clearing for DS’ subject as forewarned is forearmed.

Unfortunately I'm unwell and cannot sleep either due to medication, have been listening to a book instead as I can only do a few hours at a time. I'm very sorry about your sick dog, I hope it's getting better, that must be stressful.

@TheLivelyViper your up early! We currently have a sick dog so on night 2 off little sleep.
Trust me I am definitely not going to be doing any if his work. I normally do some work or read a book while just staying in the same room with him. He could be ND we have never looked into him being assessed.

Yes I understand but it's still relatively independent, even if he's not going to uni the skills of writing and analysis for a long piece will be useful for a career and work and you shouldn't help him too much as it's meant to be independent, I know parents sometimes want to help but writing or doing parts of the coursework research for them doesn't help your child learn yourself so definitely don't do that. Does he have ADHD and so body doubling helps him? At least try that first but let him just get on with planning and organising as that's a very useful skill when you have a large project in front of you, where do you start, if anything both a skill for the workplace and further study if he was going. He should at least be picking his study focus himself and should have already gone over this with teachers etc.

@TheLivelyViper thankfully he is not going to uni. Planning to sit down with him later today to work out exactly where he is with the NEA if he has even picked an area to do. DS does struggle with starting work and sometimes just needs someone sat in the same room to stop him being sidetracked!

Definitely start the NEA, it's likely to be 20% of your grade and Y13 goes fast, you'll have UCAS, exams, at least start with the research, planning out, have a massive to do list and start with small tasks - make your own earlier deadlines so you're always slightly ahead and I had a whole notion page which then had sub pages from it to help me keep track on mine. Whether it's reading the extra books you need to (even if that means you start writing later then you'll normally write quicker). Honestly you shouldn't need to persuade him to do it, it's an independent piece of work for a reason, which is a lot of work but also good to do well in before the exam, let the school deal with him if after some basic persuasion he slacks on it, to a certain extent, he should be able to manage discipline and motivation to get it done himself. If he's struggling, there's student forums, YouTube videos, email teachers in September, find online resources, he's aiming for university and should start preparing for how you'll need to act at uni, in a slightly harsh way.

Been rather manic here DS managed to get a B in core Maths which was his predicted grade. He passed his driving test not sure much studying has been done looking at his past papers I have marked. He got a gf who lives a fair distance away so keeps going to visit her no nagging there so he enjoys it.
Well done to all those who got the results they wanted especially to those who have or nearly completed there Personall Statement. Struggling to get DS to even start his or his Geography NEA 🙈

My DTs have both had work experience and greatly enjoyed it! It’s cemented their choices. Now buckling down for UCAT and LNAT!
Both were fortunate to get funding to on an overseas trip with college and that’s been an amazing experience for them. No family holiday again this year (last one was 2019) but we’ve had some days at my mum’s.

@Muchtoomuchtodo - ha ha he is still not quite at that stage yet!
But Maths with Economics at Loughborough or Exeter or MORSE at Southampton are featuring.

Progress @AuntyBulgaria ! Writing his ps should be more straightforward if his choices are clearer. Which universities and courses have made his top 5?

At last a decision has been taken by DS - now that the Maths result has been banked. He no longer wants to try for Warwick or Durham for Maths so I have cancelled his TMUA exam. He can stop his half hearted attempts at prepping for that.

I can now nag him about his personal statement instead!

Have a great holiday @bluefineliner, a change of scene for your dd’s revision will be perfect I expect.

It’s great for DS to get his solid AS results under his belt, but we’re (he’s) straight back into TMUA and MAT preparation which will take us pretty much up to half term. He also needs to sort out his ps in that time.

Mocks after Christmas then the real deal in May /June.

I can already see how year 13 is going to fly by! 😲😬

Congratulations to the AS results YP! Must give a solid sense of relief of what is achievable next year. No AS taken here.

Going on holiday today for a week in the sun with a very stressed DD furiously prepping still for UCAT (just over 2 weeks to go). Hopefully doing mocks in the sun will be easier 😂.

I do feel in a state of limbo until the exam is done so just focusing on each day and looking forward to getting a lot of reading in and lazing around after a very busy few weeks at work too.

We need to get ourselves Y13 ready but that can wait a couple more weeks!

Hope all the YP enjoy the rest of the summer as well as us parents.

Well done to everyone who got their results yesterday. We weren't waiting for any but somehow I still felt incredibly nervous!! 😂