GCSE Support Thread 2013

Nit - her brother keeps marching round intoning 'Gangrene of the FOOT' in a Doomy voice (copying me, I must admit, when we were watching Poldark last year - every time Elizabeth came on screen she was met with doomy proclamations of 'gangrene of the WOMB' (I do that, in my head, when I re-read the books too)). Anyway, my fault though it is, it's a bit disconcerting. But still, even allowing for that and the run out tetanus, compared to her broken fingers and her smashed in face, the foot really is the least of her worries right now. Unless she actually gets tetanus.

She is being so incredibly calm and cheerful about it all. Basically, she is my hero. What she's gone through in the last few months would have destroyed most people,I reckon. I'm sure it has had and will have an impact on how she does but the fact that she is just carrying on and isn't going all 'poor me' makes me incredibly proud.

Shit, I thought I was posting onto page 11, sorry, that was rude. Really sorry, Duchesse - and Russians I hope dd's foot heals soon.

Duchesse - sorry for your loss.

DD1s infected foot has not got any better, in fact it seems to have got worse. And she hasn't had her tetanus jab (it's due on June 10th). Luckily, she has no exams until Momday now. And her jaw doesn't seem to be locking....so, it's off to the doctors this morning as soon as the younger kids have been dropped at school. Luckily she does have some revision materials at home (her plan was to go in to school every day to revise to give her day structure).

Dd said biology was ok except the last question, which nobody was sure about...

DD2 did Ten Tors in driving rain at the weekend finishing on Sunday and had her first paper on Monday afternoon. In between times my father fell dangerously ill on Sunday morning and died on Monday morning. I left home to come to France to see my father on Sunday evening. This won't be a week any of us will forget in a hurry. I hope DD2 is OK. DD1 is in the middle of A level exams (well, IB) as well. DNephew is doing KS2 SATS, my brother was meant to be playing in the US rugby 1/4 finals. Crap, crap timing. God knows how it'll all turn out. There's only one of us who's resting easy about this.

DD2 had Biology today, IGCSE so maybe a different paper to some on here.
She was really strong on it beforehand, getting marks way up in the high As on past papers.
She came out and burst into tears, just sobbed and sobbed. Said it was the hardest paper she'd ever seen and she couldn't do any of it and just answered random rubbish.
She's only just stopped sobbing enough to go to bed now.
I feel so sorry for her as she worked so hard and knew it well too. She is only young so she can retake if it is bad but she's not happy about that. She wants to do science A levels eventually so does need a good grade.
Her sister put in about 1/8th of the work when she did hers and got an A.
Feel very deflated on her behalf.

MsAverage DS came out with "Everyone was complaining that it wasn't what we covered but most of it was common sense". Wouldn't be an issue but the child has virtually no common sense

Very academically gifted but common sense is one thing that eludes him

Biology today here.

• How was it?
• You know, it was one of those exams when everyone is saying it was horrible, but everyone gets good grades in the end.
• So, you sucked?
• Yep.

The need for should come with the exam timetable DSD2 works really hard but DS seems to be able to get A's and B's with very little effort, and while he could do better with his English lit, he's still predicted very good grades. Not that I'm at all....

He's suddenly decided he wants to do physics/engineering at Uni, and while it wouldn't have been an issue last year (before they picked their subjects) because he was heavily skewed towards the sciences, this year he seems to have become more balanced and while I rock in a corner pulling my hair out try to figure out how he needs to get there he's all chilled and relaxed..... I wonder if triple science with single math would be enough.... His classes and exams would have clashed so he decided -without telling me-- last year that he would take triple science instead of double and single math instead of double.

He has now very casually dropped into the conversation that he might look at Uni's within the EU and has finally led me to contemplate signing myself in so that he can do language and physics. My dad is inordinately pleased happy that someone in the family enjoys physics while I look on with the realisation that the hospital gave me the wrong child because I don't get physics at all.

Nursy, same here! Same way round, but boys! I guess there's just so much more at stake for the older ones, they really know what they want, and will be gutted if they don't get it!

Biology seemed ok here too. Dontwanttobe, I feel your pain, and the need for too! GCSEs and A2s here too, and DH more stressed than the boys too! Doesn't really help anyone! I am concentrating on making nice food to eat, and some home baking! DS1 congratulated me on my muffins today, and said that he was so pleased that I have 'upped my game' with food lately!! Didn't really know quite how to respond to that!

Got two DD's A levels and GCSE at same time - both girls very different, older way too studious and stressed and GCSEer casually flicking through a bit of revision now and again. Problem is as always with these two that one I am trying to persuade to take time out and the other constantly nagging to get down to some revision. Not sure if anyone can help - I'm turning to drink til its all over!

DD1 thought biology was easier than she had been expecting. Not sure if that means she missed the point of the papers, or that the exams were genuinely easier than the past papers. Which might not be a Good Thing. Ah well. No exams now till Monday. Since she spent the afternoon revising and then did another hour and a half when she got in from school we were perfectly happy with her taking the evening off to watch Les Mis with me and her sister. We basically had a lovely sing-along-and-weep.

My ds said his Biology B3 went well today.
His next is RE on Friday and he seems to have lost motivation this evening. I keep reminding him that he will have 3 months of Minecraft/Ipod/dossing etc AFTER the exams so he needs to revise NOW (what I haven't told him is that I have plans for the summer for him that will keep him busy! I'll keep that quiet for a while )

DS has done physics today. He thought it was ok, but a lot of theory and not much maths which he would have preferred!
He now has no exams until Friday so 2 days at home revising. We have told him that he has to do 2 past papers each day which we will go through with him in the evening otherwise he is inclined to just sit and read which doesn't really help him.

Yes, ds1 was pleased with Biology too. He did B2 and B3, higher. Misread a question on one of the papers (realised later), but seems quite confident he's still done enough.

I'm pleased he's had a positive start to the exams.

Next week is the biggie for him: 2 hrs Chem, 2 hrs Physics, 4 hrs Eng Lit, 2 hrs German....!

Can I join? DS in Yr 11 sitting CCEA (in NI). He had biology today and claims it was easier than he thought (which is bringing me out in a cold sweat since the child is virtually horizontal when it comes to his studies).

He has English lit, physics and chemistry next week and I don't know if my nerves can take his chilled approach to it!! He's predicted good grades and is more than capable but I'm going to be a gibbering wreck by the time he finishes this round of modules. It makes me sick to the stomach that he has to do the rest of the modules next year too! Bad enough that DSD2 is sitting her A levels as well and DH is worrying more than she is because she has a conditional offer for the Uni of her choice... I need much !

DD found French difficult yesterday, especially the listening which she is usually better at.
Nothing else till English Lit on Monday now.

Biology was 'OK'....so about what I expected

Thank you creamteas. It would be easier if the GP/hospital/others could pull their fingers out so that we knew where we need to be and when but isn't that always the way!

Merry fingers crossed biology was ok

Well DS limped home.

PE was 'easy' but Biology was tough. Partly because there were some things that weren't in their revision text books. (They haven't had a teacher for the past couple of months so they have been left to learn from the books and I think it all got a bit muddled.)

Still, lesson learnt. He needs to make sure he is revising the right things from now on.....

Biology here as well, and it went 'ok'. DD was taking both unit 2 & 3.

Two days off then RE on Friday.

FJL hope you manage to get things sort out ok.

Everything was fine here, no stress at all until news this morning of a family emergency made me realise that I and therefore my daughter might have to be away to deal with it when she should be taking her English exam.

I have no idea what will happen if she has to miss it, I'm waiting for the school to email me back and advise me.