Thread 32 - Corona Cohort 'May' the Mumsnet force be with them for their venture to exams

[OrangeCinnamonCroissant]

This is a thread for supporting all young people post GCSEs 2020, regardless of their educational setting. It is respectfully requested that all are supportive and helpful to each other. If you want to start a debate, e.g state vs private, please don't within this thread. Please also be sensitive when responding to threads about grades.

Some of us have been here since first thread back in yr10, some will be new. Everyone has been friendly and helpful in the past. Everyone is welcome. It is hoped this will continue.

Our DS/DD may go down various paths (such as employment, apprenticeships, higher ed) We have decided for anyone interested they will most likely find us within the Further Ed board.

Previous Thread 31

CONGRATULATIONS ZEBRACAT !

What a terrible thing to happen Oblomov. Unimaginable. Glad they got to him in time Eli - just awful that kids feel this way. The pressure these days is so intense. I think the impact of the last two years has been huge, and everyone is ignoring it, although to be fair I don't think there's a 'mass' solution that could be put into place.

Best of luck to all sitting exams. Frankly I'll be pleased when DD starts...the waiting is stressful.

Just catching up and reflecting on all the sad news. One of DS's closest friends recently attempted suicide. DS won't talk about it with me much but is trying to be there for his friend. His own mental health is suffering and he's been in a really dark place for a while. I feel a bit helpless 🙁 I received a call from one of his lovely teachers who was really concerned about him. From comments DS has made, I know she's keeping a close eye on him in school and has alerted the school welfare people.
He's still not revising and first written exam is next Wednesday. I'm trying to back off with the nagging - some things are more important.

Thanks, Crazy and Mango. Yes, feeling more hopeful that DD can get close to the required grades for Brum, but definitely not complacent.

Just got back from the year 13 leavers service. I had tears in my eyes throughout and sobbed all the way home.

What a shame about the history paper, crazy .Sounds like he did his best to pull it back, so fingers crossed, he’ll smash it on the rest of the papers.
DS had a similar experience in the mocks - froze over a 12 marker and wrote precisely nothing. He got a 5 (or it might even have been a 4) for that paper but still managed a 7 overall, so your DS can definitely save his grade.

Thanks @Alsoplayspiccolo that’s what I’ve told him - there are 2 more papers. It’s frustrating because he’s really good at writing, he’s got a great style and could achieve a 9 no problem with no time constraints. But even with 25% extra time he doesn’t finish English, History or RS exams.

I’m really sorry to hear about your ds @mummyinbeds , you’re definitely doing the right thing by ignoring the lack of revision. His mental health is much more important. I hope he picks up over the next few weeks.

@crazycrofter don't forget the grade boundaries will be generous. Also, it is easy to think GCSEs matter much more than they actually do. In reality, although it would be very frustrating to get a 7 when he is capable of a 9, in a couple of years he probably won't care! It would not have affected ANYTHING for my DSs if their A*/8/9s had all been 7s. In our day we knew an A (now a 7) was a great grade!

@mummyinbeds I also think you are doing the right thing to step back. My DS has also had a very depressed friend and it can be exhausting, but it may help him to see warning signs for himself as he observes them in someone else.

Mummyinbeds I also think you are doing the right thing - your poor DS, how difficult for him.

I’ve just had the call that the lovely lady we lived next door to for many years and who was like another Mum to me and Grandmother to my DC, passed away peacefully this morning. Not a fan of 2022.

Oh what sad news
There's definitely got to be a balance between working hard for exams but looking after mental health. It doesn't matter if you get amazing grades if mentally you're not in the right place. DD has had an awful couple of years mentally and whilst i really hope she does well in her a levels (she certainly deserves it), nothing is more important than her happiness. Unfortunately for year, good results equal happiness.

I’m sorry to hear that @Volterra , what a difficult year it’s proving to be for you and your family 😥Bad things often seem to happen all at the same time/in quick succession and they really knock you for six.

@Monkey2001 thanks, ironically my ds has been telling me they don’t matter for the last two years and up until about Jan he’d have been happy with all 6s and a couple of 7s and a 5 in English. But I offered him an hourly rate to revise from Feb and now he’s done all that work he wants to do better, so that it was worth it! And I want him to do better than his mocks too, so he can see the impact of hard work… 😂

@mummyinbeds you are so right, MH is more important than anything. It is the most worrying time for our DC, I don't think I have fully appreciated the stress they feel under. I cannot wait for these exams to be over, this cohort can then try hard to have a nice summer.

Thank you Crazycrofter . I don’t quite understand why it all has to happen at the same time but have very firmly decided that it all started last summer so is going to stop this summer and the second half of 2022 will be a lot better.

Just checking in briefly and have tried to catch up. Some terribly sad news to read this week, the pressure on our teens is unquantifiable and then to hear about the fatal car accident too - that is my biggest fear about our youngsters driving or being a passenger like this lad was. Unbearably sad. I nag DD to be careful walking to school listening to music as electric cars are silent and she has many roads to cross and it's not just cars, it's escooters, motorbikes etc.

Sociology for DD's first exam too 0blomov followed by Dance on Tuesday and History on Thursday. I've been telling her all along (and so have her teachers) to listen to the advance info and ignore revising the stuff they've omitted and now I'm worrying :-(

So re History coursework, someone up thread said the teacher has to let them know their grade so she asked him and he said she got 35/40 so does anyone know what the grade boundaries previously were for Edexcel History Coursework? I am hoping an A but it could have slipped into A*. It has to be moderated but her teacher said that he' hoping they keep to his given score as it was internally moderated by another History teacher too.

DD has both her grandmothers very ill at the moment - this was what I was dreading as I really wanted to be calm and to give DD my 100% attention for these exams. We're shielding her as much as possible but I am being run ragged from all corners plus trying to plan her 18th birthday. Am doing a photo scrap book so printing out hundreds of pics and adding scrapbooking bits to make it aesthetically pleasing - she loves a scrap book. Haven't started the actual book as want to get all the correct ages sorted plus doing pages for extra stuff like travel, animals, best friends. It's 40 double pages and I'll need them all may be biting off more than I can chew eek

So sorry to read about nightmare unis not even letting students know they haven't got in just letting the offer lapse. No excuse for such rudeness and so stressful close to exam time. Last day for Student finance is today so hope everyone who needs to complete it has been able to - June 24th for returning students.

Happy weekend everyone :-)

Oh, Volterra, I’m so sorry. That must be a huge loss to you and your family. It’s the hardest part of being middle-aged - you find yourself losing big chunks of your past as people you’ve known for much of your life die.

crazy, your DS really sounds like he’s risen to the challenge of putting in the work for revision, so I really hope it comes to fruition in his results. Still lots to play for!

mummyinbeds, you are doing the best thing in the circumstances. In the grand scheme of things, A levels aren’t the be all and end all, and especially given the last couple of years this cohort has had; better to give him time and space to find a way out of his low mood than to add to his struggle.

Oh my word, I'm just sending everyone and their DCs and family one enormous, supportive hug. xx

@Volterra I'm very sorry for your loss.

I hope everyone fits in some time for themselves this weekend. DS's school has written to parents saying ensure the DC have balance between revision and free time, maintain a social life in the coming weeks.

Sad to read your news volterra. Take care of yourself x

@AnneOfCleavage thank you for the student finance reminder. It's been on my to-do list for ages and I still nearly went to bed tonight without doing it. Procrastinating and only just meeting the deadline - it's like being back at uni myself!

I made DD a photobook for her 18th, online rather than a scrapbook, it took me hours and hours but it was so worth it. She loved it and although I'm not sure if she's looked at it since her birthday it is beautiful and I know she will appreciate it in the future (because my Mum made one for me and I love it).

Sorry for your loss @Volterra .

So sorry to hear that Volterra. So much shit you've had to deal with.

Mummyinbeds agree with everyone else. You are doing handsomely!

Hello to AnneOfC.

Yes I agree with this completely regarding feeling that they are step behind where there should be as they’ve missed so much life experience over the last two years

@Volterra I’m so sorry to hear of your loss

Thank you all very much . I was saying to a friend why does a load of shit come at once and she said it’s so the shit doesn’t get in the way of the other times so I am looking forward to calmer times ahead.

DD home today which will be lovely. Plan is to keep DS as chilled as possible. We’re not planning on telling them about our friend just quite yet, she would say not to with exams a few days away.

I am sorry to see so much heartbreaking news on here. Sending hugs to everyone.

There is nothing for me to report. DD finished school and had prom. Exams start on Tuesday.

Well, I’ve left everyone sleeping and and I’m enjoying a hot chocolate in M&S catching up on all your news. I’m so sorry to hear of bad news and losses. This seems a very difficult season for so many.
Dd had her last day in school yesterday which was emotional as she’s been there since nursery and has loved it. All of last week was a bit of a write off really with regards to revision as there were lovely celebrations and ‘lasts’. I can’t believe how close the exams are now, just days away!!! Eek.

How did maths go for the GCSErs?
Seemingly, the Edexcel paper was “ horrible”, if Twitter is anything to go by, but DS said it was “ fine”, which worries me more…!!
He got a 5 in the mocks and end of year 10 exams, and although I’ve been beasting him through revision for weeks, I can’t honestly believe he’s suddenly become a maths whizz (I got a B at O level and that was 36 years ago!!)

DD had maths GCSE yesterday but is doing OCR. She said the last few Qs were really hard but she was expecting that (she's predicted a 7 I think).