advice for DS1 Y12 doesn't know what to do!!!

[ariadne1]

DS1 has in teh past struggled with maths, he was in the 4th out of 5 sets for maths at his Grammar school. His GCSE grades weren't earth shattering 2 As 7 As and a B. (As in physics and chemistry)
he is doing AS in Maths, chemistry and physics and (because he couldn't think of anything else, Biology) However since he has started A levels he has really lifted his game .It is entirely possible that he will finish his A2s with 2A*s (chem and phys as he has had 100 UMS in his AS modules) and probably an A in maths (comfortable A at the moment)
The trouble is he doesn't know what to do at Uni.He has since found out that he really should have done further maths to do physics of engineering.
I am sorry it is so vague but he really doesn't know where to start!

I think those GCSE grades are fantastic and you must be so proud of him for doing even better for his A levels. My DD is in much the same kind of situation - doing really well, not sure what she wants to do. I'm trying to be supportive whilst stepping back a bit - one of the things she is interested in is checking out different Uni's so we have had some day trips out to Uni towns, just to keep offering her options. She's also looking into Uni's abroad as she's a real traveller.

Is his college offering advice? We have a further ed thingy coming up in the next few weeks.

Those GCSEs are good enough to get him into any university. There are very few instances where universities will reject someone based on their GCSEs, unless they haven't got Maths & English at C or above. At most, they might be used to distinguish between two borderline candidates.

Other than that, if he wants to do physics / engineering, then he does need to check the university's website. Whilst they will view FM as desirable (and don't forget that he could always do FM AS in Y13), it's not always a necessity (I picked Manchester at random, just as an example of a university in his grade range) - other good universities that do not require FM are available!
www.physics.manchester.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/course/?code=02021&pg=3 (Brian Cox is starting to lecture first year physicists next year...)
www.mace.manchester.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/all/course.html?code=03826&pg=3

Does he know what sort of thing he might like to do career-wise? Obviously he's science-based, but life sciences don't seem to be his thing. Would he prefer something more hands on, something more theoretical, or a mixture of the two?