Worried about my clever but laidback DS re A’levels

[FridayIM]

DS has always been naturally academic. He generally does the minimum revision and always does very well in exams. He only really works when under pressure (won’t start revising until just before tests etc).
He’s a good student and teachers like him. He works hard in lessons and always gives in homework on time and to a good standard, but he’s quite efficient and homework doesn’t take too long.
I’m just worried that this approach is not going to be enough now he’s doing A’levels. He’s chosen 4 A’levels considered to be very hard and the course he wants to do at university requires A* s and As.
I’m driving myself a bit mad worrying about this and find myself nagging him to do more. This makes no difference and he just says ‘it’s fine’.
Does anyone else have a DC like this? Did they eventually knuckle down?

Can those of you advocating strict parentally-imposed study regimes please consider that this approach does not prepare students well for university. They have to be self-motivated in order to succeed.
I am a university lecturer and I do see students who appear not to be able to organise themselves at all. It does not augur well if the only way they succeed at A level is through parental organisation and pressure.

I’ve read that they should be doing 7 hours work per subject per week outside school lessons and he’s doing nowhere near this.

Where did you read that; it really makes no sense. Especially if 2 of his subjects are maths and further maths. In those subjects the teacher introduces the topic, shows examples, the pupils do examples. If set for homework, it takes just as long as it takes. Once they have done every example in the textbook, or whatever, what exactly are they then supposed to do to fill 7 hours? If he's also doing physics and chemistry, I'd imagine the situation is pretty similar.

I teach at a very selective private school and even we only recommend 4-5 hours per subject per week as homework/independent study! Some pupils do more, some do less, but there shouldn't be any expectation to do more. Seven hours seems excessive...

I was exactly like this (well, except I rarely did my homework). I was fine, got my As and got into Cambridge.

If GreenLakes had been my mother I’d have left home before my GCSEs.

I don’t think my DT’s did seven hours a week let alone per subject and managed to get all A’s and a 1st. There should be more to life than just studying.