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

DS3 still doesn’t know which subject to drop. It will be chemistry or computer science but he likes them equally at the moment. It’ll end up being the lower mark at AS, I expect. Whichever he can get the highest grade in as it doesn’t really matter apart from that. I think he might do better in chemistry because there’s less writing involved but we’ll see.

DS still doing the 4 too but only because the FM 'set' are covering the normal maths syllabus in year 1 (they're half way through already and will finish by Easter) so he thinks this is a bonus even if he finds the FM hard next year or needs more time and ends up dropping it. He says he wouldn't do more Physics and Computing if he had more frees so he s got nothing to lose by doing this and he likes the fast paced and conscientious maths set. I can't really fault that logic at the moment unless there's something I'm missing ??!!

Thanks Kilash. DS has booked into the maths one. I think I just wondered how that is different from the departmental open day (or if it is). Someone on the fb group also put this on www.jesus.cam.ac.uk/events/undergraduate-subject-taster-days if that interests anyone.

Again I wonder how different it is from the other things on offer.

Also I have realised that you get to Cambridge by 11 am by train from where we live!

Oratory, the only problem I can see is if a few drop FM, what will they do with them next year? For state schools to get funding they have to be doing a minimum number of hours. In reality they’ll just have loads of frees, but officially they’ll have to find them ‘something’ to do. Those dropping FM might get timetabled into one of the maths groups and could use it as revision, I suppose.

Booked a place for DD for politics & IR. Does anyone know what time they start? It will be a long drive & an early start. She would love to do History & politics, but we'll be on a cruise.

I think he see s it as just having more frees next year when he ll be more likely to use them closer to the exams - my only concern is keeping motivated if he s covered the course so early but he ll just have to do another thousand or so past papers.

Woohoo! DC are back to school today. What will this term bring? DS1 still taking 4 A-levels and I think he will continue with all 4. Bio, Chem, Maths are his absolute favourite subjects and Music, he loves and helps him relax. He's already finished his composition and the practical component will not be a problem.

abit I must confess I've booked tickets to the du Sautoy lecture too. DS1 lit up when I told him about it and DH (mathematician) then piped in with "I really enjoy his lectures!" Sorry to steal your idea - promise not to be stalkery!

Kingscote - is the history one the one on 9 March at Cambridge?

I've started reading Gödel, Escher, Bach in preparation for the du Sautoy lecture.

Would anyone like to join me (mini book group)?

Chapter 1: didn't understand the mathematical nomenclature in the section about Gödel's theorem; learned a lot about canons and fugues; enjoyed the idea of strange loops.

shalom - DDs going to the History one.
It's just about commutable from where we live so she will be going on her own.

I'm going to have a night in a Premier Inn & a day ambling around the streets & coffee shops. Definitely not commutable from here.

Ooo bpisok they might meet!!

TheFirst Read a couple of pages and immediately got tangled in knots trying to make sense of a string.

Meanwhile, next door neighbour has started building works. This is after a year of prolonged wrangling with objection from all neighbours. They were (twice) refused planning permission for a massive extension with a balcony off the master bedroom on the third floor - in the green belt!! - but have won an appeal with the National Inspectorate. I threw open the curtains yesterday morning to be greeted by 5 white vans and about as many men standing in the drive. Front garden has been dug up, now tearing down the back of the house. Neighbours have not even had the courtesy of sending me a one-line text to let me know they are starting work (party wall agreement still in the midst of being drafted as they are digging foundations 3m from my fence). I hate them already.

I'd like to, TheFirst but I know I will end up not reading it properly and being a drag on everyone else as I have a lot to do atm.

TheFirst I had never heard of this book. I've taken a look at the Good Reads website, where one of the first questions asked if it was complicated and the reply was from someone with a programming & musical background who described it as heavily abstract. It's tax return season for me, so I stick with my copy of Middle England for the next couple of weeks. Sorry!

Sorry TheFirst, I know virtually nothing at all about either maths or music so no help at all. Not quite sure where our son came from who has an aptitude for both and no interest in sport whatsoever.

I think we have resoundingly failed on the book front!

Sounds a bit too high brow for me

Yes sorry. Count me out of the book club too. Despite having a degree and MA in English lit I can barely manage to read a magazine these days without falling asleep or having to start again because I've forgotten what I read 5 minutes ago

Today at college dd was given a log in to a careers website. It asks lots of questions and identifies possible careers.

It told her she should be a drone pilot

Could be worse. Her friend got undertaker

She logged me in tonight and I did it. I'm quite fed up at work and looking for a change. It told me I should be a business analyst. That's what I do! And I deliberately tried to answer so I got a very different job. I think it's rigged

Undertaker?
Interesting. But could be worse.
At least you'll never run out of work! The only certainty in life is death

@TheFirstOHN - I'm afraid I can't join the virtual book club. My NY resolution is to read the book club book of the one I'm already in! Have left it too late again and have to speed read before next Friday. Thankfully it's not a 'hard' book.

DS1 is on a mission at the moment to become a prefect. This involves lots of 'good' work like volunteering for show rounds etc. Not sure why he is so keen, maybe it involves some kind of privilege. I know in the Junior School prefects got access to a 'secret' corridor / shortcut.

imagine being a 16 year old girl and being told that you are destined to be an undertaker. Too funny!

In general, however, I really like the idea of a book club. It could be fun to discuss everyone's take on it as we all have different experiences but appear to be united in caring deeply about our 16/17 year olds education.
For me, it has got to be a book that isn't hard work to read and isn't this month! Otherwise I couldn't keep up!

Same as whistl, I am up for it if the books are not too exacting. I didn't make it to the end of Wolf Hall for example, and it felt like pulling teeth.