Starting year 13 2016

[HSMMaCM]

Continuing from the year 12 - 13 thread.

Good luck with continuing studies, uni open days, driving tests, etc.

Carl, I don't suppose many of us would actually be 'chilled', but it does sound like she has lots of good options. I expect her DB will help keep her feet firmly on the ground too.

I think it is much easier to be chilled when they have actually arrived and you know they're ok. At this point there is that horrible limbo period with all the uncertainty and in my experience that can be worse than the reality.

Your DD may well be very different to mine but I had a lot more contact from mine than expected especially after her 'Now Mum, I don't mind speaking to you 3 or 4 times a week but I can't everyday' speech. I think there were only about 2 days where she didn't contact me having said that !

Hi Mirabelle, good to see you! Whats your DD up to at the moment?

Yes I think her DS most certainly will keep her grounded .

And yes, I think once she gets there and all is well, I will relax.

She's pretty good at keeping in touch. We've always been the sort of family who send each other daft texts. And I will go out and visit very soon to help look for somewhere to live.

There is a lot of hanging around on set so I suspect she will be on her phone quite a bit. This is when she thinks she will keep up with her school work but I remain unconvinced that's realistic.

Having options that are not reliant upon A level grades is extremely lucky.

Hi Dragon, she's on the sofa watching Gilmore Girls to catch up so we can both watch the new episodes ! More seriously, she has decided not to go back again as found it too cold and I think the lack of light was starting to make her a bit depressed. She sat her language exam just before Chrustmas so hoping she passed that, if not she'll resit in the summer.

She's decided she needs to go back to College so seeing if her first year of BTEC is enough to get her onto the Foundation Art Diploma at her old school. Last week she went back to pick up work from College and her teacher was trying to get her to go there to do it so it is looking hopeful she will get on. We'd both prefer her to go to the School though as so much closer but good to know she probably could get a space at College if it came to it.

The experience she gained doing some freelance work whilst away was great and has made her feel that her future does lie somewhere in the creative arts area but it's finding where exactly she fits. She's a dab hand at photoshop and did really well in the graphic design module on BTEC so another thing she's looking at. She's going to look for some part time work soon as wants to travel again a bit this summer.

She is a little fragile at the moment and needing a bit of TLC and peace and quiet which isn't easy with the builders in , but we'll manage and overall I think her time away has been a positive one - home and the UK isn't quite the enemy it was before !

How is your DD doing ?

It's lovely to read about what all your DCs are up to. Aren't they all grown-up?

DS spent the whole of yesterday tidying up his bedroom . This is the room that I have been unable to walk into for at least the last six months due to every single patch of carpet being covered by scraps of paper, old food & drink slowly decomposing, clothes that have been worn and dropped on the floordrobe, scrunched-up schoolwork, old bus tickets, a traffic cone, fancy-dress outfits, empty vodka bottles, random charging wires everywhere and about 30 teddy bears for good measure!

He has even managed to find his desk and clear a surface on it.

Things are looking up!

Name change I'm impressed. Was it revision avoidance ?

I remember a Finnish girl I met once being delighted by the 'good weather' and amount of daylight in York in about February, so I can imagine its not for everyone! Sounds like overall its been good experience though. Mine is working hard but hasn't tidied her room this holiday (namechange) - though she does at least keep her desk free for work and food and doesn't leave the latter to moulder.

All I heard was 'it's so bright' fir the first few days. Glad she is working hard Dragon, that's great. DD's was very tidy room is now dreadful again so I'm also Namechange.

Well done Namechange's DS!

Sounds like your DD had a good experience and lovely that she's back Mirabelle. Did she have a bf out there, or am I imagining that?

Carl, how exciting!

HSM, don't know how you're keeping your cook

AuntP, good to see ya - how's your DS doing?

DD is half-way through her mocks. I think they will be best viewed as a practice for the real thing!

I think they will be best viewed as a practice for the real thing!

well, yes, that's kind of the point of mocks - that and a wake-up call!

Yes she does BTM. He's hoping to be able to come here once he graduates. She's a bit worried about how Brexit will affect this and i'm finding it a bit tricky to know exactly what to say.

I know

Awww Mirabelle. Sadly noone knows how Brexit will affect things, but we have to hope for the best.

Well the tidy bedroom didn't last long. I've just opened the door and the carpet is again nowhere to be seen. I counted 17 separate mounds of paperwork and in the middle of the room DS appears to be building a bonfire.

Yes, HSM I'm sure it is revision avoidance. I can only hope that once he's disposed of /set fire to the 3 foot mound of rubbish he's accumulated in the middle of his room, he will finally sit at his desk and do some work!

Mirabelle - I'm sure you are finding it tricky to know what to say. Why don't you get him to email Theresa May to ask her? I'm sure she's got plenty of time on her hands.

DS told me yesterday he has got two offers!
Both AAB.

Well done to your DS Horse, they came through quickly. Where are they from and are they his favs?

Carl, your DD sounds like she is going to have an amazing time working on a movie! Who even needs A-levels if they have a film career and as she also has an unconditional offer then if I were her, I'd relax and make the most of it. No wonder her brother is a bit .

Namechange - sounds like your DS is practising for living like a student (lol at the traffic cone!). When DS goes away I am sure he will get complaints from his neighbours about the smell of mouldy towels and sweaty socks emanating from his room. The only time he makes an attempt at clearing up is when his GF is coming round (there's an idea, I could just suggest she comes round once a week).

AuntP, welcome back!

Mirabelle, I bet you are glad she's home and it sounds like she has plenty of options to explore. It's also good that she's seen that the grass isn't always greener...

Mocks start here on 1st Feb but no work is being done until the dreaded History coursework is out of the way.

Just had a very funny conversation with dd. She has her psychology mock tomorrow and I gave her the usual speech about having a good breakfast etc etc. She said "all I have to do is sit in a chair for 2 hours. What do I need all that energy for? I won't fall off my chair without it". I had to explain through my laughing that the calories were for her brain, not to keep her body upright

if she argues the toss tomorrow, tell her its really just to make sure her stomach doesn't rumble and distract the other students.

Are A level offers generally around the AAB mark? Back in my day [grandma] CCD was a normalish offer, with places like Bristol offering BBB. I got an unconditional from Birmingham but ended up getting a job instead.

You know,I think they just argue for the sake of arguing.And they know that no one also will allow them to get away with the way they behave with their mothers.I have to frequently walk away before I strangle dd.

Mirabelle glad your dd is back safe and sound and all grown up.
Well done Horsemads D's.
Hsmm you are extraordinarily laid-back on the surface but do you sometimes wake up in a cold sweat or is that just me?

MrsS it depends entirely on the course they have chosen and the university. DD ha 5 offers from RG unis, all ABB bar one which is BBB. But different unis will give different offers, non-RG probably lower, but the courses may be just as good if not better for some things.

Teta - I have perfected the appearance of being calm, but I am like a swan. All the action is going on out of sight under the water, while everyone thinks I look like I'm just gliding through life.

Dd went off for her mock with no breakfast. She has an allowance to take breaks in her exams, but said she feels bad asking for them, so she won't! I just smiled and waved her goodbye with a reminder to wee before the exam and check the back page.

Most of her course offers are AAB. She's love to go to Bath with her boyfriend, but no way she'll make the grades for that. This is all assuming she gets her ucas form in of course

Exam described as "tragic"

DD has a range of offers from AAB through to BCC - all look like interesting courses in some great places.
We're planning to visit some more, either for the first time or for a return trip for applicant days mostly in February, so we can try to decide which to accept as firm and insurance choices. We're beginning to get some sense of things but need to do a couple more visits especially to ones we haven't seen yet. Am quite looking forward to a mini trip to Swansea with DD - it seems such a lovely part of the world

I know, the standard offers seem quite shockingly high these days don't they MrsS? I went to Bristol Uni and then on to Exeter afterwards and thought nothing much about it - I'm quite impressed with myself now! They only asked for BCC back then.
And also impressed with DM getting to Royal Holloway in the 50's - although she went to a girls boarding school she was the only one to go to Uni in her year! Can you believe that?