What do you wish you'd known before your child started A-levels?

[ainawatson]

My child is starting A-levels soon, and I'm starting to realise how different it all seems from GCSEs.
For those who have been through it with their children, what do you wish you'd known beforehand?
Was the workload more of a shock than expected? Did they need to become much more independent? Were there particular subjects that turned out to be far harder than they expected?
Or is there something you wish you'd done differently as a parent at the start?
Would love to hear what surprised you most.

Maths, English and Chemistry.

He’d better crack on with the bridging work then before the homework starts flooding in…..
why didn’t he get it done before going back to school?

I have just heard it a lot from other parents and teachers that the first week feels like biggest shock because of the change in environment.

Could be that he underestimated how quickly the work would start piling up! 😅 He'll definitely need to get cracking now before he's playing catch-up.

It sounds as if he’s going to have to grow up and take responsibility for his work very quickly.

I'm surprised, given where this thread began, that you have allowed that to happen, OP.

Yea, definitely. Hoping he settles into it quickly.

@greenbluedots my DC year group has gone to a mix of 6 th forms and colleges.
Some of those choosing small school 6th form are finding it odd that most old friends have gone. Some at the most popular huge college are overwhelmed already. Some are thinking about moving already

You're totally right to notice that—it's a massive shift. A-levels have definitely ramped up in intensity and volume over the last 15 years, and the pressure on students today is on a whole different level compared to back then.Curiously, what subjects did he end up choosing?

That is honestly the best way to handle it. Letting him take the steering wheel completely means he has actual skin in the game when those tough study nights roll around.
What subjects did your son end up choosing for his A-levels?

My older son took History and Drama A-Levels and a Musical Theatre B-Tec. He worked as an LSA at his former college during his gap year and now has a scholarship for a Drama school in New York. My younger son will most likely take Business and an extended Sports diploma (equivalent of 2 A-Levels). He wants to be a pilot and is already studying towards his private pilot license. We let our kids choose according to interest, I have seen too many kids fail and drop out of A-Levels.

That is an incredible lineup for both of them. Going from History, Drama, and Musical Theatre straight to a New York drama school on a scholarship is massive—what an achievement! And it's so clear how much freedom they were given to follow their actual passions, which totally explains why they've both done so well.
How is he finding balancing his flight training with his current studies?

I am interested that you have such a depth of knowledge @ainawatson considering that your DC is your first to take A levels, you did not sit them yourself (based on your own answers here) and I presume you are not a teacher. How do you know they have ramped up so much? As it goes (speaking as a former teacher in school and as a parent of two A level students in recent years, I would not actually agree with this.

Especially in the last couple of years, many RG unis have relaxed their A level requirements (for some courses anyway) and are admitting students with much lower grades than they were accepting just 5 or 6 years ago.

@clary you have taken the words right out of my mouth. Days into this thread, there is still something that doesn't add up with @ainawatson's posts and OP is unfailingly agreeable.

Grammar near me went back today. My child’s grammar started last Thursday and I thought that was late but obviously not.

Have they?

What evidence have you got of that?

You're right I am not a teacher and this is my first DC doing A-Level. I am just basing it on the jump from GCSE to A-level content this year and talking to other parents.

The jump from O levels to A levels was pretty steep in my day. (1975 - 1977)

The ones at the small school sixth forms definitely get hit with that sudden shock of "where did everyone go?" it can feel really quiet and isolating if their main friendship groups splintered off. But on the flip side, the massive colleges are absolute sensory overload for the first few weeks.

Wow 1975! That's while ago. What subjects did you do? With my DC it feels like the jump from GCSE to A-Level is huge.

I’d say it depends on the subject.
My DC did:

Bio, Chem and Maths
Bio, Psychology and Maths

They both got all 7-9s in GCSE

Chemistry was def the hardest. DD had to have a tutor for a bit as teaching wasn’t good enough.

For DS, Psychology was by for the easiest in terms of course content, but there was a lot of content - whereas a maths/bio the answers are either right or wrong.

They both struggled with revision in terms of not being distracted. DD would go to coffee shops to revise or the library. Or they’d do it at the kitchen table to be away from distractions in their room.

Make sure that they’re eating well, not partying too much and check in on their mental health.

Thank you for sharing this. Should I also arrange a tutor for my DC. I think, he will need tutor for Chemistry.

Indeed! I did A levels 1974-76 and a massive difference from now is how little learning/revision advice, support and so on we got. Lessons were mostly instructional and 'lecture-style' and we were expected to crack on with learning it without help and advice.

I know as a retired secondary teacher how much has changed in teaching students for GCSEs and A levels.

Oh it really is like discussing with AI!

So based on the fact that A levels are harder than GCSE (well duh) you have concluded that the A levels themselves have “ramped up” which I take to mean got harder, in the last 15 years? That makes no sense at all. And unless other parents had DC that took A levels 15 years ago (possible but unlikely) I would say they are no help either.

Actually A levels were reformed about 10 years ago and the resultant quals are different, not necessarily harder (depends on your strengths tbh), but more exam based. And not 15 years ago. First exams on the reformed syllabi were in 2017.

French and home economics. I didn't work hard enough for my O levels and only passed 5 to start with. I resat one and took three more in 6th form, so I ended up with nine in total.

Back then you could resit any subject in the January. It's a shame it can't be done now.