Archive for the ‘Owen’ Category
… for Owen.
Today is the day that determines the start and shaping of his future. For today is the day his A Level results come out and based on them will be what university and what course he does.
He is a very clever and able child – I know all parents say and believe this, but we have results and statistics to back us up. At age 16 he did his GCSE’s (16 is the earliest age a child can opt to leave school in the UK) and for the part of the country we live in, he placed in the top 10 of students with those results. In his school only one person bettered his results and it’s no surprise that was a girl.
As some of you know and to cap it all – back in March he was hospitalised with glandular fever and is still suffering its effects now. So his results may not be those that were originally predicted
I am very proud of my eldest (and my other two) and he’s had a lot to fight for and against. It seems somehow appropriate that we named him Owen as it means “a youthful warrior” – so, if you remember then please do pray for him. God obviously has huge plans for him.
Oh, and as if he hasn’t done enough already, he wants to do a double honours in Physics and Computer Science.
Birthday’s are all done for now – the next comes on the day before Owen starts his University phase of life, we hope.
I’m glad we finally got Owen’s DSA done – though when I say we, I mean Kathryn as I was sleeping. Anyway, Owen had his disabled student assessment today and now we just need to wait for the Council to respond to any recommendations. One major benefit for Owen is that a long time friend and member of our Church did the assessment.
Prior to all this thought we are all away next week at Faith Camp 08 and for me I’m just looking forward to being away from work and not having to do anything I don’t want to do. I’m also looking forward to spending more time with the children and just chilling – conferences were never my thing so I’ll likely as not avoid most of the sessions and just read … bliss.
Then comes the wait for Owen’s A level results – 3 weeks tomorrow.
All this aside, please do remember Owen in your prayers as the glandular fever is still causing him rapid and sudden energy drops along with an associated lack of food intake – neither of which are normal in a teenage boy.
In all the hassle and frenzy of life and the usual merry go round of things I’ve completely forgotten to update one and all on Owen’s future choices.
After many hours of agonising, asking lecturers and listening to his parents Owen has decided on his future place of learning ….. Aberystwyth on the wet and windy west coast of Wales! The choice of course is a joint (or double) honours in Computer Science and Physics.
Owen, according to his computer teacher, is the brightest computer student he’s ever had and he is allowed to do what he wants these days as his knowledge has, in his teacher’s own words “far surpassed that of mine” to which he said it’s not surprising considering what I do. However he also loves Physics and was loathed to give that up which made the choice of Uni’s somewhat easier as only three of the seven we went to do the joint honours course and two of those are in Wales with the third being in Scotland. To be honest it only matters where he goes in terms of will he enjoy it and can his mother get reasonably quick access to him! Mothers!
The two things that helped push his choice to Aber was the whole “Welsh” life thing they have going there and Owen is hoping to re-pickup his Welsh. The second aspect was that his current stated ambition is to leave Uni as a Dr. Dyckhoff and we pointed out that he doesn’t have to do his doctorate where he does his degree. It might be prudent but not necessary and as his big love in Physics is particle and nuclear physics (currently) then Swansea has a really good setup for these and also have a large part to do with the Hadron Collider at Cern. So realising he is able to change locations after his degree and loving the Welsh aspect and I guess the fact that Aber got Number 1 Student Experience of the year last year all helped make dis decision.
Now we just need to organise him to get there, claim the relevant support he’s allowed, apply for this, apply for that … thankfully one of his good mates at school is also doing Comp Science at Aber and is telling him what he needs to be doing and by when.
Keep praying for him though please.