helping my daughter through the start of A-levels

She will get into the swing of things, I promise. There's this massive jump in terms of difficulty and the amount of independent learning you have to do between GCSE and AS,and she'll be really feeling it and wondering 'What if I'm not clever enough to cope?' 'Is it always going to be this hard?' The jump between AS and A2 was hardly noticable for me in Chemistry and Biology. German on the other hand... the less said about that the better.
If she comes home, dumps her schoolbag by the front door, kicks her shoes off and then falls asleep on the sofa, let her do it. I'll admit this is something I did on nearly a daily basis up until Xmas in my AS year, and sleep is supposed to help with memory and recall.

Hello all
My daughter has just started 6th form doing 4 a levels, she's chosen maths, further maths, chemistry and biology. She did well at GCSE getting 6 a* and 4 A's so she has the potential to do really well at AS and A2. At the moment she is overwhelmed at the sheer volume of work she's getting, I've tried to reassure her that its all new and she will get into the swing of things but she is doubting herself so much.
What can I do to help? Any advice really welcome xx

Hello all
My daughter has just started 6th form doing 4 a levels, she's chosen maths, further maths, chemistry and biology. She did well at GCSE getting 6 a* and 4 A's so she has the potential to do really well at AS and A2. At the moment she is overwhelmed at the sheer volume of work she's getting, I've tried to reassure her that its all new and she will get into the swing of things but she is doubting herself so much.
What can I do to help? Any advice really welcome xx

Don't really have useful advice, but you sound like a great mum

It is really hard to adjust for some people, I know it was for me, and my little sister who has just started this year. I changed from high school to a huge independent college as well, so that was another level of stress to cope with. You're already helping i'm sure by being so caring and thoughtful about this, which is so nice to see I agree with the poster above, let her relax and encourage her to still spend time with friends as well as studying. Also try and create an environment at home where she can get work done in peace and quiet, maybe in her room or a study - so closed door, computer, desk, and away from pets, siblings and TV. I know I would have loved that, I spent a lot of time at the library because my house was always so noisy and busy!

at the start of a new school year the teachers always set a lot of work. Their enthusiasm wanes by half term and by Christmas they are tired and don't want the marking. It will calm down considerably. However if she has any designs on medicine, as she might with those A levels, then she will need to start arranging some work experience to see if it really is for her. With her GSCE results she should easily settle into the work but a few bars of chocolate will always help Oily fish or flaxseed oil is important for good brain heath.

Developing a library habit now will stand her in good stead at university where it will also be noisy.

settling into revision techniques early will definitely help her in the long run. Encourage her to go over her notes and change them to a different format e.g. little revision books or cards. The parts she is finding hard need to seen as most important and her teacher can help at lunch or free blocks.
She may feel really tired most of the time (she may not). I would get home ,after traveling 1.5 hours to college and 1.5 hours back and sleep until 8. For me working at college was a struggle as I already where tinted glasses to help me read and am a naturally active person at night. Although my attendance dropped I was doing 5 times the work at home, as it was more comfortable for me. Studying at home is key because you simply don't have enough time. Most teachers will put the lesson slides up after the lesson and so while in class you only really need to write down what is said and drawn on white boards then add the main notes late. This saves time rushing and helps note down everything.
Drink plenty of water
Eat breakfast
Have break days where you sit and just chill!
Keep your head up

By the way you sound like a fantastic mum. My mum works nights and although the support was there she had no time for me. I ended up redoing my first year due to it all going wrong. But with your help and support she should be awesome!

Good luck

Thank you for your reply , she's now got into the swing of things and so far, is keeping on top of the work load. She is wanting to study medicine if she does well with her a levels and is already thinking about work experience x

Thank you for replying she is coming home and having an hour or so to herself, I run her a nice bath so she can have a soak and just chill. Then she does an hour or so of homework, has dinner and then is back on it until she goes for a run. She is starting to get a routine together but I do worry about burn out xx

She should have some free time during the school day. As term goes on the homework lessens and she'll become used to a different way of working and be more efficient at it. With her GSCEs she might want to think about Oxford/Cambridge. It's not a decision she has to make yet but she might want to apply for the Cambridge shadowing scheme http://www.applytocambridge.com/shadowing/ and then see how her AS exams go. She might also want to visit a university open day or two this year, medical days book up well in advance. They are at the end of the academic year but she would need to be researching where she might want to apply well before then.

Thank you for replying she is coming home and having an hour or so to herself, I run her a nice bath so she can have a soak and just chill. Then she does an hour or so of homework, has dinner and then is back on it until she goes for a run. She is starting to get a routine together but I do worry about burn out xx

You run a bath every day for her? Whilst I agree with most of the rest of what you're doing I'm not sure it's wise to over pamper. Making sure you're stocked up on her favourite bubble bath or shower gel is one thing actually running the bath on a daily basis is quite another. This is the kind of thing I'd do during the uber stressful exam period not as routine ordinarily, however as you're talking about your daughter adapting to something new maybe quite nice for the short term.

For my sons the short term pampering thing for exams was Pot Noodles and Pop Tarts, not normally something I'd have anywhere near the house but whatever gets them through eh?

Yeah, it probably does seem quiet pampering but her life is very stressful my husband, her dad has just come through massive heart surgery where he nearly died, my brother is currently in a mental hospital after being sectioned for trying to kill his family, my mum is dying from heart failure and to top it off, she shares a bedroom with her 3yr old brother, so anything I can do to make her life easier, I will x

Never mind her life being stressful yours is probably more so and many of those things you've listed you can't do much, if anything, about. At least helping her is some way in which you feel useful and productive yes? I know I've had periods in my life where everything seems to be going horrendously wrong and it's hard to see any light at the end of the tunnel. Definite case of "stop the world I want to get off" but you just have to keep soldiering on.

All best wishes to you xx

Yeah, it probably does seem quiet pampering but her life is very stressful my husband, her dad has just come through massive heart surgery where he nearly died, my brother is currently in a mental hospital after being sectioned for trying to kill his family, my mum is dying from heart failure and to top it off, she shares a bedroom with her 3yr old brother, so anything I can do to make her life easier, I will x