S5/S6 support thread.

[IHaveBrilloHair]

I know I need it this year with Dd.
Everyone welcome to join in.

DDs school were allowing switches until end of last week so your DD might be lucky. However there might be a bit to catch up. My DDs new school are completing first units for most subjects having started at full speed in early June. Her old school had more switchers so didn't really start courses until August.

First day of last year tomorrow...eek!! Got timetable and she’s happy with it. Enjoying today with her as I’m not expecting to see her emerge from her books again till June...apart from trips to the fridge/snack drawer of course.

Hi meikyo your DD is doing similar subjects to my DD1 last year and DD2 this year. If she is not enjoying History it would probably be a good idea to try to change. DD1 found the step up from Nat 5 quite hard and would have been worse if she didn't enjoy it. She started crash Higher French before the summer holidays and found it easier in comparison despite not having done Nat 5. That said she did get a lot out of History.

Hi all. Dd1 just started S5, doing H English, Spanish, Modern Studies, Chemistry plus Nat 5 Biology. Has just announced she thinks she would like to do medicine and then panicked as she's only doing 4 highers. Has calmed down now, and is unsure what she wants to do - something that helps people is the main theme! Hopefully we'll work something out, maybe she'll be inspired by an open day! She is not 16 till February, so it's a lot to think about at that age.

How many of you have been attending open days with your kids and what did they think of then?

Did dundee last sept as the ‘taster’ open day. It was fine. Didn’t rule itself out of being an option! All others have been English ones and ticked all the right boxes. Think DD doing Edi in a few weeks.

Went to some last year with DD to try and help her decide between Science and Arts subjects for her Highers. She's a bit of a jack of all trades master of none. I didn't find them particularly useful other than for her to get a feel for the locations as most of the info is online if you look. Offer holder days are probably more useful.

DD1 went to St Andrews with a friend last Easter Break to give them a bit of enthusiasm and a break from the Higher studying. She said there were so many other wipey Mums asking all the obvious questions there was absolutely no need for me to be there. She also said in some ways you get more out of it if you go on your own. If you are going recommend pre-booking sessions on-line to help structure the day and focus your interests.

Haven't been to any of the Glasgow area ones yet as the school has close links with them all and so they are already familiar.

DD1 (in S6) has gone from having no idea this time last year to now being quite focused. The balance now is in making sure she has 5 options to put on the form rather than having her heart set on one and putting any old choice for the other 4.

I agree Clerk. It really helped DD regarding ‘getting a feel for the place’ but subject talks were obviously broad. She has two places left to fill and I think they’ll be visited only if they make an offer. Did go to one which had looked fab online and in prospectus only to hate the feel of it though. Shame...it would’ve been a great insurance!😏

Ds went to Glasgow's Open Day with school friends and Strathclyde on his own (as he was squeezing it in before a rugby game ). It helped him to decide to drop Glasgow as a choice and just include Strathclyde as he felt its course was a better fit for his specific interest. He also only wanted to apply to one "home" Uni (I told him that that was one more home Uni than his mum applied for )

I took him and a friend to St Andrews but only on condition that I dropped them and left them to it (which I was more than happy to to do as it gave me the chance to re-visit old haunts ) He was still quick to call me to ask where I was at lunch time so that they could cadge lunch at Nando's off me He found it a useful trip as even though it was probably the best IR course, he hated the feel of the place - too much like a big boarding school. I couldn't disagree with him about his impressions: I said that some people loved it for exactly those reasons (as I had) and some people found it too claustrophobic and isolated.

The only Open Day I actually went round with him was for Aberdeen Uni: that was because he was the only one from his school interested in going there, so I went up with him on the train. I did my best just to follow his lead and didn't ask any embarrassing questions . The PIR "talk" I went to with him was really interesting - more like a mini lecture.

Dh and I both went up with him to the Offer Holders Day. Offer Holders Days do seem to be more geared up with parents in mind, with info sessions (eg on accommodation) to reassure them.

Ds is now mid-way through Freshers Week at Aberdeen Uni We are presuming that no news is good news

It’s funny how they pick up on feelings. Mine ruled one out because it felt like school (worst bits) and another in because it felt like school (comfortable) !! Go figure!😂

My ds is in S5 but planning ahead

. I didn't go to open days with dd1, she 1) knew exactly what she was looking for and 2) didn't want me there. There was really only one option for her, the Glasgow School of Art, and she went to evaluate the different courses and figure out if it was worth applying straight from school or better to do a portfolio
Year. She chose her course on the open day (several "woooow mum I found my course" phone calls) and though the year out was the most guaranteed way in, applied. And she got in!!

Ds has a few options for his ideal course, again creative and based on interview (Architecture) but we have a year in hand. I'll go with him if he wants me to go.

We didn't go to any when DS was in S5, but doing it this year. Planning to do Glasgow and Strathclyde and then HW and Edinburgh. Yesterdays event at Strathclyde sounded a bit mad. It was useful that he re-evaluated what he was going to apply for, but I do expect this to change.

We have attended some open days to allow dd to see what subjects are out there at university compared to the narrower school options. Dd found them very helpful as it ruled out economics which she thought she would enjoy. She is now between Maths and Engineering so we are visiting a few more in the coming weeks. I think it is both an exciting and overwhelming time for them.

So...back at school for two whole days and now...she’s decided (not her tutor...they’ve not seen it yet) that the PS which she’s been happy with for the last month is all of a sudden rubbish and needs to be scrapped Joy!!! Admissions better read the damn thing after this!

How are the S5s getting on? DS is quite taken aback by the big step up for Higher Maths. He’s quite shellshocked.

eating my S6 is still procrastinating even starting her PS so you are still ahead of us - hoping Admissions don't read the damn thing.

My S5 invigorated after a night out camping, doing close reading HW. I think there is quite a big step up for Higher Maths, but the secret is to get on and crack it with lots of practice from the get go. Vectors or calculus wicked?

My S5 is more interested in DofE and his new girlfriend than anything else right now. He's not finding the jump to Higher too challenging as maths and physics classes had already started the H course. Art more than anything, is challenging him but he needs it for architecture so is quite invested. He's following in his very talented sister's footsteps for that which has annoyed him!

Polynomials, howabout . He’s been much more cheery this weekend- says synthetic division is his new best friend and that he’s all caught up now. We’ll see how this week goes.

Oh and weegie I wish he’d focus on DoE a bit more! He’s done everything for his Silver except writing up his reports and chasing people for their input. He’s had all summer to do this and I finally told him this weekend that I wasn’t wasting all that money in his expeditions for him to not be bothered about finishing it all up and getting it signed off so he’s in a bad mood now and away to write his reports.

Just asked DD1 what a polynomial is. She said things you need synthetic division to sort out. Sounds like it is indeed all good .

My serial camper can't be bothered with all the DoE admin etc. and arguing with a force of nature like her is usually pointless so she does all the elements just for the fun of it.

We did Open days with DS1 last year (Edinburgh, Glasgow, Strathclyde, Heriot Watt and a quick look into Stirling). he applied to the first 4 plus Dundee although we missed that one as it clashed with one of the others. The offer holders day we went to (Strathclyde) was probably more useful than anything tbh and he didn't visit any of the others he had offers from.

We dragged DS2 with us to HW, mainly as we were visiting family whilst down there but unfortunately that hasn't helped us with his potential visits as there isn't anything at HW that he would be interested in.

Sooo, now in the dilemma of what we do with him re visits as he wouldn't be in a position to have a chance of going to most of the ones we've been to with DS1 anyway, so it would be a whole different round I think but neither DH or I are really in the mood to do it all again so soon but that isn't his fault.

He doesn't really know what he wants to do or where he wants to go so not really up for travelling too far to be honest. I think he'd get more value from visiting any he gets offers (if any) from. But obvs these visits are to narrow down where he'd like to apply to. Just trying to be fair I guess and give him the same opportunity that DS1 had.

Stirling is on tomorrow but he's said he doesn't want to stay at home but thinking I'll try to talk him into popping in just to hear what they have to say.

Anyone going to Stirling? There is another open day for there on 6/10.

Stirling Uni is a good day out even if you don't want to go there. Last time we were there the wee sister spent the afternoon playing in the sculpture garden and chasing rabbits.

Similarly if you like a trip to the beech Ayr campus of UWS is good or St Andrews. Quite tempted to persuade someone to take me to Dundee so I can see the V&A.

Edinburgh Uni's website has been having outages all week but was up and running this morning for anyone looking to book the open day. DD1 reckons you can tell a lot about the faculty from the naming of the intro lectures - the Maths dept are winning so far with "Infinity and beyond".

Don't worry if you send them off without their pots and pans next year as UoG lays on a bus to IKEA - reliving my youth following along on twitter.

Ds is adamant he wants to stay in Glasgow (just like his big sister - luckily dd2 wants to go elsewhere!). He can do architecture at either GSA or Strathclyde and I'm trying to suggest he at least puts other places down! Just S5 so not too much pressure yet, though he is doing art with an eye to his portfolio.

It seems to be a real Glasgow thing, staying at home. Everywhere else is full of teary-eyed parents with dc spreading their wings, I can't get mine to leave. Dd1 hasn't really done much in her Freshers Week last week!

Hi ladies just wondered how everyone is coping so far! I have already been through 5th year with my ds and have to say it wasn’t too bad. However 5th year with my dd is stress city!! Is this a girl thing?!! My ds worked hard but remained quite chilled my dd has set herself very high expectations which I am trying to manage without her feeling I don’t think she can do it. She definitely can and is very academically able but all tests before she gets marks back are “a disaster” then she gets the results and all the stress was for nothing!!! I am learning to take the drama with a pinch of salt but have to say will be glad when it’s all over!😂 Anyone else feeling the same?x