GCSE Supporting - first week nearly over

@ggccsseeeee that’s reassuring, thanks for this. My DS is very disorganised and forgot something and had to come home twice this week. Even though I wrote it down in big bold lettering AND reminded him before he left 🤦🏻‍♀️

Nervous about maths today. DS is what you might call a good all rounder - slightly above average in most areas but not top of the class. If he performs well I think he will get a spread of grades from 5-8.

History is his best subject and he got a 9 in one of the mock papers but he is stronger on some topics than others so he thinks it will average down a little.

Maths is causing a bit of stress though. It's his weakest link even though he's fairly competent (compared to me for example!). He's applied for Biology at A Level and the college requires a 6 in maths for the course. In his last mock non calculator he was 2 marks from a 6 and came out with a 5 overall.

So it's nail biting stuff and I have no idea whether college will be lenient if he just misses by a few marks. It's a v popular college so possibly not.

If it's like the school I work at the Teachers will remind them before they go in about equipment etc.
They then get asked again when sitting in the hall whether they have everything. If they don't, I'm sure there will be equipment they can borrow. Don't panic!

It's 9am 🕘 and so it begins

"For those whose children did Medicine, apparently one of the questions had a misprint about the date a medical text book was released so you may wish to look into that as apparently the exam board are going to look into how they grade it as a result"

DD was saying one of her friends wrote about a different century so this is probably the reason why.

I’m now freaking out about the equipment thing too! I just said to DS ‘do you have your pencil case’ didn’t think to specify 😩. They do a little talk before the exam so I’m really hoping the teachers told them to check they have everything before so he could sort something out if he didn’t have anything. I won’t know now til the end and the control freak in me is not managing well 😰

DD was really upset after history (crime and punishment) yesterday. Being honest they went off the subject very quickly into it and the revision hasn't really happened either.

For those whose children did Medicine, apparently one of the questions had a misprint about the date a medical text book was released so you may wish to look into that as apparently the exam board are going to look into how they grade it as a result

Is that foundation maths? If so possibly my DD. But home after that and two days exams free next week.

DS confident about maths, but I now realise I have no idea if he had a protractor or not! Am feeling reassured by the accounts of these being available at school though.

My son was completing a past paper while having breakfast this morning. He got a B in maths for his mocks but really wants an A in the real thing as he wants to do maths at A level. I've told him to strive for an A it's good to have ambition but then I don't want him to get disappointed if he doesn't do it . Gosh it's awful stressful for them and us parents my tummy is in knots! Good luck to all x

Joining for solidarity and to stay sane!

Good morning! May I join?
DD has watched 2 maths videos while eating breakfast this morning. She is not looking forward to it at all.

Thinking of everyone today, DD1 was the 2021 cohort who didn’t do GCSEs so this is our first time through it with DD2. I’m quite glad we’re getting a few out of the way this year to ease the pressure a bit next year. It’s a lot for them - VP at DD’s school said GCSEs are the hardest exams they will ever do because of the sheer volume of work spread over a large number of subjects, including ones which aren’t their strong points. Another teacher friend says A-levels are undoubtedly the hardest - much harder than Uni exams and much more pressurised. Wherever the truth lies, it’s a lot on young minds, and even those who find the academics easier than others, are under a lot of pressure. Hoping we all get relieved text messages later to say the maths papers were more comfortable than expected!

Hope your DC makes it in @TeenDivided

Good luck all. I’m not even sure I know what board mine is taking today. Edexcel maybe?

Mine is dreading maths today. She's fine - knows the stuff- but makes stupid mistakes... clings to the top set by her fingernails so knows that lots of others find it far easier. So far she's been happy with everything but a bad paper today would set her back. She also had a really bad orthodontist appointment at hospital yesterday so is both in pain and a bit sad.

@Circleoffifths the girls' Saturday music school - not quite junior conservatoire - is actually really kind about gcses, though they did make dd1 do a solo in a concert last Saturday. Perversely it took her mind off the coming storm. She is planning to go in tomorrow, but I've said we'll talk in the morning if she's not keen.

Thinking of everyone, particularly @TeenDivided - really hope it goes well.

@HappiDaze I think it's really hard for those doing higher maths but aren't expected to achieve the higher grades. There are so many questions that they won't be able to answer and I know initially my son found it very disheartening, but he knows now to just concentrate on the ones he can do and not worry about he others!

I am so strung out this morning!

I'll be waiting for the post exam text of relief or crushing disappointment

I've wished DD luck but am otherwise keeping out of her way so she can stay in the maths zone as can be a bit skittish when stressed

I wish them all luck in their maths today

DD could get anything from a 3-7 it's hard to tell as it's a higher so they throw in those questions that are nigh on impossible for anyone other than the pupils getting 8/9

I've told her not to be put off by those questions as she's really not expected to know them as they're specifically for the maths geniuses of which she knows she's not one

Good luck to everyone for Maths and other exams today.

Edexcel non-calc for DD. At their school they ask them to bring pens, pencils and a rubber and they provide the rest.

I expect I will be stalking Twitter from mid-morning onwards to see how the paper was. I like to be vaguely prepared for how others viewed the paper before DD gets home and tells me her experience. From what I can tell the general consensus has been that the papers she has sat so far have been kind to them. I expect that means grade boundaries will be sky high.

On the extra-curricular thing - DD goes to a junior conservatoire on a Saturday and they make it very clear that there is no study leave for students in the exam years. Emails along the lines of ‘good luck, we are thinking of you all, keep up the practice and see you Saturday’ 😬

She has a concert tomorrow, one the Saturday after half-term plus a music exam the day after her GCSEs end.

Yep same. Praying for that pass

Good luck to all the kids today. Maths is a very weak area for us and will be grateful for a pass on this one. I just hope it doesn't totally knock her confidence for the other exams.

DD away happily to do Maths paper today. She’s only in 4th year but doing paper 1 of maths a year early seems to be the norm these days. She’s done a few other papers already this week and then has one more mid-June. She’s confident with the maths so I’m just hoping it goes well. I’m not concerned about her eventual grade (she’s good at maths and consistently sits on very high grades A/A*) but I know it’ll knock her confidence if she struggles with it and she has internal school exams
next week so I want her to stay buoyant. History went better than expected yesterday which was a real boost to her. As with DD1 who is sitting A levels this year, it’s less about their ability and knowledge and much more about their headspace in this house.

Gosh....
Mind u the only reason why my son never forgets anything is because I have to remind him!!

Mine also has non calc maths today. He's currently singing away to himself so that's a good sign 😂