Year 12 - 2025/2026: Support Thread 2

[QueenMabby]

A new thread for us to keep chatting on!

Dd has abandoned the idea of an automatic one and is making one in excel. She’s also got the study bunny app which I think @achangeofnameisasgoodasarest recommended on here previously.

DS has a large whiteboard on his wall with his revision plan on. Every time I pop my head round the door a few more things have been ticked off.

What’s the study bunny app?
DD’s revision plan is on her iPad - guessing it’s excel. A whiteboard would be better then I could snoop.

No idea but dd has a bunny that she’s growing or looking after or something by studying and she earns coins that she can then use to get things for her bunny.

Ds3 was a prefect in year 11. It’s silly though because anyone can be a prefect. They have lots. They don’t seem to do much apart from wear a different tie. Ds was a “special prefect” but he said it was pointless. It’s a shame they don’t do more important things.

I think it varies school by school. At my school a thousand years ago we had a LOT of prefects and I don’t recall doing anything whatsoever but I did have a badge. Whereas at my 2xDD’s school they weren’t called ‘prefects’ but ‘head of Nightingale House’, ‘ambassador for chemistry’ etc. DD2 asked to be ‘marketing’ ambassador as she wanted to create a school Instagram account. She had staff supervision to ensure it was in keeping with the school culture etc but she did well with it, learnt a lot and it proved to be an interesting role, as she was in the thick of ‘reporting’ everything - they ended up with a team of three of them. At DD3’s new school they apply for specific roles too but I’m not entirely sure how it works yet. I now can’t recall what roles she’s applied for. I do think having specific jobs is helpful and gives them something to talk about rather than an ambiguous ‘prefect’.

DD's exams are well before the Whitsun half-term break, I thought they would be later.

To add insult to injury re work experience, the placement DD got rejected from is still open on their website and they sent an email advertising it. I know her CV was fine because both myself and a teacher checked it. Their wider website talks about targeting contextual schools but that placement's criteria did not. We're waiting to hear about other placements she's applied for via them.

Wish they were more transparent like another scheme which stated that last year successful applicants met at least 3 of the contextual criteria. DD doesn't meet any of those criteria so didn't apply, which is fine.

My DC has exams straight after the Easter break and has shocked me by getting onto revision straight away. They've recently become very keen to do a particular course at a specific university so are now taking the issue of predicted grades very seriously.

DC is a prefect for two of their subjects at this school. At the previous one they were never considered for this sort of thing so I wasn't sure whether or not they'd put themselves forward for anything at the new school. It seems the previous five years haven't dampened their enthusiasm for a role (and metal badge!).

Ooh I’m now very curious as to the course your DC is so excited about. Good for them! Especially if it’s giving them the impetus to get down to some serious study! So pleased their enthusiasm hasn’t waned & well done to them for becoming subject prefects.

How nice @SE13Mummy that she knows what she wants. There is a lot of talk about revision here, but not a lot of action. DD also freaked out by people at the UCAS discovery fair she went to with school who said they assumed she was already working on her personal statement.

She is not.

I am going with the concept of 'stealth revision' here - making sure we all listen to podcasts on DD's A-Level subjects in the car so at least something is going in. This is probably less fun if it's Chemistry or something your kids are doing (though perhaps not?) but we all enjoyed 'You're Dead to Me on Chaucer' this week and I've an eclectic list of history, music and english ones for our holiday drive. Maybe they'll help?

Anyway, I'll know more about Rasputin and the Duchess of Malfi. Every day's a school day.

And yes, @QueenMabby - glad to know Study Bunny getting an outing. DD1 still uses it at uni - though it doesn't like her nursing placement blocks. It's basically a study timer with a cute theme.

Doesn't work for DD2 who is no friend to the people who do behavioural psychology. She declared that the Duolingo Owl is 'toxic' some time ago and resists all efforts to engage her with streaks, online rewards and such like.

DC2 is not known for being decisive so the enthusiasm for the course is unexpected. It was one they came across whilst attending an online Oxbridge outreach course during Y11 although it's not actually a course offered there.

They've got up this morning and gone off to the local library to revise which is a whole other level of weird. My username gives a clue as to where we're based - our local libraries are anything but calm and quiet! That same postcode means DC2 is eligible for a contextual offer at the favourite uni so I shouldn't knock it.

@SE13Mummy how brilliant if that motivates her!

DD1 used to volunteer in a (relatively) local library to you. It was the antithesis of calm, but on the plus side if she can work there, or somewhere similar, she can work anywhere!

How are the Easter hols going for everyone? We’re currently away but dd has done some revision for May exams and has written a PAG research essay.

We are enjoying the break but looking forward to Monday 🤣

We’ve not done much. But Ds has just passed his theory test today. So that’s good. He was convinced he’d failed. He has the 3 in 1 app which is meant to have all the questions, he said he had about 20 that he hadn’t done before. At least that’s one less thing to worry about. He’s emailed lots of places about work experience. His first place that had said yes changed their mind. So several places he’s emailed have said they have someone already. Or they just say no. So that is getting a bit worrying.

What is PAG @QueenMabby

DC has had a great hol I think, working at his job, studying and socializing hard. He has studied off his own back which is new. Having thd job has done him wonders - more confident, happy, more focused. First payday in ten days, been a long wait.

Not really grappled with uni chat yet. I hope the school will offer some guidance. He has booked one open day with his friend.

@Bufftailed- I don’t know what it stands for but it’s an assessed practical. The essay is an assessed research project. Not coursework but part of the pass/fail practical element of the biology A-level. Glad your ds is enjoying his job.

dd has her first cello pupil starting after Easter. She’s been acting as a relief piano tutor for a little local music school and they’ve had one person ask about cello lessons. They don’t have a cello teacher so have asked dd. Only a 30 minute lesson but she’s very excited.

Hopefully that will be the start of something Queen, I always think teaching adds to your own learning experience.
I so admire the young people who have jobs alongside their studies, I worry ds will pop out of the education system very well qualified but without proof he can apply himself to a job.

DD has spent Easter revising & job hunting. She had trial shifts at two different venues - and although she thought both went well, the first wanted weekday lunch time cover as well as weekends (obvs didn’t read her CV or pay attention on the phone interview that she’s 16 and still at school) and she’s not heard back from the second venue despite it being over a week since and her sending a follow up email saying how much she enjoyed the trial & is super keen. Sigh! She’s also had a second interview for a waitressing job but it’s ad hoc and only for a few events over June & July. It’ll be good but not perfect.
She has registered for a couple of uni open days and found a few courses she likes the sound of. Woohoo!!! Super competitive job market that will definitely require a usp beyond a 2:1 even if the course itself isn’t massively competitive. She was previously thinking law but having attended several virtual work experience ‘things’ has now gone off that idea. Shame as she’s spent a lot of effort researching.

That all sounds good. I think Law went on and off DC’s list. Not very AI proof at entry level, to the extent to which that should be a consideration.

DC had several months of applying/ being messed around before he got his job. Eg invited for trial then manager said he forgot he invited him and job was gone, following an interview company decided not recruiting and other shenanigans 😡 Numbers game. Fingers crossed for your DC

@QueenMabby - great news about the teaching. Dd2 is desperate to teach, but she's away at school, and there's not much call for bassoon anyway (though she could do flute, voice, theory, I guess). The wish for one's own money is real. Also great news on theory test @icanbewhatiwant !

DD2 has made a few (emphasis on the few) flashcards, thought a bit about her EPQ - we're going to take a related museum trip next week which should help, and picked up the saxophone. And been to orchestra.

She's also 'gone viral' with a truly, truly ridiculous video on her public music instagram, which I'm finding a bit odd, but there doesn't seem to be any harm in it, and it is beginning, finally, to die down a bit. Nearly 5m views though. Bizarre.

“She's also 'gone viral' with a truly, truly ridiculous video on her public music instagram, which I'm finding a bit odd, but there doesn't seem to be any harm in it, and it is beginning, finally, to die down a bit. Nearly 5m views though. Bizarre.”

Hehe @achangeofnameisasgoodasarest - that is brilliant.
My DD has two close friends who are now going for conservatoire route. One actually has an Oxford offer for a humanities subject but is declining it for RCM. The other just got 1 mark off full marks in her string diploma but she is in Year 12. They both have online profiles too, I think it is not a bad thing in the music world. Almost a prerequisite these days.

It does seem to be @Araminta1003 - I was very clear that it must be separate from her standard profile, which is locked down as it should be.

But it is still a very silly video!

I live in the dark ages and don’t truly understand why things go viral. As long as it doesn’t make her look too silly then I’m sure it’s fine.

Talking of AI proof etc. DH uses a lot of AI in his work and has said the issue with embracing AI is that it massively reduces the entry level jobs (ok we all know this) but then has a domino affect on not being able to recruit for mid to high level jobs as ‘kids’ haven’t gone through the usual pathways and developed the relevant skills.

Wow @achangeofnameisasgoodasarest- that’s amazing! Was she playing an instrument?

Can you get monetised via Instagram -
perhaps she can have a side hustle!

dd disappointed to have to pull out of her summer music tour to Italy. She’s come through a (non-music) competition and the final is at the same time.