# A Levels



## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Hooray 

A Levals are finished, done
Our grandson and his friends have plagued us

Hour upon hour of revision

Requiring a cafe to sustain them

Shadow has been here in the background 
Supporting and watching over them

One was terrified of german shepherds

Now he isn't 

There you go BarryD
It isn't only you that met and loved the hound from hell

But I'm training him, do not accept these people

Who eat me out of food

Panic, stay till the early hours of the morning

Or all night

I wish them well with their results

They worked so hard

And the hound from hell smiles
He did his bit

Aldra


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## Kaytutt (Feb 5, 2013)

My eldest grandaughter is just entering her final year in comprehensive school, she's a very bright little button who can also sing and play instruments. She applied to be Head Girl but didnt get it so is a little upset but still does all that she can to help those joining the school and starting their GCSE journey, the new Head Girl doesnt. go figure!

A levels next. She wants to study music, drama and physics. eh? she's a bit mad but very clever

Here she is singing in the school concert at our local church - filmed on my iphone, she was 14 then


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## Kaytutt (Feb 5, 2013)

and good luck to yours with their results (sorry I meant to say that in my post)

proud grannies eh


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Kay

I have been through the A level route so many times

6 of my own

2 with me and Albert

2 with Megs ,Alex and countless with their friends

True I only now cook meals
Offer advise which is ignored

And send in shadow to calm them

I think the occasional bite would be good

But he steadfastly ignores me

Aldra


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Lets face it Sandra, your house is more like a 24 hour cafe / hotel! With a free bar (Well thats what I like about it) 

I think I met some of the "study" group last time I was there, sounded like they were up to no good to me more than studying!  I hope they have all done well and are now down the pub painting the town red.  I think I might go back to college just for the social life. Do you think I am too old?


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## dghr272 (Jun 14, 2012)

aldra said:


> Kay
> 
> I have been through the A level route so many times
> 
> ...


Aldra the advice may appear to be ignored now, but I bet they will be giving the very same advice once they are in your position, just speaking from experience, keep up with the advice. They will remember it and put it to good use.... One day.

Terry


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

barryd said:


> Lets face it Sandra, your house is more like a 24 hour cafe / hotel! With a free bar (Well thats what I like about it)
> 
> I think I met some of the "study" group last time I was there, sounded like they were up to no good to me more than studying!  I hope they have all done well and are now down the pub painting the town red.  I think I might go back to college just for the social life. Do you think I am too old?


No BARRY it's over rated

These kids were white faced and shattered with hours of study

High achievers

Mostly 10 A,s and A stars at GCSE

Desperate for a B to be their lowest achievement at A level

I think the worlds gone mad

Sandra


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

aldra said:


> No BARRY it's over rated
> 
> These kids were white faced and shattered with hours of study
> 
> ...


Yeah me too. I spent most of my college life down the pub, never revised or did much homework at school and look at me! I turned out alright!


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

In this era of instant information at everyone's finger tips

Surely we could devise a higher education system that didn't require hours of concentrated study

Most of which is promptly forgotten to go onto other concentrated study

By now we should be developing our young into concentrated seekers of information

Not memory banks

Aldra


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

I strongly believe that youngsters nowadays have to work MUCH harder than we did at their age..... the exams are different but to them equally challenging and they do more of them and need higher grades to proceed....

I got in to Uni on 2 A levels while studying a third, nowadays they start 4 and are expected to gain grades A or B to get into a "decent" University, whereas you used to be able to get in on 2 x D's and still do a good course.

Becoming a Doctor now requires 10 GCSE's at A or A* in one sitting and then 4 grade A or A+ A levels........ many Doctors of our generation studied with 3 C's but had good interpersonal skills - sadly not all do nowadays........

Even worse, when the results come out they will be denigrated as "too easy" or "the boundaries have been fixed to maintain the % A grades" and as always there will be complaints that they are too easy - none of which is true.......

I genuinely respect the youngsters for their efforts, they are different but they study MUCH harder than our generation did, because they KNOW there is no easy alternative, a good degree is now valued about as much as 2 good A levels was 40 years ago, or 6 O levels 50 years ago - our expectations have continually been raised while politicians continue to "rubbish" the outcomes and the efforts......

Good luck to all who have just completed their public exams, they deserve praise and support as they progress to the next level.

Dave


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## GMJ (Jun 24, 2014)

Penquin said:


> I strongly believe that youngsters nowadays have to work MUCH harder than we did at their age..... the exams are different but to them equally challenging and they do more of them and need higher grades to proceed....
> 
> I got in to Uni on 2 A levels while studying a third, nowadays they start 4 and are expected to gain grades A or B to get into a "decent" University, whereas you used to be able to get in on 2 x D's and still do a good course.
> 
> ...


Dave

I think you generalise too much tbh. Good kids study just as they always did; not so studious kids don't...simple! This is as true today as it always was. I studied hard as a kid simply because there was no alternative.

'Good' parents support their kids and develop a relationship with the educational institute which supports the learners...and they then tend to do better. Where we have issues with learners there is usually no developed relationship with the parents. In the saddest cases the parents try their best to encourage and support their kinds but to no avail...a source of great frustration for the teachers and the parents.

In my experience also, I think that each cohort that comes through or has come through in the last 3 years or so, has presented greater challenges to the one that came through the year before.

Graham :smile2:


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Well I disagree

Grandchild one, 10 A and A stars at GCSE

3 As and a B at alevel

Completed her law degree

Results not out

Grandchild 2

10 passes at GCSEs all As or A Stars but 1 B

A level results not out 

Now I would have preferred they were able to do other things to prove their worth

I really do not rate the rush to prove intelligence by results of crammed study

We need well developed rounded people, not all intelligence is developed by our exam system

Megs has applied to do a year abroad as an Aupaur before embarking into a law profession

One in Russia, who will pay her university fees whilst she learns Russian 

And not to worry about transport, you will have your own private chauffeur , one child, a private flat,a food allowance and 800E a month

Just speak to him in English, and you and he go about after school

She's spoken to the last Aupaur 

Whose told her Russia is cheap 
The restraunts ,shops etc, you will have a card 

The family own most of the city

But she really liked the Swiss family

So we will see
And this year will PROB be worth all the university years in experience and growth

So fingers crossed one will be hers

The power of being interviewed over the Internet

Aldra


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Well she has been offered the post in Switzerland 

Two kids one 13

She liked them
Me I'd have gone for Egypt

Still no accounting for taste

Aldra


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

Good luck to her, Switzerland will be a superb experience and will help her develop character as well as language skills.

There have always been a large number of youngsters who do their utmost, in some cases, in spite of their parents, and sadly, a VERY small number who can see no relevance to school at all.

I still regret that when the decision was made to end the three levels of education; grammar, technical and secondary modern, the decision was not taken before amalgamating all into a "one size fits all" establishment, to fund each equally - something which was NOT done before the closure of the system.

There are some children for whom a practical based education has always been the best option - backed by suitable theory but with manual skills included. That no longer exists in schools.......

This page has IMO a fair assessment of the tripartite system, although it does not criticise the inherent failures of the 11+ system strongly enough with it's flawed reliance on the basis of the "IQ" value.........

But it does point out the unfairness of the financial support for the three schools and how the abolition of that system has been an absolute godsend for fee paying independent schools since very many parents are willing to undergo considerable hardship or extra work requirements in order to pay for a system that they believe will help their child better than the current state system. I am not discussing the validity of their beliefs......

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tripartite_system_of_education_in_England,_Wales_and_Northern_Ireland

There have also always been a number of children for whom academic excellence has been the highest priority - that group still exists but now can only be "stretched" by being considered as "special needs" requiring a different system and a much more academic curriculum - why should bright children have to be considered as special needs?

The system is not working efficiently - and every year the same criticisms are levelled at the results (and the teachers and students) by politicians and also by industry for whom the products of the system now required by the politicians does not match what industry wishes to have in recruits.......

But individuals can still achieve excellence and should be encouraged - so please continue to do that Sandra - such a background is a key part of the framework necessary for really well grounded students with a great work ethos.

Dave


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Me

I'm just delighted that she is taking a year to develope other skills

Not that she knows that

For her it's a gap year

For me it's a year to develope into an adult

Hopefully the 13 yr old will develope along side her

Aldra


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

PS I meant Russia 
So looks like I'm not going to meet
Mega wealthy city owners

And Megs isn't going to have her own chauffeur 

The best bit was the other child, one year old, own nanny, own chauffeur 

Obviously Megs has different priorities 

Sad

Aldra


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