Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Teenagers

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

Flip

1 2

Original poster

After GCSEs. What do they do.

50 replies

theITgirl · 27/01/2017 16:03

Thinking ahead, and also because something called NCS have sent us some info on what they are doing.

What is/did your DC do after exams?

I work term time only and our actual summer holidays are usually quite busy. However DS has six weeks from his last exam till the start of the summer holidays. What on earth do they do all day?

If left to himself he will play on the computer for most of that time and complain after a few days that he is bored.

He is does not want to do the NCS stuff mentioned above as none of his friends are doing it.
It would be very difficult for him to get a job round here for those six weeks, and our summers are busy so it would only be for those six weeks before the holiday.
What do other teens do?

OP posts:

Ciutadella · 28/01/2017 08:19

Have had dcs who didn't do anything organised in that holiday - no work, work experience or anything else cv building, and it seemed fine - no questions at subsequent job interviews for instance. And I think it is a bit early to be working on a UCAS form for many - many won't know what they want to do and may change their minds anyway.

But it's interesting that user's experience is that most do something constructive. Online courses are an interesting idea - which ones are you thinking of user, as would like to investigate that?

NCS seems long - would be good if you could do just a week but I think a three week commitment puts some off. They really do work very hard coming up to the GCSEs - if they enjoy the lazing about pursuits such as reading, drawing, writing, music, I don't think extended time off afterwards is wasted.

feelingAncient · 28/01/2017 08:26

NCS is brilliant especially without friends you make new ones and the whole point is to learn new social skills.

Some also do DofE
Get a job for the whole 12 weeks.

You can see online there's a lot of people going to Spain or places in Europe. my daughter did that and taught kids English. You only need a C in English GCSE to go for 3 weeks and stay in a kind of boarding school with all the English people where you get fed and sleep for free. The Spanish kids learn English for 2 hours or so and then you can do what you want.

Help out at a locals football club.

Do general stuff round the house like take things back to the post office and shop.

We live in London so DD explored more.

See friends

Go to a lot of talks at universities.

Join weekly courses

Ragwort · 28/01/2017 08:28

My DS has signed up to NCS and I am pleased about that; I think it will be constructive and give him something to put on his CV. Hopefully he will also do a life guard course and start a bit of part time work.

Not all teenager 'work very hard' for their GCSEs - I would love to see my DS 'exhausted' from all his studying - it's more like a few half hour bursts of homework interspersed with tv/hanging out with mates and being on social media. .

Where are all these teenagers that work so hard for their exams, not where I live ? !!

Ciutadella · 28/01/2017 08:36

True Ragwort, I shouldn't generalise about how hard they're workihg!

The current lot I know about do seem to be working hard, though admittedly that is judged by the standards of the 70s when O levels barely registered! (exaggeration, but you know what I mean...)

What I think is true is that many more dteens are under much more stress about the GCSEs (not necessarily the same as working hard!) than we were at that time. So they perhaps can be allowed their time to recuperate in a lovely hot summer. Though for some it will be more relaxing to be constructive and active, NCSing etc, and for others it will be more destressing just to doss about.

user1484226561 · 28/01/2017 15:31

But it's interesting that user's experience is that most do something constructive. Online courses are an interesting idea - which ones are you thinking of user, as would like to investigate that?

look at "future learn", there are a huge amount to choose from, long and short, and they are all free.

user1484226561 · 28/01/2017 15:33

And I think it is a bit early to be working on a UCAS form for many - many won't know what they want to do and may change their minds anyway. its not really too early, it is the ONLY decent chunk of time available to clock up some sort of experience of the adult world. It doesn't have to be subject specific

AlexanderHamilton · 28/01/2017 15:37

My daughter will have to stay in school until the end of term until after the Summer Production.

Musicaltheatremum · 28/01/2017 15:57

in Scotland they go back to school after the exams to start some of the higher courses. Maths higher at least cannot be done in 2 terms.

Wandainn · 28/01/2017 16:01

It's the first of many long summers punctuated with exams. Mine had a bit of part time work but otherwise nothing,which was fine by me as they both worked very hard.
NCS is variable. In some areas it's great but here it had a reputation for being aimed at youngsters with "challenging" behaviour and my DC wouldn't touch it with a bargepole. DN worked at NCS for a summer when she was a student and it was a nightmare. She was left supervising a rowdy bunch of disaffected teens with no resources or plan.

harleysmammy · 28/01/2017 16:06

I think some people totally under estimate how hard and stressful gcse's are. I see it, i teach gcse. Its the most stressful and probably the worst time for them so far so if he doesnt wanna do ncs (i think its a good idea but not everyone does) and you make him, he wont enjoy it. I think after gcse's you should let him just chill and give his head a rest for a while x

Ciutadella · 28/01/2017 16:13

Thanks User - that sounds as though it could be both interesting and compatible with lie-ins, which is always a strong plus point!

Ontopofthesunset · 28/01/2017 16:16

Well, my older son didn't do much in the summer after his GCSEs - a couple of family holidays, a week at the Edinburgh Fringe with his youth drama group, and lots of chilling. It doesn't seem to have affected his UCAS form as he got offers from all 5 universities he applied to and he's now studying at a popular Russell Group university. No one at his four interviews asked him anything about the summer after his GCSEs! I won't be putting any pressure on DS2 to do anything much. We have some family holidays planned and in the past he's done a music course but I think they deserve a break. His sixth form place is secure so unless he completely bombs his GCSEs (not a current prediction but you never know, I know) I really don't want him worrying about CV creation at this age.

WatchingFromTheWings · 28/01/2017 16:23

I've never heard of NCS before. Shame it's only available in England and N.ireland.

My son got a Saturday job a few months before his gcse so carried on with that and picked up some extra shifts over the summer including one week working full time. Spent alot of time with friends too.

ginorwine · 28/01/2017 18:00

It's ok to do nothing .
However if a cv is being built around now then I'd think of ways to build on the cv other than during the summer ? Doesn't the school give opp to either encourage ncs or something else maybe in term time ? If they do something in term time then sure do nothing in summer but if not I'd be looking at some productive existence ( or something you can argue is ) as at this age a cv is being built for either work or uni statements ? Eg my dd did ncs loved it - my ds no way - but he did stuff via school and thro sport and used this in a positive way such as team work etc and for sure did not do much in Summer ( apart from first trip abroad with pals ) . So you can do nothing . It depend s on each dc .

NotEnoughTime · 29/01/2017 17:23

feelingAncient

Would you mind telling me the name of the company your DD went with? It sounds fab.

chaplin1409 · 29/01/2017 17:30

What is NCS?

TheEdgeofSeventeen · 07/02/2017 22:23

Work experience, volunteer in a charity shop, join a day camp ? Make sure has something on his Uni app from this time if he plans to go!

tangleweed · 08/02/2017 12:57

DD is doing a tour with local music service for a week & she's applied to do a 4 day summer school but don't know if she's got a place yet. She wants to do NCS but it depends on the summer school dates whether or not she can apply, though tbh it worries me a bit that teenagers seem to be expected to be thinking of everything extra-curricular in terms of enhancing their CV or UCAS application rather than something just being fun or relaxing.

tangleweed · 08/02/2017 13:03

Chaplin1409 (sorry I don't know how to make that a link), NCS is the National Citizens Scheme - it's a scheme for 16-17 yr olds. I think it's a residential activity week, then a residential week at somewhere like a uni/college then 2 weeks local non-residential where they learn a skill and do some kind of community/charity project. I think they are with the same group for the whole 4 weeks & it's very cheap to make it accessible for all, I think £50.

user1486603480 · 09/02/2017 01:36

They have to stay in education till 18 so college course or apprenticeship.

Depending what they want to do x

Draylon · 09/02/2017 10:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Floofborksnootandboop · 09/02/2017 11:48

DSs both just hung out with friends/girlfriends and relaxed, DD did mostly the same but she had a Saturday job that she took on a few more hours during the week at.

Exams were horrible for all of them and they needed that time to relax.

janinlondon · 09/02/2017 11:59

Ours went back to school......? Did a success in the sixth form day, DofE silver final expedition, mounted their GCSE art exhibition, staged performances of their GCSE drama and music pieces, ABRSM exams, school sports day, various concerts, the school play, and arts week. And then prize giving.....

Wordsmith · 09/02/2017 16:21

My DS did sod all.

I tried to get him interested in NCS, to no avail.

They were planning to go to the V Fest, but couldn't get their act together.

So apart from a family holiday, and his daily paper round, it was sleep/Playstation/computer/occasional drunken evening with friends.

To be fair, when I was 16 many moons ago, we never did anything 'organised' either. But that was before computers and the like, so we had to actually see people to socialise.

Wordsmith · 09/02/2017 16:24

... and he's not interested in ticking boxes for some bloody University to see he's a well rounded individual with lots of extra curricular activities. He's now doing a BTEC at college, is on track to get into an interesting, well-paid career and couldn't give a monkey's about jumping through more educational hoops.

Flip

1 2