Gcse 2018 (10) The one with half term

Well it was quite a spectacle Loose but I'm with you on trying to do best guesses on the these things, based on experience.

Same sort of difference Cherryburn but yes I sort of see the point of that although I'd add a note of caution that over the years I've had DC taking literally hundreds of papers (three hundred at a guess) and honestly the examiners have all sorts of double bluff tricks up their sleeves. So I think that makes me cautious and go for the ignorance is bliss approach!

goodbyestranger that must have been pretty disturbing!
I don’t believe in trying to predict science topics after my disastrous attempt to do just that in my O level biology paper. I passed but I definitely didn’t do as well as I hoped!

It would be a mistake to rely on them goodbye but I shouldn't think anyone here will do that. The Biology link I reposted (not from YouTube, it's a Biology teacher's blog) makes it clear that there are no guarantees that certain topic areas won't come up twice. However, given some areas didn't come up at all in Paper 1, there is a good chance that some of them will feature in P2 and as such it's worth making sure that they are covered in revision.

Am I the only one thinking it's a dangerous game to rely on youtube predictions for what topics will come up? That said, I haven't looked at the link but I do remember someone at uni being certain that three topics would come up in a particular finals paper, she only revised those three - but in massive detail - and screamed (literally screamed) when she saw the paper, fell to the ground then had to be helped out sobbing. No exaggeration.

Sandybayley - she’s mainly doing igcse which are on the old grading system. English, maths and art are on the new 9-1 system. Sciences and maths are Edexcel and everything else is Cambridge - doesn’t make a lot of sense to me having different boards and different grading structures but hey ho who am I to judge!! Also confused about the papers being way harder but the grade boundaries being low (compared with old fashioned O Levels). Dd doesn’t like talking about it 🤨

Found you all!

My DD still asleep! According to her, all exams taken so far have been “ok” or “alright”. Only clue I have about content/difficultly is reading here, student room or Twitter. She has attended some revision sessions that school have laid on in between exams. She has used some of the brightly coloured flash cards now which I had flashcard envy over.

It’s all a bit weird actually, it’s like exams aren’t happening for my DD apart from the odd day when she has gone into school later/come home earlier than usual, nothing has really changed.

Not sure what DD4 is doing - I'm away for half-term too and she's at home with a bigger brother - but I would expect her to revise as well as take breaks and hang out on the beach a bit. She said maths and english lit were 'good' (as in 'How are you?' 'I'm good' which I suppose is the equivalent of 'fine'.

I only glanced at the earlier threads but I do remember you saying that your DS was moving schools for the sixth form mmzz and I was sorry to read your post about your DS on Friday when he came out of the exam. But new school, new start. I'm sure existing sixth formers at the school will be very welcoming and hopefully he can make the most of it socially.

@Cblue - welcome! Is your DD not doing any of the new 9-1s? DS1 has some of the letter grades but about half numbers. I thought all maths and English had switched over?

teen and cherry thanks for Bio link

Cblue mightily impressed you've read every post! Good luck to your DD the end is in sight for us all..........I shouldn't be on here as I am suppose to working from home!!!!

Hi all. I am a big time lurker on this thread. I have read pretty much every post on this thread since day dot and have joined MN just so I can say thank you. It’s been great knowing that there are others out there going through the same pain and horrors of GCSEs. Dd is on the home straight with only 4 to go. Can’t wait for it all to be over!!! Like several others on here she is also dyslexic but has been forecast all As and A* so the pressure has been immense (she has to work harder than most to get those grades) - I wish they had forecast Cs and Bs. Have a great half term and good luck to all your DCs

freesciencelessons youtube

This is a link to series of videos for GCSE chemistry, biology and physics. There is a good range of videos, covering a large range of topics and the explanations are clear and concise, IMO.

Hope its helpful to someone's DC, if they get stuck on a particular concept.

Hi all,
i'm having a mini break on my own visiting an old friend - left ds and dh at home. Ds has re done his revision plan for the next week to focus on science and Geography with a bit of Maths to keep things ticking over. Music and Food he is pretty confident of.
He is also doing Further Maths, so doesn't finish until 21st. 25 days left for us and 14 exams to go!

Good to hear you're feeling better and having a rest Sostenuto!
The week after half term doesn't look too bad for DS but the one after is very Science-heavy.
For anyone who remembers the art saga, DS says the teacher went through their work. Two students were very high on marks, then there were DS and a few others followed by a clear drop and very low marks, because they hadn't followed the admittedly complicated assessment criteria (basically school didn't understand it at all in Y10). If I hadn't pushed him to rescue project 2 I don't like to think what might have happened. As it is, I'm cautiously optimistic that he's got a 6. However, that's a guesstimate as there's no way of knowing where the grade boundaries will fall.

DS is working today. He made a list of everything is unsure of and is working through it starting with the stuff that he has no idea about at all. Only another 20 days to go (including today)

Sostenueto pleased your feeling better but take it easy in the garden - it can wait.
I'm sure your DGD will go far with that attitude.

I must admit DS has completely surprised me with his attitude to how he has approached these exams, if I'm honest he completely coasted up until the start of this year. We had a talk over the summer, me telling him that it was going to be a slog and the best approach is to start early not cram at the end and quite to my surprise that's exactly what he has done with no further input from me except periodically nagging at the lack of English revision - so even if he doesn't get enough 8/7's to have a realistic stab at medicine, I know he has given it his best shot.

Revision commences this afternoon and apart from Monday when we WILL take her out and she WILL enjoy it she will have her head down 6 hours a day( with breaks obviously and in small sessions) and Monday is the only concession she will give us. I said all work no play is not good. She said 'not enough work and I will never be able to afford to play!'. I can't win ( sigh)

Thanks stickerocks for new thread
Morning to all I'm feeling much better today and managed to take pup to beach. What a glorious day with a breeze means I can resume work on phase 2 of garden if I can muster some energy!
Dgd has volunteered to go to shops on an errand for her mum and that is a first! The reason? To strut her stuff in her new summer clothes! ( and first heeled sandals). Dd sent photo as I said I wanted complete break this weekend except for tomorrow and it was lovely to see dgd looking grown up and not in school uniform!

Ds has been revising the sciences since 9am.

He then plans to go out and work on his batting stance.

Ah that means DS will have some company when he's plugging away at further maths (if he decides to do it). Someone had told him it was just them and the Germans would be in school that week too but he had thought they meant some sort of exchange trip :).

Has done virtually no further maths but I think he intends to do a paper after physics has finished and see how he gets on - its the AQA and not meant to be as different/hard as the Ad maths one so we'll see. Also if he gets a C it wouldn't look out of his place among his other grades, unlike 8/9 students, May depend on how the paper 2 GCSE goes and whether he's got the stamina to keep going after the 19th !! He may do it as his new best mate in house is doing it too so they may stay in school and have a maths binge together. Good to see him enjoying an academic subject - after 11 years of struggle in the classroom and being worse than useless at sport its such a change for him to be doing well at something so I can see why he is enjoying it.

mmzz I thought that was going to be the answer. DD2 does have it all in hand!

Her prom is on the 15th June on the day of Physics. At that point all she has left to do is Dance on the 19th. She was supposed to do the further maths too but opted out of that. I'm glad she did because she struggled with the first GCSE paper. Today she is revising Physics. She thinks she did well on the first paper and is keen to do well on the second. On maths, she really needs to do well to bring up the first paper!

Thanks for the thread. Dd has slept loads and has work today. Just a few hours in the local carvery. Then back to it.
Have a good weekend. Xx