Scotsnet exams thread 2022

[WeAllHaveWings]

I haven't seen a thread for this years exams yet so thought I'd get the ball rolling (hopefully not too early!). Who has dc sitting exams this year and how are they getting on with their prelims so far?

ds(17) is in S6, he is sitting

Maths AH
Physics AH
Geography H (crash)
PE H (sat 2 years ago at NAT5)

They had their prelims in December which was good as they could relax over Christmas. He has had results back for 3 - will start with the good - Physics AH 70% 😀, then the no so good - Maths AH 45%, PE H 42% 😮.

He is very pleased with Physics, as he didn't expect it. The others he expected but seeing it has still been a shock. Hopefully in a good way and he will get his finger out as he hasn't been applying himself this year due recent first car freedom 🚗 + first girlfriend since he was 14 👫 + out together in said car 💏 + finally started his teenage rebelling phase 🙄.

Did anyone find it was similar in S6 with their teens? I think he is just scunnered this year with school and going through the whole studying and exam process for a 3rd year running. Many of his friends seem to feel the same this year.

It's good to see teh old thread back for this year. I don't have any school DC any more but DS1 definitely suffered from unconditional-itis in S6. He had his Uni offers and accepted and chose not to go straight into 2nd year Uni so had no reason to work hard. He also had two of his 3 AHs timetabled at the same time so got very little teaching time. He passed them all but not up to his usual standards.

Hopefully your DS has had the wake up he needs.

He has applied for Uni as well, but they have replied back to say not to expect anything for his course until at least March (Glasgow says May!), so he needs to be prepared just in case they come back with a conditional for S6.

It will be great if he does get an offer before, as some of his friends have an unconditional or conditional for other courses and have "given up" on some of their subjects. He would then at least know if he had focus on any.

Hello Wings

Can I join in?

I have a S5 DS taking highers in English, applications of maths, physics, chemistry and advanced higher maths (early). He took higher maths in S4.

His prelims start next week with two and a half weeks off school for study leave. He 'seems' to be beavering away. He wants to apply for computer science at uni.

Does your DC have uni offers yet?

Good luck to them!

When DS1 applied, Glasgow were the first to reply, within days actually, that seemed to be pretty common back then (2018 start) I wonder if they've changed policy or just course dependent.

Hi Aurea, I remember your dc from last years exams threads. He is a smart cookie and was taking higher maths early! Hope he got all the results he was looking for in S4.

I think ds would have done a bit better if he had Christmas to study over for the prelims, it all seemed very rushed at the beginning of December, but at least he had Christmas break off.

Ds is also doing AH Maths this year, for Higher he got a high A1 - he got something ridiculous like 93%, it has always been his strongest subject by miles but he either seems to be finding AH much tougher, or he is all loved up and isn't trying as hard! Not sure which one it is yet, he says the AH maths is "weird" 🙄, and in S6 and 17 years old there is only so much cajoling I can do now. How is your ds finding the step up from Higher to AH?

ds has applied for Mechanical Engineering (MEng) at the main Scotland Unis, but the replies have all said they expect a lot of applications and not to expect replies/offers until March - May. This is our first time going through the Uni process, he has his 5As for Highers from last year which should be more than enough for entry, but I don't know if they might ask for something more in S6 if applications are high after last years inflated results and would hate to see him fall at the last post.

He also applied to Strathclyde's Engineering Academy as a back up if he doesn't get into a Uni directly this year and he has an unconditional for that, but his preference would be to get directly into Uni year 1 so he can make friends in first year. The Engineering Academy is an enhanced HNC at a local partner college for 1 year, then if passed he would have guaranteed 2nd year entry into Strathclyde BEng and at end of 2nd year if he does well he can upgrade to the integrated MEng - so same outcome, just a different route.

@ElephantOfRisk

When DS1 applied, Glasgow were the first to reply, within days actually, that seemed to be pretty common back then (2018 start) I wonder if they've changed policy or just course dependent.

Think (hope it isn't just ds!) it is dependent on the course. Some of his friends have had offers already for other subjects. Strathclyde, Glasgow and Edinburgh have all said they won't start looking at offers for mechanical engineering until after the UCAS deadline, and then not to worry if you haven't had a response by March-May. It will be great if he does get a reply sooner! 🤞

It seems so long ago now but Glasgow were the quickest and then Heriot Watt, Strathclyde and was it Dundee? followed quite quickly. Edinburgh was ages. I think with the different way the results have been the last couple of years they are maybe needing to think differently on popular courses. Maybe looking more at the reasons for people dropping out if it was because they didn't have enough exam experience perhaps?

I think back in the day, Glasgow just basically gave an unconditional to all applicants already holding the required results and the numbers obviously worked for them.

Thanks Wings

Yes, he managed all A1s last year although most were at Nat 5 level.

He finds the AH maths enjoyable although he really is a maths nerd and does maths in his spare time for fun! He hasn't mentioned it's a big step up personally from higher but he did indicate some of the class were struggling. Hopefully he'll do well in the prelim otherwise he'll be very disappointed. I'll update in due course.

Incidentally my elder son applied for law in 2019 and had offers from all the main Scottish unis before Christmas. He was the last year before Covid though.

Hope all works out for your DS.

Good luck to all and their families. This is my first year since DD1's Standard Grades (remember them?) that there's not been a SQA envelope arriving here. Still happy to pitch up with gin and teacher perspective if needed.

@Lidlfix this is the last year for us for SQA exams, I can only hope it is less stressful (for me at least!) when he goes to uni.

Your advice in previous years for Higher English was really helpful to us, but I must say I am sooooo glad he doesn't have an English exam this year. It really was his most stressful and time consuming subject, he just didn't know how to revise it in the beginning, but he got there in the end!

English teacher here too. Both mine are at University but still remember it all.

Happy to help with any teacher questions if @Lidlfix is buried under a pile of marking.

I have DD (16) in S5, prelims not starting until a week on Monday which feels really late to me.

She's confident about 4 out of the 5 and feed back from school agrees however she's really worried about Biology. Got a high A in her Nat 5 (from the non exams which really were exams) but is struggling with the step up to Higher.

I want her to see how the Prelim goes before dropping it. She feels that she'd rather focus on the other 4 and aim for 4 As in them.

She also sees S6 as more of a personal development year so looking to pick up leadership skills etc and maybe a couple more highers but not wanting a heavy academic timetable. Is that risky?

@PhilYerboots

Our school insisted on a minimum of four subjects in sixth year unless it is three Advanced highers. I think this is quite common.

I'm not sure if unis would be so keen on a light-weight timetable. Your DD could email admissions departments and ask. It also depends how popular the course is, I guess.

On another note, higher applications of maths prelim is now out of the way for my DS. All went ok, apparently. 

@PhilYerboots dropping a subject in S5 is a difficult choice. If she is planning to go to uni they will see she only did 4 and potentially compare her results based on studying less subjects with others who had the same results but the extra pressure of studying the normal 5 subjects. It could make a difference on some competitive courses. ds was similar and had to really focus and put the hours in on both Higher English and Chemistry so it is no unusual to have subjects you are weaker at.

Again for choices for S6, ds is doing 4 subjects (2 AH, 2H) and with those choices he has 12 study periods in his timetable a week to help with study time. Agree with Aurea, consider how unis will view a lighter S6 if that is what she intends to do. ds picked Higher PE up in S6 as a "personal development" type option, he also has a couple of prefect projects he is working on.

The leadership skills in our school are generally an option combined with either numeracy or writing skills and are taken up by pupils that have not achieved their Maths/English qualifications in S5 and they do it alongside a couple of Highers, which is a shame as on paper it looks good, but the reality at our school is very different and they also don't get a Higher or AH qualification from it. It might be worth a bit of investigation and a couple of leading questions to her guidance teacher on how it is run at your school before deciding.

Hi folks and thanks WeAllHaveWings for starting this thread. I remember following it last year of the exams that never were.

DD is in S5 and doing 5 Highers. She's nervous about the whole exam experience because of not sitting formal Nat5s. She is hoping for either AABBB or AABBC. Her marks in tests would put her at AABBC.

She's struggling a bit with Higher Human Biology - she only took it because the only other potential option in that column was Higher Maths and there was no way on this earth she was doing that . I think she could actually get a B but she's almost written it off in her head even though in tests she's had a borderline B and a high C. She's mid-prelims now so we'll see how they go.

Like your DD PhilYerboots she only wants to do one Advanced next year and have a light timetable. The school say on their website they need to have 4 subjects but I'm not sure how enforced that is. But I have made the point about Unis not being impressed by that.

I'm just happy she wants to stay on as this time last year she was dead against staying at all for S6 (for a number of reasons).

The school say on their website they need to have 4 subjects but I'm not sure how enforced that is.

If it is anything like our school it is strictly 4 subjects, even if you do 3 AH you need to pick another subject. The 12 study periods each week ds has he must register at the library and book out a laptop to study for each study period. They don't want pupils in school without a reasonably full timetable and they are expected to be in school for all school hours.

They have also been warned since they went back after Christmas they are now not allowed to drop any subjects.

DSs were expected to fill 4 out of the 5 slots on their timetable, the last slot being allowed to stay empty for personal study. DS1 did 3 AHs (though 2 were timetabled at the same time so he split his time on those) and he should have chosen something like volunteering or sports coaching or something in a fourth column but he didn't want to so he just didn't. The school were supposed to be sorting some work experience for him to help with other issues but they just never did it and by the time it was apparent that they weren't going to bother, it was too late for me to.

I think DS2 took 4 things but honestly it's a bit of a blur as he was resitting his Maths together with other stuff.

They didn't have to attend when they didn't have classes. Also always get the whole period off for exam leave. This is one of the most academically successful schools so I'm not sure why some schools see it as compulsory to be in school full time in 6th year when they should be developing self study and motivation ready for Uni (if that is a route they choose).

My DD is in S6 and expected grades for this year is 2 A's and 2 B's she already has 3 B's from S5. Her prelims start next week. 🤞🏻
She's had a conditional offer for one of her uni choices but her preferred is Aberdeen Uni and Heriot Watt. Aberdeen we've been told to expect April.
What's the thoughts on exams, do we think they'll go ahead? I'm staying positive and hoping they will.

If I had to bet on it I would say I think exams will go ahead, but who knows, depends on availability of invigilators and markers I guess.
If they don't it is likely to be classroom assessments similar to last year so prep won't be that much different for pupils, except perhaps slightly earlier, we will be encouraging ds to be prepared for something to happen just after easter just in case, then the extra week or so available will be a bonus.

I have a DD in S5 who is in the middle of prelims. She is very much struggling with never having sat an exam before and the etiquette of it all - she arrived at the exam room yesterday to find someone had mistakenly sat in her seat and rather than speak to the teacher/invigilator she just burst into tears. It's so stressful for them.

She is doing Highers in English, History, Geography, Drama and Home Economics (it's not called Home Ec, food and nutrition or something). Has no real idea about what she'd like to do at Uni, fancies Primary teaching but thinks she might do a degree in something and then a PGCE rather than a BEd. Have to get through the Highers first though.

And yes, @WeAllHaveWings - I have an older son who is now at Uni, he was in S6 last year and did fuck all. Unconditionals start rolling in and he completely takes his eye off the ball.

@MrsPerfect12

My DD is in S6 and expected grades for this year is 2 A's and 2 B's she already has 3 B's from S5. Her prelims start next week. 🤞🏻 She's had a conditional offer for one of her uni choices but her preferred is Aberdeen Uni and Heriot Watt. Aberdeen we've been told to expect April. What's the thoughts on exams, do we think they'll go ahead? I'm staying positive and hoping they will.

DS2 is up at Aberdeen (3rd year Politics and International Relations) and is loving it. It's a lovely sized city. Downsides are cold and seagulls!

He's intending staying on to do a Masters.

I wish your DD (and all the other DC) the best of luck and hope they get what they need.

We're is he staying? We're looking at various accommodations I think one is rooster student accommodation which is close to uni and an easy walk or short bus into the centre.
Do you remember when he heard back from the uni after application submission. Aberdeen is DD's first choice.
Thanks for the well wishes. It's an exciting time for them.

Oh I did try to quote and reply @ElephantOfRisk 🤦🏻‍♀️

Aberdeen was his first choice and he heard very quickly - before Christmas as we heard on our way to the Panto. he didn't get an offer from anywhere else! he had emailed the head of the area as he didn't have enough to get in with his 5th year results so was asking if they would consider him with his 6th year added as he was doing well and expected decent results. He had a bit of a funk during 4th and the early part of 5th year so results didn't really reflect ability. He told them how keen he was. I'm not sure if that influenced his offer (he's also just been diagnosed with dyspraxia) but he got a quick offer which was a bit reduced compared to what the website suggested.

In the end he achieved more than he needed but he was sweating for a while.

He stayed in Hillhead the first year, it's a bit more of a trail but all first years in together so was easy to make friends. He was in Grant Court. No en-suites, but two toilets and a separate shower room between 5.

2nd year he was in private halls. Ardmuir Trinity court which was pretty well placed. He had a 3 bed unit sharing with his girlfriend and this was 2020/21 so they never filled the 3rd bedroom so they had the place to themselves. Never got their cleaning though "cos covid". They liked it there. He's now in a private rental near Berryden still with girlfriend. Very handy area for walking into town as well as Uni.