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!

@sheepdogdelight
my ds studied at Warwick and lived within walking distance of the campus in years two and three, not as nice as Leamington but better value.

Ah that's good to know thanks ... I did think there must be closer accommodation!

@sheepdogdelightsame here; its a mere 90 min journey from home so probably the closest of all net options bar Cambridge.

@ShanghaiDiva what accommodation did your DS stay in on campus? DD really likes Lakeside but has heard it’s really really quiet and also that it’s a bit of a trek from the Tesco.

Last night DD said I'd been talking too much about universities etc.

Seeing as she seems to be most of the time I'm not completely sure how best to do things but am making a conscious effort not to mention anything about them for a few days at least!

Oh I hear you on this! DD is happy to talk about it whilst we are at an Open Day but that’s it really 😂

Rest of the time she wants to not think about it. One more open day this weekend so will shoehorn in everything I need to discuss with her then!

She has been happy to talk about it all up until last night it seems. I suspect that Oxford entrance exams coming up are stressing her but I feel a bit wary of saying anything!

Quiz programmes on the television tonight - Mastermind, Only Connect and University Challenge although maybe will miss out of the last of those!

We are off to St Andrews tomorrow. Based on what he wanted it ticks a lot of boxes, but who knows.

@Rollergirl11
ds was in lakeside which he liked as it was close to the business school and pretty quiet. I think Rootes was considered the nosiest accommodation. He used to share a Tesco delivery with two of his flat mates so no need to trek to Tesco.

Well, we are here and half way I realised we had forgotten our passports. Plan was train up and fly back so he could see both routes. Luckily I was able to book a train back. They’ve put all the talks after lunch which is a bit inconvenient, but when I booked all the travel the time tables weren’t available but trains/hotels etc needed booking.

Surely driving licence would have been OK? DS goes to and from Scotland by air using his provisional.

I hope it’s everything you both hoped for?

Ooh, that suddenly brought back a long forgotten memory. My brother lived in Rootes Hall in his first year at Warwick in about 1975. I hope the rooms have been modernised since then!Then he was in Tocil flats in second year - are they still there? I remember the campus being something of a building site then and it was still somewhere that nobody had really heard of. Lots of people warned my parents that he was wasting his time going to one of those "new Universities" and that he should aim higher. Lots has changed since then-or maybe nothing has!

Is anyone looking at Southampton? Took DS on Saturday and it has become his top choice.

It’s kind of fallen off our radar so we didn’t visit - what did you like about it?

We visited. Dd liked the course but had other places he likes better so it probably won't make the Final Cut.

In other news ds has a trial shift at the restaurant at our local golf club this coming Saturday. It's walking distance and should just be Saturdays 6-10 and Sunday lunchtimes so perfect! Fingers crossed please...

@SooperOuting alas, neither of us possess a driving licence, provisional or otherwise hence needing to rebook the train.

Feedback from DS on StA so far: it’s cold.

I really wanted ds to consider St A, it seems to be in an idyllic setting (for him) and the course he wanted to do has a good reputation there. Unfortunately he felt it was too far away (we're outer London).

😂😂😂

We liked it being near the sea! But also he really liked the course and the students of his subject that he met. And the accomodation.

He has actually said:

’I will need a bigger coat.’

Tbh he has been focussed on course the whole way and there really is nowhere with the breadth in the very niche bits of history he is interested in.

He has confirmed that the bigger coat is because it will make his 5.

Liverpool at the weekend, already favoured due to football. We have Edinburgh in half term then done.

No idea what’s going on with PS etc. He says ‘it’s fine.’

We are London, but I probed the distance and he said it’s not a problem. It’s almost part of the reason we came to be honest so he could see the journey, he mostly knew about the course.

Ah ok I see. Sounds like it was a success. 🙂

DS has a great variety of coats in Scotland, and a good umbrella is important too!

Well it's in! Money paid and submitted for school to do their bit.
DS says two of his friends have had Oxford scholarship offers already and places offered too. Not sure how likely this is. Was it you @MirandaWest with the dc going for a choral scholarship? Any joy??

@QueenMabby she did have an audition and has heard back from them saying that she meets the necessary standard (or something like that). But it has nothing to do with the main application apart from she is applying to the college she applied for.

If she gets into that college then she should get the choral scholarship but even then as they over offer (ie v unlikely all the choral ones will get in) then she still might not.

Is about as clear as mud (!) but I can’t see that anyone would have actual Oxford offers yet.

@MirandaWest I thought it was odd. But ds seemed adamant. Oh well. I'm sure it'll become clear as we go!

Well done on your dd clearing that first hurdle!