Year 11 GCSE support thread 5 - finishing off the exams

I've been reading this thread with interest, but no one seems to have the problem that we are having, namely that my normally organised and diligent dd yesterday confessed that she has been unable to revise for the gcse exams since week 1. Her grade predictions have always been A*-B. She has been in her room the whole time and we assumed that she was revising, but she seems to be somewhere close to the bottom of the pit of despair, with a complete mental block. She gets as far as opening the books, but apparently that is it. World's worst mother had no idea and with 3 exams to go it is a bit late to be telling me. It doesn't help that she isn't sleeping either. Any wise words?

Is it too soon for some 'This much I know...' thinking?
I don't think so. Obviously, all DC are different but here are mine:

Make sure you have enough printing ink and paper- more than you think- from early May onwards.

Keep plenty if snacks and treats in. And a secret stash for when they run out expectedly.

Don't try and control the revision. Put them in charge of it and praise when they engage with it rather than nagging when they don't.

bTM, my relative said around a thousand teachers a week leave the profession

So dd has had a look at a predicted Maths Calc paper - the AET one which Eve kindly sent me. Eve.

She thought it was very helpful to look through but slightly cheekily wanted me to ask if there are any answers to it?!
Or are there any other versions (especially ones with answers!)
I know they want the moon on a stick don't they? - and we try to find it for them!

Enjoying the sunny weekend but thinking it will be even better next week!

Ono, me neither! I think she takes after her nanny in that department. Has my DMs small hands.

Horse, sadly many teachers are feeling like that. Hence the huge turnover and difficulties recruiting

DD didn't g9 to sleep till 3, having slept in the evening, but got up at 9.30 to go in to do physics and maths.

Just an email from a relative who is a teacher absolutely ranting about Govt testing and league tables etc, never heard her rant like that before. She's seriously considering giving up. Loves teaching, hates the bureaucracy.

Errol, hope your DD shakes off her cold soon. DH is hanging around moaning about his man flu so we are all giving him a wide berth in case he passes it on - sounds like there is some horrible cold virus doing the rounds and of course exhausted kids will be more prone to catching it.

Wish I had your DD's 'problem' Tilly - I've no boobies to speak of

5 more days - we can do this!! And then I can get on with my own work, still have 6000 words left to write on my dissertation

We don't have a good Chinese takeaway nearby so M&S provided our Chinese feast last night.

She's never had hayfever, thank goodness. DH does which made the exam seasons difficult for him. I saw that was the one medical condition specifically mentioned as meriting some 'consideration'.

More chemistry revision today and I expect she'll do a maths past paper. My job is to keep the dog quiet!

A decade of exams Lotus. Oh no. Agree that the exams are boring, boring, boring. And the people that run the system don't seem to care about how the lengthy process affects everyone. Maths HAS to be better tomorrow.

bigTilly I took out the padding from one of dd1's dresses for the same reason and it looks fabulous. Much nicer than before.

Hope all that cold bug goes away Errol. We also did the Chinese takeaway magic ono. Running out of ideas for treats now.

Thanks Odd, I think I might see if she wants to try a 10, if I can exchange it. But if that's way too big, God knows! It's her big boobies that are the problem

Agree TWF. I am exhausted, so DD must feel 100x worse!

Yes, but the end is in sight now, although actually this is just the start having been through it with the older children - AS, A levels to come , then degree, then 2 of them did 2 years post grad law exams. If the twins do the same
(as one has suggested) then there are 7 more years of exams to come by which time I am likely to have a grandchild at school.

Hope all ill DC are feeling a bit better. Crap time to be under the weather.

I'm getting very very bored with exam season now. It seems to have been going on forever.

Summer colds are evil, Errol. Hope there's an improvement soon. They seem to give runnier noses than winter colds and make me feel very unwell. Make sure it's not hayfever though.......maybe give her an antihistamine to see if there's an improvement to rule it out? Turned out DD2 did have hayfever, not a cold.

It's a beautiful day here- not at all conducive to revision.
I'm going out for a quick run to clear my mind before the day begins. I'm going to be SO GLAD when this is over.

5 more days, 5 more days, 5 more days......

DS hasn't got a prom suit yet. His dad (ExH) was supposed to have organised it, but hasn't. More bloody stress.

Maths again tomorrow.

Hope your DD feels better soon Errol, summer colds during exams are rubbish!

All quiet here, everyone still sleeping.

DD started getting a cold on Friday, said it kept her awake last night. Hopefully she'll shake it off over the weekend, it's not the time of year for them dragging on into coughs. Dosed with honey and lemon and gone to bed quite early for a Saturday.

All the talk of prom dresses has reminded me I must get her to look at walking trousers for DofE - even that is too much clothes shopping for her!

DS is feeling a bit better now, the restorative powers of a Chinese takeaway!

Tilly, is it just tight across the bust? Would a minimiser bra from M&S help? I like the idea of a lace up back but I wouldn't have the skill to do that myself (can just about manage cub badges).

At DS's school the girls have a private Facebook page and they all post pics of their dresses so they can 'bag' them - ie if you post a pic saying this is my dress then no-one else can wear the same thing.

Has she got enough time for a dressmaker to put a lace up back into it or anything TillyMint? I've seen that work well on bridesmaid dresses when a dress has been tight on the bust.

Yes, ono, totally agree. That man Can't wait for it all to be over - DD is exhausted.

Pic?

DD is having a crisis re her Prom dress - she has decided that the favourite one is too tight and can't find anything else. I can try taking out the breast padding, but only if she definitely wants it...

DS had a bit of a meltdown this afternoon and was convinced he hasn't even got the 6 Bs needed for sixth form - I hope Michael Gove realises how stressful all these changes have been when they hit his own kids in 3 years time. I hate the fact that these exams have turned my lovely, confident boy into someone who is full of self-doubt and anxiety.

I got DH to take him out to buy a prom suit and I admit I did have a tear in my eye when I saw how grown up and handsome he looked in it (although he will need a belt to keep the trousers up as he is a real beanpole)

Lynette, your DS sounds very sensible I wish DD could be so.

Hi all. I've only been absent for a few days and can't believe how fast this thead (and one before) has gone but I'm back now. Phew. Ds said maths was ok (AQA), biology ok but some 'weird' questions and business ok, so I have no clue as to how all that went.

Just had a really lovely chat with DS1. He says he did see the question, and just skipped over it, as he only needs 60% for an A.

He also said if he doesn't get get an A in Maths he doesn't want to do it, and he'll just do Biology or Buisness studies instead.

I said I thought he was doing really well in his exams (he's really calm, and not stressed) and he said "Well, I'm not doing terribly".

Littleham hope your DD feels better soon. Lynette perhaps your DS was more focused on the actual maths of the question rather than the name of the person with the sweets. Or maybe he sensibly missed it out to concentrate on questions where the marks were easier to get? I think Hannah was only worth 3 marks so entirely possible to get a good grade without doing that question at all.

My DS is printing out past papers to do in preparation for his last three exams. (He finishes this Friday.) He has at last remembered to print them out double sided so halving the amount of paper needed and making them much easier to staple. I said, jokingly, "You get a well done sticker for remembering to print double-sided." And he insisted on getting an actual sticker. He is now proudly sporting a silver star on his tee-shirt. I love it when they get old enough to like it when you treat them like little children.