u/achr8

When I first started college and I began making friends, we began asking each other what grades we got at GCSE, and when I would tell them what I had, they didn't understand why I had so many grades. I told them that I did 16 GCSE's and they were all so shocked that I did so many. So, how many are you doing? Is 16 GCSE's a lot?

Currently writing this as a year 12 who is absolutely terrified for results day tomorrow.

I have seen many posts of people's reactions to whatever grade they get where they would be disappointed with anything generally below a 7 or around a B with many people in the comments saying they're being unrealistic. I just want to say, don't let those people get to you. I've been in the same exact position for the last 3 years (I began my exams in year 9), and all I ever wanted was an A*. My friends also told me that I was being unrealistic by saying that I wanted all A*'s, but it was all I really wanted. I had put in a lot of work for it. I was waking up at 4am to revise between 4-6 and leave for school at 7:30, then I would get home at 3:30 and revise between 4-10 and then go to sleep at 11pm. I don't recommend doing this as I was still burnt out by the time I began college, but I thought it was impossible that I would get anything below an A* after revising for around 8 hours a day. After all my hard work, I did get mainly A*'s. However, I ended up getting a B in English Language and a B in English Literature. I don't think I had ever been so upset in my life. I was so disappointed with myself, despite getting so many A*'s. No one understood why I was so upset over 2 B's, but no one really understood how hard I had worked.

If you don't end up getting all perfect grades, it's completely fine. In college, I got 49% in one of my mocks and I seriously could have cried, but I think getting one low mark has taught me that it's okay to not get perfect results every time.

Whatever happens next week, don't beat yourself up over it, and there will always be an option available for you regardless of your results.

Hello! I'm looking at booking a birthday party for someone who will be turning 7. Previously, we have hired a hall/function room and then hired entertainment and done food ourselves, but this time we're looking to go somewhere. She wants to go to Buzz Trampoline Park, but it's £18 per child and they only get 1 hour of trampolines.

Does anyone have any recommendations of any places similar to buzz (meaning an activity and something for the kids to do) that is reasonably priced. We don't mind paying for something more expensive if it's worth it. Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated!

Recently, I was on holiday and I was watching a children's entertainment show there. At the table next to me, there was a dog with a "service dog" vest on. I'm not too sure what breed it was, but it was a small dog. I'm thinking the dog was still maybe being trained since it was barking a lot at (what seemed like) nothing and people at the table often had to tell it to sit down (and as far as I'm aware, trained service dogs won't do this when there's no problem?? I'm assuming there were no problems as everyone was sitting at the table and everyone seemed fine). Shortly after, I was just staring into space when I felt something slightly sharp on my lap, so I quickly looked and the dog had jumped into my lap. I was kind of startled so I went to put my hands on it to put it back on the floor, but I quickly stopped myself and it eventually jumped down. I looked at the people at the table next to me and they were sort of pulling a face to me as if they wanted to say something like "What are you doing?" or "Why are you doing that?". I'm thinking I maybe accidently called it to come jump onto my lap, however, I have no knowledge of service dogs so I'm not too sure what I could have done. I know I definitely wasn't looking at the dog and my hands were just resting on my lap. I know you shouldn't touch service dogs without permission as you may distract them from working, so I want to make sure something like this doesn't happen again in the future. So, does anyone have any advice on what I may have done to attract the dog and what I should have done to avoid this?

Ps. I apologise if anything in here is incorrect, I'm not very knowledgeable about service dogs, but I'm happy to learn!

Hello! I've recently received some feedback for my EPQ from a lecturer in my college, and they have said that my title needs amending. I'm not too sure if I'm allowed to say what my title is, but I'm basically writing about how parental mental health during the first 1000 days of a child's life increases the liklihood of them developing an addiction later on in life. I have been told to reword my title and get rid of the "during the first 1000 days" part. However, for those of you who don't know, the first 1000 days of life (from the day of conception to the 2nd birthday) is considered to be the most critical and crucial point as this is when the most development happens. Public Health Wales have even introduced an initiative called "First 1000 Days" because of how important that time period is. I'm not too sure if the lecturer is aware of this (and many people who I have told this to also didn't know about this initiative), so would you recommend I speak to gim about this, or still follow his advice and delete it from my title? Thank you!

My UCAT test is 2nd September. I ideally wanted to revise for a minimum of 6 weeks, but something happened recently so I've physically been unable to revise, but now I can. I fear I may have messed up my AS Level exams (Welsh students to exams in year 12), but I'm hoping my reasons will count as extenuating circumstances, so I want to do as best as I can on the UCAT. Therefore, what is the best way to revise to get the best score possible in a month?

My test is at the end of this month, but I'll only have 1 lesson before my test on the day before (plus around an hour the day of my test), meaning I'll be going almost a month without driving with my driving instructor. However, I do have my own car, so I'm still able to practice. Does anyone have any tips and advice about what I can do to best prepare for my test?

Also, does anyone have any test route app recommendations? Ideally, I'd like them to be free or very affordable. I've recently downloaded the FourFive app, but it only has 3 out of 16 test routes for my test centre.

I'm supposed to be starting uni in September 2027. I am a part of a step-up programme for a university near me, and as a part of that, I went on a residential to that university last week. We (me and my family) are familiar with the area around the university, and it's only around a 20-minute drive from my house. On my first night there, we had a pub-style quiz at 20:00 (which was on campus). Me, and a few others in my flat left at 19:45 to get there. An app similar to Life 360 (just more controlling) told my mother that I was on the move so my mother started messaging me asking questions, so I answer them, and then she tells me to go back to my room. I tell her I'm not going back to my room because I'm going to go to the quiz, but she kept going on about how it was too late to go out. The same happened the following night since we had flat challenges for 20:00 also. On the last night, we were going to go over to the other campus for a party type thing (kareoke, domino's pizza, pool tables, etc.) and we left my campus at 18:30 to go there, and even then, she was telling me to get back to my room because it was late.

I understand she may have been worried or what ever, but even when I asked her when I got back home, she wasn't concerned for my safety at all she just said it was too late for me to be out.

Should I just start preparing myself for these types of messages every time I want to go out after 17:00 in university 🫩

I apologise I'd this isn't the correct sub for this type of question. Feel free to tell me where else I should post this.

However, my car keeps cutting out. Whnever I'm driving, it says "unavailable" on the dash and all of the lights on the dash come up as well. Then, I can no longer accelerate, but the car will slow down if I brake and will stop if I use the clutch as well. There's no pattern with when it happens. I did think it used to happen shortly after I would stall but I haven't stalled in a while now and it still does it (I'm new to driving). Today, it cut out four times in a row which it has never done before, and it even cut out while I was stopped waiting in traffic (with the car in gear and the handbrake down).

It's a second hand 2013 fiat 500 sport.

Any advice about what the problem could be would be greatly appreciated.

In December 2024, I got diagnosed with quite a few things that explained some of the problems I've been having such as IBS and gastroparesis (paralysed stomach) as well as the tests I had to diagnose those things. I recently went to the doctor about a potential tumour. She asked if the lump on my stomach could just be bloating, so I said no because I haven't eaten anything in a while. She then asked why, and I said I had gastoparesis. She apologised for missing it and then looked at my medical records to try and find it only to be told it's not in there. Then, I found out that there are several other problems that aren't in there as well as the tests I had for them. So technically, there is no evidence or proof that I have any of these problems, so I now have to explain myself every single time I have to see a medical professional.

I know that this may seem extremely vague, and I sincerely apologise. I saw a video on tik tok once and it said something like "comment the most insane paradox you know" and someone commented one and I looked into it and it was actually insane. As someone with OCD and is extremely cautious of death due to my OCD, it lowkey terrified me. However, I can't find the video nor can I remember what the paradox was called. All I remember was that it was something about life or death. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!

I have rest breaks for my exams in college because I have anxiety and ASD. I have been trying since the bookings opened to apply for rest breaks but I just can't. Spaces are quickly filling up at my local test centres and I know it can take up to 10 business days for access arrangements to be approved. However, I understand that timing in the exam is really strict and I don't feel like I would have enough time to put my hand up to ask for a rest break. So, if anyone has/had rest breaks, did you use them? Should I still apply for them before booking?

Hello! I'm going into uni in 2027 and am thinking of applying to Oxford, maybe Cambridge, to study medicine. I know that for Oxford, you can't stay in student accommodation outside of term time. However, I can't return home. I've had social services involved with my family for basically my entire life but I've never officially been in care and I don't get along with my family very well (I'm hoping to eventually cut all contact with them). Also, I have three siblings who are all disabled, so once I leave, they need my bedroom to make my house more suitable for them. The house has been adapted and modified previously for them, but it still isn't 100% perfect for them, so once I leave, I basically won't be able to have my bedroom back. I believe Cambridge is the same as Oxford. This is the main thing that's putting me off from applying to these uni's.

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Does anyone have any advice? Is there a way I can get around this and get them to let me stay there outside of term time? Or maybe does anyone have any advice on what I can do when it isn't term? I don't think the breaks are long enough to rent something like a flat for the time I'm off, and there's no way I'd be able to afford accommodation at the uni and renting a flat for the entire year. Do I maybe not live on campus? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

I'm going on a trip tomorrow with my college for my biology course. I'm going to the beach and it will be extremely hot tomorrow. I don't need to worry about my legs since we have to cover our legs for safety reasons. However, I have a bunch of healed scars on my arms that are obviously sh and one cut that's a few days old. I relapsed and did one cut on my arm but then decided that doing it on my arms in the middle of warm weather isn't a great idea. The cut isn't deep at all; it's a cat scratch one. Therefore, I'm kind of wondering if I would be able to show my arms and if anyone asks about the cut, I think I could maybe say that it was caused by something else. Does this seem possible or am I being unrealistic? Don't worry about being harsh.

One of my biggest problems caused by anxiety (other than the feeling of being anxious) is stomach pain. I was diagnosed with anxiety at a very young age, and having a painful stomach every day was one of the biggest clues that I was really struggling with anxiety. I still struggle with stomach pains when I'm anxious. To ease the pain a bit, I usually take paracetamol, but surely taking paracetamol at least once a day can't really be good for me? I don't take any medication for my anxiety. Any advice about how I can easy stomach pain would be greatly appreciated!

I'm 17F and have exams starting next Monday. I'm really stressed and I can't do it anymore. I don't get along with my parents, my three siblings have special needs and various other disabilities who need caring for, and I have a bunch of health things going on and I'm scared I'm not going to live for much longer (I have an infection very close to my brain and have several tumours throughout my GI tract. Both problems my parents are aware about but do not allow me to go to doctors/hospital appointments because they say I dont need to and I also need to look after my siblings). I'm expected to get into Oxford University, so I feel like I'm under a lot of pressure to get in. No one in my family has gone to university. Everyone in my family is either dead, an addict, or in prison. For this reason, I feel like I'm under even more pressure to do well. From a parents point of view, I need advice because I'm really lost and have no clue what to do