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Sixth formers

doradora
edited September 2014 in Writing
Has anyone here got a son or daughter (or niece, nephew, or grandson/daughter) starting sixth form?

I went with my eldest today basically to make sure he has somewhere to go in September and doesn't end up hanging around the house getting on me nerves, when I ended up being invited into the Head of Sixth's form's office! Gawd.

If you do have someone starting sixth form, then good luck and I hope they are doing the courses they want to.

Comments

  • CarolCarol
    Each one is different I believe.

    Good luck.
  • St ForceSt Force
    I went to sixth form, Dora and so did Pixie (Piper) if you wish to contact her. I'm happy to answer any questions. One thing I will say straight away is that the leap between year eleven and Sixth form is (in my option) bigger than the gap from Sixth form to Uni in relation to the work.
  • NephNeph
    Apparently this year is the first year where they can't leave school at 16 and have to go into some sort of further education or training. Daughter has finally decided on her A levels and went in for her induction today. She will be starting back Thursday.

    Son is doing what he should have done two years ago instead of his A levels, but hey you learn as you go on.

  • Mrs BearMrs Bear
    The Head of Sixth Form is just a human being, dora. As StF says, it's more like uni work; and as some of them will be legally adults, they are expected to behave like adults. (Good luck with that!) It's an odd time at school; they've just gone through the biggest exam-fest of their lives, and then - well, gosh, it all starts again, but it's different. Even the staff speak to them differently. They'll soon settle down.
  • doradora
    Thanks, STF, but I don't have any questions.
  • NephNeph
    There were times over the last couple of years where I wanted to shake some of son's teachers, they were hopeless.
  • CarolCarol
    There are always a few like that...
  • St ForceSt Force
    Certainly. Some teachers are useless. My head of year was useless.

    I'm not sure if this is helpful for not Dora but we had to bring our own books and pens to class when we were used to having them given to us. That was a bit of a shock.
  • datco2014datco2014
    edited September 2014
    Don't really do sixth form north of the border I stayed on for 6th year as they call it up here - needed a few more exams to get into uni and from memory spent most of that year playing snooker at the local snooker club and drinking bottles of Merrydown cider - sometimes doing both at the same time.

    We used to take turns at going into the local off licence and if they didn't have the above preferred brew it was woodpecker or strongbow. One of our lot was smaller and younger looking and he never took his turn and one night we goaded him into entering the place. Exactly 20 seconds after entering the shop he came flying out of the door at the end of the owners toe having asked for 4 bottles of Strongpecker.

    He ended up being a relatively well known musician - weird how things turn out.
  • LizyLizy
    edited September 2014
    I was going to add my memories of my children's 6th form antics but decided discretion was wiser! Good luck to all new 6th Formers. My elder grandson starts at Secondary ~School tomorrow - fingers crossed for Dylan, please!
    [-O<
  • Tiny NellTiny Nell
    datco, that's hilarious.

    Yes, good luck to all new sixth-formers, schoolchildren and university entrants!
  • Tristram_ShandyTristram_Shandy
    My brother did sixth form, I didn't. Went to college and studied computer science and programming. Have qualifications in several programming languages. Didn't get any work as a programmer, fell into office work. My brother didn't get any qualifications in programming, but is now a successful freelance computer programmer.

    Me? I ended up applying to university anyway, despite barely passing my GCSEs and having no A levels, and I came out with a first in English Language and Literature. Won an award for best work of the year, too. This tells me I'm on the right track -- that deciding to write fiction in the summer of 1996 wasn't a stupid idea.

    I still went back into office work part time in order to write while earning money. Office work ended up full time. I still reckon I'm going to succeed at this writing thing, as I've stopped letting other things get in the way now, and stopped making mistakes with what direction my fiction's taking.

    Good luck to everyone in sixth form or otherwise right now, and I hope their education sets them on a straighter path than I've followed so far. There's certainly a mixed bag on my CV...
  • doradora
    edited September 2014
    Thanks STF. Good advice.

    Somehow though I think even if I buy him all the stock off the shelves at Rymans he'll still turn up at college without a pen.

    Although saying that if his teachers are any where near as prepared as I used to be when new students came into class, they'll be prepared with equipment for those students that come without anything
  • JenJen
    I went to sixth form, you just stay on in your comp here. I don't regret it but the work was a lot harder than GCSE but I got a B in english and ok grades so I didn't do too bad.
    I just wish I'd had good career advice so I wouldn't have ended up stuck in a shop!
  • montholonmontholon
    I loved my time in the Sixth form and so did my son. The main reasons were only studying subjects we liked and were good at, smaller class sizes and 'free' (study) periods. In my son's case, there was also the option to leave the premises at lunchtime, a privilege not afforded to the rest of the school.
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