Year 12: Is everyone else's kids getting on fabulously?

[andagainandagain]

A month in to Year 12 and AS levels. Dd is struggling to keep up, finding it hard to manage her time with workload, and generally not doing well. This is a big shock for her, she's never felt anything like out of her depth before. She got A* or A at GCSE in each of the subjects she's doing now.
She says all her friends are fine and nobody else is feeling like she is.
I wonder if this is true, or whether she has just lost her perspective on things.
Anyone facing a similar situation out there?

Thanks roisin, mumslife and secretsquirrels. I said five essay based subjects but one is Critical Thinking, so less content to learn. So far there's been a fair amount of reading and work set but I'm assuming that once all the basic concepts are grasped it will be less time consuming. If DS was going to drop a subject that would be the obvious one, but there's no way he'd agree as he loves it.

Unfortunately his tutor was taken to hospital early in the term and is not expected back for a while. I'm hoping a regular replacement is found, rather than the series of supply cover he's had so far.

I think Critical thinking is a bit like General Studies. Encouraged or even compulsory at many schools but not accepted as an A level subject by most Unis. So perhaps not worth breaking your neck over? Neither of my DC chose to do them.

As far as the dodgy English teacher goes. What I meant was switching English classes. A friend of DS1 really struggled with his Chemistry teacher and the college were surprisingly understanding and moved him to a different Chemistry class.

Thanks secretsquirrels, I agree about Critical Thinking but DS really does seem to have taken to it and has had excellent feedback from the tutor so feels very motivated to carry on.

I'm unsure if swapping English classes will be an option but it does sound worth looking into.

ds1 did compulsory AS General Studies in yr12, but they allow them to drop it in yr13, which he did.

Unless you're applying on the basis of points and are short of points, there doesn't seem to be much justification for it.

I can't really see any benefits to General Studies, apart from a few extra points accepted only by a minority of unis and some current affairs knowledge for students who wouldn't otherwise take an interest.

At DS's college General Studies is compulsory for all. Critical Thinking is one of a group of optional add-ons. DS finds GS a waste of time but loves Critical Thinking. So far, what he has learnt has helped him structure his arguments in his essays in other subjects and helped him with a speech for Debating Society, so it's been useful so far but I'm very much hoping he sticks to the plan of dropping it next year. I realise that universities will look at it in the same light as General Studies.

DDs college has dropped General Studies Yay!
But she is another one doing 5 subjects ... so far finding the 'extra' one the most satisfying!

My DS is doing 5 subjects, Maths, Physics, Chemistry, English Lit & History.
I have no idea why they have to do 5 and had a meeting with the Head of sixth form. My other children, admittedly slightly older, all did 3 plus GS and all went to good Universities. Each subject has at least 4 hrs homework a week. The Head couldn't really say why they do 5, I suspect it's to do with league tables, rather than what the students actually need.
I work full time, but I don't do 25 additional hours at home. Weekends no longer exist in our house, he does homework for hours.

5 subjects just seems crazy to me, except in certain cases where there's a lot of overlap. How much teaching time do they get per subject at schools where they routinely do 5?

At ds1's school they get 9 hrs per subject per fortnight, and suggest 10hrs private study per subject per fortnight. (ds1 doesn't do anything like that much private study though.)

Five subjects unless one is further maths (for a natural mathematician) seems madness.

DD1 is out until later so I can't ask if they've had any tests back (I don't think so). She said her biology right up was ok.

She seems to get a reasonable, but not utterly silly amount of work. She's had DH physics tutoring quite a bit and me brushing up my biology.

Since her 4th 'fun' subject is art she's never without something to do.

DDs 5th is indeed further maths

It was DH's extra subject too and he reads electronic books full of equations on the plane going on holiday

Right up you can see why my A levels are science not humanities.

DS2 is only doing 4 including FM (+ maths phys and chem) but is doing some stuff with the Ou as well I think.he actually is finding A level easier because he is not a natural all rounder, but does excel in and loves Maths and physics
DS1 found it much harder.he was a 'good ' all round but didn't excel in , or have an interest in any one area.

S

This has made me feel slightly anxious.

DS had just joined an enormous Sixth Form after living abroad for 10 years, and is living with my Mum as we are still overseas. He's doing English Lit, French, Spanish and Economics. He SAYS he's doing fine in all of them (we're teachers so warned him for months of the step up from GCSE to A Level) and he has a good work ethic, but he hasn't mentioned any results or tests.

Must probe further ...
Thanks for the tip off!

OP it is perfectly normal for your dd to feel like this and I am sure her friends are feeling the same, even if they are not letting on. My dd got 10 A*s and 2 As at GCSE and struggled all the way until Christmas when she started Y12. We had an awful lot of tears during that term. She is at a very academic school and her friends were all very open about feeling overwhelmed as well. It is a horrible feeling for them when they are used to doing well and then find it harder to achieve the grades they want but it does get better.

My DS has 23 1 hr lessons a week, he has 25 hrs homework and 2 free periods!!!!
I cannot understand the school's standpoint that everyone starts with 5 and then drops down to 4 next year. I have told my DS that he can drop one anytime this term and I will deal with any flack from the school.
He is going to carry on until October half term and then we'll discuss it and see what he wants to do. I just wish school weren't putting this kind of pressure on the students.

DS did five and we are encouraging DD to do the same. Grade requirements for competitive courses are now very high and there is no room for a slip up. The offer DS got did not include Further Maths, or rather required him to get an E. Taking four more allowed him to get a B in one of the subjects yet still secure his place.

DD is thinking of applying to Eire where you need at least four A levels.

However no Critical Thinking or General Studies, as they don't seem to add much value.

But surely if you do fewer, you're less likely to make slip-ups Needmoresleep?

I think 5 is bonkers, I would not be happy with that at all.