2015 Yr 12 support thread

hides in corner and wishes I was choosing a nursery

Leeds2 - that was my attitude last year.....my DD1 wasn't into partying and alcohol. Things have changed this year! At least she is getting some practise in whilst living at home.

Ha! Haven't been youthful since Gcses started in year ten.

Need to kick him off intenet now. He will try to claim that he is only on there because I queue barged with the bath.

Children.

It won't be happening in this house, Hells.

• Buries head in sand and screams -

• thinks about what DD has said about 18th birthday and screams some more*

Drinks more wine!!

Good idea, I think is in order!
The worst thing about having a year 13 DC is that they discover partying! They are all having 18th parties etc. A level exams and turning 18 are not compatible!

You have my utmost respect ladies!

Welcome to the madhouse ancientbuchanan!
Hi Atia - yes year 12 & 13 .....what a nightmare!

Welcome ancientbuchanan. Were you youthfulbuchanan before AS exams were imminent ?

DD also starts in 4 weeks but her's will all be over within 10 days. Nice in some ways but doesn't give her much time for recovery/revision in between. She actually only has exams in 3 of her subjects-the fourth is a Pre-U so won't be examined till the end of the course next year.

May I join, please ?

We are in stress central at the moment, only 4 weeks to go but goes on for about 6 weeks, grim combination means two or even three exams some days.

Trying to enforce sleep and food and hydration, not sure what else.

Headstart looks really good hells, hope she enjoys it. My y7 dd currently claims she wants to be an engineer, I'll have to remember it for later! You and I both have daughters in years 12 and 13 I think? Drives me mad trying not to compare them/how much revision they're doing/etc.

Marni she wants to do modern languages

DD will be staying away 4 nights and won't know anyone else initially, hence her apprehension. I am sure she will be fine. She is doing a general engineering course and it does look fun.

Funny, Hells, but what persuaded DD that she actually wanted to go to uni was staying at Kingston Uni as part of the NCS Challenge last summer. I think it helped her picture what it would be like, if that makes sense!

What will your DD be doing on her Headstart course? Will it involve staying away?

That's brilliant Atia, she must be thrilled. What's she hoping to study?

DD has also been putting the hours in this week bar one day when we went to Cambridge for a college open day (for arts subjects) which was really informative and enjoyable. Cambridge looked absolutely beautiful in the sunshine too.

Exams feel like they're getting uncomfortably close now...

I hope your DD enjoys it Leeds2. I think anything that gives them a taste of either the subject or the university is great.
I am hoping that it will encourage DD to apply to university as at the moment she finds the idea rather scary.

Well done to your DD, Atia. And to your DD too, Hells. Hope they both have fun!

My DD is doing a half day course at King's next week, but it was first come, first served rather than competitive entry!

Excellent news Atia! Well done to your DD.
My DD is going on a Headstart course - but she is very nervous about it.

She got offered a UNIQ place! So pleased for her

And she's been working hard all week, lovely child

Cambridge have a lot of information about average ums scores expected to get offers and so on.

Dd2's school are putting on revision classes during the holidays, just got a timetable of them today, as well as the schedule of any extra revision sessions when they go back next term. She's starting proper revision next week apparently :) She also has the UNIQ summer school decision date on the calendar - hoping she won't be too disheartened if she doesn't get a place

Morvah I think it is the case in the main. Cambridge has a supplementary form that all applicants have to fill in listing their AS Levels with UMS scores for each module. They calculate the UMS% for best 3 AS levels (Arts/Humanities applicants) or 3 most relevant (Science applicants) and apparently it carries a lot of weight in deciding who to interview/offer.
Oxford don't ask for UMS scores at AS at all.

I agree re the relentlessness and am definitely not convinced by AS Levels. DD is doing Pre-U for one of her subjects which won't be examined until the end of the course next year. They seem to go into much more depth because they don't have the spectre (and pressure) of exams 9 months after the start of the course. Much better I think.

DS has also been hard at it and has done a maths practice paper every day so far as well as other stuff. It's very full on. I really wish his experience of lower Sixth could be what mine was; a year of hard work but plenty of time for fun in between O levels and A levels. I am not persuaded that AS levels are a good thing. It all seems utterly relentless.

Marni I read that Oxford looks at GSCEs and Cambridge at AS levels but didn't know if that is actually the case? DS's GCSEs are fine for Oxbridge and he is also hoping to apply but is currently in a panic on the maths front, so Oxford may be the better bet! I just wish he'd take the pressure off himself a bit.

How's everyone doing? DD has been revising hard all week and I veer between being pleased about it and worrying that she'll burn out!

She has also decided re Oxbridge to apply to Cambridge rather than Oxford as she prefers the course at the former. Which means that, having had all the stress of getting as many A*s as possible at GCSE for Oxford entrance requirements, we now have all the stress of achieving high AS UMS for Cambridge...

Thanks, Gently.

Anyone interested in York, they have just opened up books for their June OpenDays on their website. There will be more open days in September, booking not open for those yet.

I personally would advise attending the open days where possible as they do give you a good feel of the department and university. Ones that I thought looked good on the website, DD1 (year 13) didn't have the same feel about when we visited e.g. She much preferred Manchester over Nottingham. We also found difference emphasis over different aspects of the course varies a lot even though you end up with the same qualification.

Clicked too soon... when DS As levels are out of the way, he will look at courses, then he/we may visit a few places that offer the courses he thinks are possibles before he submits his choices.