Year 13 -2025/26 - Support, discussion and looking after each other (new thread from y12)

Feeling right in the thick of the year 13 pressure at the moment - I’m looking for a light at the end of the tunnel temporarily in February. DD has done most of her EPQ but still has bits and pieces to finish off. Art coursework due at the end of January, mocks next week. No let up at the moment.

She has now chosen a fifth university for her UCAS form just before the deadline (UWE) so hopefully that will be another offer before very long. I don’t think they ask for a portfolio and they work on UCAS points so her Lamda and her EPQ will all contribute giving a bit more flexibility. Although the accommodation situation in Bristol especially for an insurance place for example does not look particularly rosy.

Still no news from Edinburgh and I think DD really wants that one as her first choice so the waiting continues.

Good luck today to all the Oxford interviewees.

Ah OK thanks

@JustHereWithMyPopcorn Cambridge isn’t until the 28th.

Well apparently the Physics mock was in the top 5 worse exams he’s ever sat (and he’s had some shockers!) even his friend who is applying to do a Physics degree was traumatised by it. Apparently there was an entire 6 marker on a topic only one class had covered. Oh well.

@Ventress yes I agree with the sentiment, I want DS to go where he wants but the cost of London would be a major sticking point for us.

@KellySeveride it’s definitely worth contacting the admissions team about that. Well done to your DS on getting all his offers.

Good luck to everyone waiting on Oxford tomorrow (and Cambridge??), DS’s girlfriend is one of them and I’m sending all positive vibes out to the universe that she gets an offer.

Good luck to everyone who needs it. It sounds like there’s a few.

DS has no had offers from all his uni options, however UoB seem to have forgotten to make it contextual so we have to get in contact with them. He’s currently been offered A star, A, A. But with contextual it should be A,B,B. He’s on track for 4 x A and he thinks he could get one up to A star but the other 4 have offered contextually so we aren’t sure why they haven’t.

Just wanting to wish the best of luck to all those waiting to hear from Oxford tomorrow.

I think the costs are worse at Imperial @JustHereWithMyPopcorn. UCL is bad but not quite as extreme as Imperial and LSE.

I’m in two minds - on one hand I want DS to go to the university he wants to go to (and if it’s in London then so be it) and on the other I want him to think about all of the costs involved.

Very best of luck to your daughter @JessyCarr. Fantastic that she has the interview! Having 24 hours notice is challenging but I’m sure your daughter will nail it 😊

Anyone’s DC applied for QTS Primary Education at Durham? Not heard anything from them but DD has interviews lined up from all the others on her list, do they tend to be slower than others?

Good luck to your DD @JessyCarr, 24hr notice is a bit harsh, makes it all a bit more tense. I hope she knocks it out of the park.

I haven’t posted in a while, but Happy New Year to you all. What a big year for our Y13s.

DD has an interview coming up for her French university option (Sciences Po), so we are doing lots of prep for that. It will be either this week or next week, with 24 hours’ notice of date and time! Fortunately it’s remote, so no travel needed. She will have their final decision in early Feb, before mocks start.

@Ventress Will DS live at home while studying if he's at UCL? Accommodation costs are obscene in London, it was part of the conversation we had with DS about Imperial, they do not really understand the impact of that I don't think.

DS is starting his Physics mock in half an hour. It's a long one but then he's done. He has tomorrow off and back to school on Wednesday for the next onslaught of new work.

DS went into London with his friends on Saturday and is now set on UCL (subject to offer being made). I have pointed out that going for a day on full Christmas expense money (grandparents) is not the same as living there and being on a restricted income!

DS is back to school today - mocks are over. I guess he will have this term of new and revision content then study leave. I can’t believe A levels will begin in a scant few months. Sixth form has been manic with no let up. I’m not surprised our dc are exhausted.

Sorry @Fabfabfabi meant to tag you. Have you had the offer through too?

I agree with @bluefineliner@gingercat02. This is now the time for review and revision. Your son will be fine. I’m glad history went well. They can be such subjective papers!

I’m pleased your MIL is recovering @bluefineliner 5 weeks of intensive therapy may be enough . Fingers crossed.

Leeds was probably a better interview than your DD thought, I’m sure they don’t expect perfection! Adding the fifth choice sounds good. I’m sure I’ve said this before but DS’s friend started with biomed at UCL and then changed to full med at UCH/UCL. It will mean she takes about 9 years though. I don’t even want to think about her loan 😱

Thank you all. I hoped to have a word with DS but he came in from work and pretty much went straight back out again. If I were him I would firm Durham and insure UCL. He has talked previously about doing post-grad in London which makes sense to me.

Excellent point! It would be lovely if offer holders day could be March or even April @JustHereWithMyPopcorn😊 Has your son got Bath holders day booked? Bath would be lovely even in February.

Ah @gingercat02 at least there is quiet some time now until actual exams so a chance to review any mocks that don't go to plan. That is what I am telling DD anyway!

@Ventress thank you for asking, my MIL is ok, will be in hospital for another 5 weeks for rehab then we will know if she can come home or not permanently. We are visiting a lot and adjusting to our new way of life for the time being, luckily as I work at the hospital I can pop on before or after work. DD's Leeds interview was 'ok' but not great, she has convinced herself it will be a rejection now but seems ok for now. 2 more interviews to go. Fingers crossed for UCL for your DS.

Thanks @Ventress rather strangely history was the best of a disappointing week. He said he felt destroyed after Thursday 😭
I'm quite dreading the next 5/6 months

Yay - congrats! Just UCL to go now?

Congrats to your DS on Durham offer @Ventress . Will that be one of his firm or insurance choices?

So after DD not putting a 5th (non med) choice, we had a last minute change of heart this morning and decided to put one in as a back up with potential to transfer to med, so Newcastle biomed application submitted. It would be nice just for her to have one offer to give her some comfort at this stage.

2 mocks done this week, bio was hard apparently, 4 more next week so full on revision for now. DD will be glad to get them over with, then 2 more interviews and by 5th Feb she can fully focus on A levels!

Hopefully the offer day will be when the weather has improved a bit so you can actually enjoy your trip up there! 😄

Thank you @JustHereWithMyPopcorn😊 I have asked DS to look out for the offer holder day info and book it as we didn’t go to the open day. Might make a short holiday out of the trip. I love that part of the country.

Fab news @Ventress well done to your DS.

DS got his Durham offer yesterday- standard offer (as expected). He’s really happy. I’m glad things are looking up for him after some lousy months .

Good luck to hm @gingercat02!

This is our only set of mocks too. Human Geography didn't thrill him today either, and the dreaded history tomorrow.
Hopefully this will give him the incentive to crack on with some serious revision

I'm sure they all felt the TMUA was horrible @AuntyBulgaria . Your DS probably did better than he thought.

I'm glad maths was okay @JustHereWithMyPopcorn that last question is always a tough one! I'm sure your DS has done well.

I'm so glad DS didn't take maths in the end (he toyed with swapping English Lit for Maths in first term of Year 12). His last mocks today were English Lit and DS is floating on air. Apparently he needn't have bothered revising! Yeah, right 😂English Lit really is his "thing". Oddly he doesn't like it much but he's just so good at it that no way should he have given it up for maths.

Unit tests sound like the way forward for the rest of the year.

I hope the rest of those offers come through soon. It's final application cut off soon so hopefully the remaining ones will start coming through.

dd having lots of smaller assessments rather than full mocks. Maths test today, and although we had tears yesterday and she was convinced she’s failing, she said it wasn’t too terrible and lots of others said it was hard, so she’s feeling better about it.

I think she’s really finding maths hard and putting off homework and getting behind, which obviously makes it more difficult and more stressful. I think she’s doing the right thing applying for BA economics rather that BSc, she enjoys the stats and mechanics in maths but really finds pure maths a struggle. I’m in awe of her, I got a C in GCSE there’s no way I could do what she does.

Still no reply from Liverpool.