Year 12 - 2024/25 - Support, Discussion and Looking After Each Other (Thread 2)

[BlackBean2023]

You’re a chatty lot… continue

@Waspie DD may put Sheffield down but all depends on the UCAT score, as it may not even be an option. The prep has now started so we will see how she takes to the questions soon.

DD starts her week of work experience tomorrow, at the hospital where I work. She is very excited and will spend some time in my area too, which will be nice but odd her seeing me in a work context. She will definitely have a good insight into what being a Dr is like by the end of the week which will be invaluable.

As is it a school trip to Paris the following week, Y12 is now finished for DD, I can't believe they only have one more year now.

Just wondering whether any of your DC that are doing further maths have bought the fancy graphing calculator (Casio fx-ct50). Or just stayed with the usual scientific calculator. DS has just done the alevel with the more basic one - but I don't know whether an upgrade is needed for FM.

A new one is £139! And apparently cannot be used in Uni maths degrees as they are banned. So I don't want to buy one if it's not necessary.

@AuntyBulgaria DS doesn't do further maths, just normal maths. But he has the fancy graph calculator. If they order it through school, it is cheaper apparently.

@Wehaditsogood the school only sell the more basic one and his teacher hasn't mentioned it. Has it made any difference to your DS?

DS started the FM syllabus this week so we'll see if it's recommended.

@AuntyBulgaria DS has had a year of FM so far without the expensive one, and his school have just re-iterated their recommendation from last year, the Casio fx 991CW.

@MiniMidiMaxi thank you. That's the calculator he has - so that's good.

@AuntyBulgaria I will ask him in the morning.

Y12 finishes today for dd! Crazy stuff.
She has a lot to do over the summer but that’s good as she tends to mope around otherwise, including a week course in London related to her future degree. I’m also hoping for some clearing and cleaning of her room!

Mine has the fancy calculator but it was a post GCSE present. He doesn't have a clue how to use it and neither does anyone else including his maths tutor who has a degree in maths so it's clearly not necessary, but I think it will be helpful.

I've found there are lessons on using it on Integral so I'm going to try and get him to work it out over the holidays now he understands more topics that it might work for.

My DS1 sat the LNAT, 4 years ago now so things may have changed, but Arbitio was the best thing we found. There were some others out there I recall but did not seem as rigorous as them. It is expensive though I agree.

@AuntyBulgaria We had to buy the Casio fx-CG50 graphical calculator before DS started his A levels (through school which gave us a lower price due to bulk buying) he just does Maths though not FM.

Thanks everyone re calculators! In case anyone needs reassurance for a level maths my DS has completed the A level and never needed the fancy one.

Is there a useful resource for preparation for the TMUA? Or just standard A-level preparation?

@Wehaditsogood I have tasked DS with finding that out this week. He has a uni day at school this week - so I am hoping he asks there. I will report back if I learn anything. I think it's looking at and practicing past papers as I don't think it is necessarily different content but more that it may be asked in a slightly different way.

@AuntyBulgaria Thank you.

DS said that the fancy calculator is not necessary, but it can be very useful for certain questions. You work faster with them. But he thinks it is very expensive and you can easily do without it.

DD gave up her search for the perfect summer job today and has decided to go back to the bakery where she worked last summer. I genuinely think that's a good move - she loves it there and they're fair to her. They're willing to build her timetable around her work experience as well, which she's excited about.

Can anyone recommend a good budgeting app for a young person starting to save for uni? She actually has a decent sum coming to her at 18 from her father's estate, but I'd still like her to be able to put some of her own wages away and take ownership of her saving.

@temperedolive Does she have a Junior ISA? If she is coming into significant capital at 18 then she ought to have an ISA to achieve some tax protection. By starting them off on the Junior version (for under 18s) they can learn to use it in the meantime. NB Withdrawals can’t be made from a Junior ISA until 18, so obviously they need to keep up their current account too.

Wow! Lots of summer holidays and activities, they definitely keep our kids busy!
@JustHereWithMyPopcorn NASA sounds amazing, is that via UKSDC. Well done, a life time opportunity 🎉Mine is adamant that she want to do nationals again to try her luck, but very less people in her school is interested in Engg club and she is very sad. Boys school across the road has amazing activities, wish she could attend those. Lucky that she has some connections there, so get the info for competitions/exams and CAN ask for help if needed, but she is very shy to even ask anything in person, let alone on SM.
EDT paid for and that is happening next week I think, other than that there is only ESAT prep planned. I am sure kids will be meeting up between everyone’s holiday schedules.
oh, got her prediction yesterday, happy with 3 Astars and an A ( had plans to drop chemistry if grades are bad, but A is in FM). So now will be continuing with 4. School said if she is applying late on Jan, by then she may be able to go to next grade in FM for (2 marks away). I think it’s madness to suggest that, I would rather her apply for Cambridge with grades she have than not applying. What would you do?
@Waspie that list, I am so tired reading about it. @JessyCarr Paris sounds amazing, same for French course. I admire kids who has such passion, not necessarily linked to the job that want or anything like that.
Summer will be busy for us with a family holiday, painting hallways and bedroom ( long overdue) and I am planning to get DD involved in shopping and cooking so she is armed with a bit of general life lessons. Visits uni halls made it all very realistic for some reason

@Newlease no, the trip has been organised through school for students interested in CS, Physics etc. My friend's DS did the competition thing about two years ago I think, they had to design a robot if I remember correctly. They won and got to go to the states for the next stage.

Amazing PGs for your DD, I think late Jan may be too late for a Cambridge application? I may be wrong there so don't quote me.

DS is doing the online EDT and honestly I'm disappointed in it. It's meant to be in the summer holidays and the only two subjects he's interested in are on this week and next and both clash with his school timetable. I'm sure the residential one will be better.

Just got DS's PGs - 3 As
We were hoping they might have pushed up his Chemistry mark but no. Think Imperial is off the table now (probably a good thing in terms of costs!).

Well done to your son @JustHereWithMyPopcorn

We’re at the LSE open day today. The accommodation costs are eye watering, Oxford is a long shot but would be so much more affordable’

My son dropped the bombshell that UCL was back on the table. I may have to say if he goes there he will have to live at home. I am trying to encourage him to try somewhere different - but he is being swayed by how high up the rankings/prestigious it is. We will know in the summer what his maths result is so that will help determine whether it's a goer or not.

DS got his mocks results this morning
B in History and C in Geography, he is delighted and surprised as he thought History was a disaster. Not the A and A* of others but we are happy
Business is continuous assessment so not examined this year.

Just saw this

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/higher_education/5370629-southampton-publishes-clearing-grade-requirements?utm_campaign=thread&utm_medium=app_share

I had no idea clearing grades were ever released before results day.

Well done to your son @JustHereWithMyPopcorn and to yours @gingercat02 on their PGs!

Will the school let him take chemistry again in September JustHereWithMyPopcorn? I agree with you, @Muchtoomuchtodo and @AuntyBulgaria that the costs are seriously prohibitive in London. I am secretly hoping DS goes off the idea of UCL and LSE too.

I think clearing opens at the start of July to allow those with grades in hand, IB and then the Scottish students to use it.

I hope the LSE day is good @Muchtoomuchtodo

DS is having an Oxbridge wobble as he's on a "Next Steps" day today and the Oxbridge admissions person has been talking about GCSEs.

However, my understanding is that GCSEs are considered in the context of the school they were taken at. DS took his at a standard comprehensive where just over 50% got grade 4's in Maths and English. The school he is at for sixth form is a state selective grammar where the GCSE average results were much better.

Only 4 kids from standard state schools were accepted into the sixth form in DS' cohort. His head of year has told him to make sure it's referenced in his PS as it's a personal achievement and an endorsement of the potential the school saw in him. I was actually really shocked to learn that the other 21 boys who joined at year 12 have come from Eton, Charterhouse, Wellington College and other seriously expensive/selective schools in the area.

Hopefully the Open Day at Cambridge tomorrow will perk him up (if the weather doesn't melt him!) He is going with DH so I get to work in my home office with the air conditioner that I purchased in the Black Friday sales last year