Year 12 preparing for AS levels

[HSMMaCM]

Here we are everyone.

Sugar - DD's hair has been assorted colours this year. It's more or less normal at the moment (although chemically straightened).

I think you are right about Maths bigTilly. Those departments don't seem so bothered about the PS. My older dd's (languages and arts applicants) met people who had read the PS.

For those applying for English, maybe apply to be a library volunteer over the summer holiday reading schemes? Might be worth a punt.

The Night Manager was excellent and the bright side of missing the weekend is also dodging tomorrow's hangover. DS is tucked up just in case his appendix rumbles again but having spent one night in a men's surgical ward with a cannula, he reckons another disturbed night is to be avoided. So if the pains return seriously, he'll tough it out till morning before going back for more tests.

This talk of personal statements is very worrying and I am relieved that by re-doing Y12 next year, we have postponed the evil day. Not entirely convinced that DS's critiques of games, books and films will impress, even if the science-y end of that does turn out to his metier.

..to be his metier.

Leeds DD volunteered for the library reading scheme last summer - I'd forgotten that, thanks for the reminder.

Littleham what a good idea, I'll tell her and we can do that in the holidays.

My experience with ds (now in his 2nd yr) was that they weren't interested, on the PS, in all the mass of stuff he'd done with his life (in terms of jobs, leaderships stuff with scouts, awards, achievements and stuff) all the advice was to write it about how passionate you were about the subject, and focus it all on the subject.

Yes DD tells me similar BackforGood - how it's all got to be very grown up and professional. Whereas I thought it would be disarmingly cute to talk about how her whole life has gradually led her towards her enthusiasm for this subject - her very genuine love of the natural world.

Apparently this would be too flowery. My killer opening line is apparently "just the sort of cliche we were told to avoid"

I still rather like it though!
Ah well, perhaps I'll have to apply for a course myself

mrsFluffy thanks so much for that info about Chemistry. It makes so much sense.

DS wasn't given any 'bridging the gap' advice unfortunately, as his school ends at Year 11 and then they choose a sixth form college. Neither institution gave any advice.

Gosh,I 've just refound this thread.You've all moved on.Worryingly I haven't even thought or worried about the personal statement.DD is more concerned about getting the relevant work experience for the course she wants.So I'm being booked for farm visits,5.30 am starts for calving etc.Having done some hospital voluntary week she decided she didn't want to do medicine and preferred Vet. Science.So we have had a major panic sorting out last minute work experience.
Only one AS to worry about -Maths .

Maths going well here, but it was always his best subject. Apparently the mock was a bastard, though, for everyone.

Can't even think about PS yet as he doesn't know what he wants to do

In one way he's easier than DS1 who would not work, in another he's a worry because he has no idea what subject he'd like to study...

Hi getoff - to me helping them gain some relevant experiences is all related to writing the personal statement and general preparation for Uni applications and interviews. Having some decent stuff to talk about whether on paper or in person will be such a help I think. My DD is going off to Finland for two weeks at the beginning of the summer hols as she gained a place on an international camp where she will be able to have a "Nordic adventure"

Helping with/observing calving sounds just the sort of thing to be doing ATM for your DD. I lived with some vet students at Uni and one morning I joined my friend to help out (well she may have been some help!) with lambing on a farm. A very memorable experience - perhaps she could do that too?

horsemad both mine are still undecided.

Too many options still on the table.

DD still not sure whether to go for drama school or university. DS unsure what subject or if he wants to study in the UK or the US.

I'm doing the whole relaxed Mama schtick but inside I wish they'd make their damn minds up!!!!

I've decided that dd3 should train to be a professional poker player. Music exam completed and she is frustratingly vague about it. Could be good, could be bad.

She does seem to be narrowing down on courses now and there are now sticky notes attached to the prospectuses. Only two courses to decide between now (if she gets the AS grades). She has booked three Open Days. All over 4 hours train journey.

Crawling towards the Easter holidays.

DD has been putting together a revision plan for the Easter break this evening - filling in a blank timetable sent out (online) by school. She has good intentions for study every day - evenly divided between her 4 subjects - except for the 5 day residential trip she has in the middle with a youth group she's involved with. I'm rather glad that by booking her on that we have enforced some relaxation time with friends at some point. And hopefully it will make a good sandwich with some time for study before and afterwards.
Plan is all good, but the real test is in the implementation!

Littleham, I have sent DD links to the furthest away uni open days and am hoping she will decide and book (seems to want to go with friends) and then look at what she could do there!

I'm not sure if she has a revision plan, but she is currently helping her bf organise his files (he's doing A2's) so I think she must know what she's doing

One friend asked another where her year 13 son who has an unconditional offer will be going to. Answer was 'not bloody far enough away'

Hang in there Draylon, hard though it might be. Just to warn you though for summer next year they seem to have quite long holidays on the BTEC, though might just be DD's course. They're wrapping up end of May/middle of June.

After a very shaky pass and one project where the marking scheme was accompanied wit comment along the lines if she just scraped a pass, DD's last project has shown a different side of her to the tutors and one was trying to persuade her to stay next year. All I could think was that I couldn't stand another year of it, how bad a mother am I. Obviously I didn't say this but did the whole listening thing and by the end of text conversation she decided she's going with leaving, living abroad and doing the Japanese A level.

Not sure whether she might change her mind but doubt it. I need to be prepared and encourage her if she does a lot of sense doing the second year if she could hack it. It's just it feels like I'm doing her BTEC with her as she is constantly texting me whilst at college as not enjoying it. That has fractionally improved the last couple of weeks though.

No thoughts of university for DD at moment any more. I've told her to travel for a bit then decide. Thought for ages that she wouldn't be able to hack a degree but she obviously can do things when she enjoys it as her recent distinctions show. Her tutor told her yesterday some of her written work is very good and she is showing a talent for graphic design which is something for her to think about.

I want her to have the option open to her in the future but think she needs a break. This year has been very stressful for her 3 different courses at 2 different places in 3 weeks, then hating her course, losing her Grandad in September and now we're waiting for my Mother to die. That could be weeks or months though so trying to carry on as usual.

Friends came round last night who have a DD in same chemistry class as otter friends DD. They are very worried about the U in chemistry mock too. It's not easy being parent of a sixth former is it ?!

They're wrapping up end of May/middle of June

NOOOOOOOO! I must check this tomorrow night. I can't think that DD's course will be done by then, but I hope not, as if so she'll be going in for precisely 4.5 lessons a week for her AS.

Am sorry to hear your mother is so unwell SugarPlum
That must be so hard for you all

All this exam stuff doesn't take place on it's own does it - complicated life goes on all around our DC, and so often we have to hope they can find the resilience to come through it all as well as they can.

For those with children taking a break, just be warned my niece took a 10 year break and is just now finishing her masters degree. In the meantime, she has travelled the world and earned her keep on the way and returned to her degree course with a more mature approach. It can work, but was a bit stressful for her parents. We never thought she'd go back to uni because she wasn't cut out for it and hated it the first time. Now she is loving it.

Thanks Juggling. It's a bit soon after FIL to be back to dreading the phone going but life goes on and we're trying to keep things as normal for the DC as we can.

HSM, I could do with a 10 year break !

T&T probably just DD's course. The deadlines for final 3 projects are end of May but DD under impression course finishes 17 June and has a GCSE on 9 June.

Juggling, that's so true about complicated life going on around them whilst they're trying to get through coursework and exams. My father died last month in extremely difficult circumstances and I've been quite ill. With DD already away at university, it hasn't been a barrel of laughs for my Year 12 DS.