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!

@MrsAvocet there have been mentions of offers received over the holidays in previous years, I recall someone saying their child got one on Boxing Day! However that must really be the exception so we are assuming that after Friday nothing til after New Years.

Just joining now so I can try to keep up from now on. DD hopefully off to Uni in September and has had three offers so far, at her top three choices so that’s a relief. One is a lower offer than the others and it’s probably her favourite anyway so this is likely to be the first choice. Now we just have to cross everything that the end results are good enough.

Signing back in, hope all are gearing up for a relatively peaceful Xmas. Ds has offers from 3 of his choices, atm his preference is one of the lower grade ones so not sure how he'll decide in the end. It's been a good boost for him tho. Mocks in Jan so not much of a break. Who else has 18 yr olds now, does it feel different? Bit of a step change here, which surprised me.

DS2 turned 18 in early October and his towering status as a adult is deployed quite often in arguments, reducing me to rapier like thrusts about adults putting their own laundry away, and getting themselves up in mornings etc. an excellent side effect could be that he could buy me my ritual cherry liquor chocolates for Christmas, rather than me buying and wrapping them myself, but I suspect the latter course would be more reliable :-)

Finally school and college is done. This term has been intense!

DD went to a party last night and have no idea what time she got home. She’s off for lunch and ice skating with her friends today and then a mass gathering at the pub this evening.

Even DS has got in on some ice skating action today which is unusual for him.

DH and I are off to Battersea power station for some last minute shopping/xmas festivities. Happy to not think about UCAS and uni offers for a few weeks now.

Happy Xmas everyone and hope parents and DC’s all enjoy a bit of a break from it all!! 🎄🎅🎉🎊

DD's school staggers on until Friday (I don't know that I ever remember a year they've broken up so late).

She's received 4 university offers, but annoyingly, not one from her first choice (and we've seen on social media they have made offers to others). Still, that leaves her feeling very confident.

Very much looking forward to a break; best wishes to all!

DD3 is 18 now but you wouldn’t know it. She’s never been much of a one for drinking or partying or doing normal teen things. Maybe it’s also because she’s our youngest, she’s always felt less grown-up than she actually is!

I had a slightly surreal experience with DS this week. He had an optician's appointment straight after school so was still in uniform but because he's 18 now he had to sign all the paperwork himself. It seemed a bit odd!
School finished yesterday here. DS has gone into town with some friends. They were going to go further afield but the train was cancelled so they're stuck with our local shops! I think they're just glad of the freedom though. It's been a long and busy term and with mocks in January there won't be a huge amoung of down time this Christmas.
Hope everyone has a restful and happy Christmas.We are going away for a few days from Saturday. One of those things that seemed a good idea at the time, but now I'm trying to get organised I'm not so sure!

Congratulations on all the offers.

DD is 18 and very mature for her age, school finished on Tuesday and now she's off having fun, done a cat cafe in London with a friend who came here to meet Floof and currently staying overnight with another friend. Her room still looks like a bomb hit it but apparently that's in the plans. Her younger brother is so much younger though only a year different in age.

Christmas away is wonderful MrsAvocet hope you enjoy it. I always find packing a bit stressful but love it after that.

Thanks Silkie. We've booked a holiday cottage near my adult DD and her partner - their flat is too small to host us all - so I am looking forward to it. I just wish I could click my fingers and be there now though! Not to mention the slight anxiety over cooking Christmas dinner in an unknown kitchen. At least DD doesn't live too far away so if I discover there's a lack of pans or something she can hopefully bring them. I'm gutted about the weather though. Until Tuesday there was snow forecast for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day but it now looks like it will just be very wet and windy. Ah well, we'll have fun anyway.
Wishing a peaceful and happy Christmas to you and yours.

Well there's a surprise. Having decided to stop thinking about UCAS etc because it's now Christmas and everyone has probably gone home, DS has had an offer from Loughborough this evening. Quite unexpected. We didn't really expect him to even get an offer from them, and if he did it was definitely going to be unattainable.I was sure they'd want an A for maths which is probably beyond DS barring divine intervention. But I was wrong. It's the highest of his 4 offers so far, but definitely within the realms of possibility. Weird. Nice weird, but weird all the same. Puts the cat amongst the pigeons somewhat though!

@MrsAvocet - what a nice surprise! Congrats on the offer.

We're STILL waiting on Bath! Lancaster is also still a bit up in the air as they've told him he'll get an offer but he has an interview late Jan so we won't hear anything concrete until after then.

Pressed post too soon. Also meant to say ds revising well for mocks - he's taking 3 days off over Christmas but otherwise has something scheduled for every day. He has his driving test mid mocks too - talk about it all piling on!

Finally the last day of term. DD was in just after 8 as she had an early meeting with her Spanish teacher. Finish at 12:40 and going into town with friends and then a birthday party this evening for friend with Christmas Eve birthday.

Mocks after Christmas here too. She has eventually agreed to come and join in with extended family celebrations on 27th and 28th which I had pared down (have to travel to get there) so she could come so when she said she wasn’t going to was a bit sad. Think her dad managed to persuade her which shows he has some uses (good when your ex has some uses).

Am unprepared for Christmas. Will be glad when 2023 is over tbh although no reason why 2024 will be better of course. Will try and live in hope!

Phew Miranda - your DD must get the prize for the latest finish, I bet she's tired. I hope she - and you - do get some down time over the holidays. We all know they've got a tough few months ahead but rest and family time is so important too. Have a happy Christmas!

Good to hear more offers coming through in the run up to Christmas.

End of term Wednesday for DS and he seems to be cracking on with revision so far.

@QueenMabby DS is going for interview day at Lancaster in January too.

Have managed to swap DS offer holder day from York which was the same day as Surrey to another date which is good. Plenty of time to make decisions before the deadline in May.

We are well prepared for Christmas but will just be a quiet one here as DS still won't leave our house but he does seem to like the Christmas things. Came back yesterday from swimming to find he had used loads of my wild rose bath foam. 😂

DD is still at no offers, though only applied for Oxford, LSE and Bristol and 2 left. Oxford hear 9th Jan. Currently very happy and out with friends etc but said she will be very sad if it's no on 9th Jan as it'll be the third thing gone wrong with my cancer, DS and then that. Though at the moment she's cheerful saying she thinks she will have an offer. I really hope so but that course is 5% offer rate and there were lots of 4 A stars not interviewed. LSE is similar. Could do with a plan B really but she does not want to think about that and is happy. She is fine with a year out at least. Some scary stories of 4 A star candidates getting no offers for Economics. Though LSE reject first and no offers yet. Maybe should look into year out schemes.

I am really hoping after 2 really rubbish years 2024 will be better. Things are getting better.

I sometimes think confidence is the key @Silkierabbit and it sounds like your dd is very mature and confident. Oxbridge like someone who is bit different by the sound of it and she seems to have done well at interviews from what you have said. Always good to have a plan B though. Fingers crossed for her.

DD broke up yesterday too. On her knees.

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and hoping that 2024 is a very positive one for everyone.

Last day for DD yesterday too. She had a cosy evening in with her BF, back from uni for Christmas, which is exactly what she needed really. All looking forward to a quiet festive week with lots of food and games and not a lot else, to hopefully start 2024 recharged.

@Silkierabbit I really hope next year is a good one, you really have had your share of the gods' displeasure in your house.

Thanks so much Light I found most people there weren't that confident but it was definitely full of original and different people. And her application would be original and different but it concerns me she doesn't have Economics A level or FM A level and applying for Economics. FM won't be an issue for Oxford but may be elsewhere esp LSE. According to Student Room which I'm a bit dubious about relying on due to number of fake entries the first few offers have come out this week for LSE Economics though its to 4 A star candidates (with a further A star in EPQ) with Maths, FM and one said Econ, other didn't say if Econ. Though strangely exactly like the people they rejected before, maybe personal statements are better. 🤔Its only a 5% offer rate without FM though and that includes schools that don't offer it and they sent a questionnaire to ask that. She is now saying Oxford, LSE or year out so at least seems to have a plan and year out she has great enjoyable well paying jobs.

Thanks Ten We were lucky every year up until the last two and its definitely humans who caused the issues for DS rather than God but hoping 2024 will be a better year.

DS is a tiny bit better, I heard him laugh 3 times the other day and he actually made a noise like Muttley, most of the time he's in a stupor still. And he is using loads of my lavender and wild rose bath foams. 😂

Just getting last things for Christmas today and looking forward to it. We have a musical advent which Floof loves and purrs and bounces tail too and lots of decorations which Floof loves and DS seems OK with. I really hope we aren't going to start 2024 with a rejection from Oxford. The professors DD said were super, super nice and she said they will take good care of her. She'll be able to do well whatever but I would like one child sorted. Though would be happy with DD home another year too. DS can't talk and DHs hearing is dire so enjoy our chats.

Happy Christmas lovely Mumsnetters. Hope you’ve had a lovely day with your families and you have a relaxing few weeks away from school/college.

Here’s hoping our young people have a successful 2024 and get whatever they need to move on to the next stage of their lives. Exciting and scary at the same time!

Merry Christmas everyone. Lovely quiet time for us, Floof wore himself out though. Hope 2024 is kind to everyone here and their children.

Merry Christmas everyone! A pretty lazy day here but ds enjoying a three day break from revision.

I've eaten enough food to keep me going for at least a week but will no doubt do it all again tomorrow!

Ds is playing his sport up at the club tomorrow for the inter-club friendly so I expect we'll all have a toddle up there to watch (weather permitting).

Hope you and yours are all having a lovely Christmas.