Applying for Uni 2019 Part 5: UCAS, offers and exam season looming

[NewModelArmyMayhem18]

New thread started. Here's the previous one

Two IB subjects done: big essay ones out of the way. Day off Friday then 18th bday on Sat! Three subjects next week. DC1 seems happy enough with how it's gone so far.

15 hour art exam has started which he is enjoying. Roll on June 17th when the last exam will be sat.

Last day today (bar exams! ) and last day tomorrow for GCSE ds2 .
All i know is that my food bill is goi g to be
Massive over the next month !!

Obvs ..i took ages to type that ...but today means yesterday!

Justasking111 15 hour art exam - WTF??? I presume that's spread over several sessions.

What do they have to do in that time? It's June 13th for last exams here (a double whammy day for DS).

For those of us with sports mad DC, clearly there will be lots more watching of football matches, with the two European finals involving all Premier League teams.

Conscienceless, Happy 18th to your DC1! Oh to be 18 again.

Yes, it's a three-day exam (usually 9-3 with a lunch break) so that they have time to do the final piece. Quite relaxing, apparently, until you get to the 'five minutes to go and haven't put in the essential bit that's in my write-up!'

I absolutely hate this last few days of countdown before exams start. You would think third time around I would have more sang froid!

I agree it’s awful. Dd has one more week of school & exams start in ten days. They still have no news about whether they’ve done enough to pass the chemistry PAG. It’s all a bit tense!

I have absolutely forbidden DS4 to choose Chemistry ALevel (joke!). Honestly I dont think my heart would take it a 3rd time!

Isn't Chemistry one of the really difficult to transition to A Level subjects, AWanderingMinistrel?

That has certainly been the case for two of my older boys who did IGCSE and GCSE. Although DS4 assures me that the new GCSE is a better preparation for the A level?? Hopefully he won't need it but I will have to man up if he does choose it!

I bet it's done wonders for your own knowledge, AWanderingMinstrel. One friend's daughter did it and struggled throughout the course, but with the help of a tutor turned her predicted D into a B (at A Level).

Sadly no NewModelArmy !

Good luck to all those dc already started. Ds is feeling glad he did not continue with Art after hearing about the 3 day exam!

DD said that biology was a hard transition from GCSE to A level. She took her GCSEs under the old system, in 2016. She found chemistry very hard to start with, but found that a lot of it "clicked" in year 13. She was very lucky that one of her chemistry teachers was so supportive.

Dd is really starting to feel the pressure now. They haven’t had any preparation for the chemistry paper 3, which is synoptic & hard. It’s dispiriting.

She needed two lots of antibiotics over Easter & is constantly on the edge of a migraine. She’s had to cut back on gym time which is pretty much the only way she deals with stress. She’s sleeping badly and not eating properly.

I feel for her - she’s working so hard but ultimately they’ve been badly let down by the school.

You poor DD, Laniakea. Very frustrating.

I'm beginning to think that the PE departments at schools should offer stress busting activities for the external exam candidates.

Just read an interesting article about Bristol University tackling student mental health issues (acknowledging the high suicide rate) by offering a 12 week course in happiness (which counts as a bonafide course module).

Do you have a link to that NMA?

I read about that in The Times today but I’m not sure if it’s behind a pay wall.

University to give students crash course in happiness

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/7548ddec-7364-11e9-a5e9-48f686bb2833

DS has kept up his weekend job, working today. It is not mentally taxing but he does 18k steps on his shift and enjoys the social side of it. Takes his mind off school.

Thanks! Found it - seems its only for new first years next year. I suppose it's something, but they need to put in a lot of proper support for those suffering with MH problems.

The daughter of a close friend has had lots of support at Bristol, possibly because she went up there with mental health issues and knew she needed help from the off.

That's good to hear NMA.
DD and her mates report that unfortunately lots of students aren't getting any/enough support.

It's not right, is it bigTillyMint? Friend's DD belongs to one of the religious societies/unions, so suspect she gets support there too.

I would be interested to know what will be included in the happpiness module. It sounds like the type of initiative which should be rolled out in all universities.

Sorry not to have been around recently. DD2 finished on Friday for A level study leave. She has her first exam tomorrow afternoon, FM AS level. After much soul-searching, tears and angst, she dropped down from the full A level to AS in February, She doesn't need the full exam (and her offer is now unconditional) but doesn't like to think she has wasted her time over the last 18 months, so opted for AS.

Her first choice of accommodation was confirmed, so she's happy about that. She is however being a miserable grouch so I've left her to it. I suspect that once she actually gets going, things will improve.

To whoever it was who asked about student bank accounts, DD1 put down her normal bank details on the student finance form. She had a look on MSE for the best student account for her needs, which at that time was Santander. As her current account was there anyway, it was a quick switch over and she kept the same account number and sort code