Year 12 preparing for AS levels

I think some uni offers say that you can drop a grade on the offer if you get a top grade in EPQ.

My DD didn't do one!

DD thought about doing the EPQ alongside AS levels, I told her not to - I had to do a research project in my penultimate year at university and it was hell on Earth.

DD has mocks this week and she's ill :( She's going in anyway and then coming home after the exam.

Has anybody else applied for a Sutton trust residential for their DC? We're waiting to hear if DD has got a place.

Hadn't heard of the Headstart courses. Just had a look at their website and they look really good.
Ds is doing something similar at UEA. It's a 3 day residential chemistry summer school where they get an introduction to university life and lectures. They also get advice on choosing a course, what a chemistry degree can lead to and tips on what should go in their personal statements.
Their are some good schemes out there.

DS inadvertently signed himself up to go to a debate on the EU at the local private boys' school tonight because he walked into his lesson late, lol! Not so lol for me though as I have to take him there and it's miles away.

Thanks for the EPQ info Littleham - he will have to start it at least because it is compulsory for all those doing only 3 subjects. Having just finished my own Masters dissertation I completely agree with the idea that you need to love your topic because by the end you will completely detest it.

Fairenuff - I was hoping that by going to some RG unis, DS might become 'inspired' to work harder (as if...). Maybe I should use reverse psychology and take him to some grim places as a dire warning instead.

Why do all these extra curricular exams - music for us and ballet for HSMM have to clash with the AS Levels? Who plans these things?

DD3 is celebrating this year as her birthday falls on a weekend in May. Last year she had two GCSE exams on her birthday and I felt so sorry for her on that day.

Fortunately both DD and especially DS(14) seem more sanguine and level headed about the mocks.

DS reckons "no U's?" ... "that's fine" "A mix of C to E's? ... that's a pass isn't it!"

Sometimes I love his laid back perspective & contribution to family life - it can be much needed at times

Headstart is for the science/ engineering geeks. They spend a few days at a university as an under undergraduate!

Are mocks moderated like the external exams? It seems that lots of students got some low grades so won't that be adjusted in the summer if it's the same across the board?

It's really hard to know which unis to visit until we know predicted grades. No point going to look at RG unis if he isn't going to get the grades. It's even more confusing this time round than it was with dd two years ago

HSM, glad it's not only me that hasn't heard of them! Off to google headstart now, but if it's extra work, it'll be a no-no!

My dd will be doing a Headstart course in the summer. She did a girls only one last year and really enjoyed it. She came back very enthusiastic and sure that she wants to study engineering.

DD's mocks didn't go too well I guess. Unfortunately DH came home for something around lunch-time and kicked off about them.
I wish it was just DD I had to cope with about them.

I tried to reassure DH that it's not that un-common to not do well in the mocks
And both of them that there's still some time to work towards better results in the Summer (though guess it's Spring really!)

Can I ask if any of your Dec are doing a Headstart course. I have just had a call from them chasing up Dd to see if she still wants to do one. Anyone know if they are any good?

Drama sounds as painful as Music. DD's music performance is 40% of the AS grade and a performance is exactly how II would describe it! Just to make our month she has her instrument exam soon and she isn't ready because all her time has been sucked away by school work.

I'm wishing she had stuck to four academic AS Levels. I feel they all have way to much going on at the same time. Why does that always happen? It all comes together.

I was on the original GCSE thread.

I've changed names but am probably self evident .

Two in year 12 here, with a mixture of A levels and pre-u. DS has started thinking about university in a quite specific way, and that seems to have galvanised him to be ambitious in terms of results.

DD's head is full of drama at the moment. Her AS drama class are preparing for their practical which accounts for a large number of the marks (40%?) plus she's taking part in the finalas of a national poetry competition this week. It's all very time consuming (she still has to choose a WW1 poem and learn it before Thursday ).

DD is summer born too and I think it would be great if she had been able to go into the year below when she was in Y9 - she really wasn't ready for the onslaught of the social and academic pressure - she really wanted to keep up. She has quite a few friends from the year below and has even said a few times that she would have moved. However now she cannot wait for school to be finished and "life" to start I think a gap year could be a great idea - she was thinking about it, but now seems keener to go straight to uni.

Thanks, BigTillyMint, he wasn't/isn't very keen but reluctantly accepting that it won't make much difference in a few years time, and it will make him one of the oldest (would not claim most mature) in the year, for the first time ever.

Oh gosh, what awful stories Is it because of the government reforms which have been rushed in and teachers haven't had time to prepare? DD's History teacher says the work expected of the current Y12's is harder than what last years Y13 had to do

Cresset, I have no idea, but a break sounds a good plan. Well done him for agreeing to start afresh - my DD would sooner slit her throat than do that I think!

Well done SugarPlums DD!
Isn't is interesting how for some DC a good result fires them up, whereas for others it makes them think they can just coast along!

My DS has a clear idea of what he wants to do after 6th form but isn't enjoying his A level courses at all, and is about to give up EPQ as he feels it's a total waste of time. He can't seem to see that he has to get good grades to be able to take the next step and I fear he'll end up either doing an extra year at school (which he won't want to do) or not going to his first choice of university. Deeply frustrating.

SugarPlum I just don't understand the Chemistry issue this year. DS is fine with Maths, and fine with the chemistry that they do within Biology. But Chemistry itself as an A level is a real problem - for the whole class, not just him.

I've been in to talk to the STEM leader who had no answer other than, 'it's a hard subject'. Well, how is he getting A grades for Maths, Physics and Biology? They're not exactly a piss in the park.

Cressetmama I'd be tempted to let him have a break rather than sit the AS and have low grades. People much wiser than me can advise better but my understanding is you have to put all results on the UCAS form unless they're a U so I'd rather him be refreshed and a clean slate next year I think.

Sounds like things aren't going well with Chemistry in a few places then. Really hope by the time Year 7 DS gets to A level everything a lot more stable and doesn't keep changing but won't hold my breath.

DD still on a countdown until the end of this year so she can ditch her BTEC. However after pretty much scraping passes in all the units until now her most recent project came back yesterday with distinction in both units so that really gave her a boost. It was graphic design and she really enjoyed it so she's having a ponder about maybe working that into future plans.

My DS is at a sixth-form college and Chemistry is a shambles.

Luckily a lot of universities are now requiring Biology or Chemistry at A level for degrees such as Biomedical Sciences, as long as the student also has Maths and Physics.

I think DS may as well drop Chemistry now, rather than potentially record a U.

He's likely to be AAA on his other subjects.