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

[BlackBean2023]

You’re a chatty lot… continue

In theory, I think the June/July open days are most useful in clarifying course choices, then the autumn ones can be fine-tuning which universities with predicted grades in mind. DS’s school want uni applications in before the bulk of autumn open days though, so we’re trying to compress this into one hit.

DD is halfway through her 'next steps' week which I thought would be great. She is fed up with having talks on the same thing from different reps from unis, for example almost one whole day on how to write a PS but the same general info from each presentation. It is a big school though with students paths heading in all directions so I understand why they are trying to accommodate everyone. Because DD knows what she wants to do she feels she could better spend her time working on her PS/ doing more reading research.

She is now feeling more stressed about the whole uni application cycle as this has made it very real. Tbh I am glad she is having this now as she has been concentrating so much on her mocks she hasn't given much thought to her application and it will be an early entry in Oct so she has less time than she would like.

I think seeing unis at the open days will really help her though. It is funny because I have been trying to give her 'tips' on how to view her choices which she obviously ignored because I don't know enough to advise... then her teachers/ the presenters at school tell her the same thing and suddenly it all makes perfect sense!

I am also feeling a bit like this. Exams not until July, results not until September! We've done quite a lot of planning so far but had a horrible thought about what happens if she messes these up and we're looking at the wrong stuff!

Completely understand. It doesn’t help that dd works every Saturday so will have to request leave in advance so she can attend open days. So having to request days off now for the autumn open days

Well done to your son @JustHereWithMyPopcorn - I'm sure his predictions will be good.

DS' school are being frustratingly uncoordinated and giving exam results and predicted grades out to part of each subject cohort and not the rest. DS has had his History predicted grade and end of year exam scores (A star - yay). But the other History group haven't. The other Economics groups have had their predicted grades but DS' group haven't. He does have his end of year exam scores for both Micro and Macro. DS got better scores than his friend in a different group but the UCAS prediction could be different so he can't use this as a yard stick.
For English Lit he's had his paper 1 exam score back and is waiting on both paper 2 score and predicted grade.

DS has been to two open days now and I agree with @MiniMidiMaxi that summer open days are about trying to understand what courses and universities appeal to them.

That is teenagers for you @bluefineliner - DS ignores anything I say until someone at school (or on TikTok probably!) confirms it I can see that a whole week for next steps would be frustrating for someone like your daughter who is clear on her choices.

I think @ellieinfrance that you just have to visit a decent cross section of universities to try and narrow them down. DS has targeted open days as a couple of campus, a couple of small city/campus, a couple in London and Oxbridge to try and decide what might suit him. Although, if he does get his remaining predictions in time and doesn't have at least A star A star A he may well shelve the Oxbridge open days.

Edited for typo - for some reason I keep typing "predicated" instead of "predicted" - apologies.

Haven't posted since we we're all in GCSE yr - family illness, work etc & time has flown! Getting materially real for DD now with Uni applications etc. Glad mocks are over & predicted grades are what she wanted.
She's looking like a thin stray cat at the moment, can't wait for end of term - although she has a full on summer, with a short break & a couple of summer schools !
Glad to hear plans are coming together for all your DC.

Did anyone sit the Cambridge Chemistry challenge today? Ds said it was a nightmare but better than the Olympiad! 😂

Well done to your DS with that A* @Waspie our school give out exam grades like that (by class) but give the predictions near the end of term in one hit and then run away so no-one can shout at them.

Well done to your DD on getting her needed predictions @GirlsInGreen .

Same with dd, her class is then only one not to have their politics back. DD is hoping for one more a star in politics. She felt it went well but it s subject she finds hard to accurately judge. I’m hoping given her other subjects they would predict an a star - this year she’s got all a stars and 1 b in politics so unless she did really badly I’m hoping she will get the a star to help with uni applications.

😂@JustHereWithMyPopcorn I think most schools would like to give the predicted at the last possible time to avoid the onslaught of pleading to change them!

@GirlsInGreen Hi, well done to your DD on her predicted being what she wanted, it must be a relief to be able to move on the next steps knowing where she can apply.

@Waspie Oh yes, I forgot about Tik Tok, it is the source of all information you couldn't possible find out anywhere else!

Although DDs school say predicted grades are out 3 July, they have now told them they will get actual exam results for two of her subjects next week. What benefit that will have I am not sure other than make some worry they are not going to hit their predicted more, whilst waiting for the following week.

I'm sorry that all our DC are in the same limbo (but slightly reassured because at least it's not just DS!) It's really affecting DS - he says it isn't but he keeps raising the subject randomly so I know it's on his mind.

@JustHereWithMyPopcorn 😂

Welcome back @GirlsInGreen - glad your DD is doing well.

Best wishes to those going to open days this weekend (we are going to Warwick) - hats and sunscreen are in order!

Hopping onto the thread to say that dd went to the open day in Glasgow yesterday and really liked it. It's gone to the top of her wish list. She wants to do a joint honours degree including Maths, and it's a relief that they don't require Further Maths. I was beginning to think that she had scuppered her chances by not doing FM. I went to school outside the UK and didn't realise how much it matters for some places. She's going to Sheffield tomorrow and York on Sunday and I think that will be it. We started early and were previously at Keele (no), St Andrews (no) and Lancaster (possible). Oh, and Durham, which she really likes but requires FM.

My cousin's daughter is at Glasgow doing maths (now masters but did her UG there too) and has loved it. Glad your DD enjoyed it and has found a frontrunner @bibliomania

If you get a chance I would love to hear your daughter's thoughts on York and Sheffield please. These are two I think DS should look at but we won't get the opportunity. I went to York back in the Cretaceous era and loved it but I realise it's probably very different now.

Thanks @Waspie , that's encouraging!

DD's hesitation about York is that we live so close that it would be logical to live at home. She likes the idea of saving money but it's not the student experience she's picturing. Not sure she'll be able to judge it objectively, but I'll feed back what she says after her two weekend visits.

@bibliomania DS is at Sheffield tomorrow, my DH is from Yorkshire so I've designated this trip to him. 😁 They are going to meet up with my in-laws at lunchtime. DS's uncle lives in York, I did try and encourage an application there but some reason that's just a bit to0 far away, even with family on the doorstep. Who the hell understands teenagers?!

In other news, DS1 has landed a job today! I'm so pleased for him, he's been applying to so many while he was finishing up his last months of uni, and then came home on Saturday and started calling and emailing as many firms locally as he could, got an interview today and landed the job and starts on Monday! They have also offered to pay for his solicitor qualifying exams which is amazing.

Teenage logic is inscrutable, @JustHereWithMyPopcorn !

That's incredible news about your ds1, @JustHereWithMyPopcorn .

Fantastic @JustHereWithMyPopcorn well done to your DS1 - he wasn't an unemployed liggabout (not sure how it's spelt but it was a Yorkshire word I learned back in the day) for long. And offering to pay for his solicitors qualifying exams too is doubly great. Well done to him

I, for sure, do not understand teenagers! Although DS said the same about York - just a bit too far away for him. Hope Sheffield goes well for DS2 and he enjoys the family time.

Thanks @bibliomania ah, understood; DS is the same with Reading university!

Great news for your son @JustHereWithMyPopcorn .

We ought to be going to Warwick this weekend but it wasn’t on ds’s radar when bookings opened and we did our open day planning so we’re not! I think he might apply there anyway and if he gets an offer he can go to an offer holders day. I’d love to hear the thoughts of those who are going - providing you don’t all melt!

Heading to York and Sheffield - ill-advised decision to do both on the same day so not sure how that'll pan out! Also interested to hear thoughts on Warwick as it wasn't on radar at first for us either.

Congrats to your DS1 on the job @JustHereWithMyPopcorn
@bibliomania Out of interest, why was Keele a no, and Lancaster a possible? Was that more to do with the courses or the 'vibes'?! I sort of forgot about those two.

I think the uni with the best air con may end up as first choice for all this weekend! Good luck, all. Onwards...

It's a Saturday and Sunday, @MamOfTwo .

Keele - no based on vibes; DD unimpressed by Stoke (apologies to any Stokies). Lancaster was more appealing - she quite liked the campus but it felt quite far from the town. It's been useful to visit quite a few, as now she's decided she does want to study in a city but not in a university that is scattered all over the city.

@JustHereWithMyPopcorncongrats to your ds that’s fantastic.

@bibliomaniawe were in Glasgow yesterday and DS loved it. I think his only concern is number of RUK places and whether that makes it too tough. We are also in Sheffield tomorrow. Closer to home but too far to commute. I think it would be a good option so interested to see how it compares. Then we are off to Newcastle next weekend and that will be it for this session I think.

Hadn't even thought about RUK places, @Lalux . There are so many variables!

We’ve had a letter from school setting out chapter and verse on the various university entrance tests happening in the 2026 cycle - Oxbridge, medicine and other. I see there’s a new one I hadn’t heard of: the TARA! For UCL only, selected courses. If anyone hasn’t had the info on any of the tests I am happy to share.

We liked Glasgow too. It’s possibly the most likely given the top 3 are Oxford Durham and St Andrews! What do you mean about RUK places - English places?
I think dd is realising she’d rather not be so far away from home in the south (hence St Andrews doubts) but she is picking courses slightly above location.