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.

My daughter is the same. She’d worked so hard but said it was awful. She is usually pretty stoic but she was crying on the phone to me. She’s never had less than an A in any chemistry test or mock but thinks she’s not going to get a C and is looking at foundation years online. I feel so sad for them. Why not just test that they know the syllabus rather than this.

@Beabea8 sorry to hear that, 🤞your DC gets his predicted grade.
My DC did Chemistry today and felt it went well, hopefully put them in a little bit more of a positive mood after the awful maths paper.

Well done to all those that have finished, DC still has another 3 exams to go.

Good luck to all that are taking exams this week, will be pleased when it’s all over on Friday evening.

Three more here too, @Earlymornyawn - today's wasn't great, apparently. Sigh.

Was that physics?

Just to update on Edexcel maths paper 2. Seems there were indeed two different papers given out. Mr Bicen talks about it in his latest YouTube video (at the start): https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=znS7PHi2pyc&pp=ygUITXIgYmljZW4%3D
Quite a bad cock up from Edexcel in my view.

DD had physics paper 3 today AQA. Mixed views. Definitely not great but did manage to put an answer for everything

It was, paper 3 - the second paper was tough for him too, though I think the first one was OK.

My DD thought exactly the same as yours has.

I think DS was doing OCR physics today. Apparently it missed out a third of the syllabus and added in a degree level question (?) He seemed fairly philosophical though…

Thank you - that's somewhat reassuring!

DS2 had Physics paper 3 today. Said it was “very hard”. All his peers felt the same.

@SheilaFentiman sorry to hear that, it really knocks their confidence. My DC is still upset about the maths paper and says that they have given up on maths now.

Thank you for the link@autumndays13. I don’t see how they can have 2 different lots of grade boundaries, not sure that that would be fair or give a true reflection of grade.

Good luck to all with exams tomorrow, DC has one tomorrow.

Yep another one who was told physics was really hard.

Wondering if the A level grades were high last year and they’re trying to compensate this year with really difficult papers??

Congrats to those who are done and dusted, and keep on keeping on to the rest. I'm guessing tomorrow's maths is the last for a few of us?

No big post exam plans, but a few gigs on the horizon - some she's watching and some she's in. Other than that I think she's hoping to pick up plenty of hours in her part time job. It's outdoors and weather dependant so the promised heatwave might work in her favour .

I thought last year there was a big gap between people getting their predicted grades and universities had to drop grades in a lot of courses . There were far more Russell group courses in clearing at low grades .
So surprised if more difficult .
Anecdotally it seems the science and maths have all gone with one curve ball paper then the others ok ?!

Hooray for those already finished and I hope the DC who had tough papers are feeling better and the grade boundaries are fair.

DS2 in his penultimate exam atm, last one tomorrow here too.

DS2 has no real plans. He's asked for a gym membership for his birthday and wants one not that local, and I think I've found one with a decent train journey which will keep him occupied.

We'll also be doing a lot of work on life-skills as he's definitely lacking. I watched in horrified amazement at his attempt to tie up a bin bag 🙄🙈

I think realistically DS2 may not get the A* he needs in FM for his preference, but we'll just have to wait for results day

All done here .. what a relief . DD seems abit deflated - but probably just tired . Biology P3 this morning was just ok apparently . She’s given up the hope of an A in it and think a C more likely .. but very difficult to judge I think and she’s very hard on herself !

@Thistooshallpass.
Oh, I didn’t know that re RG unis and clearing last year...would be very pleased if that was the case this year!

DS also finishing tomorrow with maths, after FM this afternoon. Does sound like there have been lots of ups and downs in this year's exam season. He reckons the two versions of Edexcel maths paper 2 earlier on was because they accidentally sent out the shadow version of paper one (or something like that).

In any case, he's not assuming he has a university place until August – hopefully he'll be able to relax over the summer and stay philosophical! Have no idea what the plan would be if he didn't though.

@Thistooshallpass. ds felt deflated a bit after his last one. He said he did not know really how to feel. I guess it is not really over for them with results still to come. Ds gone to Cornwall with a friend and is loving surfing and the Sea Shanty festival- who needs It Ibiza!!!!

@mumonthehillyes I think they expect to feel jubilant and relieved but the tiredness and rumination over how things went is too fresh at the moment. A good sleep and some lies in and I am sure party mode will be activated!

Two children of friends did not get their grades last year and both were still accepted at their first choices. So I think maybe there was quite a bit of that going on as they are the only two I know who sat A Levels last year.

DD is in full on party mode and has been out every night since she finished. I guess at some point she will run out of money so I might get to see her!

I remember listening to World at One on results day last year, with two people talking about their results. One of them said she’d got less than stellar grades (remember hearing a D) - but was off to Durham to study English. Predicted grades really seemed to have mattered most!

Yes I know of someone who last year went to Leeds with AAB (offer was AAA) and someone else who went to Loughborough with BBB (offer ABB).

The course that my DD would like at Lancaster has offered ABB (standard offer is AAB but ABB if she firmed) but was in clearing last year for BBB.

I don't know if last year was typical or not but here's hoping, it would take the pressure off a bit!

Fingers crossed for your DD @Sweetpeasaremadeforbees . My DD is just about to finish her first year at Lancaster, and i can remember on results day last year quite a few from her group chat missed their offers but were still accepted.