How much studying are your Y13s doing

[EriAramam]

Feeling a little worried on behalf of DS (albeit not my business I know).
DS is Y13, studying Maths, Computer Science and Physics, predicted As.
He has 10 hours worth of study periods at school all spent studying (or so he says) but maybe does 2 hours a week at home.
Partners daughter is doing Maths, Further Maths, Economics and Politics. She has 5 hours worth of free periods in school and does a further 15-20 outside of school, along with a part time job and playing a sport quite competitively. She is predicted A* in everything.
DS says he's doing enough and will up it nearer the time. But really he spends a lot of time just messing about. He doesn't know what he really wants to do, submitted his UCAS application at the very last possible minute, where as partners daughter sent hers off in Sept/Oct I think, has offers from 4 I think just waiting for UCL.
Is 12 hours for 3 levels enough at this stage or should he being doing more?
He's not doing much else of anything so I think I should encourage him to study more?

Nothing at the moment, he studied for his mocks after Xmas.

There was a similar thread recently on this topic and several posters who are teachers helpfully suggested, as a rough guide, five hours per subject per week for self-directed work outside lessons.

On that basis, your DS is doing slightly less (12 v 15) and your DP's DD doing slightly more (25 v 20). However, the caveat is obviously that how the time is spent is just as important as the time spent.

Perhaps to help motivate your DS, you could suggest he actually maps out the weeks from now to his first A level exam and what he might focus on in terms of revision (for Phys and CS) and practice papers (for maths). This will help him to see it is not actually very long at all, that now is actually 'nearer the time'. This helped my DC who is also in Y13.

Rather than dwelling on a set amount of time to be working, perhaps encourage your DS to look back at topic tests and mock results to see where there have been areas of relative weakness and focus on doing some work on those aspects - to encourage him to think strategically about how to apply his time. Just some thoughts and hope they help.

Can you help him by asking if he has a revision timetable and how he's planning out his work? Obviously he needs to be independent but may need more structure to support regular learning. If he's avoiding it he could break it down into chunks so that it doesn't seem huge and he eats into it.

We recommend 4 hours of outside study per A-level, so 12 hours is about right. I know that unfortunately, some of my students are not even doing that.

Your partner's daughter sounds great but exceptional- I would try to avoid comparisons between the two if possible, and continue to be supportive of your son.

I would encourage him to up his workload maybe over the Easter holidays, but in a supportive way. Maybe ask him if there is anything you can buy or any websites etc you could pay for which would help?

I agree with the rule of thumb of 4 hours per subject.
But I think it also depends on subject. With maths/science a bright child can probably get away with less work (If you understand and can apply the concept, you may have done as much as you can).

My Year 13 DD is studying English/humanities - she has 4 NEAs, and is spending all her study periods (not sure how many - 10 hours?) plus maybe 10-15 hours a week on top just to stay on top of them.

Not nearly enough, but I'm fed up of nagging. It's not my life, it's hers. She maintains that 'hardly anyone studies that much' which is reflective in her grades.

Remember that your comparing your son's 3 A levels to her 4 A levels so the girl has to take into account she has 5 hours less in free periods during college time so has to do those at home. She also may have applied for early entry (Oxbridge, medicine, dentistry or veterinary) so her UCAS deadline will have been 15th October not 31st January.

If he is going to go to uni then he has to learn to self direct his time to study, you won't be there. He will be being told all the time at college how important his A levels are. He knows, it is his choice if he wants to work for them or not. It is okay at 18 to not know what you want to do hence his late application. I would just offer your help to see if there is anything you can do for him.