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Original poster

GCSEs 2012 support thread

891 replies

Kez100 · 06/05/2012 13:34

Here we go........hold on tight!

OP posts:
BeingFluffy · 15/06/2012 11:54

Aaargh, disaster area in history! DD read the wrong timings on the board and didn't answer the last 12 mark question and had to rush the 7 marker she was on when she got the 5 minute warning. Had to happen sometime I suppose!

sue52 · 15/06/2012 09:14

Kez, that sounds horribly boring and enough to put anyone off geography for life.

History today and that's it finished. All 10 GCSEs and 1 AS done and dusted. Roll on August as I know she'll be worrying till the results come through. Good luck to all the Dcs.

empirestateofmind · 15/06/2012 02:41

I like it magenta!

bringback that sounds tough, good luck to DS.

glaurung · 14/06/2012 21:51

that sounds bad bringback. even tomorrow with two biggish subjects is quite tough, I hope they go well.

BringBack1996 · 14/06/2012 21:02

DS's got history tomorrow morning followed by chemistry in the afternoon. Only 8 left after tomorrow, however he has got three on wednesday which is just ridiculous IMO.

Original poster
Kez100 · 14/06/2012 20:26

Krakatoa East of Java - Volcano
Durdle Door Dorset - Coastal Arch

Geography O level examples 1981!

Oh, wouldn't Gove would be so proud of me!

My Geography teacher had 3 lessons a week. A double and a single. In the double lesson we got into the classroom and he had already written on the whole board (do you remember them as they rolled around, making it a sort of double size black board). We just wrote everything down and when we got to the end he wiped stuff off and carried on. That was it - every double lesson.

Then, in the single lesson, he would test us on that and everything we had done in earlier weeks. Literally question after question and the occasional explanation. Every other explanation/understanding we had to get from the comprehension of the stuff we had written down. We never left the classroom or even stood up once!

I went to a dire Comprehensive School with poor results but this teacher was considered wonderful and managed 100% A-C at 'O' level with this Gove-loving regurgitation technique. I got a B, and can probably reel a lot of it off still, but I have hated Geography with a passion ever since!

OP posts:
glaurung · 14/06/2012 20:18

Has anyone else got chemistry tomorrow afternoon? Dd having a last minute panic here. Then geography and maths paper 3 and physics next week - I keep having to recheck the timetable when I see others have done those subjects already to be sure she hasn't missed one.

guineapiglet · 14/06/2012 19:35

Yes, AQA Geography here today. My daughter has really revised heart and soul for this, and was really dispirited when she got home, said there were alot of questions which needed map reading skills which she said had not been covered in the course........ a good rest needed now before three back to back exams on Monday, it is going to be hard to get her motivated, but will have a go.... then it is nearly all over and we can all calm down....!

BringBack1996 · 14/06/2012 19:00

DS's Geography was on coasts today and apparently quite tricky. Only time will tell I suppose!

LittleFrieda · 14/06/2012 18:53

Study leave and homework widen the divide for youngsters who don't have interested and supportive parents. It's a stupid system.

MaureenMLove · 14/06/2012 17:04

I'm back. It seems ages since DD did an exam!

She's had AQA Geography paper 1 today. All about rivers & volcanos I understand. She seems to be reasonably happy with it.

gettingalifenow · 13/06/2012 19:08

Lol, magenta. It's amazing how one word can mean so much!

We don't finish til next Wed. But it is the same day as my DS gets his degree result . And the same day my elder DD gets her year 1 uni mark. So I've reserved my Bellini for then :)

magentadreamer · 13/06/2012 18:53

DD did Edexcel Unit 2 non calc paper today. I sent her a text with the following message: Was it A) Good fine B) Fine C) OMG we never learnt that fine and D) Just pay for the resit now mum fine. DD text back A - so relief here.

cardibach · 13/06/2012 18:09

Well done your DD's school, Kez! It's great when kids are supported like that.
You would be welcome to some Bellini, too.
I'll keep an eye on this thread for now, but I'll definitely need support before the results day!

Original poster
Kez100 · 13/06/2012 17:55

Ahhh, no, scrub that!

Turns out she said she wasn't going to go to my DD but in the end the school turned up on her home doorstep when she didn't register a half hour before the exam start and she was given a lift in!

OP posts:
Original poster
Kez100 · 13/06/2012 17:25

Well done Miss Cardibach and everyone else who has finished. Lucky I don't live near Cymru or I would have nipped around and helped you out with that Bellini!

One of my daughter's friends (from a difficult background) decided today she wouldn't sit Maths paper 2, so just didn't go in. It is such a sad situation when you see cases like this - simply wasted opportunities. At least she has a grade, albeit low, from the early sitting in November when she did both papers because she was actually in school on those days, so it wasn't so easy to avoid.

OP posts:
AmazingDisgrace · 13/06/2012 17:19

Maths paper 3 was also reported as fine here too but with a 7 mark question - is that the first 7 marker? Ive only seen 5 or 6 mark ones on past papers. Chemistry on Friday then that's it...until Year 11

GnomeDePlume · 13/06/2012 17:11

Well done to those finished!

We are hunkered down for the duration. Quite soon we will have to break out into cheering songs to keep all our spirits up!

cardibach · 13/06/2012 17:06

WE'VE FIIIIIIINNNNNIIIIIIISHED! Yay!
Currently drinking Bellini in celebration prior to getting a take away. Final Maths paper was OK, apparently, despite her being unwell this morning. She had a sore throat yesterday, and got a bit of a headache before bed. This morning she looked awful, bad head, bad throat and really sick. She kept heaving at breakfast time. I told the exam secretary at school and told her to tell the invigilator just in case, but it went off a bit before the start and she seems fine now. It could have just been last minute nerves, but it had me going for a while! I suggested she play it to her advantage and throw up just before the really hard A* questions she can't do - perhaps the Board would have processed special consideration! Grin.
Relieved she got through it, though, and enjoying sitting with her without the necessity for a nag!

Ormiriathomimus · 13/06/2012 16:47

Well maths was.........OK.... Hmm I have accepted by now that is all I am going to get told about any exams.

BringBack1996 · 13/06/2012 15:30

It's all going well, thanks! At the moment it's very much a learning curve as it was with DS, however definitely less controlling stressed as I was at this point with DS1!

SecretSquirrels · 13/06/2012 15:26

BringBack1996 Congratulations and some virtual Thanks. Off topic but how is it going? Is the baby stuff all coming back to you after 16 years?

A day off here. Chemistry on Friday the just 2 more next week.DS did his Maths in Year 10 and has Statistics instead this year which he describes as boring but easy.
We have promised a meal out to celebrate.

empirestateofmind · 13/06/2012 15:00

Well done Idontknowwhy, enjoy the break and see you back in August!

empirestateofmind · 13/06/2012 14:58

DD also said the maths paper today was fine. She has one exam next week then the last on the 26th.

That is a nice idea to go out to dinner after the last one- I will see if DD wants to do that. I like the champagne breakfast idea for results day too.

IdontknowwhyIcare · 13/06/2012 14:44

Finished! Oh I am so happy ;-) ds taxied home from school, unloaded the dswasher, got himself a snack nd as been playing COD ever since. Lol.
His opinion on the maths was that it was alright and def not easier than the other one.

We are off out to dinner tonight, ds has been told his dad is sorting dinner (he is he made the restaurant booking). It's a treat for all his hard work.
Good luck everyone, see you back in august for results day.