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Further education

You'll find discussions about A Levels and universities on our Further Education forum.

Original poster

Year 12 - first half term DONE.

999 replies

OhYouBadBadKitten · 19/10/2016 13:25

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)

OP posts:
HesMyLobster · 12/05/2017 18:27

DD also has C1 on Wednesday. She also seems strangely relaxed about it . . .

It was her birthday this week so she's been a little bit preoccupied with celebrating and starting driving lessons.
She's been doing 1 past paper a day/2days for the past couple of weeks and seems very in control of the whole thing.
She's also taking the AS in English Lit, which she is a little less confident about (mainly I think because of poor teaching Angry) but says she has a plan and thinks she knows what she needs to do.
Internal exams in history and French are after half term, so she says she's not thinking about them yet!

Icouldbeknitting · 12/05/2017 22:07

I've checked and here there are no internal exams just actual AS exams. That gives DS three exams across two subjects and he seems to have it all in hand. He is not in denial, can say the E-word and I've seen signs of revision (although admittedly not as much as I'd like to see). He seems to have grown up a lot since this time last year.

They are straight back into A2 teaching after half term and DS will have more free periods (or study time as the adults like to call it) as one of his subjects drops out after AS. I did wonder whether he was going to fight to continue with four subjects into next year as this was the subject that all his friends were taking but it looks as if the lure of the extra free time will clinch it. If he's thinking of taking it next year he has to attend lessons to the end of term, if he's dropping it then he can stop attending after the exam.

They also start looking at the personal statement after half term, there's an information evening to kick it all off in the second week back. That's something to look forward to then.

His hayfever doesn't seem to be as bad this year, I don't know whether that's because the weather has been poor or whether (in my dreams) he's growing out of it.

MsAwesomeDragon · 12/05/2017 22:44

I was going to say I was surprised they were allowed to drop a subject before results day, but then I remembered that most subjects are now linear so won't have results day Blush. Just me in my little maths bubble, thinking "we don't let them drop it til we know which one they're worst at".

Dd is planning on keeping all 4 subjects for y13 as well. She's managed them very well this year so it would be a shame to drop one now. If she does end up doing one because it gets too much next year, it'll be chemistry, that's the one she's least interested in and has to work hardest at to understand.

Icouldbeknitting · 13/05/2017 10:33

DS started music and music technology and the plan was always to drop the tech after the AS (it's not linear). What I knew at the start but he didn't is that some universities (including one that he is interested in) will not accept both music and music tech so if he went forward with music and music tech and one other A level he would be restricting his future choices. If he did four he'd be ok but if he does three he has to drop either music or music tech.

raspberryrippleicecream · 13/05/2017 14:01

DD might be expected to wait until Results day as she is doing all her AS but she is desperate to drop Maths and Further Maths asap. Will have to see what's said after the AS. She's now on study leave.

TheSecondOfHerName · 13/05/2017 15:04

DS1 has finally had some encouraging news in his search for a part-time job. He did a trial shift today in a local independent tea-room / cake-making business, and they liked him enough that they asked him to come back next week.

It's within walking distance, the staff and customers are friendly, they will give him barista training, and (importantly as he has exams coming up) it is only 4 hours per week, with the possibility of increasing hours in the school holidays.

TheSecondOfHerName · 13/05/2017 15:06

I asked him about the barista part, and he told me that today they taught him how to do and but that he hasn't yet made an entire cup of coffee. Grin

MsAwesomeDragon · 13/05/2017 15:35

That sounds cool second! I'd like to learn some arm actions and sound effects too.

Dd doesn't get study leave. My y12s are on study leave now, I've had my last lesson with them ever. When they come back after study leave we are merging 2 classes because we need to merge them for September's timetable, so they will be taught by next year's teacher which is not me :(

Icouldbeknitting · 13/05/2017 18:39

TheSecond that sounds perfect. Either the flexibility on hours or it being within walking distance would make it a winner but for it to have both is stellar. I hope that it works out for him.

TheDrsDocMartens · 13/05/2017 22:43

Lucky on the job , sounds perfect. Saw similar for dd1/2 in an ice cream place but hugely popular job, think half the town applied !

Dd1 getting motivated with uni open days booked two now and she's a list of places/courses she's interested in.

Icouldbeknitting · 14/05/2017 08:19

Kitten was it your daughter with the plan for no open days? I was talking to someone in real life yesterday (strange but it does sometimes happen) and she said that was the biggest thing they learned about the uni admission process with child 1 and child 2. With child 1 they trooped from one end of the country to the other on open days but child 2 only went on offer holder days. She was very much recommending the second route as the way to go.

TheDrsDocMartens · 14/05/2017 08:34

We are looking at two very different ones. She's already been to three others for different things so is leaning towards campus uni but looking at one more non campus to be sure. Everywhere she's favouring is a small city anyway so very different to home.

Mamia15 · 14/05/2017 09:06

Offer holders days here too with a couple of open days here - no point in traipsing all over the country when you will get the opportunity to visit nearer the time and there's a wealth of info online.

Original poster
OhYouBadBadKitten · 14/05/2017 09:29

not mine Knitting, she has been to a couple already and has plans for a couple more. What she doesn't have are any reasonable back up unis lined up to look at as all the ones she is looking at are likely to offer the same grades.

OP posts:
dingit · 14/05/2017 09:45

Kitten, my dd is in yr13, and she found that most of the courses she looked at all wanted the same (high) grades. She wanted to put her two preferred as firm and insurance but they both wanted AAB. She now has an ex poly as insurance BBC. I really can't see her going there, so we will probably need up in clearing. It's all a real worry!

dingit · 14/05/2017 09:46

*end

Original poster
OhYouBadBadKitten · 14/05/2017 09:48

That's exactly what I'm afraid of dingit. I guess she won't know until she actually applies and gets offers, but she does need an insurance that she likes.
I'd forgotten about clearing. Not a nice way to have to do it though.

OP posts:
dingit · 14/05/2017 10:14

She's predicted AAA, so maybe I shouldn't doubt her. Can you tell my nerves are shot to pieces? My ds is in yr 11 too!

TheDrsDocMartens · 14/05/2017 12:19

We've similar , most courses seem to be AAB, likely to be undersubscribed though and she's a relevant EPQ so should have some safety net.

TheDrsDocMartens · 14/05/2017 12:19

We've similar , most courses seem to be AAB, likely to be undersubscribed though and she's a relevant EPQ so should have some safety net.

Original poster
OhYouBadBadKitten · 14/05/2017 14:05

argh, you poor soul dingit. Lots of Gin for you.

Typical offers for the places dd like seem to be a, a, a plus step. Which is just crazy talk. She needs to see how she does in her as exams though.

A moment of stress here this morning as a small wave of panic went through her college chat groups. It's awfully contagious. Unfortunately it occurred at the same time as I asked her to do the hoovering. All is calm again now and the house is hoovered.

OP posts:
chocolateworshipper · 14/05/2017 20:06

I can't believe that we are getting close to the end of our second thread! Very best of luck to everyone's DCs who have exams coming up. DD has her only AS exam this week and I'm far more nervous than she is. She now has two part-time jobs now, and is still doing brilliantly in her two BTEC subjects, so I have to keep telling myself that it won't be the end of the world if she does badly in the AS

Iamastonished · 14/05/2017 23:30

"but then I remembered that most subjects are now linear so won't have results day blush"

DD will still have to go into school to collect her AS results. All her subjects are linear but they are still doing AS exams.

lashingsofgingerbeer · 15/05/2017 08:32

Mind if I join you all here for some hand holding? Was on Year 11 GCSE thread for a while last year. DD has 6 exams this week so back on the exam rollercoaster again! Confused

Iamastonished · 15/05/2017 08:37

Six!. Wow, that's a lot. DD has three this week, three next week and two after half term. She started study leave from Friday and doesn't have to go back to school until 19th June, so we have booked a short break after her last exam which is on the 9th.

DD is an only, and I am so glad I have to go through this only once.

Good luck to everyone.