Year 12 #2: Carols, commutes & a few stocking fillers

[Stickerrocks]

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/further_education/3410431-year-12-1-gcses-are-sooo-last-year

Thank you for the new thread.

Thanks sticker

Wow. You lot are amazing.

After reading your support, I emailed rude tutor and copied in support tutor and the head of the course. I reminded her about DD’s neurodiversity and anxiety and how her enthusiasm can hide her difficulties. I asked for an extension for the coursework. I said I thought today’s individual tutorial should be postponed until we have agreed a way forward.

I suggested DD stay home but she really wanted to get in to do group presentation. I drove her to college. DD’s support tutor has been very, well, supportive today.

This thread is MN at its best. Thank you.

Peggy on behalf of everyone else who hasn't found us yet, I would just like to say We're very proud of your assertiveness. Well done that girl!

Blimey the pressure on D.C. I guess it stems from the pressure on schools. Sigh.

One thing that I have seen work well with sensitive young people I know is to delay applying to uni until after A level results. Some schools don’t like it as it messes with their destination stats. However it can remove a whole tier of pressure - not having to do ps, interviews etc. Also they can apply with known grades which takes some of the uncertainty away. A gap year can be a chance to get some quality work experience etc.

I have seen it work well giving people chance to think carefully about what they want to do and perhaps change plan. I know someone who has gone to med school after a 2 year gap.

Of course it depends on the person and the subject. A gap year is not recommended for maths.

Another disadvantage of delaying is they may miss out on unconditional offers which may be an advantage if they have really good GCSEs but A levels are proving more of a slog.

Peggy well done for having her corner

Thanks @Stickerrocks - lovely new thread.

Go @PeggyIsInTheNarrative and DD. I hope that tutor reflects on her approach.

Hi all

Well done Peggy. Lets hope her tutor thinks before composing her emailing in future.

I seem to be being bombarded with emails from school these days. Both for DD (Y12) and her younger brother. At one point they filled a third of my inbox. Now either dealt with or deleted.

I feel my DD might be the one one on this board who's not planning on going to university. Any others?

Yep ds planning an apprenticeship. May change his mind though. Thinking about what Peggy said if he s still not certain by next September, rather than trying to pick unis and get an application in ‘in case’ he could look at apprenticeships first and if he changes his mind take a gap year and apply after results.

There are advantages in waiting (don’t underestimate the time neede for the process partic for those that interview) and dc do mature in a year. But it is a fact that predicted grades are often higher than actual and unis will accept dropped grades on results day.

Lovely new thread. Thank you sticker.

sticker - thanks for the new thread (better job than I did last time!!)

peggy well done you and DD

whistle (all?) - have been discussing your DS with my DD. Firstly she said that everyone is feeling like this ...they are all shattered to the point that they were discussing it in the 6th form common room at lunchtime today!!

As a result she can give us a bench mark
3 subjects with 8 hours contact time = 24 hours

Timetabled Extra curricular = 10 hours (incl min 2 hours PE)

2 x subjects with 10 hours per subject (5 hours per teacher) = 20 hours
Total allocated hours =
1 x subject with 7 hours (one teacher)
Expected time in school 8am until 5pm

5 days travel = 10 hours

Ggggrr... was still typing!!

So ... at school 8am to 5pm = 40 hours
Timetabled lessons (24 hours) + extra curricular (10 hours) + lunch (5 hours)
Total = 39 hours
So 1 hours free

Travel = 10 hours

That's 50 hour week less 1 hour free

Homework she reckons each teacher sets 5 hours per subject a week.
2 x subjects x 2 teachers = 20 hours
BUT 1 x teacher sets7 hours
Homework = 27 hours

Total 77 hours per week.
DD says some is done commuting. When asked how she said
downloads pod casts
Put notes on cloud
Download text book
...easy to look at the on phone

total 77 hours a week so thats 15.5 hours a day with weekendS off.

DD sleeps 6 hours so in theory that's 1.5 hours of downtime/ eating every night if she does nothing at the weekend

Alternatively she 'buys' 2 hours a day during her commute - so 3.5 hours off a day with the weekend off

That's the 'norm'
Reality is despite utilising the commute she takes 3 hours minimum out at the weekend to work (more martial arts but paid) and is also putting together revision notes (she's dyslexic so knows she needs to be more than most)

Thanks for the new thread. Sounds like it’s getting a bit tough for everyone. It’s a long old term and we’re all a bit jaded. Well done, Peggy and sorry to hear your DS is struggling, whistl.

Had to try to be in 2 places at once tonight. DS3’s Christmas concert clashed with DS2’s Christmas pub quiz night. (DS2 has a quiz obsession and it’s his only social activity outside of college.) Concert was lovely but over-ran by 45 minutes. My friend took DS2 to the quiz and I was joining them later. Had to get DS3 to walk home from the concert at 9.30 and leggit to the quiz. I missed the first round but we came 4th out of 20 teams. Times like this I do struggle being a single parent.

DS3 and I don’t finish until the 21st, we’ll be hanging by then. DS2 finishes a week earlier but goes back earlier. Picking up DS1 on the 15th, yay!

DS3 has sort of started his EPQ, just researching sources so far. He’s finding the quantity of work manageable but he was never one for choosing to extend himself! The content is difficult but within his ability so far. Further maths is his favourite subject so far. He knows he’ll drop either computing or chemistry next year but can’t decide between them as yet. He may not decide until AS results day in August.

Her lessons learnt

• people who are behind didn't do the pre Y12 ready (apparently they draw on it for the contrast/contextualise element)
• people who are missing deadlines are because (a) parents are monitoring (b) they are leaving things to the last minute
• they thought 3 subjects would be easier than 11
• they think that they are 17 and therefore don't have to take instruction

Sorry for the multiple posts - thought it might/might not be useful to have an input from a DC

Might BE useful to hear it from a DC. It's what comes of typing whilst listening to her talk!!

Hello all. Checking into the new thread and I've just caught up.

@whistl sorry to hear ds is struggling. It sounds exhausting. I'm really surprised they are handing out detentions at this age.

Dd is in a similar state. She's worn out. I think it's likely she might have a day off today or tomorrow. Her attendance is still 100% but I really think she needs it.

Roll on Christmas. [santa]

Thanks sticker checking in!

Oratory1 DD was wondering whether she ought to apply so that she has the help of her school, then defer for a year. The trouble is she has no idea what she wants to study.

Most schools will offer help in first year after you leave. Some say tho it is good to apply in school with teachers on hand and also everyone else is doing it around you. Some also say it’s worth doing as a sort of trial run even if taking a gap year - if you get what you want you can ask to defer and if not or if you change your mind you can apply again. But that’s hard if you don’t know what to do. And don’t underestimate the time taken in applying if you factor in open days and also researching and thinking time - the reason defeating application can help those less robust or struggling with heavy loads - so no clear answer I don’t think - advantages and disadvantages either way.

For medicine and Oxbridge the time taken up with the application is multiplied - but many now see it as a two year process ie if they don’t get an offer first time round, apply in a gap year having learnt from the experience and another year older and wiser.