Year 12 #1 - GCSEs are sooo last year!

[bpisok]

New thread to see us through to Christmas?

@ShalomJackie They get so overhwelmed by choices and decisions at this age. FWIW, here's what I do:

I try to have a couple of hours each week to go for a walk or lunch with DC to discuss uni choices and courses. DS wants to apply to Oxbridge and he gets a bit snappy when we discuss the extra work that entails. But I've said to him, it's his choice. If he wants to go for it, he has to understand how much work he has to do to be in with a chance. And if he doesn't want that extra work, that's a completely valid choice. He can do brilliantly, with less pressure, applying elsewhere.

I think it's hard for us and them, to get the balance right between pressurising and encouraging, between being honest about what their goals entail and overloading them. The only thing I keep saying is that anyone who applies for Oxbridge must accept that not getting in is no reflection on their intelligence, and if rejection would smash their confidence, then they shouldn't apply. It's something of a lottery.

I also say it's a lot of extra work which I won't nag about but will help organise if he asks. Again, if that extra work panics him, I think he's better off aiming for a uni where he feels he'd fit comfortably, working at a steady, unpressured pace. Deciding to aim for Oxbridge is a big step up and this is the term where that hits home.

That’s true bpisock but I think it’s the choices and their implications that overwhelm them a bit not just taking responsibility for the day to day stuff

OneStepMoreFun I'm not at all sure that there is a lot more work for Oxbridge applicants. It's far more about ability than reading endless extra books etc and the aptitude tests are designed so as not create an extra burden, with written work simply being essays etc which are written as part of ordinary schoolwork. DD intends to apply as far as I know but she's in three minds about courses so we don't talk about it hardly at all. I think it must be quite unsettling for DC if they get the idea that it's shed loads of additional work.

I've taken a break since the GCSE thread. I'll go back and read the full thread to see how people and their DC are all faring!

@goodbyestranger - I don't agree. If someone who applies to Oxbridge hasn't read widely around the subject then they just aren't that interested. Oxford & Cambridge are looking for students who have both passion and aptitude. It may vary massively according to subject (I only have insight into the humanities) but most colleges wouldn't look twice at an English applicant who showed in their interview that they'd not read beyond their A level course work, however brilliant their textual analysis in the exam.

DS is applying for a subject you can't take to A level, and needs a basic grounding in it. That's a fair bit of extra reading and some essays too.

DD4 is leaning towards Classics which isn't taught at her school (MFL or possibly History would be her other choices), so I guess that puts her in the same sort of boat as your DS. I guess you're right about non school subjects up to a point. I suppose I wouldn't characterise reading around a subject you're interested in as 'work'. Presumably you read and that's what sparks the interest and then you read some more. But how is that different from other good unis for those subjects? I don't really see a difference. But my main point was that the application itself - aptitude test/ written work - doesn't require extra work, or not much anyhow.

I agree it’s not necessarily masses but In a packed autumn term, producing a stellar ps, extra entrance tests, extra forms, reading around subjects and preparing for multiple interviews can seem more daunting than simply putting five choices on a form

Oratory other 'top' unis read personal statements too, so they need to be good for those unis too, even if the applicant isn't trying for Oxbridge.

The personal statement should be pretty much out of the way by early to mid September and the other stuff - reading etc - is a gradual process over a long period. In fact a personal statement can't sensibly be written without having done reading around first! It shouldn't feel to Oxbridge applicants that they have so much more to do. But the whole process of getting into any uni you're really keen on is stressful to an extent - Oxbridge doesn't have a monopoly on that!

Thanks everyone for your input. It has certainly made me feel heaps better.

Yes Alexander I got my user name from the TV show. It is very funny. One of those we actually watch as a family (there are about 4 altogether).

@goodbyestranger - I completely agree that reading around a subject you love shouldn't feel like work. It's just that DS's interests are quite niche (he has ASD and that obsessive fascination with specific rather than broad overviews.) We have been nudging him to read some of the classic texts in his field rather than just his specialist areas of interest.

He also wants to enter some essay prizes, sort out some relevant work experience etc. All these take time and effort and for him are stressful. I'm not sure that Oxbridge is right for him, because he doesn't handle stress well. But, his choice.

We're just making our way through Series 5 on 4od. Did the crow episode last night.

OneStepMoreFun I see that he has more of a challenge in that case. On the other hand he'll very likely find more kindred spirits at Oxford and Cambridge than anywhere else, which has to be a massive plus.

How did everyone's DC find the ukmt today? Ds said it wasn't great and seems quite grumpy, which isn't a good sign!

Briefly saw DS this morning and he said he had a stiff neck and a headache from SMT :) Definitely not expecting to do well in it but I took that as a good sign that at least he'd put some effort in !!

SMC: DS said it was ok but there were some questions at the end that he would have needed a lot more time if he was to answer them. He said everyone else seemed to be neutral about it too - no one said it was especially hard, no one said they found it easy.

When are the results due? It will be strange for him being at a school that actually tells you the result!

DS2 said he gave it a good try, but there were three questions he couldn't do.

I do think that the change from GCSEs to A Levels is a big one and it takes them a while to get to grips with it/settle to sixth form. I agree with Oratory that they can feel overwhelmed with the sudden increase in the amount they are expected to do independently and with the realisation that they will soon have to be taking decisions which will really affect their lives for the next few years and beyond.

I also agree with goodbye in that an Oxbridge application shouldn’t involve an overwhelming amount of extra work, particularly not this term. Lots of DC don’t decide to apply until next term or even the summer term. DD had it in her mind as a possibility at this stage, but was still undecided between English and Classics (or Classics & English). I think she made the decision to apply for English around Easter time which still gave her plenty of time to read around the subject enough to write a good PS and field questions at interview.

I haven’t seen DS3 yet, he’s going straight from his dad’s to explorers, but kids at my work today said the SMC went from OK most of the way through to crazy difficult at the end. I guess they have to extend the really bright mathematicians somehow but a more gradual increase in difficulty might have been kinder!

Feeling glad that FSMQ killed any interest DD4 previously had in maths!

FSMQ (grade D which I initially mistook for a distinction and congratulated her on) made DD realise that she wasn't as good at maths as me!!!! SMC was described as "quite good".

FND is another family favourite here, along with The Last Leg.

A colleague's DS has announced over the weekend that he doesn't want to go to college anymore and is going to do an apprenticeship instead. She is taking a very laid back "whatever" approach, whereas I would be screaming, pleading and stamping my feet in a tantrum by now. I can only confirm that therefore that half-term wobbles are fairly commonplace. Keep communication lines open, remind your DS that there a whole world of post-A level opportunities out there, an EPQ is great but 3 really good grades at A level are equally great and even if he applies to Oxbridge and gets offered a place (shock, horror) he can turn the offer down later!

DS3 said he couldn’t answer 6 questions on the SMC so his maximum possible score would be 101! It’s interesting (to me!) that it was the shape visualisation questions he struggled with.

We all love FND here as well and are still getting over the last episode of the latest series.

Car wouldn’t start yesterday. I had to catch a bus to work, which would have been fine except it’s supposed to come every 12 minutes but I had to wait 40 minutes for it. I saw 3 others going the other way.

I had a ride in the recovery truck today and one new battery later I’m rather poorer but happy I don’t have to catch a bus again for a while.

Dd found the SMC hard. She thought it was harder than last year's paper. She said she answered quite a lot but couldn't manage the last few.

She's 17 today

Where did my baby go?

Kickbishop I know that feeling! Hope she has a good day.
My baby has an inset day today and has booked a music lesson.
Well done everyone who did the maths - I'm sure they've done well!

KickBishop Happy Birthday to your DD!
Almost an adult now!

My son said it was hard and he couldn't answer 3 or 4 questions. But it was fun
He has an end of topic test in Physics today, but didn't revise a lot. Don't know how it will go.

I off to a meeting at my 6yo's school know. She has complexe special needs and goes to a special school and there're a few serve issues at the moment. They have to be fixed or I can't send her anymore. Even if that means I have to skip my job in the worst case. But health and safety of my child comes first...

Thoughts and best wishes for the meeting soomaa

Happy Birthday to your dd Kick. DS turned 17 at half term and I feel the rush of adulthood catching up. Those little babies have grown into lovely young people.

Ds found SMC ok- couple of hard questions at the end and his view was that you needed to know your geometry very well to be able to do well.

Regarding Oxbridge applications - I think that although a lot of young people don't decide to apply until later in the year, a dc does need to be pretty organised early in Y 12 to make the most of 'super-curricular' opportunities like additional reading,lectures and summer schools. And lets face it, not many 16/17 year olds are that organised and need some parental support! Ds is following Oxford Maths twitter feeds at the moment - I don't think he's finding it a lot of extra work but I'm not sure he would be organised enough to arrange things without a bit of help.