Year 12 preparing for AS levels

[HSMMaCM]

Here we are everyone.

Wow, don't remember doing anything in our lessons. In fact, did we even have lessons? Too long ago to remember now

BTM - I remember something in maths about throwing a tennis ball off a mountain and I remember my English literature teacher asking if anyone had actually read the book we were discussing

Dingit how are things and Ono too? Hope all those with exams are bearing up.

It doesn't seem like long since the GCSE's in one way, yet this flipping BTEC seems to have gone on forever. I'm hoping the Japanese A level next year won't be too traumatic and that she hasn't slipped too much since last summer.

2017 University League tables are out.

Here

You can search by subject too. That's how dd picked her top choices because the best ranked uni is not necessarily the best for every subject.

Thanks, Fairenuff. That was an interesting read!

Yes, great link - will remember it to show DD after the exams. She was talking about booking an open day yesterday

Thanks Fairenuff.

DS still poorly and got into a right flap last night as he could barely remember his name let alone what he was supposed to be revising. He has no lessons until 12 today so I have let him stay at home for some extra restorative sleep and he is up and revising now, looking brighter. Throat swab came back clear of Strep but still waiting for the blood test for glandular fever and full blood count (which will just show his white cells are low). Hey ho, who said parenting was easier. Should have stuck with dogs...

Thanks for the link.
How much of a say are you having in which universities your DCs consider? Some of the preferred options are too far away - we are in the south west and one that was popular was in the north of Scotland! I'm not going to be in a position to drive over 500 miles to take her/collect her from university. I'm not popular right now.

Titanium I do think distance is important to take into consideration although not impossible. It's fine to say that you won't be driving any further than 'X' distance and if they want to go further than that they will have to arrange alternative transport.

They have to start thinking and acting like adults when they live independently and taking into account both the cost of travel and the time needed is one of things they need to get savvy at. How about suggesting she looks at train times and prices before she makes any final decisions?

The other thing to take into consideration is that if there is a perfectly good uni nearer to home that has the course she wants, why go further afield? What is there to gain? The only positive that I can think of is that the cost of living might be cheaper than the south west (including accommodation costs) but that would have to be balanced against the cost of travelling home for Christmas and Easter, for example.

Titanium...was this for Forensics in Dundee by any chance?v cheap to live there
if you live in SW...there is a train that goes all the way from Aberdeen- Dundee to Exeter ( and beyond)
(btw my DH lived in N Wales and went to Uni in Aberdeen and loved it dd at Dundee and only comes home at Easter and Christmas!)

Btw if they open a student account with Santander they will get a free four year railcard which is worth having if it looks like they will need to use the train. My dd opened an account over the phone last year and it only took a few minutes.

DD got an E for her classics mock and has torn ligaments in her ankle before her dance and drama assessments week after next. She's more or less given up :(

Oh no HSM
How did she do her ankle? DS often does his ankle at footy and we have a large supply of a special sticky bandage (you put a cushioning one under) which he has to wrap around his foot/ankle in a figure of 8. He also has to do the heat/cold treatment daily when things are bad. Would any of that help?

Sorry to hear that HSM.

Is there any chance the dance and drama result could be based on her mock?

A friend of DD who has been very ill isn't going to sit any exams in this cycle. For the A levels which still have a coupled AS, her mock grade will be used.

Btm- thanks we have the sticky strapping and crutches.

Getahaircut - I have emailed her teachers to see what our contingency plans might be.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a miracle recovery, but as DD is hyper mobile it is unlikely.

Try not to worry.

Every year kids must get sick or injured, right? Schools have contingency plans.

That's what I told DD. Children must break their legs, be hospitalised and all sorts at exam time.

I'm pretty sure the school can apply to have their mock grade taken.

We had a difficult evening and night before DD's first Art exam today mainly as sketch book has to be handed in too and she'd left herself too much to do at the last minute - lots of great ideas and beginnings of things but not so great on the time management and getting everything looking good and in place in the sketch book. She had a short sleep on my shoulder around 6am and seemed slightly refreshed after that - luckily she seems to cope reasonably well on little sleep (and has done this before)
So she went in with all her work and will have to balance her time today and Tuesday between a final exam piece and finishing of things in the sketch book - which isn't ideal as that should really have been done. But I kept saying you'll just have to do the best with the ten hours you now have today and Tuesday. She seemed to have a plan and went in in fairly good spirits saying it might just work out. Fingers crossed, exam started at 9 and is an all-dayer.

Thinking of everyone who's not well or out of action ATM, hope everyone gets well soon

HSMM Oh no, such bad timing. I hope they will take her mock result.

dd2's exams go until the end of June because she does Further Maths. A2 teaching for the other subjects starts BEFORE she takes her last three exams which should be interesting.

• sorry meant dd3

Juggling I take it that means you have been up all night ?

Well not exactly HSM as I'm a good sleeper and you can't do it for them can you? But what with DH setting the alarm at 5 to go chasing after some of the new bird arrivals (feathered ones of course) I was up quite early - thanks for your concern

April and May have the double whammy here of exam season and Spring migration!

In better news I'm feeling quite encouraged about a grant application I managed to get in this week for a continuation next year of a counselling course I'm starting next week at our local college. That should be interesting - looking forward to it. Also thinking DD, DS and I can all study together over the next few years, or at least in parallel.

And hopefully DS will be bringing home a mushroom risotto from school today - cookery class - though you're not allowed to call it that any more?!

So, how is everyone after the long weekend? That mushroom risotto seems a long time ago now even though it was tasty (though the boys, DH and DS, remain to be convinced about sloppy rice!)

Poor DD had a bit of a nightmare yesterday with her Art AS, due to not having finished off her sketch book in time (this had to be handed in with her final piece) So she was planning to "steal" some time from the 10 hrs for her final piece to work on the sketch book, but in the end found it hard to tear herself away from working on it, so only spent about last hour on skectch book which sadly wasn't really enough So she came out of exam quite upset about it all.
Still final piece was worth 10% and sketch book 30% of overall mark so there are other marks to be had too - for an earlier project which she still has a little time to work on (polish off) before finally handing in on the 13th.

Meanwhile 3 other subjects to think about, and hopefully revise for, starting two weeks yesterday.

In better news DS(14) has got through to the second stage group auditions for a place at the Britten Sinfonia Academy. He plays the trumpet and has to prepare the trumpet parts of Schubert's 8th Symphony (unfinished) 1st movement. All seems very grown-up. Will be a great experience I'm sure.
The trumpet part doesn't look too difficult, but still!

Oh, if he got it it would involve a few weekends a year on residential training weekends - with professional musicians and working alongside other members of the Academy - and with accompanying concerts.