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Secondary education

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Original poster

2015 Yr 12 support thread

837 replies

Needmoresleep · 08/01/2015 11:48

Mocks this week, and the reality of AS exams in a few months is starting to hit home. I don't think it will be an easy journey, so would welcome some company.

OP posts:
SecretSquirrels · 10/03/2015 09:12

Well parents evening was interesting. Lots of very positive stuff and advice. He came away all fired up and with confidence boosted.
He went on a trip to Cambridge where they had tours and talks and Oxbridge conference is just before Easter. However I think he has decided it's not for him. He certainly has the ability but he is more aware than most of the stress and pressure involved as he saw DS1 go though it.
He has a sciences taster day coming up at a nearby uni.
No open days booked yet. His college run some coach trips but they don't seem to have any details yet. I'm afraid I am the planner and booker in this house otherwise nothing would happen.

Marni23 · 10/03/2015 10:02

DD is off to a subject Study Day at Oxford on Saturday and is going to a subject Open Day there next week. We have a parents' intro to the Ucas process evening this week.
DD has put another couple of Open Day dates in the diary but that's as far as she's got...

BrendaBlackhead · 10/03/2015 10:22

Well, as far as I know ds's college has done nothing. But - and it is an enormous but - there is the word "I" in there. Perhaps other pupils are toddling off on open days here and open days there and ds either hasn't noticed (that would be typical) or is keeping me in the dark.

Actually, is TalkinPeace hanging around? Her dd goes to the same college as my ds and perhaps could illuminate on what is the form.

SecretSquirrels · 10/03/2015 10:31

Just looked at some open days (this is a good tool) and they do seem to clash quite a bit.

I know from doing this two years ago with DS1 that, although they ask you to book, there is no rush, and it's not always essential to have booked. One exception I know of is Durham. DS1 booked on a college coach trip. The students were all told to book themselves individually on the open day. Being 17 year olds most of them didn't and the trip had to be cancelled. DS had booked and he ended up having to make his way there by train with a friend.

TalkinPeace · 10/03/2015 14:25

Hiya,
DD and I have our heads firmly in the sand until the AS exams are over.
She plans to drop to subjects and take up an EPQ so its all hands to the pump to get good grades in the two subjects that are going.
Only after the exams will the University stuff kick off in this house.

Here is the college's Oxbridge timetable page
www.psc.ac.uk/support/careers/oxbridge.php

DD has a very good idea what she wants to do, and where (first 2nd and third choices)
and has grown up roaming around the campus near here so I guess that is why she's not worrying about the onwards too much.

I know that the RG Unis really are not interested in detailed applications till after the results are out so its all informal at this stage
except for music, choral and the ones that cannot be judged on paper.

BrendaBlackhead · 10/03/2015 14:40

Thank you!

Ds has mentioned that some of his friends are very clued up about open days, but I think they should focus on the AS exams instead of roaming round the country at this stage. Also from what I've read the Open Days sound an absolute nightmare with four-square red-trousered dads and gimlet-eyed mums elbowing everyone out of the way - especially the potential students themselves. I think it would all put ds off. As it is he snorts that if he ever goes on the Student Room he can tell that most of the posters are mums.

GentlyBenevolent · 10/03/2015 16:51

Brenda - at the two things DD1 has already gone to there have been so far as I could see no dads and no gimlet eyed mums however since I left her to her own devices once the venue came into sight on each occasion I can't really judge - maybe all the gimlet eyed folks were already there (although she says not). I won't be able to check out the parent situation at the two open days she is going to in April either - I'll be on another continent. If we waited until after the AS exams are finished she would be applying to 5 conservatoires without having seen any. Not surprisingly she's not keen on that. Equally, if we had waited until after the AS exams were finished she wouldn't have attended the music taster day at cambridge and that would have been missing out too (in fact, missing out massively since she found it extremely useful and it gave her her EPQ idea).

Original poster
Needmoresleep · 20/03/2015 10:52

Brenda, I would not worry about the red-trousered dads. The entertainment is to play question bingo. One of them is bound to ask a question about prejudice against private school pupils. One reason why I liked Warwick was that there were a lot of mums with sons who looked like mine. Perhaps Squirrels was there. I could see my son getting on with these would-be maths/engineering/economics students and having a great time, though for DS imagioning life at a campus University required quite a big leap.

DD seems to be focussing, or rather the school seem to be piling on the prep. I dont envy those aiming for conservatoires. DD has always done a lot of Extra Curricular but for the first time is skipping some. I guess with schoolwork, social life and EC something has to give.

OP posts:
MorvahRising · 20/03/2015 23:44

DS is off to an Oxbridge conference next Friday. He is in the 'Aiming High' stream but frankly the way the maths is going at the moment I'm not sure Oxbridge is the way to go!

He also went to a UCAS exhibition last week and came home with loads of brochures. Had good chats with really helpful people on some of the stands; Imperial, Bath, Surrey, Cambridge, Manchester and Bristol especially. He's also keen on Southampton but they were so busy apparently you could barely get near the stand!

needmoresleep we might add Warwick to our list; I like your description.

AtiaoftheJulii · 20/03/2015 23:54

DD2 went to a UCAS thing yesterday and asked the Cambridge admissions person to confirm that which college you applied to didn't affect your chance of getting in, and explained that her Director of 6th Form Studies had suggested the opposite to her. Cambridge admissions bod said dd was quite right and that if she were brave she could suggest to said Director that she go on one of their events for teachers, lol!

BrendaBlackhead · 21/03/2015 08:43

But then I was speaking to someone recently who said they had a family tradition of going to a certain Cambridge college - grandfather, father, sister, niece... so there must be something in it.

AtiaoftheJulii · 21/03/2015 09:07

No, just means they are all applying to the same college and being lucky enough to get in! There is no way that the people interviewing you would say, well, she's a bit of an idiot and we have lots of better candidates, but her dad came here so let's be nice. Maybe in the case of the grandfather and the father, but no chance these days.

Original poster
Needmoresleep · 21/03/2015 09:26

Morvah, the Open Day was fun. I was the sad mum walking around without a boy as he had only booked me into the car park but not into any of the talks. It meant I was able to have a good walk round. Generally I found it useful to see the various options. Our DC have some difficult decisions to make, especially if they miss their grades in the summer, and it is nice, if asked, to be able to offer constructive thoughts. Of the five Universities we saw together (1 Open Day and 4 self guided tours) I really could not see him at three of them, though ironically at least one might be perfect for DD. As it turned out he shared my view. You should add Warwick to your list. the campus has a lot to offer, and my impression was that because of its location it attracts students from all over.

Brenda, the trouble then is when the next family candidate comes along and does not get a place. Top American Universities allow legacy candidates whose families have a long, and generous, relationships. In the UK I assume there is a quick rewriting of bequests!

DD's school is piling on the work. Timed papers in class, coursework to finish, etc. She is just tired, and more than aware that she is going to have to continue at this pace through the Easter holidays.

OP posts:
hellsbells99 · 21/03/2015 09:51

DD2 has had her first official AS exam this week - a science EMPA (practical) and has 2 more next week. She has a lot of revision to do this weekend! Plus she had a maths C2 mock last week.
We did some open days last year as she was dragged along when we were looking for DD1, but she will be looking at booking ones relevant to her for June/July. Some do clash so try and do some as soon as AS exams finish. They also get booked up so do book as soon as you can. If your DCs are applying for Oxbridge, medicine or vetmed, then schools will be expecting their ucas applications to be done during September as the deadline is in October. DD1 (who wasn't applying for that deadline) submitted hers around 20th Oct and had completed her interviews and received offers by Xmas which was great so she could then concentrate on mocks etc.
I can't believe after going through it all last year, I've got to do it all again!
Also hoping that DD1 gets her grades, otherwise we will be going through clearing and having to to more open days that week.

hellsbells99 · 21/03/2015 09:57

Morvah - Manchester and Bath were 2 that we visited last year. DD1 liked both but they were very different universities/experiences. Manchester is a City university with a main road running through it (although separate accommodation campuses) whilst Bath is very much a campus university (I found it a bit claustrophobic to be honest but didn't say that to DD).

MorvahRising · 21/03/2015 10:13

needmoresleep and hellsbells thank you for your impressions. DS thinks, and I agree with him, that he would probably be happier at a campus university. Trouble is, for his subject, a lot of the good ones are non-campus, big city universities.

I wish they could all have a good rest at Easter, but there doesn't seem to be chance of that. It'll fly by in a haze of past papers!

DontGotoRoehampton · 21/03/2015 10:34

Shock at booking open days.
Had no idea they should be doing that.
When DS wakes up - need to ask him about that...

SecretSquirrels · 22/03/2015 16:40

DS has done another C2 mock and practicals in all his sciences. He's doing past papers now for revision although in some subjects they won't cover all the curriculum until close to the exam.

When DS1 was looking at open days he went to most without me. I took him to a couple and wandered around while he went to the talks. When it came to looking back at the visit a second pair of eyes was really useful. I saw no sign of pushy parents. In hindsight I wish he had visited more and that I had gone with him to more and will be encouraging DS2 to visit as many as possible once AS are over.

DS2 is going to a science department taster day for year 12s at York tomorrow. These can be as useful as a full open day because they get a talk on admissions, a little tour plus some sample lectures.

AtiaoftheJulii · 22/03/2015 20:33

Just reading back on this thread a bit, and wondered what I know that the RG Unis really are not interested in detailed applications till after the results are out so its all informal at this stage means?

Marni23 · 23/03/2015 19:53

I didn't understand that comment either Atia

DD has booked a couple of Open Days now and registered her interest for a 3rd which hasn't opened for bookings yet (Durham). She also attended a subject open day last week which was useful in that it confirmed she doesn't want to apply for a joint honours course.

Mocks are done and the results she's had so far have been encouraging. She has an Oxbridge Conference this week then breaks up for Easter on Friday thank heavens. This has been such a busy term and her workload has been really heavy too; she's really ready for the holiday as am I even though most of it will be spent revising.

hellsbells99 · 23/03/2015 20:04

Maybe it means Ucas applications start in September after the AS results?

Leeds2 · 23/03/2015 20:26

What are your DC's schools "policies" on attending open days during term time? Just looked, and DD will be able to attend one at the moment, which is causing me concern! (one, out of places/courses that she is likely to get into)

Marni23 · 23/03/2015 20:48

DD's school allow them to take 2 days off to attend open days etc Leeds. I'm assuming that doesn't include the 2 conventions that the school have booked them on/taken them to. And I'm also hoping that they'll reset the clock next term as DD has already attended one subject open day on a school day. Of the 3 she's booked so far though one is during the Easter hols and 2 are on a Saturday.

Leeds2 · 23/03/2015 21:02

DD has 4 days off (specified days) for Open Days but unfortunately there is only one she would be interested in on those days. And, sadly, she is busy for almost every single day throughout the summer. I wish we had done some last year.

Leeds2 · 23/03/2015 21:03

She is though going on two afternoon courses at London unis so will hopefully get a feel for them.