2015 Yr 12 support thread

We might go to see York too!

I am hoping DD2 doesn't go down the Oxbridge route, although we are going to look at her request. She doesn't really flourish in a high pressured environment. She likes to get up late and do things at her own pace. She also doesn't like late nights so won't be studying until midnight etc. Although she is very quirky! From a personal point of view, it would also be easier for us if she selected a university more 'up North', and she is a 'home bird' so would want to be able to get home for some weekends.
We looked at universities last year with DD1, so DD2 has been to Nottingham, Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, UEA, and then DD1 and I also did Bath & Cardiff. This year, DD2 will be going to Oxford, Cambridge masterclass, Durham, Leeds, Sheffield and possibly Bristol. Gosh that sounds a lot! DD2 is also saying she cannot really remember last year's visits as they all seem to roll into 1.....

Open days 2/3 July Atia. We're booked to go on 2nd so that will be 3 trips to Cambridge in 2 weeks for DD!

Yes, think holding off on the 2016 Oxbridge thread is a good plan although it would be good to have somewhere to share the UMS angst in the run up to/immediate aftermath of results day. DD says it's tricky discussing it with anyone who isn't looking at a potential Cambridge application because they don't understand that low A's wouldn't be good enough...

I'm also not exactly liking the fact that so many of them are now saying, "right that's it, no Cambridge for me" now the exams have started, but I am thinking very fondly of our little bunch of perfectionists! We'll hold off on the next Oxbridge thread till results day, yes?

When's the open day? I'm going to be there on 23/6 - dd2 applied for a Sutton trust summer school (unlikely to get a place), got turned down for that but invited to do Experience Cambridge www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/outreach/experience-cambridge and that involves two trips. I've never been, so I thought I'd take her (Park and Ride?) and have a wander.

It sounds as though there will be quite a collection of us at the Cambridge open day!

Sorry Narv, predictive text clearly thought you were someone else.

Nabobs, in exactly the same position re Cambridge because of the history. But still taking the day off to visit.

DD1 appears convinced that cambridge now off the table as a result of the first history exam. We are still going to the open day though. And another day at the RCM the day before (she already did the general open day, this iis a specific day just for her instrument). Having only the one paper left she has been working steadily but not killing herself over half term. And we've all been watching a lot of our favourite programme (essentially our family religion) in the evenings to give her 'therapy').

Is anyone else's DC grumpy as grumpy can be? My DD has 2 exams to go (Maths/Chemistry) and is in such a funk...certainly not a 'joy' to have around. I have to keep reminding myself that this is 'not my real child' as she moans and groans around the house finding displeasure in all and everything! Nothing I say helps...

She also feels that Oxbridge is now out of the equation because of one exam and there is nothing I can say to give her any perspective on it :(

I'm however looking forward to our Open Days - especially Bristol/Bath which I hope she will also find inspiring - at the moment she feels she will get in no where!!!

Hi Secret. We won't be going to the open day so I hope she gets what she needs to out of the day. I am personally hoping she goes to a more northern university eventually.

hellsbells99 Good for your DD. DS2 is learning to drive although not yet opened the Highway code .

DS1 went on a couple of those masterclasses in 2012.I took him to the first and wandered around Cambridge for the day , he really enjoyed the days and got loads of useful information about applications etc.

Thanks Marni. DD2 is also doing a Masterclass. I need to look into booking a hotel the night before as its a bit of a trek for us - and then I can spend the day looking round Cambridge as I have never been.

Well done to DD2 hellsbells!

DD's had a great half-term (we've been away) and is on a post-exam go-slow! Think she's intending starting some extra reading next week but we'll see. She's not back at school till 10th.

She's refusing to speculate on how she's done because she says you just can't tell for sure in her subjects. She's in Cambridge twice next month, once for the essay prize thing and once for a masterclass. She's still really keen to apply but says she won't know if it's worth it till results day. Which seems bloody ages away...

DD2 passed her theory test .
She has 4 exams next week and then is back on Monday 8th. She is going to be missing several days of school though - uni open days, 1 day for D of E, and a Headstart course.

DS is in every day next week for exams but isn't officially back til the following week. He can't wait to get back and see his mates; revising at home lost its charm (not that it ever had any really) ages ago.

Atia DS is feeling the same about Oxbridge, that his first maths paper has blown it and that he might as well forget the whole thing. I wonder how many other DC are feeling the same - loads probably. Some of them have to get in though! In the meantime we're off to Exeter, Bath and Bristol in June, all of which look great and at any of which I'd be delighted to spend long weekends visiting him!

Just two maths here. She's done nothing all week, which is fine, she needed the downtime, and they're not until the 9th and 12th. After last week's horrible history paper, she has wiped all thoughts of Cambridge from her mind (until results day!) and is now convinced she's going to Newcastle because she loves the look of the course.

She's back at school on the 8th rolls eyes although those of them that have exams that week have been told it's up to them whether they go in or not. She thinks she probably will, otherwise she'll just have stuff to catch up on, and she already has a week off for UNIQ plus open days. When is everyone else back?

DD1 just has one AS paper left - Music - and then 2 A2 General Studies papers (which she is adamant you can't revise for).

Hope the theory test went well, Hells.

DD2 has 4 left - maths, physics, chemistry and biology. She is more concerned about passing her driving theory test today though .
DD1 in year 13 is resitting the AS chemistry 2 paper and still has 7 A2 exams to go as well. I am not looking forward to results day

I'm sure sleep is more important.

DS has computer science x 2, physics x 1 and maths x 5 still to go. He has been doing one or two practice papers most days and extraordinarily has got the same mark for the maths mechanics ones three times in a row! Am not sure whether to be pleased because it's a relatively respectable mark or worried that clearly no progress is being made!

Lol, very subtle

In my experience there's no substitute for past papers. It's amazing that they're all online now, I remember having to go in to Waterstones to buy books of them!

I still haven't figured out the A Level system (so many exams, so many exam boards!) as I did my secondary education in Scotland/abroad, but this seems like a good service for kids needing a bit of a boost or reassurance without the time commitment of tutoring.

www.mathscrashcourse.com

They mark past papers and then go over them with the students either privately or in groups. Sometimes kids just need to hear that they're doing ok. :)

Which board secretsquirrel ? If your DS struggled, everybody would and lower grade boundaries, raw score for high UMS if that's what he is aiming for.The clever ones who think they have done badly usually haven't :-)