GCSE and A Levels - exams same time?

This was me in 2019. It was OK, you just have to batten down the hatches and be in total support mode. And yes to having lots of snacks in.

100% agree with both paragraphs of this post.

There are lots of reasons for going to uni, but if he doesn't want to go then it really could be a waste, and limits the opportunities to go later if he's already had funding.
My 18yo says he just can't face the thought of another 3 years full time studying something.

(As well as wanting to study my subject further, one of my reasons was I didn't want to go to work at 18. And my main reason for not doing the PhD my uni invited me to do was that I didn't want to do full time study any more. So I did an accountancy training contract which is full time work and full time study combined - duh!)

@AngelsWithSilverWings logically, if he goes to uni due to no apprenticeship offers by August, then he won’t be qualifying as an accountant for at least 6 years! Whereas if he starts looking at mid tier/smaller firms in August, he could be there in 3 to 4 years. I joined my small firm in March, after dropping out of a PGCE (I had a degree but no one else there did and they didn’t just recruit in September). This push from schools is really unhealthy. My dd was at a pushy grammar school too and could really have benefited from a gap year instead of being forced down the ‘academic subject at an RG’ route. We tried but schools and peers are so influential aren’t they?

@AngelsWithSilverWings I’m an accountant and I worked for a big 4 for 18 years but I wouldn’t necessarily recommend training there. I did my chartered accountancy training contract with a local 2-partner firm and you get a much broader grounding - and more interesting than audit in a big firm I think.

i agree with @Chasingsquirrels - look wider. And if he’s sure he wants to be an accountant there’s absolutely no point in going to uni and accruing the debt. Ds is also thinking he might consider accountancy among one or two other things, but there’s no rush.

If he is looking at accountancy I'd definitely suggest looking at mid-tier and smaller firms as well.
We are top 40, weren't necessarily planning on an apprentice this year having had a full year of recruitment last year but due to circumstances are now looking to take one on.

I've also had my eye on the market as my 18yo is in a similar position, although he is interested in consultancy degree apprenticeships (gold dust) and now thinking about restructuring.
There are a lot of post-18 apprenticeships in audit, accountancy and tax being advertised in various sizes of firms.

My 18yo is in the same position re apprenticeships/uni.
He has uni offers, because he was keeping his options open, but he has been pretty clear he doesn't want to go.
He has applied for some degree apprenticeships but not got anywhere, and it's now on hold because all he can think about is the exams.

I definitely won't be pressuring him to go to uni, although I think his dad might be (divorced).
He needs to do something, but there is time for the apprenticeship and the something could be work & travel for a while if that's what he wants.

@crazycrofter @clary it's all him. He refuses to even consider a gap year , I've suggested staying with my cousin in Oz for 6 months and doing some sort of retail job and then coming back and starting the apprenticeship search again.

He refuses to consider a job that won't give him the chance to get a professional qualification. He wants to be an accountant but he spent all of his energy on the big 4 companies ( quite a tough application process ) He's waiting on result of final
Interview with one and waiting for final interview with another.

This need to aim high comes from the culture at his grammar school but sadly didn't translate to decent AS levels which is what his predicted grades are based on. Thankfully his apprenticeship applications are based on his A level mock results which are two grades higher.

I've suggested enrolling at college to improve grades if needed as he would be happy to go to somewhere like Exeter but all of his offers are for less prestigious unis. But he really doesn't want to delay a year. He's now really fixed on an apprenticeship as plan A and uni as plan B.

I'm hoping results day will open up more options that he will be happy with.

I agree with @crazycrofter - they don't have to go to uni, apprenticeship or no. If they are offered an apprenticeship or if not, they can still choose uni or not.

Who is saying they have to go? School? Ignore them. You? Themselves? It's a lot of debt (yes I know it's more of a tax) for something you don't want to do. Better to work for a year and see what you feel like. Nothing wrong with going to uni at 19/20 - or not going at all.

@AngelsWithSilverWings dont let him go to uni if it’s not what he really wants - he can apply again or for different apprenticeships next year? My year 13 ds hasn’t applied for anything - he’s planning a gap year of working and travel and then he’ll start on apprenticeship applications. I read somewhere that older (21-25) applicants are much more successful at getting them so I’m thinking there’s no rush.

I think its fairly common 2 years is a very standard age gap.
Mine are 3 years apart but 4 school years apart so thankfully haven't had 2 sets of exams at once. (DD is doing A levels now. They'll be all done by the first week of June)

We found the whole process much easier when my eldest did A-level exams (compared to when it was his gcses), I think he had matured a lot over the two years, and had done more focused work during the two years, so he (and I) felt reasonably calm and relaxed. He did ask if I could clear space in the spare room (we have a desk in there) for him to use it so he could study there, as he was getting too distracted in his bedroom, so aside from getting in special food / treats, that was the only effort I had to put into his A-level prep. Keeping fingers crossed it will be like that for DS2 (currently doing gcses)..

I have one doing GCSEs and one doing A levels at the moment. The exams aren't really the problem here as they are just getting on with them. It's the finalising of apprenticeship applications and worries about having to go to Uni if they don't get offered an apprenticeship when they don't really want to go.

I'm a bag of nerves at the moment not knowing what my two will be doing come September as both are very much borderline as to whether or not they will get the grades they need. I can't stand it!

This sounds like great advice @ouch44, noted for next year, thanks!

Thanks for the thread @ThisPerkySloth. Reading with interest/trepidation as this will be us in two years! Just one set of GCSE exam stress is enough at the moment!

We are finding uni assessments do impact the household because of the two semester system a lot of the work is over Christmas and Easter when DS is at home, then into January and May for proofreading and submissions, he tends to come home for some of the study leave weeks too as it’s so quiet at uni. DS needs support with proofreading because of SEN, his course is mostly assignment rather than exam based.

My youngest is doing Alevels and eldest in final year uni (away from home so exams don't impact on the household).
Eldest has last exam end May but I've told them not to come back until after youngest's last exam!

I'm living this at the moment. My eldest starts her a levels tomorrow, my middle started her GCSEs last week. They are doing so well but I'm finding it hard emotionally. I'm trying to support them both, helping them revise when I can. It's taken 4 hours tonight to help them both and I do worry I can't support them both as much as I want. We are just managing anxiety when it hits, I send texts every day reminding them how amazing they are, reassure, motivate, support. Thankfully there's a lot of years between my middle and youngest so i don't experience this again.

I didn't think about it till eldest started school - third child already here - and one teacher said - oh two lots of GCSE and A-levels at same time you are brave.

That was in England then we moved to Wales - so Y12 and Y10 counting to external exams just made it longer period.

And at least one more (uni finals) next year.
I hadn't been thinking about Uni exams possibly as they won't be under our roof and will be much more independent.

Personally I also found uni assessments better - more variety of assessment which DD1 course and possibly next wo may also have - lab/field/essay and projects as well as exams and it's more a combined grade - so if one module is bad it had less impact so one exam module has less riding on it.

Two summers of exams in a row? We're on 6 so far with 2 DCs with a 2 year gap as it started with y10 exams. And at least one more (uni finals) next year. Maybe more if youngest goes.

AS exams are 40% of A-levels still here in Wales - so DS is sitting nine exams as taken 4 AS levels plus the welsh bac he can't drop but is course work.

There are pros and cons to this the AS exams in Y12 for DD1 were in end a better indicator of final grades than her teachers predictions and as she took 4 could drop one after Y12 and leave with an AS qualification.

Actual GCSE exams in Y10 as well - we have family in England who keep being told this is wrong by others so querying it with us.

It will be 7 years of exams by the end - 4 years doing at same time. I don't tolerate disruptive/ loud at home at any time so that's not been an issue here but how they handle the stress has varied with each child.

Yes, they all start with 4, if not 5 subjects, and then drop one after AS, so have an AS to show for it.

Ds did AS Levels at his comprehensive school last year.

that's interesting @Shinyandnew1 - because they no longer count towards the A level grade, many if not most schools had I thought stopped doing them. Certs no secondary local to me does them. I guess if you were going to drop an A level (maybe if you took four to start with) it would be something to show for the year's work.