Christmas half term - Year 13 (another original thread title!)

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

Carrying on from previous thread

I'm so rubbish with thread titles. Anyway...

This time last year there was lots of chat about tests/exams/mocks at this point. Are there fewer of them, or is everyone more chilled about them?

Yes, we went through DD's timetable a while ago, hers are all in June.

First one is the 6th and last the 22nd.

Se was stunned by how few exams this year, compared to doing 5 AS last year, with 6 exams just for the Maths!

dd has 16 exams potentially, most after the half term, but a couple before it.

let's not think too hard about this....

If any of you have a few minutes to spare, a student is asking for some parents of teenagers in FE to will in a survey - only took me a few minutes goo.gl/forms/AxZvsVpPt5vItUUe2

ds1 has gone in for his first Mock today. He says it is poetry, they have study leave after, so he will be back home in an hour!

Yesterday we had the cheesecake saga. He ate the rest of the cheesecake that dh was looking forward to, in the middle of the night! He did wash his holiday laundry though and took it upstairs afterwards. Although we found at bedtime he had nicked ds2's duvet (that was when I had tried to get him out of bed yesterday by removing his - he had clearly just nipped down corridor and stolen ds2's whilst I was out (ds2 being at school!)

at the cheesecake saga. I'd love some cheesecake!

Back to college tomorrow. harumphhhh. Short half term though and hopefully less bonkers than last term.

DD goes back on Monday. At least it's only a 5 week half term, followed by a 6 week half term. I suspect that she will have finished two of her subjects by the end of this term.

Ds1 has had two offers, one conditional on interview, and one with a 120 tariff including 80 from A levels and minimum of C in Music A level. He is now busily arranging interview dates and very excited to be contacted! 120 is quite high really, I think the subsidiary BTec skews things, because nominally his predicted grade is the same tariff as an A level A* whereas the M he is likely to get will be the same as a C in tariff points. [sorry if this confuses those not on the BTec treadmill

Anyway I haven't really had the chance to get anything out of him, except to be told in the middle of the night (12.30!) that he was arranging an interview date. He also appeared to be singing classical music in the middle of the night which was not appreciated And yet at 11 he was yawning like he was going to conk out...

tomorrow's off for revising (and he has only just gone back on Wed) but he showed me the offer properly at lunchtime - a bit confusing as I thought he needed two B's minimum (and has been predicted less) but it turns out that it is a combination of points from 3 level 3 Alevel/Btec essay type qualifications, as long as it is not the minor qualifications like music exams adding up to the 80 points (you would have to have a lot of Grade 8 exams in there!) Although of course he still needs 120 overall...

then we had a flurry because I had lost the Grade 7 certificate down a deep of Christmas paperwork (catalogues, travel brochures, bits of school reports) Found it again. It is amazing how demanding they can be for one bit of paper from Central Filing when they live in a landfill zone; i had extracted said certificate 3 months ago, and pinned it up on the kitchen corkboard, in order that it would NOT get lost in ds's room...under the sweet wrappers and sandwich boxes..

It's quite confusing how the BTEC grades equate to UCAS points isn't it Nettles

For anyone interested:
D - same UCAS points as an A
D - same UCAS points as an A
M - same UCAS points as a C

Ds1 is predicted a D* for his Btec subsidiary but I doubt he will get it, more likely a merit. It is odd, they predict the Btec s very high with little evidence to go on. Anyway, that is fine, he is not doing the Btec as his degree subject, it is his main subject that he needs to get a high grade in.

We had flash cards over Christmas, a bit of a first with ds1 (although ds2 loves them)

Well DD is joining the other DC on the resit bench. She's a bit fed up but fairly philosophical. It's rebooked for 2 weeks

awww, not to worry, poor lass, it's a very long bench! at least she doesn't need to wait long before she tries again.

.

I am aiming for last parent to know their child applied to uni award if there's one going. Having decided to stop nagging and let him be I thought I'd ask 'how's the personal statement going?' to take his mind off waiting to go in for his driving theory test. "Oh I sent in my application ages ago, I thought you knew" That boy and his laid back approach to life will be the end of me. He also finally passed his driving theory, huzzah, only taken a year.

So we have two uni's applied for one close to home and one that would involve living in halls (but they have Welsh speakers accommodation which I think is quieter than average I think). Gulp!

Lovely seeing the interviews and offers coming in for people. Can't believe they will potentially leaving the nest this year.

Will try and do a more comprehensive catch up now we are actually in the same boat as everyone else with an application made!

DS has booked another theory test, he has a new and increased desire to be out there driving because I have a new (three year old) car and he likes driving it. I like driving it too but I also like someone else driving me about while I sit in the front pointing out that use of handbrake is A Thing and not all cars have hill start assist. He's really competent, he needs experience in finding a place to park - it's that thing where you drive along and have to make a quick decision as to whether that spot is a good place or not. Oops, passed it. It will come with more experience.

Congratulations MrSlant, although around here "ages ago" could mean the week before last.

Nettles I don't think they need to get a Distinction for every unit in order to get a Distinction overall, and I'm not sure they need to get all Distinctions to get a D* overall.

I've tried Googling it, but the way they work out the final grade seems to be very confusing!

Hello! I hadn't realised you were all still going. Fab to hear of all the great offers coming through. DS has offers for Exeter which is his first choice as well as Newcastle and Bangor.
We do have a fly in the ointment which is his first girlfriend. She lives in his hometown (he's at boarding school) and he's known her for about 7 years. She doesn't have the same aspirations as him (not doing a levels or planning on Uni) I'm petrified he's going to get her pregnant and am cursing his decision to take a gap year! There is obviously a back story that I won't go into but she's very anxious and quite vulnerable and they seem to be besotted with each other.
I struggle to have a conversation which doesn't involve condoms or consent!

Ooh Derek DS has applied for Bangor too, I love where the campus is, DS chose it I strongly suspect for the Brailsford sports centre! No such issue with girlfriends though as unless it has two wheels he's not remotely interested. Did he have an interview for any of his chosen uni's or do they just post out offers and how long does it take for them to come through? Sorry to pick your brain but we are utterly clueless!

Icouldbeknitting I strongly suspect that 'ages ago' means the day before his theory test . I love being driven about too, exactly the same with quick decisions here, I told him if he fails his test it will be for 'dithering' which apparently has a proper name in the exam. Although we are mostly Not Taking the Handbrake Off thoroughly which makes the car bing quite alarmingly whilst not affecting the ability to drive.

I am very interested to hear the Oxbridge results as I am living vicariously through DS' best friend who is a proper high flyer and has had offers (with the occasional scholarship) from the other places applied to. Not as much as some on this thread though I imagine!

No interviews for DS, most of his offers came through about a month after applying although Bangor was very quick

I’ve massively fallen off the wagon...
I’ll read and catch up but we’ve had a rough time here
DD has been having a rough time with abscesses (needed operating on) period pain etc
To cut a long story short she’s been tested for blood clotting issues and Von wilebrands before a referral to gynaecology
DD laptop also went all funny unable to get coursework off mocks are next week and she’s hardly done any work

On a brighter note she’s had 3/5 offers in and just had one in from royal Holloway

I will catch up I promise. I Definitely need this thread more then ever

Welcome back Fantasy, I'm glad to see you back :) your poor dd, it sounds like it's been a really rough time. I hope they can get to the bottom of what is going on with her health.

That sounds like a worry Derek. Any chance his gf is using contraception?

OYBK
I strongly suspect it is endometriosis but the gp admitted our area is very strict and probably the strictest in the UK on referrals because of cost and to try and cut waiting times and to save money....
Not good for dds health and is a worry for exams.
On that note does anyone know if dd has a doctors note and emails her unis to make them aware good it do any good?

derek
It’s hard when dd was with her abusive ex I just had to coax her in and remind her. Maybe just watch a film? Play a game and discuss then.. the trick is not to make it a big deal. Teens hate it

I think it's best if any communication about your dds health goes in via her school referee Fantasy.

Oh welcome back Fantasy, we missed you, and have been worrying about your poor DD.
Sorry to hear her health hasn't improved - she really has had a tough year.

Fantasy sorry your dd is having such a tough time. I hope they can get to the bottom of what is wrong.

Dd has assessments next week (not mocks apparently). She seems ok about them on the whole apart from a few topics.
She eventually got her first pain management appointment this week. It has been over a year since referral and I have had to chase it up at every stage. She has to wait another month before any treatment actually starts but we both felt quite positive about the assessment appointment.