Year 11 GCSE Exam Support Thread 2

DD had problems ith her Drama group amd persuaded school to let her drop it at end of year 10 and sit Japanese instead. There seemed to be those who couldn't be arsed and then the other lot with clash of egos.

Hmm, ds (y8) is undecided between drama and geography as a third choice GCSE HSM (few options, most decided for them) Also planning on art and music, so possibly should do a humanity even though essays not his strong point ATM?
Must be annoying when you're relying on others in a group and they don't step up to the challenge. So maybe something for us to consider regarding the drama option? I hope he'll get involved in some school plays though as they've put on some great productions in recent years - I'd love to see him get involved in something like that

Thanks, Fairenuff.

HSM, group-work is so tricky - hope it all sorts itself out.

DD has gone off to the library with her mates to revise.

Horsemad, I will take your advice on board and look up some unis that she could visit!

I think so but dd isn't in the least bit arty so didn't even ask about that. Best to check with the school/college.

Another here with one doing A Levels and one doing GCSEs this summer. No real advice except to say if you can squeeze a couple of uni visits in this year, then do!

We started looking last year when DS1 was coming to the end of L6 and I found it a bit hectic.

We're going to a couple of Open Days in Sept/Oct; more because he's quite undecided career wise, so want to give him some options.

OK, so it is a research project that they do, as opposed to say an Art project?

Gosh SugarPlum it sounds like they got in a right mess there. So unfair on the students

BTM they can choose their own subject. Dd did hers in relation to languages as that is where her interest lies. She had to think of a research idea and write a 5,000 word essay showing the reason for her research, the results and her conclusions, quoting all the relevant studies that she referred to.

If anyone is considering it, I would suggest that they ask at the beginning of sixth form/college to see what kind of support/guidance is availabe (if any).

SugarPlum, brilliant plans for your DD re damage limitation - she is very lucky to have you so on the ball. And her trip to Japan to look forward to

DD was a bit when she realised she has her Art practical W/T/F this week - time seems to be flying by thank God but at least her first exam isn't till 11th May!

I thought she was pretty organised having chosen her potential A'levels!

Re the EPQ, do they "think up" a project or do the teachers suggest one?

Fairenuff apologies, didn't see your post. Thank you for the suggestion, I don't think her school generally does EPQ's. I tried searching their website and nothing comes up. To be honest I wouldn't trust them not to mess it up. My poor friend has two children who last week found out they haven't yet done 2 of the modules needed for AS exam in one subject. Then in Maths Mechanics they haven't sat a core mock and in the mechanics mock all but 2 of the class got a U. It's all a bit if a mess and in an ideal world she would be going to one of the Hampshire 6th form colleges with much better reputations but she won't so it is what it is.

I don't know Southampton very well as am closer to Poole and Bournemouth so don't really go and I'm afraid so don't know the areas to live. But also think it would be a good place to be a student - not huge, plenty of outdoors stuff including water sports on doorstep plus beaches to escape and as T&T says not too expensive.

Fairenuff I think Soton would be quite a nice place to be at university. Quite a lot of green spaces, reasonable transport, not massively expensive. I get confused these days as to which buildings are Southampton and which are 'Southampton Solent' but they all look quite nice from the outside.

Great to hear you enjoyed it and that the Japanese are so welcoming - makes me slightly less nervous about my PFB going all that way on her own ! She is I think a bit nervous but has wanted to do this since she was about 7 and DH introduced her to Studio Ghibli films. I thought it would be a flash in the pan but here we are all these years later with her tickets all booked ! Very grateful to local charity who helped pay for it.

Definitely good for us all to have things to look forward to

Great for your dd to be learning Japanese SugarPlum
I had a great year out there with DP (whilst he had a kind of sabbatical year at the University) before we had our DC - teaching English on a freelance basis mainly in 1 to 1 conversation "classes" - sometimes people just happy to show me their snaps of trips to Europe! LOL Japanese people were lovely, so kind and welcoming. I had such a fab year over there
And everyone there wants to learn English!
Hope your dd has a great trip this summer -
Again something to look forward to hey?

Dingit please don't worry. This is all very early to be talking things like this and loads don't have the first clue what they want to do at this point and still not in the 6th form. The school will help when the time is right. For now your DD is working hard and that is all she needs to do. I think you were right to stop her , it reaches the point where it is counterproductiive.

If DD was working and the school wasn't on chaos I wouldn't be thinking about it at this point, I'm just going for damage limitation at this point. Have seen from another friend's experience this week with AS I am going to have to be on the ball with this.

Was thinking the same about May 5th earlier and trying to relax as much as possible as last proper weekend without an exam looming the next week. I hadn't realised it is Bank Holiday next weekend until someone said.

Oh, also, I meant to say that dd has put Southampton as her first choice uni and whilst we don't know the 'city' well, from what he have seen it looks like a pretty good place to live? Not too big but lots of opportunity to get a job, handy for the the uni, good train links, cost of living not to high? Any suggestions of areas to avoid welcome

It's worth her considering doing an EPQ too SugarPlum as they can pick up more UCAS points and, again, it would be a project to work on at home, with support and guidance from teachers.

Dd was offered her course at uni AAB but reduced to ABB if she got a A in her EPQ (which she did) so was definitely worth doing for her. If they can do it in year 12 or at the beginning of year 13 it should all be over by the time exams roll around.

With so much coursework, though, she would have to be organised, get started early and pace herself. More of a marathon than a sprint

Yikes, everyone seems to have much more planned than us. Hopefully Dds sixth form will be very clued up ( it specialises in Engineering)
Dd spent all day revising and we had to to stop her in the end, she was tired and not retaining information. I just hope she's not going to burn herself out. The 5th May is looming ( first exam English language)

Southampton is our 'big city'!

Still no revision from DD, very tired and keeps feeling ill, so I have a plan to make me feel better. At this point aim of game is to get her into 6th form on level 3 courses in things she likes and is good at ie. Art, photography and media. Media is a BTEC so no exam and art and photography heavy on course work. Photography teacher has assured me she will cope fine. My gut feeli g has always been she will come into her own in 6th form doing what she wants to do,

To do this she needs 3 C's as has JLPT which is one plus photography. So English amd English (B in mock) plus Japanese which her tutor thinks is B or above. That gets her into 6th form. Maths if she doesn't get C will need to be resat but hopefully will be during Sociology block which was 4th option and hopefully will eventually get this by end of 6th form giving her ultimately English, English, Maths, Japanese and Photography at GCSE.

After 6th form she wants to do Digital Film and screen Arts which needs 220 UCAS points so looking at Points table that is something like CCDwhich hopefully will be ok. She's entering short film competitions so will encourage her to continue to encourage that, is planning voluntary work out our local cinema/theatre. Plus has her Japan trip which may be a game changer if loves it over there this summer. have already checked with Japanese tutor whether she could do AS and she said she could, but goodness knows if school would agree - but if she does get the GCSE they should as she will have shown she can study independently. Or tutor could help her and she could continue with Japanese Langauage Proficiency Tests which probably better as set by Japanese Government and internationally recognised.

So I'm aiming to preserve her mental Heath (the two girls who killed themselves locally still loom large in my mind and I know a number of 6th form girls having to take tablets) whilst ensuring she can move onto what she wants to do. Sorry to splurge again but wanted to check with you wise lot that I am making sense. She is just about on an even keel and I don't want to go back to her nearly throwing up in the morning as she was doing befor Ethics lessons a few months ago.

We're north of Manchester - it's our 'big city'.

Sugar, yes we found out about the smallpiece trust last year, dd has been on one of their residential courses. It was at Southampton (which may be one of the places she'll consider even though it's so far).
The open days she's going to this summer are Loughborough and Birmingham. The latter is where DH and I went (chemistry) so he thinks it will be somehow easier to talk to people there.

Thanks everyone - it's growing on me! Somewhere northern could work well as we're half way there already on the east coast line from say London to York. So no point treking all the way across country to say Exeter (and actually Bath or Bristol would be pretty inconvenient from here) I went to Bristol though so that's probably drawing me to that side of the country too - must resist as it would be madness! This will sound bad but north might be cheaper for things like accommodation and living expenses - a big consideration when you're a student. My DNeice had a great time in Newcastle and loved it there. York also looking appealing and Durham too - can't help noticing the quaint old towns, But mantra must be "It's not my choice this time round - it's dd's " Of course Cambridge very beautiful, good student life, and near us too - but seems a scary prospect grades wise.

dd was pleased I'd organised the visit day so something for us both to look forward to after these exams

Thanks Sugar, no I had never heard of it. Going to pass it to dh to read while I cook dinner.
Dd did mention Imperial ( sets her sights high!), and it is commutable for her, so living costs not a problem, although I think she would be better living out.

I don't know Salford but Manchester is a good city for students.

Lots going on in terms of music, theatre, politics etc and reasonably proved accommodation.

But the weather! Singing in the rain could have been filmed there .

It is £££ to live in Bath
Manca is a great city - I am hoping DD might consider it - she is currently saying everywhere would be small and boring compared to London I am a Northerner and would love her to go up north -and not stay at home--

Errol and Dingit you probably already know but just in case, the Smallpeice Trust

Juggling, everyone down here have children who want to go to Bath, about 4 people have said that in the last week. I grew up in Bristol so can see the appeal of having both Bath and Bristol on doorstep but have a soft spot for Bristol University as worked there for a bit.

HSM I did Psychology so if there are any questions your DD has am happy to help if I can (though have been out of field for years so not at all up to date )

T&T I can imagine how strange that will feel. I had one at first school and one at upper school for a year which was a little strange.