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Further education

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

Original poster

GCSE '18s (19) - New Beginnings?

999 replies

whistl · 04/09/2018 17:44

Following on from the GCSE 2018 threads as our DC enter year 12.
This the first thread in our new home in further education

OP posts:
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7
BlueBelle123 · 09/09/2018 08:45

theThird we were at Bristol, for those that have never been it is very hilly and lots of steps, so I had a good workout Smile

That is interesting about making a slighter lower offer if doing 4 I thought no allowances were made or is that from jus the very top uni's ie Oxbridge?

I shall find out if DS is rusty as he has a maths test tomorrow and no revision has been done so far! whilst it maybe that they are stretching your DS a lot quicker than most schools, could be wrong but was it a specialist school?

Oratory1 · 09/09/2018 08:47

DS normally struggles at the start of the new year but never know whether that’s getting used to new teaching styles or a bit rusty and he forgets more than most in the break

Domovoi · 09/09/2018 08:47

Hello all
Please may I join. I found your thread at the end of the summer term and the support you give each other is fantastic!! I have a DS who's just started sixth form, stayed on at his old school (hoping that's been the right choice, but he has a lovely friendship group there). This is round 2 for us Shock, survived A levels last year with DDSmile

Oratory1 · 09/09/2018 08:50

Hope no one is panicking by the talk of uni visits. Good to go now if dc keen but also plenty of time next summer if not got round to thinking about it yet. Conscious some if us are still sorting colleges and subjects for sixth form and may not be able to get heads round next steps !!!!!

JugglingFromHereToThere · 09/09/2018 08:57

DS seemed to really enjoy his first few days in sixth form this week - is quite taken with just doing his favourite subjects of music and theatre studies
Hoping he is still happy when maths gets added to the mix next week. Really hope he copes well with the jump up to A level Maths ( particularly as DSis found it too much but was able to drop Maths after AS as she started sixth form doing four subjects)
They all start out with three now so we're banking on that working out for him ( I think he is a little stronger with his Maths than DD was, time will tell, may not be much in it! )
A friend is a Maths tutor so we might ask her if she has any spaces for DS!
He also has a good friend he could maybe do some Maths homework and revision with, his girlfriend is doing Theatre Studies, and another good friend doing Music.
So at least someone to ask if he doesn't know what homework is due or has lost something

TheThirdOfHerName · 09/09/2018 09:01

Welcome to Donovoi

DS2 deliberately did some Maths several times a week over the summer, so hopefully won't suffer too much from summer learning loss.

TheThirdOfHerName · 09/09/2018 09:05

Yes, there is absolutely plenty of time to visit universities at the end of Y12 and beginning of Y13. We're starting early for two reasons:

  • DS2 has ASD and likes to research and plan things well ahead of time.
  • I find the open days and the travel tiring and would rather space it out over two open day seasons.
JugglingFromHereToThere · 09/09/2018 09:05

Hi Domovoi, welcome to the thread! You are just like me, on round two with a DS staying on in sixth form having got through A levels with DD last year.
My DD is at Swansea Uni now doing zoology and just off this week for field-trip in Pembrokeshire
DS enjoyed his first few days in sixth form, I hope the same is true for your DS?
Glad to see some good friends again after such a long summer break!

BlueBelle123 · 09/09/2018 09:10

Hello Donovoi

Regarding Uni visits the reason we look so keen is that DS is not 100% sure about medicine so we looked at other courses as well because if he changes his mind it could result in change of A level choices and there's not much time for that!!

JugglingFromHereToThere · 09/09/2018 09:34

Looking ahead to Uni (!) DS would like to focus on his music - he plays trumpet ( and has his grade 8)

Does anyone know how competitive it is to get into one of the conservatoires? That sounds like an interesting possibility but am not sure how realistic it is and how much we should be considering it, compared to looking at Uni's for a Music course ( or possibly a combined like Music and Drama, or even Music and Maths)

We also had a go at getting into a specialist music college for sixth form but didn't quite make the grade for that, so not sure if that has also somewhat ruled out getting into a conservatoire later on?

I feel a lot more confident with the Uni option, partly having done that all once with DD and it worked out OK :-)
Hopefully either way DS should be able to spend plenty of time playing trumpet over the next five years or so, for A level, and later studies!

I guess I struggle a bit with the competitive aspect that seems so apparent with music, although really it's also there with most pathways.

BlueBelle123 · 09/09/2018 09:34

I know there are quite a few on this thread who like their maths, so I thought I'd flag up one of the subject talks we attended, it was engineering and maths, its the application of maths to solve current engineering problems. Bristol is the only uni to run this course so you might not come across it, it was really interesting, but not for DSHmm

AlexanderHamilton · 09/09/2018 09:38

It is very competitive to get into Conservatoire though to some extent it depends on the instrument. They are basically looking for students who have the ability & musicality to become professional orchestral & solo players in 3-4 years time.

eaglefly · 09/09/2018 11:09

We too went to an open day yesterday at UCL. As we are south east based we thought that we would pop along - less so for the Uni but more for the subject talks. DD isn't really sure what she wants to study for uni - but also things she may be interested in not sure she really understands what it covers. And it will affect her a levels - as she may drop one subject.

It was informative but not sure she is any clearer. Was a bit overwhelming for her I think.

LooseAtTheSeams · 09/09/2018 11:22

Welcome Domovoi!
No university visits here yet on account of not being sure what DS will want to do but it's in my mind for next summer!
I suspect his maths will be rusty owing to not thinking about it for weeks on end. He is about to have a big shock, I reckon!

Cherryburn · 09/09/2018 12:10

Hello Domovoi!

No open days yet here either. DS has an idea of what he might want to study but it’s very early days and he may very well change his mind as the A Level courses progress.

I suspect his maths will be rusty after the long summer off. He’ll have an exam at the end of this half term I think to determine which set he’ll be in. He’s keen to go in a lower set though because his dyslexia means that he doesn’t process as quickly as some, and a slightly slower pace suits him, despite his 9 at GCSE.

Domovoi · 09/09/2018 12:57

Thank you all for the welcome Smile
Jugglingfromheretothere myDD is applying to do zoology and we've the Swansea open day booked!
DS's school has started using Unifrog - anyone any experience with it? He also does not know what he wants to do yet - something 'sciency' likely.

Kilash · 09/09/2018 13:06

No uni visits yets for us either, but ds has spent the summer researching courses and now has a very firm shortist of where he wants to visit. I think he's very lucky that he has such a clear idea of what it is he wants to study (Maths with Statistics). He toyed briefly with a more sciency type degree around Y 9 then dropped it. When I asked him why, he replied 'well I hadn't discoverd the beautiful Maths at that point...' Smile

He bought a subscription to brilliant.org (for your mathsy dc!) and has been doing Maths most of the summer for fun.

Stickerrocks · 09/09/2018 14:28

I met my best friend on our way to our interviews at Swansea at Bristol Parkway. I certainly wouldn't have DD now if they hadn't given me an unconditional offer, as I then went on to meet DH on our first day there. I thoroughly recommend it! Not sure about the degree courses anymore, but it is probably one of the best situated universities.

We're going up north on holiday at half term and we're going to visit a couple of university towns which DD is interested in, but not attend any open days as they all seem to be over by then.

JugglingFromHereToThere · 09/09/2018 15:04

Good to hear some mentions and stories about Swansea - it has been a good choice for DD, with a great course and department, a lovely campus, and in a beautiful part of the world especially beyond Swansea itself!

I'm hoping for a few more trips to some beautiful seaside whilst she's there

Twinplusone · 09/09/2018 18:18

Bluebelle123 DD has expressed an interest in engineering so thanks for the tip. Mind you, judging by today not sure she will make it into college... in bed or watching tv all day. Refusing any suggestions of getting herself organised for college tomorrow. She has got a lot of growing up to do.. hope she copes with it all

LimitIsUp · 09/09/2018 18:27

Yep Whistl dd not doing maths, but nonetheless rusty when doing the pre term homework for Psychology and Biology. Brain took some cranking up. Its her first day tomorrow

Not doing Uni visits here - have barely got my head around Sixth form college and need to take a breath....

ShalomJackie · 09/09/2018 18:54

DS is keen to look at possible "O"-word for a uni then application needs to be in by mid October next year. So we are splitting uni visits over this Autumn and Summer for that reason and the fact that we live in the arse end of nowhere so have to travel for everything! So we are off to Durham on 22/9 and Warwick on 20/10 and will do Exeter and Bristol in summer, possibly St Andrews too. They are all overnight trips for us so it splits the expense too. (the Warwick Autumn open day is too late for Oxbridge applicants for y13s).

He doesn't want to go to uni in London so has ruled out LSE and UCL. His Dad has put him off uni in London as his experience was no social life except around his rugby and hockey teams as everyone lived scattered all over after halls.

I couldn't face the haul of every weekend for a couple of months next summer! I did wonder if we were a bit keen but a friend's daughter at Durham thinks we are doing exactly the same thing as she got bored of doing it all at once and also they merged into one!

But I think it is only worth it if the DC is up for it. DS isn't sure whether he wants to go down the History or Economics (or joint honours) route as yet so maybe some presentations may assist (or confuse him further)!

ShalomJackie · 09/09/2018 18:56

Interesting about Maths - DS said after first Maths lesson I think I am dropping Maths. I don't know it and it was supposed to be stuff we've done already. I said well that will rule out economics. After second lesson he says its all fine now!!

TheThirdOfHerName · 09/09/2018 19:02

ShalomJackie
I can't face open day trips every weekend either, splitting it across two years suits us better.

DS2 visited Oxford in June to look around the subject department and labs. He went to Southampton yesterday and is planning a visit to Birmingham in October. Then he wants to visit Warwick, Bath and maybe Nottingham in 2019, along with a possible second visit to Oxford to look at colleges.

AlexanderHamilton · 09/09/2018 19:11

No uni trips for us. Dd will complete her degree by distance learning but we are starting to look at colleges/6th form for Ds now in year 10.

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