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Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

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Original poster

6th Form troubles already!

15 replies

skyblue11 · 13/09/2012 19:58

DD started last week, already she is struggling with Biology and Business and economics, she loves English (which she thought she'd hate) and Psychology. With Biology the pace is too fast and the teacher no time to explain, go away and read. I think because it A level it's way too hard. I think she should drop and try something else.
Could she just do 3 A levels? She has no idea if she even want to go to uni, gets stressed at the slightest thing and now I'm really concerned as she's done nothing but cry tonight and she's just been sick.
I want to talk to the school but she's begged me not to. She hates her form tutor and I've told her she needs to talk to him.
This is all new to me (and her) and it's a new school to get used to as well. I don't know what to do for her, help!!

OP posts:

webwiz · 13/09/2012 20:09

She needs to take a deep breath and not worry about trying to understand everything immediately. When DD2 started her A levels the amount of homework she got in the first few weeks and the pace they worked at was unbelievable but it did ease off and she got on top of it all. At the beginning the school are trying to get them to realise that they need to work hard and help them to make the step up from GCSEs.

A good biology AS revision guide will help and giving it a little bit more time.

Original poster

skyblue11 · 13/09/2012 20:11

Thanks Webwiz, I think it's just so overwhelming for her at the moment. I feel really helpless though....

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MaureenMLove · 13/09/2012 20:19

Oh god bless her heart. It must be so hard for her being in a new school too.

Does she have a pastorial support officer she can talk to, if she doesn't want to talk to her form tutor? That's a lot of academic subjects there, for someone who doesn't even know what she wants to do. Perhaps if she has to do four, she could switch Biology for a more creative subject, to help ease the pressure.

Original poster

skyblue11 · 13/09/2012 20:22

Hi Maureen, She want to do biology to keep her options open for uni but I don't want her stressing like this, I'm hoping it's going to get better. I really feel for her. There's so much work and to make matters worse she got a U in the sample booklet she tried to complete over the holidays, along with 6 others so I know she will find it hard,

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Crumblingslowly · 13/09/2012 20:32

At my DS school,the very sensible personal tutor said that they expect all the students' grades to drop in the first term because of the change of pace etc
This is indeed what happened to my DS...he really struggled for a while until he got the hang of it after the first term.
The study guides that webwiz suggested is a good idea.My DS found that he needed to prepare ahead for each lesson by reading up before each lesson.This was very helpful so he didn't feel left behind in class.
He's fine now & loves school (I never ever dreamt of hearing him say that).
I also found that I had to trust him a bit more to make his own decisions about school...we'd talk things through & I had to leave him to deal with it at school himself.
It was scary at first but he is now much more able to tackle the teachers over a difficult issue without my help.
I also was keen to get him to drop a subject but in the end let him work it out for himself.
You may find that your DD may feel better tomorrow as she has let off a bit of steam.
My DS still does this....rants about something at school for a few hours then is fine the next day as he has "processed" it...meanwhile I am left all anxious!!!
She will settle down with time but it is an anxious time for them until they get the hang of it.
I found just listening to my DS was the best help without offering too much advice to start with until they have calmed down a bit.
Sorry have waffled on a bit but HTH.

MaureenMLove · 13/09/2012 20:33

Right then, she needs to speak up. Tough love, I think. She needs to understand that if she wants to do these subjects, she's gonna have to speak to someone who can assure her, she'll be OK.

I assume she was accepted on the courses because she got decent grades, so 6th form must have confidence in her?

It's a daunting experience for new yr12s I think. Suddenly they are thrown into the deep end, because they are deemed grown up and almost adult, but really, they are still only yr11 school children, that have had a six week holiday!

A big old chat, with lots of confidence boosting words and praise and telling her how proud you are of her and hopefully you can persaud her to talk to someone at school. Preferably tomorrow, otherwise it'll ruin her weekend and yours.

schoolchauffeur · 13/09/2012 21:19

Agree with everyone else- the first few weeks of 6th form are difficult.My DD was completely overwhelmed last year- couldnt cope with getting Ds and Cs on assignments but ended up with ABBC at end of year 12. Doing a couple of resits in Jan and her teachers reckon she will end up with AAB in her A levels so it does come together. Just started in year 13 and again she is overwhelmed- its all so hard, pace is really fast- but this year she has gone off and badgered teachers for help, signed up to the maths clinic and its getting better already. It just takes a bit of time and TLC! Good luck.

glaurung · 13/09/2012 22:11

Dd is struggling with her subjects too if it's any consolation. Not sure she appreciates how much effort she needs to put in to get on top of them either. She definitely appears to have forgotten everything she knew over the summer :(

Original poster

skyblue11 · 14/09/2012 15:52

it's so hard for them, I will get a revision guide but I think it's such a shock of having all those weeks off and doing nothing it's hitting hard.
I want her to approach the biology teachers to let them know she's struggling, but is it too early? I know it's a big step up from gcse's but I just think it's the self taught thing she's having difficulty with.

OP posts:

slug · 14/09/2012 16:49

Would something like this help?

Especially for Biology
An online mentor? The Knowledge Bank part of the site has biology.
Economics
More economics
Business studies

Faxthatpam · 14/09/2012 18:02

She does need to tell someone, once you fall behind its hard to catch up. Revision guides and reading ahead is a good idea. We got DS1 a tutor in second term as he was a lazy git struggling with the pace and got behind. This really helped and he got the grades and went off to uni a happy boy, so don't despair.

MedusaIsHavingABadHairDay · 14/09/2012 20:33

My DD2 also struggled with the jump from GCSE (where she got all A* and As) to A level.. and she did in fact drop the 4th AS to concentrate on getting three good grades. In her case she was ok at first but quickly realised she didn't enjoy the maths or biology and by Xmas was struggling. Then she got Glandular Fever and it really went downhill!

She simply dropped maths.. before AS . She still didn't do brilliantly at AS (BBE) but convinced the school to let her stay on (they don't want them to stay with less than a D) and we got her a tutor for the biology as she completely lost confidence.
The tutor was amazing.. (I can PM you her details if you like!) She is young, works via skype, so no travel and she took DD2 from an E at AS to a high B at A level this summer.. her final paper was an A! (She got AAB overall in her A levels in English Psych and Bio)

She needed someone to show her HOW to tackle the biology A level exam questions and give her confidence.

Do encourage your DD to talk to the teachers, as she will NOT be the only one struggling. It is a massive leap to A level and many students really panic.

Original poster

skyblue11 · 15/09/2012 11:22

I am going to get her to talk to her biology teacher, she's also thinking of swapping business for media, though I wonder if it would be better to drop one altogether though I think the school don't let them do that.
Am i right in thinking (and this is new to me so bear with me on this!) that they need AAB for most unis? Just in case she wants to go right now that seems unattainable, I am sure she is capable she just needs lots of support and we picked the school for thidd reason as it was lacking at her old one in science.
I would love to get her a tutor but it's the cost, and personally we both look like losing our jobs in the next few months so we have added pressures.
Thank you for your support everyone!

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MedusaIsHavingABadHairDay · 15/09/2012 12:29

AAB is the gold standard for many of the Russell Group Universities, but it very much course dependent...there are plenty of decent Universities that offer lower grades..and if she picks one with lower offers for her insurance choice she will have a sensible back up. DO try to reassure her tho..she may find she settles!

Original poster

skyblue11 · 19/09/2012 15:45

Update.....she talked with a couple of school mentors yesterday, feels a bit better. They said to go to them for a chat and a cuppa instead of the tutor (when she told them who he was they kind of understood and said, well he is a IT teacher after all!) then the biology teacher said to the class, if anyone is thinking of giving up - don't it's always hard at the beginning.
So now she has some support in place she feels a little happier. For now....

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