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 think we are in for a LOONG wait with Durham. DD is really keen on it now in readiness for a Cambridge rejection in a few weeks. I had a look at last years Durham applicants thread on TSR. I have got to mid March 2023 and it looks like the bulk of applicants on there still hadn’t had an offer/rejection! 😬😨

My DS has just had his history offer through from UCL! Softens the blow of the Oxford rejection yesterday, he's over the moon!

Ahhh congratulations @lifeturnsonadime that is superb news and what amazing timing!!! Your DS must be on a rollercoaster of emotions these past 2 days. So happy for you!! 🎊🎉

Thank you, we now have closure and he will firm UCL.

All the best for your DD for Cambridge and I hope she gets the outcome she wants x

@lifeturnsonadime that is great timing!

I got to March and then searched individual users names to get “spoilers”. It was so cruel to keep them waiting so long.

I have been given a small amount of relief with the prospect of at least some of the History applicants with A stars withdrew rather than were rejected. Tempted to make my own whatdotheyknow request to see if they will release withdrawn application figures.

Congratulations to those receiving offers, and commiserations to those who are disappointed. DS is still waiting for Cambridge and Durham.

@Rollergirl11 - can I ask - when you say that some students end up withdrawing from Durham so they can accept a different offer, is there any advantage to accepting earlier rather than waiting? Or is it just that they're sick of the uncertainty and want to feel settled?

Not Rollergirl, but one reason may be that some universities run accommodation on a first come first served basis, so some students may withdraw to sure up accommodation elsewhere.

Others may have received offers they are happy with and just want to get their choices finished so they can concentrate on their revision.

Last year in particular some students may have simply been fed up with Durham. It was not a good look to have their offer day in March with so many applicants still awaiting decisions. Thankfully there is an offer day in April this year.

Commiserations to those who missed out yesterday and fingers crossed those still waiting on Cambridge/Durham and others.

DS had a day off mocks today but took and passed his driving test. First time too! He was very chuffed as it was scheduled at the height of morning rush hour so he was very nervous.

Hi can I join?

I’m on the offers are coming in thread but great to find this one.

DD had to take a year out for health reasons during 6th form and re-started Yr 13 last Sep at another place where she’s doing her A levels in a year.

Welcome @WriterOfWrongs - that sounds challenging...

Welcome @WriterOfWrongs and congratulations Life

DD got her TSA score today which is useful to know, she was very pleased with it.

Congratulations to your ds for passing his driving test @QueenMabby - that's brilliant.

Good to hear your dd was right about smashing the TSA @Silkierabbit.

Good luck to those in the midst of mocks, ds starts next week.

Thanks Light Yes she got an overall of 73.9 which she's very happy with.

Well done on driving test QueenMabby

Only half awake here as Floof decided to wake me up sillily early by coming on my pillow all 1.2 metres of him putting his two paws on my face, purring like an engine and trying to groom my hair. He's just done it a second time.

DD said her boyfriend said he wished he had applied to Oxford too, not sure why he didn't. He has an offer from another top uni and was trying to persuade her to apply there but she was like no.

Well done to your DS @QueenMabby ! Brilliant he has passed first time. My DS has no interest in learning and now he is going to go to London to uni he will say there is no point. I'm working on it and am going to strongly encourage him to learn over the summer.

Congratulations to your DD @Silkierabbit . I think that DS might find out his HAT test score at some point. I'm not sure I want to know as I think he must have done well to get the interview!!

I'm trying to get my head round UCL at the moment. We missed the open days because there was no way it was an option for DS when they were on, then he smashed his summer exams.

Well done on the driving test @QueenMabby DS! My DS has zero interest in learning.

Congrats on the UCL offer @lifeturnsonadime so pleased for him. And congrats also to @Silkierabbit DD on the TSA score, well done to her!

Welcome @WriterOfWrongs A levels in a year sounds like a very difficult task, hope your DD is not too stressed, what does she want to do next?

DS has had results for three of four subjects from his December exams and did very well. He still hasn't put any extra unis down on his form (two blank spaces) but I think he is waiting to see if he will get a Cambridge offer, feels a bit like everything is on hold until then. He has done some BMO2 prep but seems pretty laid back about it.

Well done @QueenMabby DS - passing a driving test is excellent - does this mean you won’t have to do so much taxiing? Have to admit I am glad DD takes herself off to things like singing lessons 😃

As she doesn’t have any exams today and has study leave she’s at home and managed to have a brief discussion about her plans now Oxford isn’t happening.

She says she isn’t planning on reapplying although not completely ruling it out. But that she will do something next year (DS had a gap year and stayed at home with a part time job but she says she will be gone in the autumn. Not sure if it would be travelling or where the money would come from if so!)

If she gets an offer from Edinburgh she says she won’t defer. So will wait and see what happens. She has now disappeared into the “study” for English lit revision

Thanks for the welcome!

@legosnowqueen ha, yes, very challenging <hollow laugh> Been a very difficult few years.

@IThinkIMadeItWorse DD isn't too stressed, is something I was worried about, as she suffers from anxiety and is autistic with ADHD. But the new sixth form has been great and she's worked incredibly hard, motivated by ensuring you can go to university in Sep and so will only have had one year out.

She wants to do Politics & IR/just IR at university and has had 3 offers so far, including from her favourite, Nottingham. She's predicted AAA and her highest offer is AAB, so that reduces the pressure a bit.

Two of her A Levels are essay subjects and the other is Art (Textiles). She's doing Textiles completely in one year, and told me last night that her notebook/portfolio and final coursework piece of a garment need to be in by 20 Feb. She hasn't started the garment yet, but assures me it's fine...

Oh and well done @IThinkIMadeItWorse on your son's December exam results

The wait for Cambridge must be hard when offers are coming in. At least the Oxford people have some certainty.

Thanks @Jaxx

@WriterOfWrongs I meant to respond to you on the other thread. Massive well done to your DD on managing to resume in year 13. That shows a huge amount of resilience. And well done to you too, been there with anxious kids who can't be in school, it's horrendous.

The fact that she has successfully resumed means that she has developed the tools she needs to cope with difficulties that life throws at her. I wish her every success xx

Thank you @lifeturnsonadime that is a lovely and wonderful thing to say. DD having to take a year out wasn't to do with anxiety per se, but anxiety has played its part in a difficult secondary school 'career'. And yes, horrendous.

You're right about her resilience and developing the tools she needs. She has a very good understanding of herself, is good at reducing the pressure on herself but at the same time her work ethic has improved a lot. All this will hold her in good stead. (I hope!!!!)

DS got his EPQ result today. He got an A which he is happy with. He did a pretty good job of it but didn't put anywhere near as much into it as his elder brother who got an A star so it seems like a fair result. The offer he is likely to go with as firm won't count it but his probable insurance will and it's nice to have a decent result in the bag at this stage as it will hopefully him a bit of a confidence boost.