Year 12-13 AS levels and beyond

[HSMMaCM]

Following on from the preparing for AS levels thread.

Hopefully everyone is finishing off AS exams.

DD has text to say the Manchester Open Day is really good. Hooray!

No interview practice here so far as I know, teta.

No, no interview practice here either. But DS has sorted himself out some work experience in the summer. He'll have to talk to people, presumably ...

Teta DD's school have 'interviewed ' for everything they've ever done. Formal application and interview for everything from part in a school play, prefect, attending the college etc. Also in year 11 they got managers in from local businesses to interview them for colleges and jobs they might be thinking of. DD said it was funny getting the manager of an IT company to interview her for both medical college and a ballet company .
It was worth it though because she was completely unphased when she went for a job interview.

She was also sent from college to interview the new school house captains, which she found more daunting than actually being interviewed. She has done casting for performances before which she was quite relaxed about but the face to face interviews she found quite difficult.

Oh HSM, I hadn't thought of it like that - DD had to do 6 sixthform application interviews as well as a Personal Statement/Letter of Application for each one.

So Manchester Uni gets a massive thumbs up despite a crazy lecturer in one of the talks. But they are a bit shocked by the standard of accommodation. Ie not 5 star

Tilly, Dd is a bit horrified about sharing bathrooms. They were unisex at Bath, and everyone knows that boys in toilets are disgusting creatures

DS has finished! Thank the Lord!

It has been gruelling (for me!) he's coped well but is naturally negative so we will wait and see how he's done.

We are off to Leeds open day tomorrow. Looking forward to that

bTM, what subject was the crazy Manc lecturer? I remember a particularly funny/crazy one there when DS1 had his offer day. That was Comp Sci.

dingit DS1's only specification was en suite accommodation! He would not entertain shared facilities! He liked it so much, he's going back to the same halls for Yr2!

Friend's DD is the same about ensuite, she'll be glad it isn't just her !

DH has taken DD to the airport. I felt quite bereft when they left. However I then decided to go into her room as someone told me she found that very hard so thought I'd bite the bullet straight away. It was like a bomb has exploded and you wouldn't think she'd taken 3 suitcases worth of stuff. It is now immaculate and will stay that way until Christmas unless she's back sooner so there are benefits ! Lucky DS will now get my undivided attention, he'll love that (not)!

SugarPlum I bet it will take some getting used to.
Great tip on doing the room immediately!

Dingit - boys wouldn't be an issue for DD - they'd never be able to get in there

Horse, Sociology. They should be on their way to Leeds by now!

Sugar - try to focus on the lovely clean room. Your DS will realise how much he misses his sister now that he has all your attention .

Has anyone still got more exams next week?

Hugs for Sugar but good thinking in going in there straight away.

BTM so glad to hear Manchester got a big thumbs up from your DD. I am somewhat biased as I work for them and was disappointed that DS didn't really like it. I think it was the lack of campus that put him off and the fact it is spread out all down Oxford Road (and Sackville Street if you're an engineer).

He went to Leeds on Thursday for a history taster session and loved it. However he was a bit at the offers which are AAA for history. So far the favourite seems to be Birmingham. He's doing a business taster course next week but is erring on the side of history.

He went back this week but they aren't doing much work. However the head of sixth form has told them to start drafting personal statements, getting relevant work experience for this, going on open days and finalising EPQ topics so it is all scarily real!

dd3 has two more exams next week and they are weighted so she wants to get high marks. She is beavering away at the moment - such a shame how long it has dragged on.

So jealous that you have all finished! Good luck to you and your dd sugar.

Yesterdays maths OCR exam was ok. Just one tricky question that foxed her to begin with and then the answer suddenly came to her right at the end of the exam. She managed to complete the five mark part but ran out of time for the three mark bit. Oh well.

Hi. I've been watching this thread as DD2 who is in year 13 has been doing an extra AS level. Between my 2 DDs, I have been to open days for Leeds, Liverpool, Sheffield, Nottingham, Birmingham, Durham, Bath, Cardiff, UEA, Manchester. DD2 also looked round Oxford, Cambridge and Warwick.
I don't think I disliked any of them! I liked Nottingham, but both DDs didn't.
We did factor in how easy it was to get a train home - both DDs wanted to be within a couple of hours or so of home. For most places, the accommodation in the first year can be costly - Durham was particularly expensive as most is catered. DD1 thought an ensuite was very important but after visiting friends at other universities this year, she says shared bathrooms are fine - particularly as they are cleaned very regularly (often daily or every 2 days)... Ensuites have to be cleaned by the students.
I do think it is very important to look beyond the first year - where they will be living etc. and don't forget they will be living there for 3 to 4 years.

Gosh Hells, you are an expert after all those visits!
I like your advice about having to clean your own ensuite - that could be a deciding factor for DD

BigTilly - I have enjoyed looking round all the different cities! DD2's criteria is that it has to have a good music scene - lots of gigs etc.

Yes, my DD is all about the social life. But then, I was too

News from the Bristol open day - they probably won't read the personal statement, it's all about the grades

Nutty, my DH says that (has been Hof6th) and my friend who is something important at an RG uni.

DS is visiting UCL and the Maths session at least says the PS is vital for choosing applicants so it seems to vary a lot.

Leeds is getting a thumbs up too!

I'm loving Leeds too!

Might come here myself

Horse, DD and her mates are in comfort-heaven - eating curry goat and dumpling. Lèeds may now be #1 choice

Bristol vet school say the statement is 70% weighted towards who they pick.15% a levels and 15% GCSE's.
Bristol is geting a pronounced thumbs up.