Starting Y13 (y12 support thread contd)

[AtiaoftheJulii]

Well, I filled up the other one, so here's a nice new one to get us through dropping subjects, Uni open days, personal statement writing, and UCAS applications

Plenty of and and (nicely-intentioned) s available!

horsemad - So sorry you are having such a stressful time. One of my nephews was very similar & only really had the maturity to realise he had to work hard when he got older.

Agree with having ABB universities on there. He can also look through clearing / adjustment if he does better than expected.

If he does do badly, would his sixth form allow him to come back and re-take? He might be older and wiser with an extra year. Could also look at a gap year (possibly working abroad) to give extra maturity for university (where nobody will push him).

Also, would a revision course away from home help? Sometimes they listen to other people more than their parents!

Horsemad, it's a tough one! You really can't make them do anything! I think you may have no choice other than to just let him go for it, and find out everything the hard way! A gap year with some maturing time might end up being the best thing for him. DS1 ended up with an unexpected gap year, and spent it in Aldi! Great experience, maturing time, money, and a great realisation of how fortunate he is.
I appreciate how crazy-frustrated it must make you feel though!

Horsemad Does he really believe he will get AAA? Is it achievable with his AS results? Are his tutors giving him a chance to prove himself to possibly raise predictions before UCAS is to go in?
What do the school think he should be doing?

If there are really no lower level courses worth him applying for, woud it be possible to submit with say just 3 options and see if he gets any offers, before committing to his other 2 choices.

Thanks everyone for the messages of support. I feel like I'm overreacting because of how personally I'm taking it, but I can't help how I feel. I haven't discussed his uni choices tonight; DH & I have chatted about his workload. DS talks the talk, but realistically I don't think he'll put in the work needed.

I've suggested a gap year so maybe he'll take that on board.

Horsemad..DD started off Yr12 on AAAB then after ahem enjoying the social side of 6th form a little too much ended up with BBCC at AS. She has buckled down in Yr13 and is predicted a cautious AAB but the B might be revised to an A the way she is working.

Thanks Amazing, I hope DS does the same.

There are lots of positives to a gap year- especially if he can get some computer science work experience (some companies offer paid internships- DS has one for the holidays)- he can then apply for 2016 with his grades in hand. Also if he then has a great personal statement- the universities tend to be more forgiving about a slipped grade (i think!), he will also be older and wiser hopefully!!

There is also the possibility that he just doesn't feel ready for uni yet but doesn't want to admit it- not studying to his potential might be his way of delaying the process of university etc

Thanks Waitingaround, I have wondered if he doesn't feel ready to go to uni yet. He said he did when I asked him, but he might be saying what he thinks I want to hear.
I never expected this bit to be so problematic.

Sorry that things are stressful at the moment Horsemad your DS will grow up and 'get it' at some point he just might need a little bit of extra time. I can regale you with lots of tales of kids who drove their parents to distraction and then came out smelling of roses in the end. DD2 had a friend who was very bright but not great at applying himself. School made him take some of his choices off his UCAS form as they wouldn't predict him high enough to get offers. He went to one of the 'lower' universities got a first and is now at Cambridge doing a masters degree. It wiill be ok in the end it just isn't very nice living through it.

Hope all the ill people are on the mend.

Sorry you have it now mumslife. It is so difficult to avoid these things once they are in the house! Dh has managed it though. He had to go abroad for work this week for a full on week of meetings and entertaining clients etc and and we were sure he would come down with it just in time for that but somehow he escaped.

Dd has a mock interview tomorrow. People in the PA do them and I am not sure how useful it will be but good of them to give up their time to do it.

Thanks webwiz, I sincerely hope he does 'get it' and sooner rather than later!

mumslife, sorry you are ill, hope you feel better soon.

DD1 was a complete pain in sixth form Horsemad so I know how stressful it can be when they are underachieving. She's 23 now and she grew up in the end! She graduated last year with a 2:1 and has a job she loves (and a nice boyfriend )

That gives me hope webwiz!! He's a lovely lad, doesn't go out, never gets into trouble, nice and polite, so compared to some, I have nothing to worry about... and I know that, BUT, as you say, when they are underachieving it is stressful.

Poor you mumslife. How horrible! It is such a hassle having to cancel cards etc.

Hope you have a better week next week!

Oh mumslife, that's awful. Happened to me once and it's a horrible experience.

Oh dear mumslife - you could do without that right now. Hope you are feeling better.

Thats awful mumslife. Hope you're both OK.

Hope you enjoyed Miss Saigon though, mumslife - it's an amazing production. Jon jon is superb. Much better than the original (which I saw many many times over the ten years it ran). We're going again at Xmas and we can't wait. We saw Evita yesterday, it was an ok production but the show is the real star there - such a great score it can just about survive less than great leads (Marti Pellow Im looking firmly at you). The kids loved it but my sister and I (who have seen many different productions although not the original since we're not that old) thought it was decidedly inferior to the production at the Adelphi in 2008. I'm still glad I saw it though because, as I said, the score is great.

DD1 is coming under pressure to sign up for some product that the school will get a hefty discount on for everyone if everyone signs up - but it's unsuitable for those wanting to go to conservatoires (or Uni to do a music degree). So she is resisting. She's finding Y12 more pressured than Y11, despite having a lot of the AS work for her subjects under her belt already, plus of course 2 AS exams. She's also had to opt out of a fabulous field trip next year because it's situated bang in the 'audition zone' time wise which is sad.

Rabbits Is it worth calling the Conservatoires to see if possible to advise of dates she cannot make in advance? Presuming the field trip is just a few days.
Finding it is difficult to get a date / time changed once given, as they
seem to dish out first round all at once, so no chance of change unless a cancellation.

Circular - it's a week in Iceland! And the decision has to be made now so that's that.