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

@ComingInByAnsible Eek, thank you! We also hadn't realised about having to make decisions earlier if all offers in.

Two hefty NEAs handed in here, phew.

Just need to find right balance for next few weeks now.

@MamOfTwo, it took us by surprise! I guess it makes sense as deciding sooner could potentially free some offers for those still waiting. And it would be good to decide before the exams begin.

We had a lovely day yesterday at the Exeter OHD. The campus really is stunning, especially all in spring blossom and sunshine. Everything was super well organised, the course seems great and flexible, and unlike at Bath, we were able to learn about both Economics and Politics sides. Plus there was an abundance of freshly baked cookies and hot drinks for both applicants and guests! And the lunch we bought on campus was much better quality than what we got at Bath. All in all, it confirmed to DS how much he likes the place, and it looks like it will be one of his two choices. We are now waiting for the Warwick OHD at the end of April do see if it will be firm or insurance.

DD has just got her accommodation offer through. It's all starting to seem a bit real!!

had few stressful week and Mumsnet crashed on my phone, so left long before coming back to thread! Went for 2 OHD so far, looks like insurance would be Southampton, after at some point I thought, Bristol is on top list. Leaving it for DD. Got rejection from Imperial, so that’s us with 4 offers and all uni’s happy for her to drop Chemistry. It’s very late into the year, but I guess DD would like the extra days between exams. Teacher emailed us to ask about it, I guess my honest answer would be to take exams, knowing that you have done enough to pass, but that would add up to a 4 exams in one week!
@bluefinelinercongratulations on offers, very well done your DD!! @ArchitectureMumEPQ I heard is not for the easy going people, well done for getting it done!
@TeenLifeMumwe are very close to REading Uni,but didn’t know much about the courses until recently. DS brought a booklet with courses i medicine and chemistry which looks really impressive!! Hope your DD would love it here.
we haven’t selected anything on UCaS yet, as ICL only came in last few days.

So DD has firmed Newcastle and insured Leeds which is a relief to get some decisions made. Today she is going to try and book accommodation at NCL but I feel it may be a bit chaotic when everyone logs on at the same time to try and do it! The later OHD make it more difficult for YP to make decisions sometimes because in DD's case she knew she wanted NCL as her firm and their accom opens today (first come first served as I understand) but she had to firm to be able to book it, her final OHD would have been end of April for Liverpool. She decided to choose another insurance uni though so didn't need to go, but had she wanted Lpool for insurance she wouldn't have been able to choose accommodation early. It is a minefield of dates and deadlines atm!

@ComingInByAnsible I'll happily offer any info I can if your DD does decide on med. It has been a bumpy year, feeling like we have been on a knife edge waiting at times but ofc all worth it now.

@Newlease difficult decision on dropping chem, I guess it is whatever your DD thinks will be best for her. It does seem a shame to not sit after she's done all the work, however I know how hard chem is, and I think if it was my DD she would rather not have the a level than a grade she wouldn't be happy with, but she is a stressy bessy perfectionist 😂. I didn't even get my GCSE chem so it all seems hideously difficult to me!

@bluefineliner great to have the decisions made. Good luck with Newcastle accommodation today.

So, we are on the final stretch! Good luck everyone x

Hey all, good to hear more offers coming through at the tail end of the ‘season’ and choices being made and finalised. @bluefineliner your DD has done so well in getting her offers, and Newcastle is a great city with great hospitals.

I mentioned it on another thread but we’ve had a curve ball - DS has been offered a very well regarded degree apprenticeship in engineering, which he plans to accept. I had genuinely assumed the odds were so against him that I hadn’t really thought a lot about it. The A level grade requirements are a little lower than the grade offer he has for his favoured course at Bath. We’re just working through the strategy - think he will accept Bath as his firm anyway, just to keep his options open, and potentially request a deferral after results to give him an alternative if for some reason he hates the DA. I think he’ll be fine - he doesn’t seem remotely concerned about giving up the uni lifestyle.

But but - this means he’s v likely going to leave home in September and may never live at home again! Hadn’t quite appreciated that situation, and the difference in DA holidays vs uni holidays. Ah well, will deal, as we do!

Aww @MiniMidiMaxithat’s an amazing offer but very bittersweet. I know we want them to grow up and fly but doesn’t make them leaving any easier.

@bluefinelinercongrats to DD on her offers that’s amazing. Your MIL would have been so proud.
Still trying to make some decisions here. OHD next weekend at Sheffield but missed the one at Glasgow as it was on 31st and just couldn’t manage it due to work and school etc.

Hope everyone had a good Easter and managed to get a bit of downtime, whether celebrating or not!

We were all on our last legs at the end of term. DS went down with a cold on the last day of school, just before his driving test. We had to dose him up on lemsip on the day. Thankfully he passed, which he is overjoyed about! He can’t wait to start driving by himself but the insurance seems horrendous! Anyone managed to find a good deal? None of us are hugely keen on a black box, but I am guessing we might need to bite the bullet…

@hels71, accommodation offer, wow! That’s pretty momentous. Did your DD get what she wanted?

@bluefineliner, congratulations on the decisions made! And thank you. How did the NCL accommodation booking go?

@Newlease, sorry to hear about the imperial rejection, but it sounds like your DD is in a great position with four great offers and the bonus of being able to drop chemistry if she wants to.

@MiniMidiMaxi, that’s a fabulous curveball, congratulations to your DS! Firming and deferring Bath seems like a great backup plan. Is the apprenticeship based far away from home? Would it be feasible for him to come back on the weekends and/or for you to visit him?

@Lalux, good luck with the decision making, it’s fantastic to be in this position with dentistry! Has your DS heard from their last option?

@MamOfTwo, well done to your DD on getting those NEAs in, DS was so relieved when his went in!

It does really feel like we are in the final stretch now, with exams really looming. For us it’s a double whammy this year of A levels and GCSEs. We are all so looking forward to it being over!

We were away with family for three days of Easter and now back to revision. I felt like we were all a bit more involved with GCSEs and now it’s DD sitting in her room learning!
@bluefineliner exactly same here for DD, we had a discussion about just going for exams, but she would rather not write than settle for low grades. @MiniMidiMaxi wow! That’s a really good offer and nice problem to have! Apprenticeship is like gold dust these day and good that he is happy about it, and now worried about missing out uni. In the end after uni they all need a job and he is getting a head start there. Is that too far from your house?
@ComingInByAnsible Thank you, yeah, all good offers :) and I was worried about cost and other general expenses in London. congratulations to your son on passing driving test, No idea about Insurance, we are not there yet, just did the theory. We have three young drivers on our road, probably should go and ask for driving instructor details soon.
We still haven’t done anything on UCAS DD thinks she may change her mind on insurance later! Basically leaving it for last minute

Thanks all. We’ll be able to visit DS pretty easily / vice versa for the first couple of years of his apprenticeship, so I’m sure we’ll see him. Just different I guess!

@ComingInByAnsible we also have simultaneous GCSE and A level revision going on here - think the GCSEs are proving the more demanding of the two! I’ll be very glad when it’s all past us. Have sorted out a family holiday shortly after the reserve exam date, so will look forward to that!

Oldest is on the final push - feeling fairly confident. They should easily get the grades for any of the offers from places they want to go, but I know they won't slack on that account.

Trying to get them to arrange their post-exams trip with friends, I was worried they were going to give up on it. Also they have changed the probable dates they are doing to a time that I think will work better generally, but might make it tricky for us to arrange a family celebration for their 18th birthday, which comes a few days before their final exam.

My DS still hasn't really started working very hard. My nagging is falling on deaf ears!
It's very frustrating when you can't control or influence their work ethic!

@MiniMidiMaxi, that sounds good for the first two years. What happens after - does he relocate somewhere else? The A levels/GCSE combo is stressful, isn’t it? Hope it all goes well for both your YP. What is your younger DC hoping to do after? Have they chosen A levels?

@Newlease, thank you. Sounds like you are in a good place to find a driving instructor. Is your DD planning on taking lessons after the exams?

@Echobelly, that’s a nice comforting position to be in. Did your DC make his UCAS choices? Where is he hoping to go? Good luck with the post-exams travel arrangements. It can be tricky to balance everyone’s budgets, availability and preferences, especially if a large group. I also thought DS and his friends were going to give up, but they did book eventually, even though they changed the destination and accommodation a few times!

@AuntyBulgaria, I hear you. I have a similar thing with DD16, who is very bright but tends to procrastinate (perhaps because she thinks she can get away with it). Nagging is counterproductive as she just digs her heels in further, but as a parent it’s hair raising to watch her cutting it very fine, especially now that it starts to really matter with GCSEs! Hopefully the adrenaline will kick in soon for both her and your DS and spur them on!

@ComingInByAnsible - thanks, the travel is just 3 of them, but they're being very indecisive! They'll be staying at my parents' place in Slovakia, so we don't have accommodation to worry about, but if my parents aren't out there travel without car is slightly challenging, though local buses are pretty good and can get them to train hubs. We encouraged them to maybe go via a few days in Budapest or Prague but they were reluctant to do that, which seems a shame. They're usually pretty confident about getting about independently but seemed daunted by that prospect.

DC is looking at Goldsmiths, SOAS or Manchester as top 3, all of which offered for Anthropology, but seems pretty set on Goldsmiths

Hi all,

@ComingInByAnsible DD managed to book her preferred accommodation at NCL, very near the medical school so very happy with that. One less thing to think about.

@MiniMidiMaxi congratulations to your DS on the DA offer! what a great opportunity, I secretly wish DD had chosen something that had DA options, uni is so expensive. I understand your feelings around him leaving home, DD is my youngest and when my DD1 went to uni DD2 was 3 yo so I didn't feel the empty nest much (DD1 also came home to visit her bf every 2 weeks so I saw her a lot). DD2 is our baby so it will be very quiet without her.

@Echobelly how exciting to be sorting post exam travels. DD has not mentioned travel but has secured herself a job for the summer which is good news for after exams. We are looking to book our family holiday end of June too to give her some relaxation.

DD turned 18 yesterday so we had a party for her friends at home last night. Luckily they were very well behaved and my house is still in one piece! Family party today so bit more relaxed.

Happy birthday to your DD, @bluefineliner - enjoy the celebrations today. And good news to have the summer job and accommodation sorted.

@ComingInByAnsible DS will go abroad for his third year, then back to the UK for the fourth year, it’s possible he’ll end up working overseas afterwards for a bit but we just need to see what happens. Younger DS hasn’t much of a clue about what he wants to do, he’s considering an eclectic mix of A levels! Not an out and out STEM kid like his brother. How about your DD doing GCSEs, does she have a plan as yet?

Sounds like so many kids are well organised . Well done to all who have sorted next steps or got plans in action.
DS finally applying for apprenticeships now he has decided to stay here longer and not move countries to be with gf. He has been doing some past papers just crossing fingers he can move up a grade on actual exams like he did for Gcses. Or will struggle to find an apprenticeship.
Definitely feeling under prepared with one doing A Levels and 1 doing Gcses. Stupidly thought after seeing DS through his would be easier this year when DD did them 🙈

Hi @MiniMidiMaxii am in a very similar boat.

DS has offers for Birmingham, Bath, Warwick and Bristol and also a Degree Apprenticeship with a BIG company. He was always clear he wanted the DA over the debt from Uni so he’s taking up the offer. He also has to move out (about 1.5 hours away) and it’s all starting to feel a bit real that he’ll be gone in September and he’s not even 18 for another couple of months. We too have advised firming Birmingham and the deferring just in case he hates the DA.

DC got 95% on their EPQ. But disappointingly only 28/50 for History coursework, despite good feedback as it was in process - but it sounds like everyone has been marked low - DC said top mark in the group was 30/50 and it's a generally high performing school. That will make it trickier to land the expected A for History. But they'd still be set for their offer from favourite university anyway, so I don't think it matters all that much in the long run.

Coming back in with some extra curricular good news. DS passed his driving test today. 1st time and only 4 faults. We got a last minute cancellation last week (he was originally booked for July!). We knew he was ready but boy are we glad to have got it done and dusted before his exams started.

@KellySeveride congratulations to your DS hope insurance ain't to bad.

@Echobelly wow 95% well done to your DS.

DS Got his Geography NEA grade it's a C he is happy with that.

We are waiting for computer science NEA Mark, apparently he will have it by 5th May.

I'm going slowly insane with the revision encouragement as the weeks tick past. His tutor (private not tutor at school) said he should do 12 years worth of past papers. Even just for Maths and FM this would be 72 papers. Is this person winding me up?? There aren't even 12 years worth under the current spec even if he could (which he cannot!)

I suspect he says this so that if said grade is not achieved, when parents complain he can say well I did tell you to do x and you didn't so it's not my fault.

My head hurts.

😱 72 papers seems a bit over kill.

I have just left DS to it as he proved my wrong at GCSE hoping he can do the same for ALevel.