Sixth form - how tough is it? Opinions welcome

[NEScribe]

DD started 6th form this term. She is really struggling - says there is too much to learn, too fast. She is having constant tests/assessments in biology and says it is threatening to take over her life.

Is this normal? I have two older daughters but they left 6th form years ago and I don't remember them getting upset/stressed - at least not until final exams.
Any experiences appreciated. DD took 9 GCSEs this year and got good grades in most. Some of her friends struggled but she seemed to keep it altogether okay so I can't understand why suddenly she feels so overwhelmed.
thanks!

Biology, Maths and German are all facilitating subjects (subjects which RG universities require for entry). The Psychology isnt a facilitating subject and according to DD is currently the subject causing the most stress and tears.

Has your DD any idea what area she would like to study after A levels? There is no harm in starting this conversation now. It is an iterative process. What to study at degree level means what to study at A level. Dont like those A levels then back to the degree choices and round again.

A levels are a means to an end rather than being an end in themselves. Choosing A levels should be a fun process. Lots of thinking and visualising different futures.

Good luck to your DD in her GCSE year.

Thank you Gnome. My daughter is now thinking to do Computational Psychology with linguistics, hence the psychology A level. However, thanks for the heads up, I shall let her know what you dd said about this subject.

I googled it, looks very interesting. If that is what is pulling her forward then all power to her.

I only put the caveat in about psychology because too many of my DCs' friends started it thinking it would be fun and not too difficult only to find they have got it utterly wrong.

It looks like your DD has a good sense of what the subject would entail.

Is there no way that she can drop the EPQ OP? DD, now 1st year at Uni, started doing it and realised that she would struggle with her other important subjects if she continued. School were keen for her to carry on, but once she went and spoke the head of sixth form and explained how she was struggling, she was able to drop it. She ended up getting into her first choice, good uni which possibly may not have been the case if she'd spread herself too thinly by carrying on. It may be worth getting her to ask. Most unis, to my knowledge, don't make offers based on EPQ anyway.

"Most unis, to my knowledge, don't make offers based on EPQ anyway."

If it's a points offer, the EPQ is worth 50% points they can use for university entry.

If it's an offer university, then universities are increasingly making reduced offers on gaining the A in the EPQ. This year, at least 13 universities are doing this including Bath, Southampton, Birmingham, Leicester etc. Does depend on the subject though. But it is increasingly being used as part of an offer by more and more universities.

If the EPQ is going to jeopardise better results in the A levels then it is not going to add value and would be better dropped.

I do wonder if schools are keeping up with the shifting sands in higher education. My DD's school was encouraging students to start 5 A levels which just seems like madness.