Year 12 - first half term DONE.

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

new thread so we don't get lost. Well done to all our dc whether doing btech (or breach as autocorrect prefers to call it) or a levels. 1/6 of the way through this year. (blimey)

Ds is taking one of ib exams in May so will 5 have subjects, the extended essay and the theory of knowledge course next year.

Students here take AS if it's an unreformed subject (so no choice) or if it's a straight through one that they are dropping in year two (so they end up with something for it). I'm assuming that those without AS have a terminal exam (or "test" as DS would have it) but I wouldn't know as not a lot gets passed on to me. I only know they have mocks coming up because one of his mates spilled the beans in the car on the way home. It's that irregular verb again - friend has mocks and DS has a test today.

DD actually has 5 AS as Further Maths is a Twilight extra. So she will definitely drop something!

Dd struggling to know what to drop. It was always going to be English but she is predicted an A in that. She can't even do an AS in it as they have mixed up the way they teach the syllabus so she would have covered stuff this year that she wouldn't need, and would have to carry on with parts of the course next year to be ready for the exam. I am suggesting Biology as that is the subject she finds hardest but she is adamant she isn't dropping it.

I don't think dd has to decide anything until she gets her as results. I'm not sure though.

It's a tricky one Exit. What does she want to do next? Would one be better preparation for her degree course than the other?

Dd is almost sure she's going to do an AS in English and then drop it.
It's a choice between English and Maths - English is more relevant to her degree choice, but she's much more confident of a high grade (with far less work) in maths.

Raspberry 5 is a bit bonkers! Good on her for taking on so much extra though. Does she know which subject she'll drop?

She wants to do History - probably with something else. She is also doing Psychology which she is really enjoying.

Probably the Maths, Lobster, which will reduce the A2 to 3 naturally.

She likes the further maths more than the maths though!

But she's thinking about Classics, do probably Eng. lit, History and French would be the ones to keep.

Raspberry I think our dd's sound very similar!
My dd is also thinking about classics, and currently doing the same subjects as yours!
She wants to keep Maths though, just because she is more confident of a high grade and the workload is much smaller.
She's hoping to focus more on the history/language side of classics, so thinks AS in English will be fine.

Which universities/courses is your dd looking at?

DD is doing 3 subjects as the college were very clear that only the very top students (As and A*s in everything) would do 4. I think mock results are out today (eek!) - but it's only one subject for her as other are BTEC.

I was speaking to a colleague (much younger than me) who did 4 A levels - she said she really regretted it as she ended up with 4 lower grades, when she knows that she could have got 3 high grades. It meant that she absolutely hated college - especially the second year, and she came very close to going off the rails completely. Not saying this would be the case for all DCs obviously - but just food for thought for those with DCs making that decision.

Dd doesn't have to drop a subject as they all had to do 3 with the exception of some doing 4 if they did maths and further maths. Dd massively regrets taking R.S however

Chocolate I know what you are saying. Unfortunately in our case DS1 did extremely well with 4, he wouldn't have benefited from dropping one, which is what DD is judging herself against.

Lobster she's chucked a few names around, but I really don't know! Exeter, I think is one.

raspberry - oh yes I can see how that would make things difficult

dd is only taking 3 A level subjects. There is one that she regrets taking at the moment as it isn't quite what she thought it would be like... but it looks as if the 2nd year topics are ones that she will find more interesting. It's Health and Social care and so far she has looked at Caring for Older people, mental health and healthy lifestyle.
This week has been an odd week as the timetable was reduced due to teachers being away on a trip with the Y13s. They don't seem to have supply teachers at the college - they just set work for students to do themselves.
She has also been to see the Creative exhibition at a local Art gallery of work produced by Y13 students. DH and I went yesterday afternoon and were impressed with the standard of work produced in Art, Graphics, Product Design, Textiles and Photography.

So my non streetwise DS wants to do work experience iin tobermory. We live on the south coast of england! Its an all day trip including 4 changes of train and a ferry crossing. It won't be a problem he says. Really? I'm going to check out the flights to Glasgow!

well, that's enterprising!!

dd is applying for all sorts of bits and bobs in the summer. I have no idea what now, completely lost track!

dd has booked her first two open days and in a slightly startling move ticked the parents not coming box I'd have quite liked it, but they are her open days and her decision to make, so I'll just have to grill her when she gets home from them!

Not til April though.

DD has booked some open days

She's honestly looking forward to going to uni. Had a bad week at school with nasty bitchy girls digging up rumours from over 2 years ago, told dd not to bite because when she does they bring up another rumour etc. It's honestly so petty dd is thankful she breaks up this week....

DD refusing to discuss Uni with me.

Do they need to look this year or can it wait until next year?

Exit some universities will require an application in October this year to start in 2018, but most will be January next year. I know that you do need to book in advance to go to open days, so it comes down to when the universities that she might be interested in are having open days. Obviously there is the option of having a year out before uni. I found this which might help www.opendays.com/calendar/

Exit DS has been resolutely ignoring the future up until today when he's done a comparison between a few courses in between laughing at some of the off the wall combinations out there (music and biology anyone?) Up until now if you'd asked him where he was thinking of going he would have named one of the places that people have told him would be good. He's no idea where they are on a map, whether they are campus or city based or even what the course is like. Someone has said "ooh you want to be looking at F" and then that's it, F is on the list. At least now he's started looking for himself, for which I'm very grateful.

The one he was looking at this afternoon had three open days, one in June and then the first and last week of October. That's the limit of my knowledge I'm afraid.

I think it can wait til the summer, then once they have their as levels they can be prepared to hit the autumn open days, but if they want to put oxbridge down or medical or veterinary courses then they have to have all 5 chosen and their applications in by october 15th. I think the summer term open days take some of the pressure off this.

and with the deadlines schools require the applications to be in earlier as they have to do references and check it all I think.
oh blimey.

Well she's not Oxbridge, Veterinary or Medicine so that's the pressure off.