Year 13 -2025/26 - Support, discussion and looking after each other (new thread from y12)

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Hello
I have started a new thread following on from this one
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/further_education/5340007-year-12-202425-support-discussion-and-looking-after-each-other-thread-2?utm_campaign=thread&utm_medium=app_share

Sorry @Fabfabfabi meant to tag you. Have you had the offer through too?

I agree with @bluefineliner@gingercat02. This is now the time for review and revision. Your son will be fine. I’m glad history went well. They can be such subjective papers!

I’m pleased your MIL is recovering @bluefineliner 5 weeks of intensive therapy may be enough . Fingers crossed.

Leeds was probably a better interview than your DD thought, I’m sure they don’t expect perfection! Adding the fifth choice sounds good. I’m sure I’ve said this before but DS’s friend started with biomed at UCL and then changed to full med at UCH/UCL. It will mean she takes about 9 years though. I don’t even want to think about her loan 😱

Thank you all. I hoped to have a word with DS but he came in from work and pretty much went straight back out again. If I were him I would firm Durham and insure UCL. He has talked previously about doing post-grad in London which makes sense to me.

Excellent point! It would be lovely if offer holders day could be March or even April @JustHereWithMyPopcorn😊 Has your son got Bath holders day booked? Bath would be lovely even in February.

DS went into London with his friends on Saturday and is now set on UCL (subject to offer being made). I have pointed out that going for a day on full Christmas expense money (grandparents) is not the same as living there and being on a restricted income!

DS is back to school today - mocks are over. I guess he will have this term of new and revision content then study leave. I can’t believe A levels will begin in a scant few months. Sixth form has been manic with no let up. I’m not surprised our dc are exhausted.

@Ventress Will DS live at home while studying if he's at UCL? Accommodation costs are obscene in London, it was part of the conversation we had with DS about Imperial, they do not really understand the impact of that I don't think.

DS is starting his Physics mock in half an hour. It's a long one but then he's done. He has tomorrow off and back to school on Wednesday for the next onslaught of new work.

I haven’t posted in a while, but Happy New Year to you all. What a big year for our Y13s.

DD has an interview coming up for her French university option (Sciences Po), so we are doing lots of prep for that. It will be either this week or next week, with 24 hours’ notice of date and time! Fortunately it’s remote, so no travel needed. She will have their final decision in early Feb, before mocks start.

Good luck to your DD @JessyCarr, 24hr notice is a bit harsh, makes it all a bit more tense. I hope she knocks it out of the park.

Anyone’s DC applied for QTS Primary Education at Durham? Not heard anything from them but DD has interviews lined up from all the others on her list, do they tend to be slower than others?

I think the costs are worse at Imperial @JustHereWithMyPopcorn. UCL is bad but not quite as extreme as Imperial and LSE.

I’m in two minds - on one hand I want DS to go to the university he wants to go to (and if it’s in London then so be it) and on the other I want him to think about all of the costs involved.

Very best of luck to your daughter @JessyCarr. Fantastic that she has the interview! Having 24 hours notice is challenging but I’m sure your daughter will nail it 😊

Just wanting to wish the best of luck to all those waiting to hear from Oxford tomorrow.

Good luck to everyone who needs it. It sounds like there’s a few.

DS has no had offers from all his uni options, however UoB seem to have forgotten to make it contextual so we have to get in contact with them. He’s currently been offered A star, A, A. But with contextual it should be A,B,B. He’s on track for 4 x A and he thinks he could get one up to A star but the other 4 have offered contextually so we aren’t sure why they haven’t.

Well apparently the Physics mock was in the top 5 worse exams he’s ever sat (and he’s had some shockers!) even his friend who is applying to do a Physics degree was traumatised by it. Apparently there was an entire 6 marker on a topic only one class had covered. Oh well.

@Ventress yes I agree with the sentiment, I want DS to go where he wants but the cost of London would be a major sticking point for us.

@KellySeveride it’s definitely worth contacting the admissions team about that. Well done to your DS on getting all his offers.

Good luck to everyone waiting on Oxford tomorrow (and Cambridge??), DS’s girlfriend is one of them and I’m sending all positive vibes out to the universe that she gets an offer.

@JustHereWithMyPopcorn Cambridge isn’t until the 28th.

Ah OK thanks

Feeling right in the thick of the year 13 pressure at the moment - I’m looking for a light at the end of the tunnel temporarily in February. DD has done most of her EPQ but still has bits and pieces to finish off. Art coursework due at the end of January, mocks next week. No let up at the moment.

She has now chosen a fifth university for her UCAS form just before the deadline (UWE) so hopefully that will be another offer before very long. I don’t think they ask for a portfolio and they work on UCAS points so her Lamda and her EPQ will all contribute giving a bit more flexibility. Although the accommodation situation in Bristol especially for an insurance place for example does not look particularly rosy.

Still no news from Edinburgh and I think DD really wants that one as her first choice so the waiting continues.

Good luck today to all the Oxford interviewees.

I think DS has written off Oxford. He hasn’t mentioned it since the disastrous interview anyway. Good luck to those who stand a better chance!

It is so hard @JustHereWithMyPopcorn I have suggested year 1 in halls and then year 2 in rental then year 3 at home to DS. This would even out the cost somewhat. Certainly to somewhere nearly as expensive such as Bath or Exeter. Fingers crossed for your DS’s girlfriend today 🤞

Great that your son has those offers @KellySeverideIs UoB Bristol or Birmingham? Odd that the others are contextual and not this. DS has not had any contextual offers - I’m not surprised but he is 🙄

I don’t know about primary ed I’m afraid @EdnaMolebut DS has not had an offer day invite for Durham yet. I’ve asked him to watch out for it and book it quickly as we didn’t get to the open day. He originally had a 2.5 hour travel limit on university open days but Durham (at 7hours) has knocked this firmly out of the water!

That physics paper sounds horrible @JustHereWithMyPopcorn, although all physics papers sound terrible to me! I guess as all of them found it hard the grade boundaries will be low and your DS will still get a very good grade.

Definitely no let up @ArchitectureMum. Good to have a lower tariff university which doesn’t require a portfolio in the mix. Accommodation is a difficult one isn’t it? For insurance choices it seems to be particularly difficult.

@Ventress UoB - Birmingham. Sorry we live close by and are used to referring to it in its short form!

We are going to call admissions maybe tomorrow afternoon to see if it’s an admin error. We are contextual because me and DH have never attended uni, we live in a polar quintile crappy area and he was entitled for FSM for a short while a few years ago.

Bittersweet here today - DD has an Oxford offer, but we are getting ready for my mums funeral.
She died at the end of December - 2025 was a utterly rotten year.
DD has barely raised a smile today & we're both tired. Maybe tomorrow we can celebrate.
Many congratulations to all your DD/DS's on all their plans.

Congratulations to your DD on her offer @GirlsInGreen and I'm so sorry to hear about your mum, I hope that 2026 is a better year for you all.

Unfortunately DS's girlfriend did not get an offer and is very down about it. DS has just received an offer from Bath (AAB) and he is super happy about that but also very sad for his gf so isn't sharing his update for a couple of days.

Oh girlsingreen so sorry for your loss, your DD should think how proud her grandmother would have been. It's hard when good news comes on top of something so sad 😞

Sorry to hear that @JustHereWithMyPopcorn. Your DS sounds very kind and thoughtful. That’s a great offer from Bath - is it a favourite of his?

@GirlsInGreen what a day for you all - bittersweet indeed. Congratulations to your DD and I hope she feels able to celebrate when the time is right

@JessyCarr yes, Bath is the one he's been waiting for and is his first choice. He is a sweet boy and very empathetic (when not being a moody teen!).

Sorry missed that. Congratulations to your very empathetic DS

Congratulations to your DS on his offer from Bath. Sorry about the timing and hope his girlfriend is ok.

Sorry to hear that @GirlsInGreen really tough.

Just asked DD if she had heard from Liverpool (only one outstanding) she has and they’ve offered AAB. Asked if she was going to make that her first choice, I’m told she doesn’t have to decide for ages. I think the thought is stressing her out. She’s enjoying macro economics more than micro, so I’m thinking that’s more policy than business really. Did ask her again if she might apply for the government economist apprenticeship, she was not as negative about the idea as she has previously been. It’s super competitive, but if you don’t get anything you don’t try for right?

She’s also expressed interest in improving her Spanish, she decided against it at A-level. I’m not sure what options there are? I presume there are still short language courses in Spain? Obviously not quite as easy as before Brexit but maybe options like au pair? She’s deferring uni for a year but hasn’t any plans on what to do yet.

That's great news @wonderstuff I think it's hard when it all becomes a bit real and they have to make the final choice. My friends son is at Liverpool Uni and is absolutely loving his time there. Good luck to your DD if she does choose to go the apprenticeship route.

if you find out about any short Spanish courses here can you let me know please? DS is kind of regretting not continuing with his Spanish too but has no opportunity to travel there at the moment.