Year 11 GCSE support thread 5 - finishing off the exams

DS said maths was better than last week but all the way home kept remembering all the silly mistakes he'd made (stop telling me!). It was still harder than all the past papers they'd one. Usually there are quite a few 1 and 2 mark questions at the start but this time there were only a few and then straight into the 5 markers. Oh well, he wasn't planning to do it at A-level anyway

DD just called to say the maths paper was better than last week's, but still harder than the past papers she'd done. Hopefully that's the last time she'll ever have to do maths, though, so there is a bright side!

We also have chemistry tomorrow , physics Friday then Graphics next Weds.

No word on Maths yet.

to those not sleeping. It's hard enough without being sleep deprived.

DD back and said her and friend found foundation very hard. Friend's son unwell and walked out after an hour poor thing.

She only spoke to 2 who did Higher, they said much better than last week.

Sorry to hear so many having trouble sleeping. I had that at the start of the exams, along with anxiety dreams, but I think once the first few were out of the way and weren't total disasters I've settled down! DS in contrast has been totally laid back and enjoying not having normal schooldays

At least I'm not the only one who isn't sleeping! Maths this morning. DD is expecting it to be just as bad as the last one I guess that's good, in a way. If it's not so horrible, she will have a pleasant surprise.

I couldn't sleep either. Suitcases under red rimmed eyes today. Feeling sick. It feels worse this week somehow. Just got to keep telling myself that she finishes on Friday (although older dd will have another week).

I couldn't sleep properly either and my head is really not in gear for work. DH has chauffeured DD and is waiting to pick her up so should be buying the milk etc, bless him. I'm making coffee to try to get enough energy to try a bit of a run as it's sunny but not yet warm.

It is shit they can't do November retakes (of the exam part, not CAs or coursework). Back in the day I remember my friend being able to start A-level French having got a D at o-level, she had to pass at the retake to continue. Afaik people in that situation just about always did pass.

DS finally left the house at 8.42 for the 9am exam. It is (fortunately) just a ten minute walk but he looked so tired.

DD got up okay today - last exam - Maths. She suddenly decided in the last 2 minutes that she needs to return all her textbooks today and hunted for two I have no memory of having ever seen.
My next job will be to sort out her stuff into piles: her notes, our textbooks, and maybe find those two books if she did ever get issued them.

Yep. A week and a day more to go here. Then the big come-down.

I feel really sorry for all of them, bigTillyMint. This stress has been going on since early May.

LineRunner, DD said she woke up at 3.30. I heard her get up about 5 so went down and found her watching Jeremy Kyle! I made her banana pancakes and cheered her up a bit and have just dropped her into school, so fingers crossed she can hold it together in the exam. And stay awake.

Good Luck to all the Edexcel Maths takers today. Surely it can't be as bad?

Res Mat that should be!

Maths & Red Mat here today. Good Luck to all with exams today and those revising!!

Maths and Latin Literature here today.Let's hope there isn't a rerun of paper 1 this time.Dd went off to school looking very positive rather surprisingly.She's more worried about the Latin than the Maths.

Last week of her wearing a school uniform ever.Now where do I get acceptable ' business' dress for a 16 year old?

We're almost out of milk. Just enough for a and for dh's coffee.
So that's something
Toast for breakfast though
Good luck Maths peeps

And we're out of bloody orange juice.

DS and DD just left, in a good mood. Long may it continue.

Good Luck to all the Maths people. 8 exams to go here.

What line runner said. Maths this morning and then just chemistry and physics.
I slept for approx an hour last night having woken an hour after I went to bed thanks to bastard spiders who filled my bedroom in my dreams and I had to try and 'swim' through them to get out.
DD is exhausted.First one to the Sports Direct bucket mug for a coffee wins, on your marks....

I'm having a very big mug of coffee now. No sign of DS getting up yet. It's making me twitchy.

In my day if you cocked up an O Level you just re-took it in November in the 6th form. Now there's so much riding on these GCSEs first time round - College and 6th form places, future university applications ... and there's not the same opportunity for retakes. It's bloody ridiculous to do this to 15/16 year olds.

Good luck with Maths today. DS1 only has 3 exams this week so he is getting demob happy. He has 5 next week so I am trying to keep him focused but it is getting harder.

Here's hoping for a 'normal' paper 2!

Resisted not reissued. We don't live in a library...

Maths here for DD.

DS not rubbing it in that he took his paper last year. Oh no. Not one bit..

DD seems calm, currently reading Warm Bodies. I have reissued trying to stick a page of maths rules under her nose. Because I am not That Mum.