2018 Scottish Exam Support Thread

[Groovee]

Practicals have already started for many, folios are being worked on... here's the 2028 thread to get us through.

I have Dd sitting 3 highers and D's sitting 6 Nat 5's. Oh the stress.

Thanks ttl that's really useful. I think he might have to go for more modest choices. He is clever but he's had some issues that thankfully he seems to be coping better with. He's grown up a lot in the last few months but I suspect it was too late to make a lot of difference for this year. He doesn't really know what he wants to do but is interested in politics and history, things that are likely to be competitive.

Wax what about studying something like social sciences at college to gain an HNC, then applying to university after the HNC year? That would give your DC2 time to work out what they really want to do. Glasgow Uni states that an HNC with a grade 'A' would be granted access to an 1st year with them for an MA in Arts or Social Sciences, the other requirement would be a B in higher english. But I agree with ttl its quite possible to still get a conditional offer in S6 from a base of 3 highers in S5 but you have to be targeted in your approach. I think this year I researched every combinations of HNC/HND/Highers/Advanced Highers to gain uni access!!!!!

Going back to the early presentation - I wish more schools would allow this esp. for subjects like music where many pupils can play to the appropriate standard for AH never mind nat 5 but have to go through the exam sequence and find it demotivating. Many unis now refer to cumulative highers in S4 and S5 when stating their minimum requirements, i.e. not one sitting in S5. This would allow pupils to bank highers early and have less pressure in S5.

Good luck to everyone's DC over the next few weeks. I have two DC sitting exams one in S6 and one in S4 - we have the full range of nat5, H and AH. Stress levels should fall off after next week which seems to be the crunch week for many.

DS1 is at college doing a 2 year HND and it's been the making of him. He left school with 4H and 2AH (A and B) but was far too scared timid for uni. He's loving college, balancing his P/T course with his P/T job and now talking about applying to uni for 3rd year.

what about a graduate apprenticeship instead of full time university? Still get the degree?

Some good advice re alternative routes to Uni - if that's what Wax's ds wants to do (and if he decides what he wants to do ).

If he's interested in politics and history, then maybe he should look at Politics and/or International Relations (most Unis with the exception of St Andrews tend to do modules that cover both as an introduction in the 1st and 2nd years).

It's a "new" subject at Uni - in that no one will have studied it in advance (some might have done Politics exams but it's not required or expected). The strength of the personal statement seems to be what gets you in - as that must have been what got ds his Unconditionals for Aberdeen and Strathclyde. His passion for the subject although you're apparently not allowed to use that word shone through in his statement.

Iirc, your ds actually enjoys his Modern Studies and already has a strong interest in politics. If he can channel that into a strong personal statement (either next year or after time at college), then he/you might be pleasantly surprised

Thanks both, yes college did cross my mind too but our local one is pretty poor in terms of it's offerings of anything that DS might be interested in. He would probably need to travel to Glasgow I think, which would be fine for a full time course but probably not worth it for a part-time.

I've looked at courses in Stirling Uni or Highlands and islands in Perth or Abertay and in theory he should be in a position to access degrees there.

My problem is that until the results come out we don't really know what we are dealing with. He could fail everything or get straight As and neither scenario would surprise me (or probably him).

yoga sound like your son has chosen the best path for him which is what it's all about :)

oops more answers since I started typing and then got distracted. We've been looking at Graduate Apprenticeships but they seem to be mostly in the IT/Engineering type of stuff which isn't going to be his forte. We'll keep looking though :)

Thanks pb yes he enjoys everything in that arena. He is planning to do Higher Politics this year but that might have to drop if he fails maths again. All the subjects he wanted are in the same column...

Ds' Higher subjects had been assuming a science type degree (with the exception of Higher English which I wouldn't allow him to drop) - he only changed his mind last summer ( before the results ).

Fortunately he'd already started crashing Higher Modern Studies (alongside his AH Maths and AH Physics) - which I'm sure helped get him his offers.

Most people that I know that have gone down the college route have travelled to Glasgow.

Napier Uni is another good option with lower entrance requirements.

Yep celtie I went there myself once upon a time :)

He says he wants to stay at home for at least 1st year but also wants to study abroad at some point. Likes to make things awkward! But Edinburgh is longer to get to for us than Glasgow and the Napier campuses are quite disparate and would need at least one bus from the train station.

Still, this time last year he wasn't considering any kind of further education so he may feel in a different place by the time he has to apply/go.

Glasgow Cali? My friend’s DD is doing a social science and had just spent an amazing year abroad!

There is definitely an option for everyone it’s just a question of finding it 😃

Yes, Glasgow Cali definitely on the radar :)

That new flashy college near Strathclyde - forget what it's called is also worth a look. They do social sciences courses which if you do well enough in you can got into 3rd year of BA Honours at Strathclyde.

DS has Nat5 English tomorrow. It’s the one he’s most nervous about. Both DD and I have had raging colds this weekend so DS has been ordered to stay far far away from us because I’m so paranoid about him catching it too!

Nat5 English for Ds tomorrow. He's fairly calm. I'm glad I'll be at work. I'm getting myself some karma though as I have a job interview this week x

Nat 5 English for DD too. Less worried about her than I was about my boys who never bothered to learn the poetry.

Good luck @Groovee 👍🏼

DD has biology and history Highers this week and so far is reasonably calm. She's eating and hasn't been clinging onto me and howling, so we're hoping she can get through to Thursday without falling apart.

English for ds tomorrow too. I think he's done some revision today!

Dd's been staying at a friend's for a couple of weeks, though she does come to see me.
She doesn't talk about anything serious and all I can get out of her about her exams is, "It was fine"

Good luck to those sitting English Nat 5 tomorrow.

Good luck to everyone this week - no exams in the wax household this week.

DD pleased with English as her favourite poem came up. She now sitting in the garden studying for Biology.

Dis said it was his least favourite poem but that all the quotes came back to him etc. He was amused by the Cat book shop.

Ds liked English - great question on Tally's Blood really impressed him! Thought there were a couple of tricky bits in the close reading but it was ok overall. Nothing else this week, revision for chemistry and computing next week.

Dd1 still up to her eyeballs in AH Art!

AH Biology today!