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Post GCSE’s 2022 - Year 12 2022/23 General support thread

999 replies

Rollergirl11 · 02/09/2022 14:57

This is a thread for supporting all young people post GCSEs 2022, regardless of their educational setting.
Our DC’s may continue down various pathways ( employment, apprenticeships, higher ed)
Everyone is welcome!

OP posts:
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8
MrsPnut · 19/03/2023 21:19

I don’t even know when DD’s exams are, she is doing 2 art subjects though so it’s slightly easier.

She has recently passed her lifeguard qualification and has a job at the local sports centre but team GB training is taking up much of her time until the World Cup in July.

Lightsabre · 22/03/2023 20:01

Sounds like there's a lot going on for our dc at the moment. Anyone have any higher ed/university open days planned yet?

Lightsabre · 22/03/2023 20:02

Well done to your dd @MrsPnut - lifeguard jobs are well paid for 17 year olds.

MrsAvocet · 22/03/2023 20:08

DS has just booked an open day for June. It's his first choice and I think he's got a good chance of getting an offer, but I am trying to persuade him to look for a few others to go to for comparison, even if he doesn't actually want to go there. I'm expecting to have fairly major surgery in the Autumn so I'd really like him to visit as many places this Summer and not leave it to when I can't drive and am stuck on crutches for months! I know he could go on his own, but I think most people take a parent and I'm quite keen to have a nosey at his preferred places to be honest.
Have you got visits upcoming @Lightsabre?

TwinkleToesStrikesAgain · 22/03/2023 20:21

No open days planned here. No idea what courses are interesting nor what kind of college DS is thinking about ...

NameInUseAlreadyAgain · 22/03/2023 20:42

My thighs aren’t going to thank him for this. Assessment practice. Tarte Tatin

Post GCSE’s 2022 - Year 12 2022/23 General support thread
legofrostqueen · 22/03/2023 20:49

@MrsAvocet we've booked to go to Nottingham in June so far & are waiting for other open day bookings to start. Much nicer visiting these places in the summer (I wish I was going to University again 😂)...

IThinkIMadeItWorse · 22/03/2023 21:32

Wow @NameInUseAlreadyAgain save me a slice, it looks amazing!

Well done to your DD @MrsPnut Lifeguarding is such a useful skill.

DS was supposed to have a maths assessment today but is a bit under the weather (slight temperature, clearly not feeling great) so stayed at home. Really hoping he can get back to college before the end of the week but we will see how it goes. He doesn't seem to want to discuss Universities but we signed his email up for information about the Warwick open day in the summer. His cousin is a year older and has several university offers but has refused to visit any of them - don't know how he is going to make such an important decision!

Notagardener · 22/03/2023 21:38

Older DC lifeguarding whilest at uni. Never short of shifts but also not fixed on how many she needs to do if too busy

QueenMabby · 23/03/2023 07:43

@NameInUseAlreadyAgain - that looks gorgeous. I love tarte Tatin.

@MrsPnut - well done on DD's lifesaving Skills. My ds did a level 1 umpire's course in his sport last year so that should be his beer money sorted (not that he drinks!).

EPQ hand in day today. It's all ready and he didn't need to pull an all-nighter either so that's good.

Re Unis, I've told ds that he needs to research them over the Easter hols. He and his friends are planning a boys' trip to Bristol uni. School have said they can have two days of authorised leave next term for uni visits.

Nottingham also on our radar @legofrostqueen and I'm quite keen for him to look at Lancaster. Bath also in the mix I think. All v good unis so I think we need to pick a few more accessible options for the mix. We'll see.

What is the general guidance for the uni list does anyone know? Is it six they can choose? Four at roughly expected grades and two for the insurance option? Something else? It's a minefield!

singingstones · 23/03/2023 08:18

They have to make 5 choices, @QueenMabby

It really depends on the subject and the university whether it's worth putting it down as an aspirational choice. For economics, maybe not, as it's so competitive and these days it seems like predicted grades well over the typical offer still get rejected. For langages and other less competitive courses, maybe worth it. Definitely worth thinking about at least one that would make a good insurance choice though, I think. DS applied last year and picked one which matched his predictions, 3 at one grade lower and 1 a grade lower again.

QueenMabby · 23/03/2023 11:16

Interesting @singingstones. Ds wanting physics with astrophysics. No clue how popular that is. Grades high all over from the looks of it.

🤞🏻 for a good EPQ result. Quite a few unis offer one grade lower for an A or A star EPQ I think.

singingstones · 23/03/2023 13:03

@QueenMabby

DiscoverUni website will tell you what results the students on that course actually achieved, so gives an idea of who is getting in. It's done by UCAS points instead of grades but easy enough to work out.

Also I would look at clearing this year - shows which courses are still looking for people and therefore more likely to be generous, although that can't be relied on 100% as it does change from year to year. One of DS's mid range choices was in clearing for some time the year before so we figured that although the offer was quite high, they might accept a dropped grade or two and be a good insurance.

Ultimately though, whether they will offer to someone with lower predictions than they are asking for, and whether they will accept a dropped grade depends on how many applications they get from people who do fulfil what they're looking for, I guess.

PaddingtonPaddington · 23/03/2023 13:27

DS also looking at physics and wants a campus uni. Have a visit to Loughborough for a year 12 STEM day in the Easter holiday and have booked the Lancaster online sessions in May half term and in person open day in July. Also keeping an eye out for York uni open day. They were doing tours at Easter but it’s a long way to go without getting any physics course info etc.

Will also be looking at clearing this year to see what’s available to gauge ideas of any unis with availability to look at insurance choice ideas.

MrsPnut · 23/03/2023 21:08

@NameInUseAlreadyAgain That looks delicious, I’d love someone cooking for me.

Thanks all, she’s keen on lifeguarding as a reasonably easy way to work.

We have De Montfort open day on Saturday, visiting the Game Art and Graphic Design Illustration courses. Not the front runners but she needs to see as many courses as possible because something will pop out at her.
Front runner will be Edinburgh, great art department and amazing roller derby team. Those are her criteria, except she’s not keen on looking at London unis, which meet both points.

NameInUseAlreadyAgain · 23/03/2023 21:52

Thanks all. Tomorrow is homemade mushroom ravioli practice. Final assessment Monday …….

Marylebonerocker · 30/03/2023 00:27

“I am nudging him towards less pressured university environments as I'd like him to enjoy his time as a uni student after the pressure of the last few years with covid then GCSE's”

joining if ok and agree 100% with @Lightsabre - this is what I want for DS2 too. A good uni, yes, but not top tier and highly pressurised. I really want him to enjoy it!! (It = social side as much as course)

DS2 will be applying for MFL and is probably around ABB level so defo not Oxbridge but certainly Russell/Lancaster (NB. MFL grades are lower than STEM Ofc but also other humanities as so few schools promote MFL - entries decline year on year).

anyway, hello all!

MrsAvocet · 30/03/2023 13:16

@MrsPnutI have a DC currently at DMU. Not on that course but has several friends who are, so if your DD does like it and has any questions for current students, DM me and I will see what I can find out.
We have been pleasantly surprised by DMU actually. My DC chose it "blind" during covid so I was very worried - we'd never even been to Leicester before, and it wasn't a University I really knew anything about. But it's a really nice environment, my DC's dept has a very supportive faculty and it's turned out to be a good choice for their specific course and personality.

sheepdogdelight · 30/03/2023 13:24

EPQ is submitted. DD has really enjoyed doing it (and says she may research and write up about other topics just for fun ...) but part of me is thinking it was very stressful to get it completed in 2 terms and I wish she hadn't done it (I know it's not all about the marks as she's enjoyed the experience, but really hope she gets a good one!). Didn't help that she had to start work on her first NEA (English Lang) at the same time she was finishing off her EPQ.
My other DC did maths/science - I don't recall this amount of pressure at this stage!

DD is looking at university courses but liking almost everything she sees so her short list is very long. Unfortunately her favourite so far is the one that's the furthest away. (From a getting her there/logistics point of view).

MrsAvocet · 30/03/2023 13:31

Prefect applications are the big thing here at present. Deadline is tomorrow and there seems to have been quite a lot to it, but I am assuming it is a deliberate ploy on the school's part as they have to produce something that looks to me like it has quite a bit of cross over with a UCAS personal statement! DS is hoping to make the Senior Prefect team but there are a lot of very able kids at his school so we shall see. I'll be disappointed if he doesn't get chosen for something though.

MrsPnut · 30/03/2023 16:26

@MrsAvocet Thanks.
The game art course was a massive hit and I think we now need to rethink which other places we go and visit.
Good luck to your DD, prefect applications were before Christmas here and DD was made a prefect. Not sure whether senior team selection has been finished yet or whether that’s after Easter. She has to do lunch duty twice a week.

MrsPnut · 30/03/2023 16:26

Sorry DS

Lightsabre · 30/03/2023 22:04

Welcome @Marylebonerocker!

Congratulations on the Epq submission for your dd @sheepdogdelight - that must be a relief.

Ds didn't get any of the roles he went for - he's stuck as a Yr 7 prefect which he's not happy about. It involves having to join in with a show which he is very unhappy about - he hates being in any kind of performance. He needs to suck it up unfortunately though as there isn't a lot to put on his personal statement so far.

TwinkleToesStrikesAgain · 30/03/2023 22:57

The closest DS's college gets to prefects is having to stand outside the college and check everyone has their lanyard. And you only do this if you yourself have forgotten your lanyard 5 times (no lanyard = sticker of shame, 5 stickers and community service, handing out stickers of shame)... 🙃

MrsAvocet · 31/03/2023 12:19

Just got DS's end of term report emailed through. Currently working at A A and borderline B/A (for maths which is his weakest subject) and all saying A achievable by next year if he works hard. I think that's a bit aspirational for maths to be honest, but considering he only got a 7 for GCSE which generally seems to be considered a harbinger of doom for A level on here I'm really pleased. I would be ecstatic if he got an A, and a B would probably do nicely in fact. So all good. Off for a week's self organised work experience at the other end of the country next week which might either cement or radically change his career plans...we shall see. But it will be a nice family break anyway!