Page 26 | Is it too early for an A level support thread!

HereWeGo2023 · 2023-05-04T09:08:05+00:00

Hello all, apologies if there is already a thread but I can’t find one. May had finally rolled around and the first exam is a mere 2 weeks away. Exam stress has hit our house! It’s feels like everything is about waiting at the moment - waiting for the predicted grades, waiting for the uni offers, waiting for the exams to start, and then the long wait for the results! This is our youngest DD but the first one in further education so would love to chat to other parents going through this

SerenadeOfTheSchoolRun · 13/06/2023 15:55

I am also considering HPV for my DS. They are doing boys and girls now but our boys missed it.

AfingeroffudgeisNOTenough · 13/06/2023 16:10

CAO is the Irish version of UCAS. DD is holding offers in England via UCAS, but is hoping for Dublin. It’s a different system where you apply in order of preference and applications are held until after results, then offers made based on points scored and nothing else. (No personal statements or teacher references etc) Although applications have a deadline similar to UCAS in Jan/Feb, you can change your mind right up until early July - change your order of preference, or add a different course in etc. DD considered a course, then decided against it as it’s likely to require a couple of A-star grades, and she preferred UCD to TCD which is where that course is. I have a deep seated feeling that she should consider it again, (if she doesn’t get the grades, then her application automatically passes to her second choice so it wouldn’t make
any difference to that course anyway), and I think she might agree, but she needs time to consider it and she doesn’t have that until after 23rd.

AfingeroffudgeisNOTenough · 13/06/2023 16:11

I forgot about vaccinations - I need to check the status of the Meningitis ones for DD.

ladydiggins · 13/06/2023 16:19

Although DD is taking a year out, I guess Meningitis jabs ought to be brought up to date/checked out - as she'll no doubt be visiting chums and also her cousin who are all hoping to go to uni later this year.

Great reminder.

Maybe we need an 'After the exams' thread!

mondaytosunday · 13/06/2023 16:20

She's done! Pulled an all nighter last night and said she had made 700 plus flash cards (compared to 200 for Dutch Revolt) but Ireland is over! She was happy with the questions.
Took her out to lunch to celebrate and she said she was too exhausted to think straight, then she chatted non stop all the way home! She's gone to bed.

ladydiggins · 13/06/2023 16:22

Fabulous mondaytosunday. She can have a rest now and enjoy her summer.

Forestfriendlygarden · 13/06/2023 16:23

thanks

Forestfriendlygarden · 13/06/2023 16:24

AfingeroffudgeisNOTenough · 13/06/2023 16:10

CAO is the Irish version of UCAS. DD is holding offers in England via UCAS, but is hoping for Dublin. It’s a different system where you apply in order of preference and applications are held until after results, then offers made based on points scored and nothing else. (No personal statements or teacher references etc) Although applications have a deadline similar to UCAS in Jan/Feb, you can change your mind right up until early July - change your order of preference, or add a different course in etc. DD considered a course, then decided against it as it’s likely to require a couple of A-star grades, and she preferred UCD to TCD which is where that course is. I have a deep seated feeling that she should consider it again, (if she doesn’t get the grades, then her application automatically passes to her second choice so it wouldn’t make
any difference to that course anyway), and I think she might agree, but she needs time to consider it and she doesn’t have that until after 23rd.

ok good luck, so much work involved in decisions and forms...

Forestfriendlygarden · 13/06/2023 16:26

mondaytosunday · 13/06/2023 16:20

She's done! Pulled an all nighter last night and said she had made 700 plus flash cards (compared to 200 for Dutch Revolt) but Ireland is over! She was happy with the questions.
Took her out to lunch to celebrate and she said she was too exhausted to think straight, then she chatted non stop all the way home! She's gone to bed.

well done

Forestfriendlygarden · 13/06/2023 16:30

ladydiggins · 13/06/2023 16:19

Although DD is taking a year out, I guess Meningitis jabs ought to be brought up to date/checked out - as she'll no doubt be visiting chums and also her cousin who are all hoping to go to uni later this year.

Great reminder.

Maybe we need an 'After the exams' thread!

Yes we do! Run up to results etc.

PacificState · 13/06/2023 16:46

DS2 happy with Maths (OCR I think).

Very impressed at people thinking about the to-do list. I can barely think beyond tomorrow at the moment.

WarningToTheCurious · 13/06/2023 17:11

AQA maths paper 2 went well for DS - but the last question was missed by many students by the looks of things. The penultimate question was followed by a blank page with “turn over for next question” and then the final question at the back. It was a 7 marks one too.

GivingItAWhirl · 13/06/2023 17:41

Just asked my son if he suffered that pitfall @WarningToTheCurious and he said no, because it said 20 questions on the front of the paper and he made sure he turned every page over till he had no more pages to turn…..and that he’s thankful that his teachers have warned him about stuff like this. Though it is something that they shouldn’t have to be warned about…..why make it trickier than it needs to be??

SerenadeOfTheSchoolRun · 13/06/2023 17:46

Oooh - that’s not great from AQA. DS did Edexcel, quite a tough one he said.

MarshaBradyo · 13/06/2023 17:47

Edexcel Maths tough said Ds but ok

ZittiEBuoni · 13/06/2023 17:56

Dd's boyfriend was not happy with today's Maths paper.

WarningToTheCurious · 13/06/2023 18:05

@GivingItAWhirl DS got caught out in a mock GCSE when the pages were stuck together and he’s very careful to check now. So glad he learned his lesson at that stage.

But you’re right - they could have arranged the question paper so that the last question was completely obvious.

Hellohah · 13/06/2023 18:57

WarningToTheCurious · 13/06/2023 17:11

AQA maths paper 2 went well for DS - but the last question was missed by many students by the looks of things. The penultimate question was followed by a blank page with “turn over for next question” and then the final question at the back. It was a 7 marks one too.

Just checked with DS he answered the last question. He said he did although he's sure he would have only picked up 2 or 3 marks on it.

He said he had a mind fart on Q7 (maybe) and was at the point of skipping it when what to do came to him. He said that gave him a mental kick and he whizzed through the rest so had 30 minutes to go back and check everything.

Not sure if this a good or bad thing, as DS is one of those that can lose half the marks with stupid errors :(

tribpot · 13/06/2023 19:57

Good reminder about the Meningitis vaccine, I kind of thought they'd get invited to do it but will add this to our extensive list of things to do after the exams are done.

An 'after the exams' thread would be good - we have got the best part of 2 months to distract ourselves from results day, after all.

Original poster

HereWeGo2023 · 13/06/2023 20:43

Just listening to the news that the man and woman in todays Nottingham attack were 1st year uni students, the young lad went to the local private school to us.
I can’t help but think their parents went through all of this last year, all
the worry hopes and dreams, and now they are gone.
yes the exams have been our lives at the moment but that has certainly put it all in perspective. RIP young people.

OP posts:

Forestfriendlygarden · 13/06/2023 20:52

HereWeGo2023 · 13/06/2023 20:43

Just listening to the news that the man and woman in todays Nottingham attack were 1st year uni students, the young lad went to the local private school to us.
I can’t help but think their parents went through all of this last year, all
the worry hopes and dreams, and now they are gone.
yes the exams have been our lives at the moment but that has certainly put it all in perspective. RIP young people.

Yes RIP and thoughts wth the families.

KittyMcKitty · 13/06/2023 21:05

Yes it’s desperately sad. My thoughts are with all those affected. Remembering also the ManMet student murdered in Fallowfield (right outside the Uni of Man campus) back in The autumn.

Forestfriendlygarden · 13/06/2023 21:54

Actually, I really don't mean to be rude, but I've only got enough emotional bandwidth to stick to the exams, so please let's not go too far off topic.

Titsywoo · 13/06/2023 22:04