Starting Year 13 (number 4!)

[Mindgone]

I just thought I'd get us started up again!

I am sorry to hear that mumslife - sending hugs to you all.

mumslife

Sorry to hear about the sad things happening. One of my family just had a scary close call in an accident & it certainly puts all this into perspective.

My dd enjoyed York. Loved the city and course. But it is such a long way a way! She is going to two more offer days (Exeter and Bristol) before making a final decision.

Thanks for all the tips - we managed to squash in two museums, Barley House, a walk round the whole city wall, the Cathedral and Betty's Tea room!

Was hoping you managed to do Bettys! Did you have champagne?!

No champagne - sorry, hate it! Lovely traditional cream tea.

Sorry to hear about your DF mumslife sending best wishes.

We really enjoyed York I think it will be DS's insurance with Durham as first choice. We particularly enjoyed following a large group of Vikings on the way back to the station. They were all in authentic costume and all trooped off into a Travelodge which was a bit surreal! Oh and Littleham

Glad York proved popular - I loved it there. I would really like dd to have it as her insurance choice but she still wants to look at Warwick as it is and hour and a half closer to home than York.

Glad you enjoyed York. DD1 studied there and enjoyed it, but it is a bit of a trek!

DS and I went to Sheffield yesterday for his final interview/open day. He decided he liked it, despite the rain, and it will be his insurance choice if they make an offer.
Not sure to what extent his decision was swayed by the discovery that the station not only has a real ale bar, but its own micro-brewery!
Bit of a rushed trip, though, so I don't know how the town ranks for cream teas.

DS also got an offer from Surrey this week, despite having turned down their 'interview' day, so if Sheffield come through that will be all the offers in.

well done to your DS on the Surrey offer seimum

DS has decided not to go to the Exeter post offer day as he is sure he won't be choosing it. He doesn't want to take the extra time off school as he's in the middle of finishing off coursework especially as his Durham visit will need two days off.

I'll be glad when all the visiting is done and things settle down again.

Glad everyone liked York. We're only 2hrs away, so do-able as a day out for us.
I was quite disappointed that DS didn't put it as one of his choices.

my DS has an applicant day to come at Surrey. He went there on a course and was not too keen. Any reviews of Surrey?

We've probably chosen but DS still wants to do all the visits to be sure.

Shared between DH and myself and DS will do one alone. Quite exhausting
in between working!!

Huge step though- so decisions need to be right.

York would be a lovely place to live - far from us and my DC don't want to travel too far.

Brilliant mumslife. Am feeling a tad at the uncondional but am very glad your dd has one as it sounds like the less stress you all have at the moment the better.

Well done to seimum's for the Surrey offer.

How safe are your dc's playing it with the insurance choice. It is difficult to know whether to advise them to go for two higher offers or a high firm and ABB insurance. What do you think? Feels like it could all go a bit pear shaped.

Littleham, I guess it depends what marks they have stashed for AS already. ds1 has a pretty high insurance offer, but he's pretty relaxed about it.

Argh... Just looked at ds1's exams. 12 papersin total, but they're all pretty much bunched up together. Hope he's 100% and fighting for for that week!

Dd1 doesn't have too many papers (2 for Latin AS, one Classics AS paper she's resitting (er, yes, this is the girl planning on a classics degree) so they're fairly early) and then one English, two classics, three maths - with her last day being a clash between classics and maths.

Twelve, yikes. My girls were necking vitamins last summer, might get them to start earlier this year!

She has English coursework to give in soon. Doubtless it will be her usual last minute job Anyone else got coursework or is it mostly exams?

Glad York was enjoyed by those who went. Was on DDs shortlist but never made her five.
Hope you get your Dad home smoothly mumslife. Good to hear your DD firmed her unconditional, odd she needs an insurance choice though.

litttleham After discounteing her highest offer, DD's insurance only likely to be either same grades (but known to drop) or one grade lower than her firm. But she does have an EE music college offer too, which she is still 50/50 on between that and Uni.

Roisin /Atiao Quite lucky with the exam timetable here - 2 AS Retake papers before half-term, 8 A2 papers, all after. Just Music first week, Maths and Physics over 2 weeks but no clashes and only one paper on any day.
March and April likely to be busy with practicals though.

Found you.

I haven't read the whole thread yet but for those whose DC are having headaches (on phone so can't scroll back for names) my DD has been diagnosed with stress headaches that normal paracetamol won't shift so has been prescribed a low dose of amytriptiline (sp). She takes them to get through exams etc and because they are low dose she can stop them without any side effects.

We are off to a candidate day at Birmingham next Saturday

Now back to read up on how everybody else is doing.

Mumslife - v many congratulations on UEA offer - well done that girl. I am also jealous of the unconditional offer. Best wishes to you re DF. A lot to deal with.
Also congratulations to Lemon , Sei and Nicecardi DCs .

I feel a bit out on a limb here as we are still waiting for one more (UCL). I do envy those of you whose DCs have all their offers in and are now just ('just' ) choosing between them.

Tapdancing, am glad that your Dd seems to have a solution for getting through exams. Many, many, many years ago I went for an interview at Birmingham but was rather put off by the paternoster lifts in the English library. I am, though, more than a little claustrophobic so I say this lightheartedly. As I recall lots of people loved them. I hope she enjoys the candidate day.

Littleham, I hope whichever one of the good choices she has , the History Musketeer will be happy.

Tapdancing, have just realised in the context of your Dd being stressed, my claustrophobia comment was inappropriate. I apologise. It was meant to be an ironic comment in the light of a) Birmingham being very good and b) me being a bit rubbish with lifts.

tapdancingmum my dd was the other one diagnosed with tension headaches but it has now also turned out to be eye strain and is improving with glasses. We didn't even think about getting her eyes tested as she had had them tested less than a year ago and was told her eyesight was perfect - turns out it wasn't! Glad your dd has something to help her get through the exams.

Dd only has 4 exams (plus 2 General studies but not really counting those). She has coursework for history and English.