Thread 16 - Corona Cohort Year 12, 2021 Zooming through Summer Term

[orangecinnamon]

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Well done on all the fantastic results.

DDs exams start next next week where she has 2 subjects and one the following week. They get study leave from Monday which is good so I can keep a beady eye on her.

She’s been speaking to the the county well-being team on recommendation from the psychiatrist (who she sees for ADHD) as now displaying OCD traits as well. I realised I did not understand what OCD was as DD is the messiest person I know. It has manifested in odd repetitive behaviour in order to cope with anxiety so she is now on the waiting list for CBT. She’s also stopped taking her ADHD medication as the side effects outweighed the fantastic focus they gave her. Next steps is to find an ADHD coach.

On the good news front DDs school are putting on a summer music concert outside so DD is thrilled as she’s lead of the orchestra as although she hates any attention she loves playing.

Piggy well done to DS great results. Still pending here. Apparently ominous that the physics teacher wants to go through the paper with everyone.

DS has just started getting a lift with a friend who passed a couple of weeks ago.
DS "Friend is coming at 8am."
Me "You get the bus at 7.45am, it has the advantage of the bus lanes and it always get there late. How late are you going to be leaving at 8am?"
DS "It'll be ok"

Great news Piggy, well done DS!

DS gets himself up as I don’t think he has forgotten the info talk we had where the Head said she had to go and get one lad up from accommodation, the threat of that helps focus the mind I think.

DS finishes exams next Tuesday then is working from home for a week after which he is back at College for final 4 days, end of which he gets UCAS predictions.

Wow, the private school holidays are nearly here! Another 5 weeks for us, which is good as Y12 have been half time or working from home since September, and DS is coming to the end of SI. I might work out how many days he has been in school this year, or maybe it would be too depressing.

Just heard that he got a distinction for G8 piano, so really glad the instruction to self isolate did not come any earlier. Very quick turn around for results at the moment, and all typed, so no need to decipher handwriting!

@crazycrofter was the self isolation at your school confirmed?

DS is at state funded not private Monkey . I was a bit surprised when I read he is finishing when he is but am now fully embracing it 😀
He does have an extremely full timetable though so I think that’s why they get shorter summer term combined having started beginning of September.

Great news on the distinction, as you say good thing the isolation notice didn’t come earlier !

Sorry @FoolsAssassin, I did not know there were state boarding schools, and the Oxbridge prep stuff is not something I have seen at our local state schools, but great that you have managed to find such a good state school for him.

Fabulous result Monkey, huge well done to your DS!

No worries Monkey, there are a few dotted around. In my neck of the woods Shaftesbury school, Sexeys and Peter Symonds all do state boarding. You pay for the boarding part, the education bit is free and there are usually means tested bursaries .

Bravo to your DS, Monkey! That's a fantastic achievement! So glad he didn't get the text at the time!

@PaddingtonPaddington Sorry to hear about the MH issues with your DD, we’re in the same boat so virtual hand holding with you. The OCD is especially a bastard but can be managed with the right medication and a good therapist.

Re: Scottish universities. I am missing something BIG TIME! Apart from the fact you can choose various modules from across different departments in effect, make your own degree aka St Andrews and they have good reputations, why would an English student go to Scotland to do a 4yr degree when the same degree could be done in England for 3yrs. Anyone?

@Shimy at St Andrews people from England have the option to start in the second year for maths and science if they have the right grades in the right subjects at A level, but many prefer not to. Remember that the current estimate is that only 15% of students will repay their loans in full, so having an extra year of loans may not affect the cost of your degree, you get an extra year of student life (which most people love) but delay earning by a year. The way Scottish semesters work, there is an extra long since in which they can work.

PaddingtonPaddington, I missed your post. Very sorry to hear about your DD. I hope you can find a good ADHD coach. Good news the concert is going ahead and a huge well done to her, I think that’s a really big deal.

Think DS might look at Edinburgh after DD casually dropped into conversation that she might apply there for a Masters. Am a bit in denial about having both of them potentially on the move in 2022, neither are great with change and my hormones are shot to pieces!

Excellent news @Monkey2001

@PaddingtonPaddington sorry to hear about your Dd. I hope she gets the right help. Ds gave up his ADHD medication too because of the side effects, but he’s now just living with the lack of focus!

@Monkey2001 the faking of lateral flow tests/PCR tests has been confirmed! Unfortunately ds was named as someone who knew about it (although from what my mum friends have said everyone knew about it) and also apparently asked to be named as a contact. So he’s back tomorrow and straight in to see the deputy head. Aagh!

@Monkey2001 thanks. Do All Scottish Unis offer the choice to start in second yr and is it only and always just for sciences and Maths ?
Do most students not plan to ever earn over the threshold? (Currently in Eng £27,295), not a lot! I don’t know how much DS will be earning bit it Sounds a bit unfair to the 15% who will be paying theirs off. Anyway, I still don’t see the attraction of spending one more year than necessary at uni but then I’m not that age. DS did ask if he should consider St Andrews because it came tops for his subject but I couldn’t explain what was so great about spending 4yrs especially, full time when he could do 4yrs in England with an Industrial Placement.

Great news about the concert @paddingtonpaddington. Hope you find a good coach, everything crossed x

Dd has her singing results back ...a merit at 80 for her grade 8. It seems the tricky French in her Carmen piece was to blame ! I think
it has shown how much her singing has been affected by not performing. Still it is what she needs to go on. There are auditions and new recital pieces to prepare and fingers crossed the local music festival in Spring.

@Monkey2001

Wow, the private school holidays are nearly here! Another 5 weeks for us, which is good as Y12 have been half time or working from home since September, and DS is coming to the end of SI. I might work out how many days he has been in school this year, or maybe it would be too depressing.

Just heard that he got a distinction for G8 piano, so really glad the instruction to self isolate did not come any earlier. Very quick turn around for results at the moment, and all typed, so no need to decipher handwriting!

@crazycrofter was the self isolation at your school confirmed?

Well done to him @Monkey2001 ours were just over a week.ftom submission too..it's great!

@Monkey brilliant result! That must have taken huge determination this last year.

Congratulations to her Orange, voice exams in foreign languages are incredibly hard when there’s been little opportunity to practice. Good luck on her applications!

Congratulations on the merit and distinction @orangecinnamon and @Monkey2001. Brilliant results!

@Monkey2001 Just saw your post about result. Well done to your DS. DS here packed it in after grade 3, so I know a lot of work and determination must have gone into that. Does he stop here or is he going to do the diploma?

Thanks all for the congratulations, it was a lot of work, and lots of on line lessons didn't help.

@Orangecinnamon21 will done to DD too, nice to see a lot of exam success across the board here.

@Shimy piano diploma is serious work, so he will probably do it in a gap year if he does not get into medicine for 2022. G8 singing next but he will keep playing the piano for pleasure.

Pasdington and Crazy, which meds were your DCs on, and which side effects did they find unbearable?
DD has tried various, with mix results. She’s currently on a non-stimulant for the first time and it seems to suit her - there’s no come down on it, so she feels more level throughout the day.

I’ve never heard of an ADHD coach. Sounds something DD would really benefit from!

Congratulations to your DD, Orange - a merit at grade 8 is excellent, and I can only imagine how difficult it must have been to keep singing throughout lockdown.

I can’t remember the name @Alsoplayspiccolo - maybe medicanet? It was a stimulant. He said it made him feel low and flat? We thought about the other type but a side effect is headaches and he already suffers from them so he said no.