Year 13 2023/2024 - General support thread

[Rollergirl11]

It’s now the time for our young adults to sit their final year at sixth form/college. Everyone is welcome!

Good luck to your DD @MirandaWest!

@sheepdogdelight DS is struggling about the same thing. At the moment his 5 choices, while covering some spread of grades, are basically all really good universities. Like you say, I'm not sure it's worth putting a lower one that you aren't keen on? If he doesn't get offers / get the grades for any of the five then I guess he'll go through clearing or take a gap year.

We did clearing with DS and it was pretty awful.

It’s not the offers, it’s getting accommodation. Some places it’s fine eg Lancaster seem to be able to give halls on campus to clearing students but DS ended up in a city/uni that had major issues. So he accepted a place - actually a really brilliant course in a fabulous place that he wouldn’t have otherwise considered - with no accommodation, and it took over a week to find anything. He ended up in less than ideal accommodation for Y1 but it worked out OK for him as he’s a social grafter. DD would melt in similar circumstances so not going there with her!

She well understands the accommodation issues thing with clearing which is why we are really keen to find a lower entry place she likes! Accommodation doesn’t sound like a biggie but if you’re out of things, not living on campus with people in your year or at your uni it is a very different experience. I didn’t fully appreciate how important it was as didn’t go to uni myself.

Hmm that is a really good point about accommodation @SooperOuting .

@MirandaWest
good luck to your dd for tomorrow!

Accommodation is definitely a major issue - having looked at the year 13 threads from last year sometimes even when students had a university as an insurance offer then they weren’t guaranteed accommodation which makes everything more difficult. And one’s going through clearing seemed to often have even more problems.

I think when you consider which unis to pick for your 5 and then for your firm and insurance you consider accommodation carefully. What we failed to do was think about accommodation in A.N.Other place in clearing.

Some places with limited Y1 accommodation like Manchester, Bristol, London, Glasgow, Edinburgh, York I would effectively rule out of clearing this time round, even if they had amazing courses available.

Randomly, DD has just booked her girls summer holiday for after their A-levels. She is stupidly excited about it whereas i
am terrified by the thought of it!

Where are they going?

They’re going to Malia in Crete. Apparently a party destination though I’ve never heard of of it. She’s also talking about going away with her boyfriend and if she does that will be 3 summer holidays for DD!

DD seems to have enjoyed her short stay in Oxford. She met another girl at the college she was staying at who is also applying to the same Oxford college she's intending to apply to (they were both auditioning for the same college choir but different voice parts and different subjects which is good). They seemed to get on well together - would be lovely if this time next year they were both in the same college and singing in choir together. Probably won't happen but would be nice!

Hello all,

Just wondering if anyone can advise me please.
My daughter is currently in year 13 studying Biology, chemistry and business studies. She originally wanted to train to be a vet but has changed her mind and wants to go to uni to study child psychology.
She wants to get a part time job but trying to think of a job that would benefit her with going on to study child psychology. Just wondered if any of your children are heading for a similar career and what partime job would be a good idea
Thank you

@MirandaWest that sounds lovely!

@Rollergirl11 Malia is a big favourite with the teens! DS & his mates are planning to book to go to Benidorm in the summer soon. DS last exam looks to be 7 June so it will be another looong summer.

@StColumbofNavron great to have sorted out the clash.

DS has done some stellar work on his Personal Statement but revealed yesterday that for some reason he isn't registered on UCAS yet but his classmates are - he missed a few days of school during Next Steps week & thinks it happened then, so he needs to sort that out. He absolutely loved Liverpool University at the open day on Saturday. Although he says he would pick Durham if offered a place due to the prestige & opportunity it would give, I could see him being very happy at Liverpool.

We'll done to your dd @MirandaWest and positive that she had a good experience. How does it work with choral scholarships? Do you get offered the scholarship first then hope you get an offer?

Ds saw his school reference for his UCAS form yesterday but doesn't have a copy. He's ok with it but worried that his maths reference is a bit bland. He's in a school with lots of amazing mathematicians (several Olympiad qualifiers). He's predicted A star for maths and A for FM but this is pretty average for his cohort unfortunately for him.

@Lbet Maybe just something working with children? My DD works at Explore Learning as a tutor - it's not the best paid job out there but involves lot of child interaction.

Sheepdogdelight thank you so much for your reply. My daughter is thinking of ire of a little job working with children. Working for Explore sounds interesting, do they advertise their jobs do you know? I will get her look into that.
Thanks again

@Lbet, there seem to be many early years jobs around - nurseries etc but I'm not sure whether you need a qualification in this area or work experience. Maybe look at local employment agencies. She could also approach local schools offering to help with reading skills.

Lightsabre oh wow yes of course she could do some volunteering in a school. Fantastic ideas thank you.

Maybe helping out at an after-school club / childcare setting @Lbet? Maybe you have a Brownie pack near you?

Or she could run a club for the Y7s at her own school.

Or help out a weekend toddlers group / church crèche.

David Lloyd have after school jobs working in their kids clubs and quite a few kids there are asd. I don't think they have qualifications, normally sporty people they take but it gave free membership for child and 5 friends as well before.

We’re having a horrible time at the minute. Our little boy cat, who is only just over a year old, didn’t come in for his food yesterday morning. Then I had a call from a vets (not ours) at lunchtime to say that he’d been brought in by someone on our road that had found him in their front garden. Sadly he’s not survived what they think is most likely a road traffic accident, although oddly there’s not a scratch on him and no obvious trauma. Had to tell the kids when they got back from school/college yesterday. We are all devastated and feeling like we haven’t had enough time with him. 😰😨
DD was shouted at by the early apps coordinator at college this morning and I think DD was upset and angry and the woman unsurprisingly got short shrift from her. She just wants to get the UCAS application over and done with now so roll on Warwick open day so she can decide her last remaining choice.

@Rollergirl11 so sorry to hear about your beloved cat - very upsetting. 😢

@Rollergirl11 so sorry about your cat hugs

I think my daughter just applied through their website.

@Rollergirl11 sorry to hear about your cat :(

So sorry to hear about your cat @Rollergirl11.