Thread 14? Corona Cohort Yr 12 2021 - 'Vaccinations and Eliminations'

[orangecinnamon]

Just place marking for the New Thread!

Disappointing grade sheet here too, maths is B although he got over 70% for the AS paper from September 2020.

@20NewNames there are resources on the HE+ website, for maths you can get workbooks and print off loads of past papers. He should have conveyed the AS syllabus by now. There are a lot of kids struggling with motivation at the moment.

Thanks @Monkey2001 I will have a look at the HE+ website you mentioned.

Maths is less of a problem actually as we know he totally messed up one paper due to getting the end time wrong (remote exam and he had initially seen the 'extra time' end time by accident) so didn't do it with any hurry then suddenly realised his actual time was up and so had 20 mins less than he thought. Not sure that makes sense but I know what happened! In the paper he did in full he got really good marks. He also likes maths most and therefore works hardest at it.

Chemistry is an issue, school have given very little support. He got an A in the initial settling in report then a C in a test in November ish then got an A in the next one just before Xmas which was a whole term test, thought he knew it so didn't do much for the recent exam and got a C again. Chemistry is also his least favourite out of his subjects (Double maths, Physics & Chemistry)

I feel bad as to be honest he's never really had to work hard before, so I am not sure we have helped him instill good study habits. He has always worked hard in class and done his homework but, if I am honest, not a lot else.

We watched a youtube video from Oxbridge on admissions together earlier and had a good conversation where he agreed he would need to put in the work and he gave the impression that he wanted to do so. We talked about getting a timetable together to plan his work and actually sticking to it, with encouragement from us. He seemed up for it so that may well be tomorrow's task in his free periods.

Problem is DH and I are not the best at sticking to things, so we also need to up our game to help him and give him the scaffolding that he needs to get into a routine.

Sorry for the long rant, I am just getting thoughts out there.

Lucy Parsons does seem interesting, although she seems very full on. I think I may scare DS off altogether if I go straight in there with her methods, so will go gently. How was her study club @orangecinnamon?

@20NewNames DS1 also did maths, physics, chem. All his revision was past papers. If he is considering Cambridge he needs to be genuinely interested in the subject he applied for. Is he thinking about Nat Sci, Maths or Engineering?

Thanks @Monkey2001. He is thinking engineering. He was initially planning on maths but feels it will get too theoretical.

I’ll be honest he’s only just beginning to actually look into it now. It has always just been in the back of his head that he would do maths at Cambridge. He has always been interested in both maths and engineering and how things work. He is often getting technical at the dinner table with DH (an engineer) to the extent I wonder why I am in the room!! So I hope he would be able to demonstrate a genuine interest for the subject. I am aware of the idea of supra curricular activities now too so will make sure he looks into those to ensure he can demonstrate further.

DD is hoping she will be allowed to drop her 4th subject after half term. She has assessments next week, but has no time to do any revision yet. Her online timetable is the same as if she were at school and she is still getting 2-3 hrs HW each evening. She said yesterday that despite all that, she feels as though she has learnt nothing since Christmas. She can't even remember which topics she has done in most subjects. The online set up makes everything seem a bit remote and definitely limits interaction in terms of asking questions and asking for clarification. She also finds it really hard to take notes whilst watching PPTs etc

I think dd has decided against applying to Oxbridge, which I think is the right decision, although it doesn't feel like a very informed one! She gets overwhelmed with work, is quite a slow worker and not one to do extra, so the thought of even doing the extra required to get in (exam, interview prep etc) is too much, let alone the pace of work once there! That's my feelings, not hers though - I think she's just not keen on the idea, not sure why.

I mentioned a course I'd seen at Exeter on Sunday and got the 'I don't want to talk about the future, it will stress me out' face, so quickly shut up. Then a prospectus from Kent that I'd ordered arrived on Monday and she said 'oh I don't want to go there, I want to go to Exeter'! I was like, 'since when?!'. She said 'you told me about that course yesterday'. It later transpired that one of her best friends from summer camp is keen on Exeter and she likes the idea of them being there together! Dd always seemed quite mature for her age when she was younger, but suddenly I feel that she needs to grow up a bit...!

Hope everyone gets to drop their fourth subjects soon - and is clear which one to drop!

Ds's school don't drop the 4th subject until after AS level results. So they discuss it when they return to year 13 in sept. Ds knows which one he should drop, but prefers that to another subject. I've said on here before that ds1 dropped geography, he got the best grade in that subject too. He wasn't enjoying it. I was worried at the time...but all worked out ok.

I think my DD wants to drop geography. She likes the subject (more so than business which was her 'fourth' subject), but the workload is astronomical. And she really hasn't got a clue about how to go about the required coursework/research project.

It’s interesting schools are still doing ASs - I thought they were extinct now. Just a cautionary thought:
A couple of years ago, in my older daughter’s year, two of her friends worked so hard for the AS (usually chosen as the one of the four subjects you liked least and didn’t want to carry on)that they fell behind in other subjects. So when it came to it, they actually dropped another subject (to finally have 3 A Levels but also an AS in one of the same A Levels). This was ok except for one girl who meant her combination was now a difficult fit for the course she needed to do. She ended up doing a foundation year.

You can often find Oxbridge interview style questions online. Might he like to look at those and see how they make him feel? If he gets excited by them, it might spur him on.

@Zandathepanda we have 2 secondary schools nearby. The nearest is over the border in Norfolk. They don't take AS levels there, just A level. But my dc's go to the secondary that is slightly further away but in Suffolk as we live in Suffolk. There they do take AS levels. I didn't realise AS weren't actually essential. Ds1 has a couple of friends that failed AS level in a subject they really enjoyed. So they had to stop the course, but my friend who's dc's attend the Norfolk school said that if they were at that school they wouldn't have failed the AS and therefore would have continued their chosen subject and may well have caught up. But they could have wasted a second year by failing anyway. So I don't know which is best. At the Norfolk school they also take 4 A levels without dropping a subject at the end of year 12. My friends ds needed 3 A stars for his firm choice university. But instead he got 2 A's and 2 A stars. So had to go to second choice university. Maybe if he'd taken 3 A levels he may have had the 3 A star grades he needed. It's interesting how the schools do things so differently (coming from an area where there aren't a lot of schools to choose from)

I can definitely see the benefit of ASs in the current climate. I heard Cambridge liked them and wanted them to continue. However, my older Dd was already doing an EPQ. She was very focused on getting the highest grades and she phoned up the universities she was originally looking at (including Cambridge) and they all said an AS wouldn’t make a difference to their offer (although York and Newcastle said an A in EPQ would). Manchester and Leeds wouldn’t drop a grade for EPQ. Can’t remember about Warwick. So she presented her ‘results of discussion’ table to the Head of Sixth Form and won her argument for dropping her AS early on in Year 12. She got 2 A stars and an A at A Level in 2019. And an A in EPQ which got her an offer grade lower in the 2 university courses she eventually applied to. The school didn’t like her putting only 2 down on UCAS either, but they were the only courses she wanted to do! She got offers from both. Not sure if I recommend her strategy in these times but she was very precise in what she wanted!

@crazycrofter as long as the Exeter course is good, I can totally see that after the year they have had, the idea of having a friend at university could feel very important! First years have had a very mixed journey at universities this year and many would have struggled less if they had a strand of normality to cling to. I think it may be difficult to secure accommodation with a friend at Exeter United you go into private halls, so you should make sure her expectations are to have a friend in the city rather than a friend in her flat.

@Monkey2001 I hadn’t thought of it like that but you’re right. She’s hoping that wherever she goes she’ll have a friend or two, as she has a huge circle of friends from two schools/youth groups/summer camps who are all likely to be going to ‘top tier’ unis. The one interested in Exeter is probably her closest friend though so that would be lovely!

@Zandathepanda that’s impressive regarding your DD making her case to drop her AS.
It’s great to hear of a teen who knows what they want and aren’t afraid to speak up to get it!

Fiddlers it sounds easier written down than it was in real life. There were a few sleepless nights! I was proud of her (especially as I didn’t get involved much).
I did think AS was a waste of time but possibly any qualification grades ‘under your belt’ is useful at the moment.

@Zandathepanda my friends ds did 4 A levels and an EPQ. I'm glad mine didn't go to that school. Quite a lot of work, but I expect they can drop one of they are struggling.

20newnames I have seen a few friends with DC at school I’m normal times who have found that it hasn’t been quite as straightforward switching to A level with physics and maths as they thought and haven’t really needed to work at it until then.

I think some are finding motivation a real issue at the moment, DS’s Head said last week that we are hitting the slog-it-out-phase and we are looking at weeks ahead of us home learning so the effort needed to sustain enthusiasm feels greater and it’s very normal for them to struggle to keep momentum. The advice is to look at home learning routine , mix it up a bit to feel different and check sleep schedule.

DS seems relatively ok in scheme of things though says he does find it a bit hard to get motivated. His project group are finding it really hard to collaborate with what they are doing online. Was talking to someone with DC in same class and he is definitely flagging at the moment and slacking off on homework which makes the situation worse as has a back log.

Had a lovely lunch break with DS who was surprisingly talkative. He wants to see results of next sets of tests but feels he is moving away from physics and thinking he would probably like to continue with maths after this .

The 4th subject being dropped has been tricky for my DS, he wants to drop PE but would likely get a high grade in it (he is good at it and he is doing Biology). He should drop maths but he sort of enjoys it more! He isn't naturally good at maths, which is why I think he should drop it. I think they drop the 4th subject after Easter, but I am not sure. Seems quite late compared to others, plus it means they don't get much spare time. They are definitely all flagging, even with shortend lessons, it is tough being online all day.

Thanks interesting about the maths and physics Foolsassassin. Glad he is not alone.

Hello everyone, been feeling a bit demotivated myself lately. I spend so much time worrying about the DCs that I find myself exhausted. The upside is they are both quite buoyant at the moment which is nice. Both are working with me in my office so it's a bit crowded but I think that maybe it makes them feel a bit more in a working environment so they focus more? We have A level report coming out this week (I thought it was last week but clearly can't read a calendar!), fingers crossed especially for Eng, DS handed in another essay after the last disaster one and is praying that its better received!! He has been talking with one of his friends who wants to set up a Lit Whatsapp group so that they can discuss things out of lessons and just get a better idea if they are on the right track with things, sounds like a good plan to me.

Its DS's birthday in March and he was so keen when he heard the news about possible back to school on the 8th as he thought he'd see his friends but he's now disappointed at the general opinion that it will be primaries and maybe Yrs 11 and 13 back. Poor thing, I did feel sorry for him, he hasn't seen a single soul except us since mid December.

It feels very odd hearing all this talk of ASs and dropping subjects, as our school is no ASs and straight into 3 A levels unless you're doing FM: but expect a good percentage of them to do EPQ.

@JustHereWithMyPopcorn - dd's birthday is March too, and her last year's party/gathering was just as lockdown started so she missed that ... I would so love her to be able to see a few friends for her birthday this year - I'll take happily outside, she's just missing her gang.

DS has a few mates looking at Oxbridge and vaguely toyed with the idea but doesn't feel it would suit him and I suspect he's right (as an oxbridge reject myself!) - he's not one who thrives under pressure.It's slow going on the uni research front with him, but I reckon even a little is better than nothing. (Dd (14) on the other hand is already emailing Oxford for reading lists for the somewhat obscure courses she is interested in ... she's going to be a different kettle of bananas!)

@AndwhenyougetthereFoffsomemore DS didn’t do anything die his birthday last year (despite us encouraging it) so it just seems a little bit sad that he got his hopes up of seeing them.

He’s not interested in Oxbridge, and to be fair he probably wouldn’t get in! I am a bit concerned he has set his sights very narrowly on where he does want to go although he did mention possibly doing a history degree instead of law the other day so that would open up more options - I actually think he’d enjoy it more if I’m honest.

@JustHereWithMyPopcorn many people would advise people not to do a law degree just because they want to be a lawyer, the graduate conversion route is straight-forward and law firms do not seem to give priority to law graduates and law degrees can be very dull. A friend's DD did a French degree and was offered 2 law training contracts in big firms.

That’s very interesting @Monkey2001, that’s sort of what we were talking about doing the history and converting afterwards. Nothing decided yet so will encourage to look at options until it’s time to decide.