Year 13 2024/2025 - support, discussion and looking after each other - continuation from year 12 thread

[elkiedee]

I've just realised that the year 12 2023/2024 thread is full - oops! - last message on 16 August - don't know if someone started another continuation thread but I can't see it. This coming year DS1 does A levels and university applications, DS2 will be in his GCSE year.

If there is a thread already started please let me know.

Thanks for starting a new thread, @elkiedee
I noticed the other one was full!

DS is also doing A levels this coming year, and applying to university. He’s planning on studying physics.

My DS1 is hoping to study Maths at university. He's just taken Maths A level and does Further Maths next year - his other A levels are Physics and Philosophy. He's planning to apply to Oxford/Cambridge, though I think he has a good sense now of how competitive they are, and he's also been to an open day at Manchester (which now requires much higher grades than in my day!)

DD will be doing her A-levels and applying for art foundation courses, as well as researching where she wants to apply for a degree after the foundation course. So this year will be a balance between building up a good portfolio and studying for exams.

Good luck everyone

When does term start for your Y13s? DD seems to get almost two weeks more holiday than her brother who is at school rather than college (although she has had far more summer work and has had to go into college to register and discuss her courses already).

DS1 finished a little earlier in year 12 than DS2 in year 10, and DS1 goes back on Monday 2 September, DS2 on 5 September (year 7s on 4/9, years 8, 9 and 10 on 6/9). But DS also has 4 days of Maths Summer School, which is part of a private school outreach thing to pupils from a number of North London state sixth forms. From today to next Wednesday (as Monday is bank holiday!)

Thanks for starting a new thread , jus been looking for you all as I remember how stressed we were last year. DD goes back 4thh sept and finished late June. Still jot sure what she wants to do but us feeling more confident with maths following the disastrous mocks and some summer tutoring. Just hope she gets the promised new maths teacher this year and we get her timetable soon

DS is at a sixth form centre attached to a school - he's back on September 3. He's done some reading around his EPQ over the summer, but that's about it really. They'll be back soon enough though, and then I expect it will be pretty full on all year, so enjoying the final weeks of summer seems like a reasonable plan!

Ds isn’t back in till the 10th! He’s working on a piece of NEA at the moment and has done some other work too so I’m sure it won’t be too much of a shock to the system going back that late

Thank you for the new thread. DD1 is halfway through A levels and will be back at college at some point soon. I'll admit I'm not entirely clear when - there are various registration/admin days and I don't know which she needs to go to. Hopefully she does. Aiming for university in 2025, offers and results permitting.

Hello, joining this thread for mutual support & no doubt a few tears & laughter. My DS will be going into year 13 for the second time in September - he suffered a health emergency in March which meant he was unable to sit his A level exams so moved back to year 12 in April while recovering. He had offers from Durham - his firm choice - & Liverpool as insurance in 2024 but it looks as if he'll have to start again with UCAS & reapply. Happy to help with any questions on process, open days etc having been through it once but derailed. DS has just headed off to Leeds Fest so a nailbiting weekend for me & DH!

Thanks for the new thread. I think DD goes back on the 4th. She had loads of homework over summer plus first draft of PS (college has set early deadlines for all not just med or Oxbridge, probably because they have so many students to deal with!) and she tells me all is done aside from finishing reading a Spanish book. Just in the nick of time, she goes on holiday with friends at the weekend.

I can't believe how quickly Y12 went, I guess Y13 will go even faster. DD has a couple more open days to do in Oct but I think she at least knows what course she wants to do at Uni and which Unis she's liked and which ones she's hated so far. And she's started driving lessons so wants to get that over and done with before Uni. It feels strange, like she's starting to leave us already. But I know it's good and healthy.

@Sweetpeasaremadeforbees I know what you mean about feeling their leaving already. Dd normally a stay at home girl.has found a social life, new job and is learning to drive we never see her. Then I look at DS who's just moved back after graduation and realise that they just come and go at this age. He's back for a while as he planning to commute to his grad job!

What are you doing with your dcs this holiday? I'm lucky as ds and I are both off for the next fortnight, but need ideas for things we can do together. Happy to be outside but the weather is shocking! I'm in desperate need of some suggestions - thank you.

My DD is at art school (just about to go into third year). Here are a couple of good threads with lots of discussion and information (one of which I started as I couldn't find info in one place). Do join in or ask anything!

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/higher_education/4796902-part-2-continuation-of-2023-uni-and-other-applications-for-those-pursuing-art-and-creative-routes

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/higher_education/4795276-art-and-design-at-university-for-past-present-and-future-students-and-parents

DS is away doing his sport at the moment. He has been doing a bit of UCAS prep as he'll need to hit the ground running for the Oxbridge deadline, and revision for an entrance exam ("ESAT") which is in October. He goes back on the 4th, too.

I'm a teacher and am always happy to answer questions about UCAS etc here. Good luck everyone!

That must have been a shock, @legosnowqueen. Hope your DS is fully recovered now.
@NCTDN Not on holiday but I work for myself and DD has been away this week so DS and I have had a bit of time when it's just us. We've been for a walk together around our local country park and seen Deadpool and Wolverine at the cinema. Mostly he's in his room though, with occasional forays to the shops or to meet up with friends!

I've also suggested he gets the work experience he has to do out of the way before school starts, and he's signed up for some kind of virtual aeronautical engineering thing, I believe.

@NCTDN When DS is here, luckily he enjoys the same sort of complicated geeky boardgames that I do, and it's a very pleasant way to pass a rainy afternoon. (We tend to play co-operative games!)

Thanks @PhotoDad - I've been lurking there since the spring when I realized that I know nothing about art college and that most of the 6th form threads are focused more on traditional university applications.

While you're here, do you have any good recommendations for good co-op games? DH is competitive, good at strategy and has lots of board game expertise, which makes playing against him in a competitive game no fun whatsoever. I've been enjoying Pandemic, Forbidden Island and Escape the Dark Castle.

@UnimaginableWindBird If you both enjoy Pandemic, you absolutely should get "Pandemic: Legacy." It looks expensive (around £50), but it turns out to be great value. It's mainly Pandemic, but every time you play, the story moves on, stickers are applied to change the map and the characters in various ways, and new rules are slowly introduced. There are three "seasons" available and they are best played in the order they were published; 1, 2, 0. All four of our family got hooked (even DW who doesn't normally like that sort of game).

"Space Alert" is very funny and takes around an hour, but it gets better with more players.

With DS (and DD when she's home) we've been playing big D&D-in-a-box style boardgames which last dozens or hundreds of hours, but that's pretty niche within co-op gaming, and individual episodes tend to take 2-3 hours.

Hope all are having a good summer, cannot believe it is nearly over!!

Thanks for the new thread.

I am sighing in relief as I have just read the LNER strikes are cancelled - as we are travelling from London to Durham / York for open days that's a big relief.

Not sure what unis will go on ucas. She's looking at sociology so tbh the offers for anywhere aren't that high compared to other more competitive courses . AAB seems to be the highest which I think is what all the 4 we are going to see want.

DS had a list of things to do over the summer and I have tried hard not to nag him too much. But to my surprise we sat down the other day and he showed me his UCAS form and Personal Statement draft! Which means that he can, in theory, crack on with ESAT revision. He's been a bit distracted by a new guitar (birthday present, he's a summer baby).

He hasn't really bothered with Open Days as there are only 5 unis which offer courses he's interested in. His plan is to see what offers he gets and then visit on Offer Holder days. Good luck to those travelling!

@Fluffycloudsfloatinginthesky We live in the North-East and it's a fabulous place. DS has Durham on his list but it might be a bit too close to home.

Thanks @PhotoDad

She originally was looking at Cambridge but she decided it was too much stress, I think she sees Durham as a similar experience.

We live south of London and she has a gig she refuses to give up on the Friday night so we have to go up Saturday morning. I was dreading a 3.30am ish start to driving. Will be early enough on the train.

@Fluffycloudsfloatinginthesky It is a long haul! DD is at Anglia Ruskin's Cambridge campus and she's got very used to trains (and Peterborough station). Good fast trains from King's Cross to the NE. Beautiful view of Durham from the train, although the station is a bit of a hike from town.