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?

MrSlant, that's really ace. Well done to your ds!
I'm glad your dd has her offers in Fantasy.

In my now traditional 'let's look waaaay ahead of where we need to', it suddenly struck me this morning while on a walk that dd is leaving home this year and although she will be back for holidays - hopefully! I soon won't have the 'looking forward to hearing her keys in the door feeling' each evening. I had to hold back sobs so that I didn't look like an utter lunatic to any passing dog walkers. waaaah :(

Oh OYBBK that's set me off again. I told the teachers in his primary this morning as I dropped DS3 off (they were so chuffed for him, they worked so hard with him when he was smaller) and when I got in the car I was weepy all the way home. Have a manly punch to the shoulder so I don't make it worse by hugging you. I think we are all going to need each other more in September than we do now!

Well done to DD Fantasy, 5 offers is amazing. What sort of grades are they looking for, is there a good spread or are they all similar? I''m fascinated by the more academic children's applications. I'm sorry if you've said repeatedly but I have the memory of a goldfish, what is it she's applied to do?

Littledrummer where's your DS applied, I've read that some places are really bad at letting people know. Must be horrible if you have to wait until March when your peers are already finding out.

Maybe we should buy shares in kleenex at this point?

I'm starting to regret booking my holiday in the October half term. What if dd suddenly has a crisis and she needs us? What if she sees it as us not being able to get rid of her fast enough?
I'm very good at feeling guilty but I really hope that it doesn't make her feel more vulnerable.

My parents booked a holiday and were two weeks starting two days before I started university you look like a pretty good parent from where I'm sitting .

MrSlant
Royal Holloway
ABB
Goldsmiths BBB
Uni of west minister BBC
St Mary’s must have at least 2 B’s
Confused with st Mary’s does that mean if she got AAB they wouldn’t let her in?
Uni of east London 80 Ucas points
Dd hoped to apply for kings etc but health issues meant it just wasn’t a good option unless she does what she’s capable of and goes through adjustment

I must be properly heartless. I'm not emotional at all about the thought that dd will be gone this time next year. Maybe it's because dd2 will still be here (for another 10 years!!) Or maybe it's because I know she's not going too far and it's a reasonably easy journey to get to her if she needs me (at weekends and school holidays only because the weekdays are rather busy)

Dd's exams are not going as well as she'd hoped :( Physics was "terrible" yesterday, running out of time way before she'd finished. Then today Maths FP 3 was "abysmally bad" as she knew what they were asking but just couldn't answer the questions. They did only finish the syllabus a week or so ago, but she's never had an exam that hard apparently. Maybe this will be the kick she needs to realise that actual revision is required rather than just revision noises.

Dd has found out today she has no study leave....
Study leave begins the day they break up for holidays and then her exams begin immediately after the holidays
I am a little worried as apparently they will be having essays and work set up until that point

lol MrSlant. But yikes at your parents! I guess there's always messenger and flights back in case of disaster. After all, gap year kids are often part way round the world by that point! Besides, what am I going to do, stay in the uk for the rest of my life?

I'd swear, if I got into heaven I'd still be worrying about something.

MsAD, is it possible that your dd is underestimating how she has done? dd was about to fall on her sword over one maths exam last week. Convinced it was a disaster. She got full marks

Fantasy it's the same at dds college I think. There is so much to fit in.

It is entirely possible that she's underestimating how she's done. Most of the time she thinks she's done badly she comes back with an A. This time seems a little different though, she says she couldn't get the part a of a few questions which meant she then couldn't do part b or copying either as they used the answer from a. I've advised her to "get over it, and do some revision for Friday's fp4 exam", after I made all the sympathetic noises I'm supposed to make. I'm not the most sympathetic parent around really, and honestly she does need to get some perspective, it's not the end of the world if she gets a B on an exam (which is what I suspect she means by abysmally bad).

Fantasy it's the same here, study leave starts for DS on 25th May which is the start of half term. I thought he'd finished by mid May but I got that wrong, it's mid June.

MrsAD ds1 sat a physics mock yesterday- he said it was really hard, the best person at the subject left half a page!

Mrslant he's applied for RVC, Notts, Surrey and Bristol. He still has an interview to attend at Notts so not expecting to hear from them yet but I wish one of the others would give him an offer before I go stir crazy!

I've been having weepy moments as well. It doesn't help that ds2 is applying for the army. I'm preparing for both of them to go in September. I'm so proud of them both but it's given me some sleepless nights! I may need to hang out a bit on the sweary thread.

Littledrummer two at once? Oh my, you can have a manly pat on the arm as well, I can imagine you are immensely proud. Sounds like your DS1 has applied for a tough subject, fingers crossed one of them blinks soon!

Love I'd swear, if I got into heaven I'd still be worrying about something I'm just the same between the three of them I don't think I'm getting a lot of sleep at the moment. And yes, yikes indeed, the more my children do the more I realise I'm over the top because I had it quite far the other way!

Thank you Fantasy, that's really interesting. Indeed at the two Bs, that's either very badly worded or alarmingly specific .

He had an offer of 96 points for his absolute first choice - nearly only choice - course today so happiness is complete this week, do I presume if it's points he can use all 4 of his subjects to make up this sum? (Welsh bacc is counted at this university). One more to hear from then a little road trip to compare campuses. It's very very wrong to want him to pick the closest one isn't it? I'm going to have to be completely impartial not the one 6 hours away please.

Slant that's brilliant news, very pleased for your DS.

Drummer I can't imagine both of mine leaving at the same time! You must be very proud but I imagine lots of hand holding needed.
I might be in need of a manly shoulder punch too - have had a few wobbles this week as reality sets in.
Was planning a couple of trips with DD to visit offer holder days, but she's kept in contact with the friends she made at interview and as they all applied to pretty much the same places, they're planning to all visit together.
I'm happy she's made friends and wants to be independent but feeling very un- needed!

Exam leave is the same here - starts at end of May when they break up for half term. DD doesn't have any exams until June though.

Same here for study leave. DD will finish school just before half term and just go back for exams.

Mocks also going badly here, apparently. This is standard for DD so I have no idea how they are actually going!

My DS1 went back to uni last Sunday (in his 2nd year). I still miss him when he has gone back, but I'm quite enjoying having my car back. He is near enough also for a weekend home easily. DD will be much further away.

Oh gosh exam leave, I'm going to have two of them home for half the summer! I hope DS1 passes his driving test soon. DS2 is driving me insane getting over excited from nerves for his GCSEs. We are in the Welsh system so apart from doing two maths (numeracy in the bag pure maths to come) they have science practicals all this week under exam conditions then writing up the experiments under exam conditions the week after. Friday is PE assessment for his main sport, it's like it's never ending! He is an A* pupil relatively late in his school career and it just makes him silly the excitement of trying hard and doing well. I guess it's a lot better than miserable and grumpy! DS1 and I boggle at him revising like crazy and working hard, he's not like us .

Study leave is the same here, ie they don't get any. Dd has a couple of exams before the may half term, but even after that they have revision sessions for the exams they haven't already taken, and they are expected to attend. She might be "ill" for some of those revision sessions if she feels she'll work better at home.

I’ve two on Exams this year too. Can’t imagine 2 leaving home at the same time. I’m comfortable with dd1 going as she seems to have a good idea what she’s doing. I’ve still 3 more at home though which makes a difference!

I feel sorry for those with two at home in study leave, the stress and tensions must be high and ever increasing. Glad to know everyone goes on study leave about the similar time
mrslant
It is 2 B’s and then the third they don’t care about

Dd has had coursework back today and she is feeling extremely deflated she thought it was good however it wasn’t...
The highest mark was a C. The rest got D’s/E’s it seems that the exam board for English literature OCR is extremely tough to get a good mark in...

I hope she has helpful feedback fantasy.

dd will be fine when she leaves, though I know the change will be tough to start. It's me that's the needy, worrying one I do try not to show it in reality, I have no idea how successful I am though.

Maybe I should get a puppy when she goes

fantasy I was told the same about two good grades rather than three mediocre grades, ie BB D/E rather than CCB (a welsh uni - music). I think they want to see evidence that you have a very good understanding of their subject rather than just overall academic performance. I would take all your dc's offer grades with a pinch of salt, I suspect they would take her/him (sorry cannot remember) with lower grades unless vastly oversubscribed in that subject, as long as the GSCEs were good. You have to remember that most of these offers are computer generated, the fine tuning comes when the grades come in. I know someone who was PAID by the university of westminster to study there (film) because his academic results were so good in comparison to usual applicants (who had more technical qualifications)

Having said that, still no word from either Glasgow or Cardiff. Feeling a bit gloomy now that ds1's gsces have barred him from interview stage. However, that is his own fault not mine!

Ds1 is ill with flu atm, just relieved no-one is asking him to hand in coursework or sing.. Coursework..not sure what grades they are getting: it went in for moderation in early Dec; I read ds's (well one paragraph, and he read it out to me too) and it really was not any good - no examples(English Literature) I'd be amazed if he gets higher than low C in the coursework.

Kitten I know someone who had coffee with her dd at uni every Sunday (Oxford), and plenty who come home for Sunday lunch even if in halls the rest of the time (these admittedly are London uni students from London originally)

Theres so much flu about at the moment :( I hope your ds feels better soon.

I don't think I'll be imposing regular visits with dd - I'm hoping that she will be too busy and enjoying things too much to want visits from me. I'll probably go up mid term if she has time...

Dd1 will be too far for regular home visits. Plan to meet in Manchester in October for dd3s birthday though.

nettle
It was st Mary’s that said only 2B’s

Dd is very worried for English though and nothing seems to be lifting her spirits I checked the alevel results and for English 6 people got B’s and 5 C’s and 2 E’s but dd knows the people who got E’s and they did no work
She is concerned whether she may need some tutoring or something