Year 12 / 6th form support thread

[minesawine]

The term is about to start and I though it would be good to have a support group to help us on our 6th form journey.

May the year be drama-free and our DC's study hard and without complaint

Thanks Atia ... you know what she’s like she tries to be bomb proof but she’s just fucked off now! I’ve made it clear to the school how unhappy we are but I doubt it will have an effect. One if her chemistry teachers has not turned up to three out of the last four lessons (& was 20 minutes late for the other one) - no work, no explanations. No one seems bothered by that.

At least dd now admits I was right when I said she should’ve moved to the grammar school!

They have a unifrog day today - I don’t if it’s useful if you don’t know what you’d like to do but dad has just called to say it’s pointless for her so she’s coming home at lunchtime.

Typos abound :/

DD has started her mocks this week, this one was an outlier as the others are in 2 weeks time.
As a “break from revising” , she and a friend went to the open day at Royal Holloway yesterday. It’s the first open day she’s been to. Off to 2 more next week, this time with us as they’re on Friday & Saturday so a good chance for a catch up and an excuse to meet up with family on the Saturday evening.
I feel we’re a bit late starting open days as DD had just started in a new school (boarding) last September so trying to set up open days felt like an additional stress she didn’t need at that time.
How’s everyone else been finding the experience?

errorofjudgment we've only done one with three more booked in currently, although trying to galvanise to get another couple in this side of the summer hols.

DS's school head of sixth form said that 5-6 in total was more than enough. I think he's right. As he commented, the student experience varies little between unis (possibly with the exception of the collegiate based ones). It's time, effort and money and tiring doing these things on top of work and other commitments. We are a car-free family and DS not interested in any of the London/Home Counties ones (because they are 'on our doorstep'), so travel is a schlep. I would find it preferable for them to be during the summer hols TBQH - at least then one could turn trips into mini-breaks too.

errorofjudgement
We did one local one last September. It was never really on DD's list but felt it was a good one to get the ball rolling. We are off to three in a row at the end of the month and a final one mid July. Fingers crossed she likes some of them!!

We did visit the campuses earlier in the year to see whether the open days were worth the trek and so we could prioritise them if open days clashed. This worked as it ruled one in which hadn't been on the radar before and completely ruled another one out just on gut feeling.

Everyone is at least a 4 hour drive from home so none could be visited without a bit of planning/hotel rooms etc.

Ds did one yesterday by himself (helped by his sister who is already there). Visiting others over the next 3 weekends. Then will catch up with a couple more in September. All the ones he wants to visit are a good 2-3 hours drive away.

I'm in a real panic. DS decided to log-in for the first time to kick start his UCAS application. Anyway I've just discovered by accident that all his GCSE certificates are detailed with diminutive first name not the full version....AAAARGH

I'd give UCAS a call for advice. I found them really helpful

Thanks, Decorhate. I could not believe it when DS told us this morning. Cursing self for not really 'clocked' it when he got his GCSE certificates...

error, what did your DD think of Royal Holloway? DD has been looking at courses that require AAA, she's now predicted B for one of her subjects and fears it won't increase, so might have to review options with there being one at Royal Holloway.

We're in the same boat as you boarding and DD's not home at weekends. DD has done LSE with a friend, Gloucestershire (as close for comparison only). She's home this weekend and we have Warwick lined up. We can do Birmingham in October and that's basically it. Keep telling her to email questions, I'll drive her to look around an area in the hols, but she's not interested.

By the way, you joined my thread last September when my DD was struggling with the change to boarding, complete turn around now, loves it, the school, the girls, very tired but says she doesn't actually want to come home for a break in the hols!

Laniakea, how's your daughter this week?

Hi @ifonly4 I certainly do remember you & your DD. It was lovely having another mum with a DD going through the same experiences and being able to support each other. So good to know she’s settled in so well, I can’t believe that in a few weeks their boarding experience will be half way through!
DD thought the buildings at RH were fabulous, very Hogwarts! But was less impressed with the sample lectures she sat in on - History and English Lit. Can’t comment on any other courses though.

We are seeing Surrey (Guildford School iof Acting) & Warwick this weekend, then off to Birmingham in October too.

Our nearest uni is Bath & DD has done extra-curric stuff at both Bath and Bath Spa, so I’m hoping that will be enough general looking round.
But with DD, heaven only knows!!

Ds is currently at RHUL if you have questions. Dd went on a school trip to Cambridge earlier this week. Internal exam results are a bit of a mixed bag so far though, so not sure she is confidently on course. We've got a couple of open days booked for July but her intended course is so specific the long list is not that long! Bit concerned so many are northerly as she is miserable in bad or cold weather.

Glad your dad has settled so well ifonly :)

Dd is okay. We’re going in tomorrow to hopefully sort out the medical plan - she’s got another three days that she’ll be off before the end of term if they count those she’ll go well below 90%. I’m not too hopeful about any resolution to all the other issues - her chemistry teacher did finally give her some feedback ... I don’t see you as an A* student because your not one of the weird ones. She’s definitely getting a thicker skin & as pretty much lost all respect for the school now.

Two days study leave next week, then the next round of mocks, up to Bangor at the weekend, more mocks & work experience* the week after, the Southampton open day & the Headstart course ... so not long to go!

*still not organised as things stand she’s going to be helping my dad fit a kitchen :D

Nice to see this thread active again!

My ds is taking the last of his mocks (end of year exams?) today. Seems like they all do it on a different schedule. He will get the results next week. Maths, Further Maths and CS. He is aiming for at least 1 A* and the rest A's as that is what the degrees require. His 6th form use these mocks for predicted grades I think.

We too have been thinking about Uni. For him it is a maths degree. We live in London and he is applying to Imperial, Queen Mary's, Kings definitely. Maybe one more London one. Then at least one out of London. Warwick is one on his short list.

However, he is really hoping not to go to any of them as he wants to do a degree apprenticeship. Those you apply for separately to UCAS. They all have different dates and different ways of applying to there will be a lot to keep track of.

I came across a very interesting option today for anyone interested in engineering... www.dysoninstitute.com

Oh, and just to add.....after being vehemently opposed to even considering Oxbridge, he is now saying he is interested in Cambridge! I have no idea where the change came from. His school provide support for the special maths tests (can't remember the names!) and he has been doing the practice anyway as Imperial and others also require them, so it is not more work as such, but I was very surprised!

What do the degree apprenticeships involve?

Degree apprenticeships - you get a job! Employer gives you a day off a week to study and you get a degree for free. No maintenance loan or being a full time students in halls etc though.

Yes, I'm aware of the general concept, lol! I should have been more specific perhaps - I wondered what the ones in which Wiifitmama's son is interested involve. I.e. what sort of apprenticeships is appealing to someone who's thinking of a Cambridge/Warwick/Imperial maths degree?

Usually takes longer to get your degree, 4-5 years, and the ones I’ve seen at Warwick (JLR & Dyson) are employer specific.
Look like a good option if you’re looking to start work at 18.

The degree apprenticeships he is looking at are mostly computer engineering ones. BBC and Goldman Sachs both are done through Queen Mary's in London. He is also interested in Cyber Security so will be applying to GCHQ. That one is not London based but I think is Manchester. A new one I came across this week is Dyson Institute which is a little different. It is a BEng and is run the same way as other degree apprenticeships but is on their Dyson campus. That one is done through Warwick Uni.

All the ones we have looked at are 4 years. You do 3 days a week with the employer and 2 days at Uni. You get the same degree as everyone else at the end, but no debt and you are a full employee of the company with salary (between £12-£16K usually) and all the employee benefits.

You do not apply through UCAS - you apply direct to the company. So it doesn't use any of your UCAS slots. In many ways, it is more competitive to get into than some of the top Uni's. They are looking for way more than good A level grades. They want to see evidence that you are working on projects related to your degree outside of school and have lots of work experience etc. I found it really useful to go with my son to a degree apprenticeship open day event at Queen Mary's last year where I could speak directly to the recruiters and find out more about what he needed to do to have a shot at it all.

The massive advantage beyond the obvious financial one is that if they chose not to stay on at the company after the apprenticeship, they have 4 years industry experience over and above all the other graduates applying for jobs.

Anyone else been in Manchester yesterday or Friday for an open day? Ds really liked it. The Com Sci dept put on three different talks - more than anybody else I think - and we went to all of them, plus the accommodation talk and tour. Was lovely to see him so enthusiastic

No AtiaoftheJulii but DS at Birmingham Uni yesterday and not entirely impressed so I think that will be coming off his long-list.

What put him off?

I think negative experiences are still very useful - all helps to work out what they actually want.

Yes, what put him off? It’s on our long list too but didn’t make the open day. Planning a separate trip at later date if it’s required.
It’s funny how they get a ‘feel’ for a place...we arrived at one and DD couldn’t get back in car quick enough!!

He didn't like the Geography lecture he went to (thought it a bit 'random'). He has only been to two so far though, so possible he may recalibrate views once he's got more of an overview.

Yes, agree that negative experience can be as useful as very positive ones. I guess that's the point of doing open days!