GCSE Support Thread 2013

Hope you have fun, Russians.

History revision offered next week, but dd think she doesn't really need to go.... She's not done huge amounts this half term, actually: I think she feels the real slog is over. I don't know: it's a fine line we tread isn't it?

Nor here. Well, DD1 having worked solidly through half term doing a minimum of 5 hours every day, tomorrow we have our Big Treat - we are going to see Barbra Streisand at the O2. This is massive for me and both my daughters. We all adore her. DD1 is planning to revise history on the train tomorrow and when we come back on Sunday morning too, it's about a 3 hour journey so she will be using the time constructively. And hopefully she will get to relax in London tomorrow afternoon and at the concert in the evening.

I feel for all those going through the process this year!
Luckily I don't have any going through this time. It's good though to read all the positive posts!
I just have to go through it all as a teacher year on year which is rewarding come August!

hurrah! after 2 school days of revision yest and today, now we have the last 2 days of halfterm off... so grateful to teachers for their out of hours support, and DD1 has done it all with good grace, but god am I glad not to have to do school run for the next few days!!

Thanks for tha Russians right up DDs street. Hopefully she can find someone likeminded to go with as I'm working.

Sorry circular, Dd1 is doing AQA. Incidentally, I don't know where you live but there's a flauto dolce two day festival at the RCM the week after GCSEs end. Free entry to master classes and recitals. Day 1 is modern stuff, day 2 renaissance. Your DD might be interested?

DS is doing OCR A (higher) Biology, Chemistry and Physics which have the same lack of past papers. DS is just working through the revision guides and doing questions that school have set.

Anyone's DC doing OCR B (higher) Physics, Chemistry & Biology second week back?

No past papers (except for the first lot that DD took in yr10) as syllabus changed at start of 2011. She had the CGP practice papers, but wondered if anywhere else had good practice questions?

Also, WJEC Geography B (higher) Unit 2. Only one past paper on website and that's 2009?

DS has a physics, chemistry and biology paper left, as well 3 history papers and 3 classical civilisation papers. He finishes on June 19th as well, then a few days off and then back to school for the last 2 weeks of term.

DD did iGCSE Edexcel for English Lit and the unseen poem was The Island Man by Grace Nichols.

Agree there is a lot of work to do for history. Dd has 8 papers left. She is still working hard but I think she has lost some momentum now she doesn't have to do 8 papers in a week. Still, she would have made herself ill if she had to keep going at that rate until 19th June.

Edexcel Higher Lit was about a cat

Re AQQ Eng Lit poetry, Im sure DD said the unseen poem was about a girl leaving home.

She was pleased with the EDexcel music paper on Friday, in that the stuff she revised more came up. Being a bit non-committal about how she did, just the usual OK

Yes the blasted things are going on forever. DS doesn't have study leave so I think thats helping i can't imagine that he'd keep going if he was left to his own devices.

Wow webwiz, that's a long time to keep the focus going, isn't it.

DS has his remaining exams spread over 4 weeks when he goes back after half term. His last one is Physics on June 25th - I may have lost the will to live by then.

DD has five papers left: 2 Geog, 2 Maths and English Lang.

Next week she has both geog and English on Tuesday, these are both resits. In Geog, she is trying the higher paper as she did so well on the foundation. They are all resisting English because the January papers were not allowed to be given grades. She has a definite C and and a probable C for these two, so the pressure is off a bit for these exams.

The following week is the remaining Geog and 2 maths papers.

My ds has only 4 exams left after half term - history on the first day back then another history a week later and two maths papers. He wants to do really well but is starting to lack motivation for revising now that the pressure is slightly off.

We are away for a few days this week but will take his books and force encourage him to revise for some of each day.

DD1 has 12 exams left, but 2 are English Lang, and 4 are maths. She does need to keep her hand in on maths, obviously, but it's not like doing the odd practise paper is onerous or difficult. There are maths questions she will never be able to do. Anything involving spatial awareness or the ability to hold a ruler (stuff that wouldn't even have been in O level back in the day) and stuff involving drawing a curve (to be fair, that was in the O level back in the day but you only used to lose 1 or 2 marks for being dyspraxic, as a maximum- these days it seems to be a mandatory 10 mark handicap as a minimum). But apart frm that, the real proper maths stuff she is fine with. Her other 6 exams though are pretty heavy duty - 2 history, 2 geog, and Chem 1 and Biology 1. She knows she has to work consistently during this half term week because next Saturday we're going to a Big Thing in London (mind you I suppose she will be able to revise a bit during the 6 hours of train journeys there and back).

Yes, ds1 has history paper first day back. He's had a couple of days' off from revision, which he needed I think. But I need to crack the whip a bit for him to get back to it. It's also hard cos we're moving in 3 weeks, so I have to persuade him to do some packing/decluttering too!

But he is doing two history days (10-2) in school this week, so that helps.

He's only got 6 exams left; 2 are Maths and 2 Eng Lang, neither of which he needs to revise for or practise, as he's fine with them.

DS has history on the first day back as well. He seemed surprised today that he was expected to revise in half term and started muttering about the fact that it was supposed to be a holiday. He still has 11 exams left!