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!

I can relate to that @MrsAvocet - it dawned on me this morning that there's only really two proper terms left of school. It feels like yesterday that I was waving him off to yr 7. I'm not sure I'll be an empty nester as ds is considering a London uni but I'd like him to live out for at least the first year.

DD doesn't finish until tomorrow either. Is quite weird her going off to school in the car on her own but I'm getting used to it.

I think she feels a little sad that year 12 is nearly over - she feels it's gone very quickly. I find it quite odd knowing that this time next year I won't have any children at school any more - and as there's only 22 months between DS and DD it hasn't been a very long time but have had at least one in school since September 2008.

Last day of school today & DS was the only student to turn up for his one class (double business)! He enjoyed his work experience this week & it will be very useful for the personal statement. He's out with mates tonight but is working all weekend.

We've discussed a week of downtime next week, except for restaurant work & driving lessons, but I've encouraged him to plan a day a week in August to do the history work & to refine his personal statement, with the aim that these are pretty much done before Leeds Fest...we'll see how that pans out.

Hope everyone has a great summer with their DCs & families 😀

DD has broken up now although as she’s currently having a ‘girly sleepover' which she drove herself and some friends to I haven’t actually seen her since this morning and won’t see her until tomorrow. Then she and I are going to a day of a festival in Sheffield where I suspect we will get wet!

@MirandaWest is it Tramlines? The line ups on Saturday & Sunday look great!

Urgh. Let's hope it is better than Y12!

It is Tramlines 😊 We’re just doing Saturday - DD particularly looking forward to the Courteeners

@MirandaWest I saw the Courteeners live a few years ago & they were excellent - enjoy (but wear wet weather gear...)!

My thoughts are with those preparing for empty nests. We still have 3 years with DS about to go in to Yeat 11 but I have a feeling he won’t go to uni and will probs stay at home for a little while after finishing sixth form.

Hope you have a fab time at Tramlines @MirandaWest . Courteeners will be epic. DD saw them last year and still talks about it.

Checking in. DS1 has joined the gym so seems to be playing football or going to the gym. He has a small job but it is a few hours a month and he is painfully shy so whilst he has the CVs ready he would rather cut off a limb than go into a shop and ask if they have any vacancies. He has done a few online applications, but it really seems it is still a walk in and ask scenario.

Predicted grades as they stand are good enough to get him a place at any of his choices, notwithstanding all the other factors (others applying with similar profiles etc). He gets EPQ result on A level results day.

We have no plans for the summer which is sad.

May I join please? DC looking to do Art at uni and will be working all summer (or so they say) on their portfolio and their Art-related EPQ. They do have some holiday work for their other 2 A levels, but that will take a back seat I suspect until 2 days before they restart in September.

@Aaarghthepancakes welcome to the thread - you'll find lots of support here

@StColumbofNavron we don't have any summer plans either, at least not to go away. If only the weather would improve, it wouldn't seem so bad! We do have relatives visiting, which we're all looking forward to, & if DS is at a loose end we might visit some of the potential university cities. He came home from work last night to say he's picking up some extra cleaning shifts while the restaurant's cleaner is on holiday for 3 weeks, so was pleased about that, particularly as he'll be paid a much higher hourly rate.

@Rollergirl11 I'm trying not to think about empty nests as that will be us - DS is an only child. At least we have DDog...but it will be very strange...

Hello hello hello.

I had rather fallen off the other threads after GCSE results day, but feel like it’s time to get back on the wagon.

We’ve already been off school for a week, DD was in Barcelona with school for five days, now home and assuring me she’s doing portfolio work/personal statement, but seems to be mostly FaceTimeing her boyfriend and lying on her bed.

We need to do open days next term; a mix of work commitments, exams and a funeral meant that we didn’t manage any this summer. And Brighton, which is top of the list, cancelled theirs a few days before.

We booked a holiday yesterday, a week in Mallorca at the end of August -flying early the morning after Reading, so DD will be a delight. And DH is taking DD and a friend to Camp Bestival next weekend, so DS and I may go away for a couple of nights. Next term will be here before we know it.

@Rollergirl11 Your DS sounds like mine. I don’t think he’ll be moving out any time soon, whereas DD has had one foot out of the door since she went to senior school.

Tramlines was good but very muddy (and didn’t even rain that much!)

Hope it is a bit drier when we go away at the beginning of August (to North Wales).

Some news !

DS passed driving test today with only 2 minor faults :-)

my taxi days are over. And his begin ha ha ha

Congratulations to your ds @NeverForgetYourDreams - great news the ferrying about days are done!

@NancyJoan sounds like a busy summer for all of you. I'm wondering about squeezing in a visit to Durham's open day in Sept.

Just checking back in, I don't post often but like to keep in touch. DD is working for a resit in Sept but also says she wishes she had taken a different subject and wants to talk to college about switching. I don't know of that is either wise or possible at this stage. She has got some work experience next week, has a weekend job in a pub and is quite busy generally. We have done three open days and no decisions reached but she is Ms Independent and doesn't want to talk about it all much.

Is that a resit for new predicted grades ED?

DD is the same - I am not supposed to mention university. She did ask me to buy a book to read as prep for her PS which is a new and most welcome level of engagement with it all.

Yes, although they haven't confirmed predicted grades yet.

How many possible choices do your DCs have for college, uni, whatever after A levels? DC has 3 that they definitely want to apply for (with one clear front runner) but I think they need at least one more option. Or is 3 enough?

Can I join please? DS is going into year 13 and hoping to go to uni.

Aaargh you can't really tell at this stage - if they get a couple of achievable offers out of those three unis and if there's no chance that they will change their mind or that the course won't run then three is fine. There are some ifs in there though. (Have they been to visit all three? Lots of mind changing at that point I think.)

If they are really set on where they want to go, they can always apply for three to start with and then add a fourth and fifth later if they don't get two decent offers out of the three.

@singingstones Thank you. Very sensible advice. We've visited all 3 (actually visited 5 but 2 were, ahem, awful (for the course they want)) and the top 2 gelled with both DC and I. I think you're right ..... as this is an Art Foundation course we'll have to go with the 3 we've got and then potentially look next term to add another one or two if needed. TBH I'm already tired of looking .... I have googled Art Foundation so many times!

DD is enjoying being able to drive herself where she wants to go (and I’m enjoying not having to be in the car while she drives!)

Today she’s had a singing lesson (at 8:30), briefly saw her dad, went and volunteered at local National Trust house and is now at the university library. This means DH and I can sit around 😃 Although once she’s 18 in September I suspect there will be some visits to pubs as one of her friends is also 18 then (she has said they plan to only go occasionally and to have nice things like cocktails. I suspect she will discover quite quickly how much alcohol costs in pubs 😄) and we will be needed for delivering and picking up duties.

Dd has been researching universities and discovered that York is not offering natural sciences for 2024 entry which seems a little odd.
Bath is still her favourite.