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Original poster

Continuing Year 13: January 2016

943 replies

Needmoresleep · 06/01/2016 13:25

Only two more terms at school. Let's support each other support our DC in getting through to the end.

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Original poster
Needmoresleep · 18/08/2016 07:36

Ellen, that is pretty good. I hope he gets the A level grade he needs.

Mixed here. DD has the grades she needs, but frustratingly was a single UMS below the grade boundary in two subjects. I am hoping that karma is working and friends with tougher offers will be that same UMS above their grade boundaries,

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EllenJanethickerknickers · 18/08/2016 00:19

Grade 2 STEP. Oh well, only 2 marks off a grade 1 as well, which is frustrating but shows he did very well.

He has a friend who got grade S (higher than a 1) on STEP 1, 2 and 3! And is off to Cambridge, fairly unsurprisingly.

Now to try to sleep.

EllenJanethickerknickers · 17/08/2016 20:40

I've suggested cider to DS but he's not really up for it. I could do with some sort of distraction. May have to trawl Netflix...

hellsbells99 · 17/08/2016 20:35

I hope they have all done well!
Just home from my work trip and have a nice cold G&T Smile

BethanKate · 17/08/2016 19:21

Will be thinking of all of you & your DCs tomorrow. Going to do something to take my mind off it now.

EllenJanethickerknickers · 17/08/2016 19:15

DS will be waiting up for his STEP result. It won't help him at all or tell him anything much, but he can't wait until tomorrow! I'll let you know if anyone is still up. Grin

raspberryrippleicecream · 17/08/2016 19:10

Fingers crossed for everyone. Less than 12 hours now!

BethanKate · 17/08/2016 19:03

And yours dunlurking.

BethanKate · 17/08/2016 18:58

Hope your DD got the phone call snowy. I don't think anyone at DS's school has ever got more than 4 A*. I think 2 would get you into the photo. I'm hoping they don't do the phone call thing because we haven't had one.

He says he's not going to look up STEP result before going into school as it won't tell him anything - if he's done ok he could still have done badly in A-levels & vice versa.

Hope your DD's done better in C3 than she thinks hellsbells.

Dunlurking · 17/08/2016 16:56

Oh dear. Does that mean I need to worry about C4 as well? Good luck to your dd hellsbells

hellsbells99 · 17/08/2016 13:20

According to DD, C3 was a lot more difficult this year. She was aiming for 100% on it but came out of the exam on a downer, so was hoping grade boundaries would be lower for C3 this year.
C4 is high! 93.3% for an A* - although DD said this was a good paper.

Dunlurking · 17/08/2016 09:55

Thanks Squirrils I was hoping it was lower but ds in a bad mood so I guessed it must be be unchanged.

SecretSquirrils · 17/08/2016 09:48

Dunlurking as far as I can see the edexel C3 grade boundary is exactly the same as 2015. I don't know if this helps?

Snowy this happened to DS1 but it has all worked out for the best. He knew in June when he took the STEP that he had not done well enough in S3 and would be headed to his insurance where he's been very happy. It did take the edge off results day though, that even with 4 A*s he didn't get into his firm.

Dunlurking · 17/08/2016 08:29

snowy I hope your DD gets that phone call. How horrible to spend all day waiting for it - like an extra 24 hours of worry!

Dunlurking · 17/08/2016 08:28

Sorry all but please could I ask about grade boundaries? I know it will stress us all out but I daren't ask ds. Sorry, sorry!

It's the C3 Edexcel that was the awful one, if everyone remembers? A lot of our dcs struggled with it. TSR have posted them here www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=4256654

Is the B (and A) for C3 any lower than normal years? I haven't a clue!

snowy508601 · 17/08/2016 00:55

We are all dreading Thursday because DD knows she screwed up on STEP esp STEP 3 BIG TIME :-(
Schools get A level results today (Wednesday) and they phone students who have got 4 or more A*s to arrive early for press photos .So no phonecall will start her worrying !

hellsbells99 · 16/08/2016 21:43

I think I would rather be under anaesthetic Bethan!

BethanKate · 16/08/2016 19:00

What you say about confidence is encouraging NMS & Secret* - DS will happily go places by himself (probably due to being only child) but struggles socially.

Thanks for good wishes re operation NMS. No news yet so looks like I will be around for results day.

hellsbells99 · 14/08/2016 21:45

Thanks NMS and Secret!

SecretSquirrels · 14/08/2016 19:12

hells I second what NMS says. DS1 did very well academically in Y13 but was painfully shy and lacking in confidence. I worried about him coping at uni in all kinds of ways. He settled in amazingly well and surprised me by pushing himself to try new things and mix socially. Hopefully your DD will find her feet and do the same.
DS2 on the other hand, I have no worries about other than the fact that he'll forget I exist and never text.
NMS London beckons when the nest is empty.

Original poster
Needmoresleep · 14/08/2016 12:41

Hells, they grow up so much in the next year. I suspect we all worry, as very few will have everything in place. DD always got an easy ride in terms of chores, initially because of a commute to school and high-level extra curricular. Then the sheer hell of Yr 13, and the priority of getting her through it. Cooking and cleaning in a chalet will be a huge shock. The gap year will be good. She is OK on independence and resilience, but if she can improve her organisational skills, her first year will be so much easier.

Some will struggle, but most do a massive amount of growing up in the year after leaving school.

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hellsbells99 · 13/08/2016 11:04

I just can't imagine DD doing something on her own!
She either goes somewhere with her sister (they are very close) or with her friends (or both)! She has been on music tours, holidays, D of E, volunteering etc but always with someone she knows. She did do a Headstart course on her own but that took some cajoling. I know she would love to do a ski season but a) wouldn't have the confidence to go on her own and b) wouldn't want to be away that long. I worry about her settling in to uni for the same reasons.

Original poster
Needmoresleep · 13/08/2016 09:51

Hells, the confidence is odd. DDs does not translate to things, say, like talking to officials on the phone. I have no idea what will happen if she has to plead for her place on the phone on results day. I can't be a total MN failure by making the call for her, so it will probably be rehearsals and prompt cards.

I think it is baby steps. DD had the "advantage" that for a long time both DH and I worked full time, so she and her brother got dumped with GPs or in different camps through the holidays. Sport helped as she often went away to compete and was the youngest in a senior team when she was 15. (All those sports camps we used in lieu of child-care came in useful!) Volunteering has again caused her to have to work with different adults. Plus London forces a level of independence, and being a prefect gave her some valuable opportunities. Her comfort zone is pretty stretched. But most get there in the end.

But different stages bring different challenges. Looking back at my University days, the uber-confident types who everyone knew, did not seem to do particularly well later. Instead it was the quieter ones who knew what they were doing and got on with it in a quiet and steady way.

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hellsbells99 · 13/08/2016 09:09

Your DD sounds like she is going to have a great gap year Needmoresleep!
I wish my DD had the confidence to do something like that.

Original poster
Needmoresleep · 12/08/2016 07:43

Ellen, have a lovely weekend, and Bethan, I hope the operation goes well.

Squirrels, thank you for the honorary membership.

If any mini breaks involve London let me know as I would be happy to join you for a coffee. I have just come back from effectively a month of sorting out my mother's old home and today DD and I will be reviewing her plans for the next few months, till the ski season, and then probably Camp America next summer. She may spend time improving her German, as her French should be helped by working in a French speaking resort. I am hoping plans might include a mother and daughter trip somewhere new.

The big silver lining for DH and me is that we can now go away in term time. Where?!

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