Half way through Year 13 and the last school year.

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

eep.

Absolutely knackered here, awake since 4am worrying my little head about DS driving test. More because I was scared for if he passed! He did so I changed his insurance and sent him on his way and his first fully fledged drive has settled me a bit a very very tiny bit.

bravo MrSlant and well done for letting him get his independence; it costs us emotionally doesn't it to let them go and do these things, but I know it will be worth it -decides to get ds booked onto driving lessons asap after A levels-- I don't know if I can add driving to the list of things to worry about at the moment It was bad enough letting him go ski-ing or play rugby (very badly, he was in the C team and he was scared all the time)

I've been staring at a pile of hoodies, there just seems to be no end to amount of crap I need to wash, why do they have so many clothes?? And they are all exactly the same and thoroughly boring...Do I dare chuck the two superdry hoodies from 2015?

Bangor with a car will be amazing!

Ah congratulations MrSlant's DS!
DD is at offer holder day at Newcastle today.
We sent her up on the train, she was perfectly happy going by herself.
But got a text from her at lunch time to say she's literally the only student there without a parent, most have 2!
She said she wouldn't mind so much but all the parents there keep giving her sympathetic head tilts like she's little orphan Annie or something!
So today I win the prize for worst mother in the world!

MrSlant my DD passed in August and I still worry about her driving. Get her to text me when she gets anywhere etc. I am a very annoying mother ! Going to get her some lessons in the summer hols before she attempts the motorway!

He'sMyLobster my DD is on an offers day at Bristol today. I sent her off on the train. Think she is coping ok and at least she gets a real feel of what she likes/dislikes about it. So far she has sent me some photos of the windows of the accommodation with many an empty bottle stood on display.

Feel really bad as we aren't doing any offer days and have only done 1 open day. We can't really afford it as they are all so far away and so would involve a 2 night stay as well as train fares. He loved Exeter Cornwall campus and that's his first choice, so if he doesn't get the grades we'll look at the others during his gap year.
Can you still go through clearing if you are deferring?

derek we've only done one open day and the offer day is because he never thought he'd get one so is actually having to think about leaving home instead of going locally. I'm going to have to ebay about half my wardrobe to pay for the hotel. I couldn't answer a single question about deferring though. Do you have to defer straight away, like now, or is it something that you can decide last minute. Haven't mentioned the idea to DS or he'd decide to cycle round the world instead of going to uni given half the chance.

marmite don't, I need to get over myself or I'll have a heart attack. Going to send him on an advanced course ASAP although as we are an hour and a half away from the nearest motorway I've no idea how he's going to learn to do that stuff. We're nearly an hour from dual carriageway, talk about rural .

Lobster I wouldn't imagine going with DS even with his extra needs. If they are going to do this they need to do it themselves by now I think. Although I might try and sneak a visit to the SENCO (or what they are called at uni?) I would presume they are there on these days? Love the idea of your daughter being presented as some sort of orphan annie and given head tilts.

I hope you made her wear her big coat Lobster.

Well done slant
derek
It’s very expensive dd only visited one of her unis but is going on every applicant day it’s just a lot of money to be spending on London
I spent £135 on 4 tickets for this week it’s money I’d rather put away for her been at uni

Update from dd! She loved goldsmiths and said the girls were very nice and some who were also in private school were experiencing the same issues as dd with her friends
I think it’s confirmed to her that she should go for London and not listen to nasty comments from her friends

DD has a great time at Bristol. She loved the lecture she went to said the lecturers were nice and welcoming. She managed to give on an accommodation tour too which we didn't get to do in the open day. Let's hope she manages to find the train home!

hes I suppose I go to have some sort of overview of the place. I haven't been to Cardiff, ds went by himself to the Open Day but I have been to Cardiff itself ifysim (to the football stadium with ds2) I also go because I like being nosy about the other students and their parents.

Today I sat having an eye test and the Optician was telling me about his son who was a conservatoire level bassonist, who had unconditionals from both universities and conservatoires when he applied 3 years ago (in the end he went to the Guildhall). It was really helpful to hear the level of application required for a conservatoire (considering that was ds's Plan B) Now I don't think I would get that sort of information from any careers dept and with ds's school it is so difficult to know what they really think, all this stuff is just low level ear to the ground..so I am guilty of using all the applicants' days as a form of snooping..

Ds is home in an excellent mood humming Hamilton. Ds2 has just finished a GSCE drama exam component (live performance) so he is high too. Dd is slumped over the kitchen table eating cupcakes and doing Spanish homework.

Fantasy interesting to hear about Goldsmiths, we had that down and then I wondered whether ds wanted to stay in London so never visited or checked it out/it fell off the UCAS list.

That's amazing that your optician had a such a high level musician too Nettle, it must have been very helpful and interesting to hear from someone else further down the line. Makes me think as well, should get DS3 into a less common instrument than the flute, should have started on the oboe then we could have progressed up the orders of scale until I had a bassoonist rocking the house, love that sound.

Hadn't thought of snooping, now you've said that it's really tempting. I'm not going to get much decent info out of him. I may lurk in the car wearing sunglasses and pretending to crochet to check everyone else out. I can talk to the other parents then too maybe. I think I don't go because I'm a bossy boots and loud and would find it hard not to talk ALL the time which would ruin it for DS. He does best when given the chance to work at stuff on his own (with me in the background ready with a big net to catch him if needed). Plus he needs to find out he can't do it on his own before he's moved 4 hours away from home.

All mentions of Hamilton must be forbidden, I am now going to lose an hour to you tube...

I am always told to keep my mouth shut then she clams up and looks to me to do the speaking.

I can't believe how focussed some of you are. I wouldn't have a clue what to ask.

I would have loved to go to more with her. I can't take time off during term time though.
Luckily the next one is on a Saturday so I can go with her to that one (and parents are explicitly invited to that one too - We get brunch and afternoon tea!)
I'll be rubbish at asking questions though, I'm hoping some super confident, knowledgeable, grown up parent type will be there to ask all the things I didn't think of so I can listen to all the answers!

DD enjoyed today, liked the course more than she expected to. I think Newcastle is going to be her insurance choice.

I feel bad that dd isn't going to any offers days, I feel like I'm missing out! But she's made her choices so I guess there isn't much need.

We're not going to any offer holder days. Dd has made her choices and wouldn't want to miss school for one anyway. We don't seem to get many from school going to more than one or possibly two, unless they all manage to fit them into school holidays.

DD didn't go to any open days - she applied to her 5 based purely on the course (pretty much the only 5 that offer her Subject!) and wasn't expecting to get offers from them all so decided not to look at them unless they offered her a place.

DD had another poke round UCL when she was in London for Hamilton (Sorry Mr Slant, couldn't resist) but her course hasn't offered her an offer holder's day, and she didn't do an open day there. At least she has some idea of the location.

Most if the open days DD went on ruled out unis! She is going to one on a school day (didn't offer weekend) and another at a weekend. I can't have time off during term time but she doesn't want accompanying to either.

We were at Liverpool Uni for an event for DS2 on Sunday, so had a bit of a wander round anyway.

Congrats to your DS MrSlant. DS is two and a half weeks in with his driving. Takes himself off to school and to work - I feel a little redundant....best get used to it I suppose..

Ursula - I just write a list of stuff that we need to know and hope I've remembered everything. If DS is going to be saddled with debt to go on the course he's chosen I'd like to know what he will be getting for his money.

We have a first world problem - he will have to find a new barber when (if) he moves away. He is very precious about his hair! Out of all the stuff he has got going on right now this is what he is thinking about 🙄.

ds has an offer from OBrks 104 tariff points (really good news) or an unconditional if he firms. Which means that it is a doable insurance (tariff points include Music grades) even if he does very badly...which means Cardiff has to be really good to entice him away from Hull....(which wants 120 or unconditional firm) I thinking judging from the Surrey offer (which didn't audition however) that Cardiff will want equally high grades, which may make the decision for us (ie no point putting them first)

Ds is now writing a play. with musicians from different eras talking to each other..he clearly has lots of free time

Ds2 is watching a film about Mrs Thatcher in preparation for becoming a politician!

All the offer days so far have been Saturdays, so no time off school needed. For us it has been complicated by interviews.

starfleet that's just the word, redundant. They needed us for everything it seemed and now, they don't!

Nettle Cardiff is a fab city if you are musical, the Millennium centre down in the bay has amazing concerts and free lunchtime recitals at weekends. Plus Welsh people just seem innately musical, all the eisteddfod and SO many choirs. I'm guessing he already has the points from his Music grades? Keep teasing DS3 that he's going to have UCAS points before his next older sibling. Which goes down well with DS2 obviously . Maybe that's why he has time for a play, he's got points in the bag already. I'd love to know who his cast are

DS declined an offer day. He asked what would be involved and decided that he didn't need to see the "pick me" presentations again. He has missed a lot of lessons and didn't see the point in missing more. He was less than impressed that they only gave a week's notice.

I am not redundant, I am needed to pay for things such as driving lessons, driving theory tests, passports and rail tickets.

I forgot to say Congratulations to your DS MrSlant.

DD is driving happily 4 weeks in. Like Icould be I find I am still needed to pay for things!