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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

DS thinks he can teach himself to pass an exam in a week. AIBU to think he is wrong?

755 replies

user1494154933 · 07/05/2017 13:45

This is going to sound ridiculous and I wasn't going to post, as you'll probably call me stupid Blush or irresponsible, etc.

My son is now 18. He isn't a 'genius' or anything like that. He did ok at GCSEs but didn't try hard at all. I used to try my best to get him to revise for him exams, he refused to and said it was pointless and exams don't help etc. which is ridiculous because as much as I do agree it's about memory, you clearly do need to know, anyway, he did ok and got accepted into sixth form, he decided not to go and got a part time job but did a part time photography course in the evening (he is still doing that).

I don't really know how it came about but I think I brought it up about how his exams were important and does he agree now he has matured and he was saying how he doesn't agree because exams aren't showing how intelligent you are, etc. and anyone can do them if they learn the exam technique. Last year (around december) he was telling me how he was going to prove it, he booked himself into the Maths AS exams for this summer (last year you can do these ones I believe). He hasn't learnt anything yet Hmm and I keep bringing it up (he spent £150 odd pounds for the exams (private candidate) and will sit them at his college he goes to part time) and he is telling me 'to wait and see'. He says when he has a week until the exam he will start learning the technique of it? I could slightly understand if a different subject, but he seems to think for Maths it works the best. I really don't understand his whole thinking behind this, but can't wait to be like WTF when he doesn't pass...

AIBU to think this is just stupid and not possible?

OP posts:
danTDM · 13/05/2017 16:53

Jolly good Grin

drspouse · 13/05/2017 16:54

Also place marking to see how he gets on!

danTDM · 13/05/2017 16:54

That was to noble giraffe!

noblegiraffe · 13/05/2017 16:56

You seem to think languages, philosophy and so on are not like maths?

I did French and German A-level so I do have some comparison.

I'm really good at maths. I didn't even revise for my maths A-level. However, this kid has given no evidence that he's really good at maths. If he was, he should have coasted to an A* at GCSE.

drspouse · 13/05/2017 16:58

I did integration and differentiation at O level.

Rascallsall · 13/05/2017 17:05

Another who just wants to see how he gets on!

noblegiraffe · 13/05/2017 17:05

I taught myself to pass Eng Lit, Eng Lang and French

Only about 3% of kids failed English Lit, Lang and 7% French AS last year, which suggests that they are all more blaggable than maths.

ZilphasHatpin · 13/05/2017 17:10

Now that's more like it. Working through examples, then attempting questions without that scaffolding of support is how you do it. Not by reading stuff.

You don't know that reading is all he is doing though. All we have is what OP is relating and tbf she isn't doing it with him, she has a vague understanding of the words he is saying to her and she says brought when she means bought. I'm not really convinced she has a clue what he is actually doing.

JanetBrown2015 · 13/05/2017 17:13

People do need to be a bit careful about getting low grades on exams they enter early or on their own as that in some cases goes on your record (UCAS) etc and could sully a string of As and A*s for example.

danTDM · 13/05/2017 17:15

Ok, you are right noblegiraffe
but forgot my Geography.

Ignored philosophy which had a shit tonne of maths.

But you are right Grin
Some people can do it, for example be really good at a subject but fail exams. That's all.
If you asked me anything about Wittgensteins critique of pure reason now, I would be totes Hmm

noblegiraffe · 13/05/2017 17:19

You don't know that reading is all he is doing though.

What I meant there was that you could learn quite a lot from other subjects by reading. Maths requires a hard surface, pen and paper.

What we do know the OP's DS has done is thought that he could pass maths looking through the mark schemes of past papers. We know he spent a large amount of time printing stuff off. We know he had to admit that he couldn't learn maths from mark schemes and give in and buy a textbook. This is all time wasted when he could have been working through examples and learning methods! This should not fill anyone with confidence that he knows what he is doing.

ZilphasHatpin · 13/05/2017 17:22

What I meant there was that you could learn quite a lot from other subjects by reading. Maths requires a hard surface, pen and paper.

Ah ok! I get you now.

And actually I don't think we do know all those things. I think those are OP's interpretation of what he is doing and being totally honest there is a nasty hint of a sneer in her posts. I think she wants him to fail.

ZilphasHatpin · 13/05/2017 17:23

To clarify, Interpretation of it based on her ignorance of the whole thing and representation of it to us based on her hoping he fails.

noblegiraffe · 13/05/2017 17:25

Ignored philosophy which had a shit tonne of maths.

What did the philosophy graduate say to the maths graduate?

Do you want fries with that?

Joking aside, I don't think you said how much work you did for your degree or how many lectures you attended.

MuffinMan15 · 13/05/2017 17:27

@noblegiraffe but how do we know he wasn't going through those papers? How do we know he "gave in" I think it's pretty obvious the OP is going to make it come across in her favour, don't you? Also, he may well have mastered those other topics, the OP clearly said he was shouting across the room and she didn't understand.

I really hope he does ok.

OP, WRT his GCSE, was he in all his lessons?

I with we could hear the DS's side!

danTDM · 13/05/2017 17:29

Hardly any!

But, I really don't want to argue with you noble as you clearly know your stuff.

But, some people CAN wing it. And do (me)

danTDM · 13/05/2017 17:32

Yes, Muffin also cheering him on and wishing him the best Smile

noblegiraffe · 13/05/2017 17:43

But, some people CAN wing it. And do (me)

I know some people can. Why on earth do people think that the OP's DS is one of those people when he didn't wing his GCSEs successfully?

I have known many students underestimate the amount of work needed to pass AS maths. I have known many students crash and burn on the January AS module (that we used to have) and get a sharp wake-up call about getting their act together. I've not known any B grade students succeed who didn't work their arses off all year. I've known students who got an A or A* at GCSE go on to fail AS.

noblegiraffe · 13/05/2017 17:44

Here's an offer, OP. When he does his C1 mock on Tuesday, send it to me and I'll mark it for him.

Luncharmstrong · 13/05/2017 18:08

Hope he does well.

I got a B in higher physics with 4 weeks to the exam at age 20. No tutor.
I had never done any physics before. Not even at o grade at school.

The local head of department was adamant it could not be done and said he would give up teaching if I did it.

I did it. He didn't.

I'm not a genius by a long stretch but I was very motivated.

Longislandicetee · 13/05/2017 18:11

You can't learn maths by reading a book or by memorising a bunch of stuff.

....my first would suggest otherwise.Grin

Not saying he will definitely it but if he has a phenomenonal memory, I wouldn't 100% bet against it!

noblegiraffe · 13/05/2017 18:21

If your maths degree has questions like 'state and prove L'Hôpital's rule' (mine did) then yes you can memorise. But memorising the proof won't help you if you are then asked to prove something else that you haven't memorised. At that point you need to have practised proving things that you don't already know the proof for.

3boys3dogshelp · 13/05/2017 18:35

I'm hoping he does it but I found my maths A level (after A* at GCSE maths and statistics) harder than my veterinary degree!

BlessYourCottonSocks · 13/05/2017 20:05

I'm with noble on this one. And place marking for my (maths) colleague who has laughed and laughed at the idea that anyone could pass AS maths on a week's revision having not studied it all year.

eatingtomuch · 13/05/2017 20:40

My DS is currently studying AS maths. He is finding the step to A level very hard. He achieved a high A (one point of an A*) at gcse. He did not do much additional work at home but has 100% attendance and attended school revision sessions.
Started with same approach to AS levels (no additional revision sessions at school) and got a U in the January mocks. He has worked really hard since then, school have put on revision sessions and he has attended. He has done hours and hours of revision and past papers. I will be delighted if he gets a B at AS. At the moment I'm not confident. He is getting A's on C1 & statistic's on past papers but struggling with C2.
OP If your DS achieves a pass after one week revision as his parent I would be encouraging him to rethink his career path.

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