Year 12 - 2025/2026: Here we go again!

[QueenMabby]

A new thread for the new school and college year. A friendly thread for parents of those going into year 12 in September 2025.

I have a friend who’s ds1 is the same age as my ds1. Both her and her husband went to uni (and met there) dh and I didn’t. She said she wasn’t taking her son to look at any unis. He knew which ones to apply for, so there wasn’t any point, if I hadn’t have joined mumsnet back then, I wouldn’t have known that people look round. My friend didn’t look round any with her dd either. Both got in to their firm and have now graduated.

@ThisPerkySloth2
I do agree that for most of us all this uni talk so early, when they've only been in 6th form a few weeks is a bit 🤮, but seriously I was only responding to our posters who have musical children for whom it all starts early. Plus any Oxbridge lot, who many schools start with them early.

As I've said my ds2 doesn't even really want to go, but worrying has no idea what else he does want.

These are the kids that I feel year 12 is a good year to try things. It's slightly more relaxed, than year 13 where let's be honest term starts in the Sept, exams, Christmas, Feb mocks, then it's speedily exams!

so year 12 is a good year to chew the fat and have a good think about things slowly and calmly, to try new sports and new activities and maybe visit a couple of uni's - if you do fancy visiting, some don't! or a couple of apprenticeships or a couple of talks and just take some careers advice and just think about things. That's all I'm suggesting.

We’re beginning to think about it for dd. Ds has just started at uni so it’s pretty fresh for us. His school (different to dd) took the lower 6 to a uni fair in the spring term and had several talks about post a level options and then they seem to start looking in the summer term. School encouraged early application. He had early offers and then holders days just before he had to make his final choices. I went a long time ago, parents didn’t visit with us though open days weren’t a thing and I was interviewed before offers were made. It was much less of a buyers market. Ds had no interviews and had offers for all 5 choices. Dd wants to do medicine and I believe it’s a much more rigorous selection process.

I did go on university open days 30 years ago. We were hosted by Cambridge who housed and fed us in the holidays, think it was state school outreach. Visited another university with friends and then went to interviews. I interviewed at my top two choices. Then ignored interview requests at the others. They all eventually made me offers though.
I think the offer holder days do look very useful.

We also wouldn't have really started thiking about Uni's so early if I hadn't seen on here others were. however, DD's 6th form college are having a Uni Fair today so have told her to have a look/talk with a few of them. I think she fancies York, which would be about 1 hour away. Maybe Durham or Newcastle too, about 1h30. She is not a child I can imagine going hours away from home for Uni, nor can I see her fancying Oxbridge.

Happy Birthday Ratty - they seem far too young for driving to me!

We’re starting early as dd is utterly dreadful at making decisions and even starting to think about it now I’m not sure she’ll have 5 decided upon by Jan 2027! 🤣
Anyway. We’re only doing one now as it’s up the road. The rest will be next summer.

Some people use the access and skills of uni well and others less so. Internships, work experience, placement years, even study abroads are all good things to do across uni, and people need to be applying for jobs in the summer between 2nd year and 3rd year, and then in 3rd year. That way they actually have a job ready when they graduate to start like August or September, otherwise that sort of puts the out for a year and they rejoin application season.

He needs to go to events like BrightNetwork (they do loads across many industries) there are ones specific to each industry as well. Others like events helping with applications, assesment centers, interviews, those help you to be able to stand out etc. Look on LinkedIn properly, also sities like Youth Opportunities, there are others but specific to industries.

Also universities let graduates have access to their career portal, they have a bunch of graduate jobs on the portal, so you can look at them. Also as a graduate you can still book appointments with the careers team, to go through your CV, pratice assesment center exercises, pratice interviews etc. He will also still have access to the events/webinar they do, both virtual and in-person so ones on interview tips, internships (again they'll show many winter/spring/summer ones on the portal), they'll do networking events, and he can still attend career fairs or company talks.
There are resources out there, there are plenty, he has to utilise them and want to learn from them, otherwise with the level of competition he won't get those roles. Let him know about using his university career portal, making an account on BrightNetwork, Zero Gravity is another great platform for Y12+, university students can get a career mentor on their for free, they also do virtual events with companies, so HSBC giving tips for their internship or all the grad roles, events on assesment centers, specific jobs and application tips, they also do in-person events - the more you use the site, the more they invite you to better ones specific to the things you tell them. He needs to use these resources.

What is his degree on? What job/career/industry does he want to work in?

As I’ve just been through it all, and can’t believe it will start again, I would recommend seeing the unis you want to firm and do insurance even on a holders day (which is course specific so actually get more info). We only went to the offer holders days for DS firm and insurance. We did 2 the summer before too and Oxford in the September. Glad we did as we didn’t take to one of them (Loughborough looking at you!) so would have been a wasted application.
And for those looking at Oxbridge, I went back in the day. Please triple check the course. Not all uni courses are the same and there were some pretty miserable people back in my day who were so busy getting into Oxford they hadn’t appreciated what the course was like.

I’m taking DD3 early in a couple of weeks. It’s way too local for her to actually attend there so it’s not about any shortlisting. She saw a bit of York when we dropped off DD2 so understands it’s just a bunch of buildings. BUT my rationale is to just get her thinking about what’s out there degree wise / the huge array of courses on offer. There’s several talks on subjects she could be interested in so I’m hoping that’ll help sow some seeds. She then has plenty of time to mull things over and do her own research. It’s a 20 minute drive away on a free Sunday (a rarity) so it’d be silly not to.

Well DD has no interest going to open days with us. She started making noises about going to eg Manchester with her mates this weekend, whether the uni visit is an after thought to the social side of things, I don’t know. It’s cheaper if she goes with her friends with her half price rail pass. I think if need be I would step in some time in year 13, but for now she needs to figure things out herself. She has also ditched the EPQ as well and is now after all taking Further Maths because she got over feeling intimidated by it.

Which is the biggest party uni these days?

100% for musicians.

2nd October is soooo early in the year when they want statements, recordings etc and you might want to fit in trial lessons etc.

Friend has had a nightmare trying to sort everything last minute and can't now see anywhere till after submission, and some will be at audition if invited.

@Araminta1003 im not sure there’s one particular party university. I think they all have that element if that’s what the DC want.

DD had targets set using ALPS MEG formula, based on GCSE scoring.

Rather aspirational, hope the school can support achieving it/close to it. Although following the remarking debacle, who knows what anyone will get!

@TheyNotLikeUs now to Google MEG ALPS.

@Araminta1003 Manchester is the big favourite among DD1's London friends from various types of school. I can see why - good sized city - huge uni, probably feels like home!

DD has gone leftfield with Swansea but it is DEFINITELY a party uni (with a beach too and tons of sport) but prob not what anyone is looking for unless for very specific reasons - in our case because it's free - but it is a very nice place with a brilliant pastoral vibe. Also no stress on accomm

Thank @achangeofnameisasgoodasarest - I have got an older one at a uni abroad and another one at Oxford, but this DC whilst high achieving on paper is not that way inclined at all (positively anti intellectual in some ways), so I just want to gently support her from the side.

I think Manchester is a great City, so sad to hear the news yesterday. I had not realised before my comment on party unis, seems incredibly insensitive now, oops.

I think DD is also increasingly keen on Manchester as there are more and more job prospects there potentially as well. She cannot see herself ever affording to live in London long term, even though she would probably love to.

Just be aware with Manchester that accommodation can be an issue. Recently they housed some first years in Liverpool and Huddersfield.

@phyllidafosset thanks for explaining, I won't panic then but I may have a look round online at least and do a "long list" of universities for the degree DS wants to do. he wants to do architectural engineering. I very much want him to do an integrated masters (think that is what they are called) so all done and dusted once graduates. He seems on board.

@HereComesYourMam yes definitely early, but I'll have a mooch round online to make a long list at some point this year. I doubt we will be visiting any together 🥹, I have health issues. DS will have to go with an aunt or uncle or his sister. DD only went to see her first choice - by herself - and got her first choice.

It feels like a long wait to see how they are getting on, I can't wait for first parents evening. Have no real idea otherwise. Says very little. Man of few words my DS.
a resit option just in case would be good though!

👍

My DD's school use the Fischer Family Trust (FFT) data to set predicted A level grades - not seen them yet though.

Afternoon all

I am now resorting to “mummy lectures” via WhatsApp! Because he has to listen to the end that way.

To be honest it’s quite good fun at the moment

How’s everyone else?

I like the idea of those! I’m randomly spamming dd with info about work experience options and uni possibilities! She’s very busy at the moment - something on both before and after school every day this week. She has call-backs today for the school musical and the school play starts next week so it’s all a bit crazy. Lots of tests this week too. She’s still enjoying all her lessons and no wobbles about subject choices which is good.

Great to hear re subject choices @QueenMabby - DD2 also enjoying hers but others are swapping all around her - history and english classes definitely smaller than they were!

DD2 says she has tests next month 'but they're only to ensure we aren't actually going to fail the A-Levels' so she seems laid back. Perhaps too laid back! Maybe I should send her some voice notes.

I am livid today. I know DS has tendency to do the bare minimum he can get away with but fortunately his bare minimum isn't bad and has got him to where he needs to be.

But I got an email for a behavioural point that he hadn't shown the full working out his maths teacher had told him to - he was asked twice.

So I called him down from his cave and asked him.

His response? "I got the answer right".

I definitely recall a week ago when I was reminiscing with DS about when I did A level maths - pure as it was called then - that workings out would go over at least two pages.

So in "no uncertain terms" (yes read as a bollocking) I said this is not to happen again and that he makes sure he doesn't take short cuts.

I feel vindicated as I don't think he can get away with his bare minimum approach with his A levels. Might have worked for GCSEs but not when his uni choice will depend on it.

And breathe......