GCSEs 2018 (15) The Reckoning

I definitely admire his initiative Ggirl! He'll go far!

Good of him, Ggirl27!
We're back home for a few days working then off again for DS music course up North. It's great to hear of all the NCS adventures! DS has been going to the proms with his mates which is really nice. At 6 pounds a ticket, it's the best thing to do in London!
I was drooling over the picture of Norway, my dream trip. When I was twelve I wrote a short novel about a girl from Norway falling in love with a boy from New York half-way, in Paris... Weird, I know.

GCSEs feel so far now. Like a bad dream. I even forget we'll get the results on the 23rd.

Just had to share my DS has managed to get himself a Saturday job. He has been looking since he finished his GCSEs. He's been all over the shop leaving his CV and someone has asked him in for interview and given him a job this morning. It took a lot for him to go out and talk to people - that's completely outside of his comfort zone - he was really anxious about the interview as well. I'm just so proud of him - and whatever those results are in a few weeks time it will prove to him that there is more to life than just exam results .

DD mid way through week 2 of NCS. Week 1 was “fun”...

In other news, the army visited DS (14) school with an assault course on the school field, DS has come home and announced he wants to join up!!

kingscote - I am sure your DC will have a fab time, just hope your DD is not near Athens.

Kingscote - I take its extremely hot in both places (I heard 40 degrees in Japan today)...I am sure they will both have a fab time and hopefully DD staying no where near Athens!

DS leaves for a rugby tour of Japan in 2 weeks, DD leaves for a holiday in Greece in 10 days.

Which should I be most worried about???!!!

Sorry, it’s Coasteering, my phone changed the spelling. I think it’s like scrambling or climbing along the coastline, and can include jumping in the sea.

All your reports of DCs on NCS adventures sound great, DS is still in Holland on a school cycling trip, and DD is packing to go to Morocco on Saturday, mountain climbing with explorer scouts.
As for all the Oxbridge talk, I don't know whether DS's college gets any into Oxbridge, I doubt he'll apply as he wants to go into computer engineering.

Aw bless her. They aren’t my thing either so I don’t think I would have done that either even if I was 16. My son did loads of stuff like that, coasterring, caving, sea kayaking. He loved it but it’s better for my nerves if I don’t know what he’s up to.
My dd is still hiking! She has climbed 87 floors, over 17000 steps, but was only at 7 miles an hour ago and they were hoping for 16. I’ll be glad when she’s safely back at the Centre.

Phone intact. DD's nerves aren't. She got as far as the harness and my big, brave girl wussed out. I wouldn't have got that far. As she said to me earlier, actual cliffs just aren't my thing!

Oh wow, jumping of a cliff?! 😱 Actually, I think my son has done that with the scouts. My dd is currently on a hike, aiming for 16 miles as they want to win! And it sounds like it’s very hilly too. At least my dd is by the coast as it’s really hot where I am! I had the similar text about data from the coach on the way down, and is only topped it up the previous week :/. Hope your dd enjoys her cliff jump! And her phone survives!

Yes to NCS. She is currently waiting to jump off a cliff, but fretting because she has run out of data on her phone. Bet she manages to drop her phone off the cliff now!

Third so glad he had a good time! Mine is back tomorrow night. Not one text Home so presume he's enjoying himself!
I dared to venture into his room yesterday and was pleasantly surprised by the absence of food debris. However there's an awful lot of stuff that needs sorting. Nice little project for him to avoid when he comes back!

My dd said she was a bit fed up of people last night. I think it’s hard for all of them to be with other people constantly. My dd likes spending time alone and reading. Bit after all she’s having a great time :)
I recognised someone on Mumsnet that I know in real life last week! It’s not anyone from this thread, but I remembered a discussion a while ago where people were talking about being recognised.

Is your dd doing NCS Stickerrocks? Mine is too. She was nervous of going on Saturday as they have moved the young people on her programme to another programme from at different area at the last minute. However, it seems she is having a great time. She has managed to do things that she thought she couldn’t (like get to the top of Jacobs ladder!) and rock climbing. Sounds like it’s been great for her confidence and she’s made friends. Shame they don’t do NCS for people our age 😀

DD is in a bunkhouse dorm with around 10 others, 3 of whom are from her school. She's used to her own space as an "only" and has a tendency to say what she thinks out loud in her sleep. This may not end well!

We have DS2 back! He had a good time and is 2cm taller than he was when he left five days ago.

I had a quick hug from DD and then I was sent packing. She has told me where they are staying though. Strangely enough, my elderly parents had never heard of the surf hostel, so they are unlikely to turn up on the doorstep. DD can breath a sigh of relief at that.

Just think, in one month it will all be over. Perhaps I had better start practising saying "I'm sure you'll get the results you deserve" and "Nobody has ever died because of a GCSE result" speeches whilst she's away.

There seems to be a disproportionate number of kids at our DCs schools (not necessarily our DC) going to Oxbridge?

I have often wondered if we are all from similar backgrounds and whether our DC (and us) are representative?
Are we birds of a feather 😁
Our DC all seem very similar in their geekiness too.

At DDs school there are only about 30-35 girls in each year in 6th form and they normally have 6 or so to Oxbridge, 7 or so to med school, 3 or 4 to art college, the rest to RG except a couple who do something different eg navy/army/raf

I used to think that was unusual......now I am not so sure.

The 6th form college that DD was considering had their first Cambridge acceptance last year - that's the first EVER and there must be 250 or so in a year.

Not a clue how many from DD school go to Oxbridge, way out of my depth if any of my DC want to go! MN to the rescue