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 !

Good luck to everyone starting exams this week and to the GCSE takers who are on their second week 🤞🏽

Good luck to all those with exams today.

Morning all, our council (district) has a page of grant providers etc tucked away somewhere on its website, I was looking it up a few years ago for something to do with DS’s school.

Football disaster in our house yesterday, DS was very upset by his team’s result (he supports Villa and they did their usual thing of taking the lead and seeing it reversed, he didn’t care who won the title but an away win over Man City would have been MASSIVE).

Anyway, he’s back at school, dropped him back at boarding last night. He’s feeling pretty calm about the exams, he has History on Thurs. DD has GCSE Geog today. Both making plans for a bit of time out over half term.

So today is DS's double whammy. Wat a way to start your A Level exams!!

Good luck to those DC with exams today!

Good luck to all for today

Hope the exams go well today!

Sending positive vibes to all sitting exams today!
DD kicks off at 1.30.

Sending MN good luck vibes to DDs/DSs with exams today. Especially mini @Piggywaspushed with 2 lots! (eek) - at least you know he has done all he can (unless he was actually gaming in his bedroom all this time ;-)

DD was in a foul mood over the weekend on and off. Then last night all calm again and was saying she felt ok, it's not that big of a deal, everyone knows you can just retake in November if needed and go to uni next year... I guess it's her coping with the pressure.

Just had to phone in sick for her as she has a full day of lessons today with an 9.00am Psy exam tomorrow so of course she isn't feeling well... Am sure she will be fine for the rest of the week as next exam is Thursday PM, still think it's crazy to expect them to be in school full time until half term when they actually have exams.

Good luck all

Dd went really early ...was scared of being late. College is only 15 mins walk away 😆.

She seemed OK. I told her not to worry if some questions seem hard and that this was a positive day to show all the hard work done 💪.

Can it be end of June please now ...

Good luck all !

Just French GCSE for us this afternoon, fingers crossed for everyone that they come out feeling happy that they did their best.

Good luck to everyone with exams this week. Friday is the first one for DD. She was having a crisis of confidence over the weekend, but I'm hoping once they actually start for her she will settle down.

Good luck to all the exam takers. DD starts Friday with Geography. She says she wished she had more exams before half term but that's life I guess.

She's said she won't discuss the exams with anyone, no comparing answers after the event etc as it will only make her crazy with worry. She's not going into school even though that's an option as she says everyone is so stressed it just isn't a good atmosphere. Better to be home with her dog (I'm sure we fit in there somewhere!). We will get told either a)'fine' or b)'not fine' and have agreed to ask no questions beyond that!

Thinking of you all with first exams this week, I do believe it really helps for them to actually start, and tempers the nerves.

Talking of nerves, I bumped into a parent from DD’s old girls’ school yesterday, who was telling me her DD and peers had been putting in 12+ hours study day, with sessions running to 4am, and what was DD doing.

I said I really didn’t have a clue, and didn’t count productivity in hours, to which her response was well I’m sure she’ll do ok, but that’s the risk of moving to co-ed. Not wishing to open up the SS v co-ed debate, but I walked away so relived that we’d escaped the cult like vibes, it gave me the heeby jeebies.

Good luck to everyone starting today! I agree that it is good for the ones who can get a few out of the way before half term, although I don't think anyone would choose to start with a double day (poor Piglet).

DS waiting for train which has just arrived. Have had my last glimpse of him until after FM and physics papers, feels a bit weird!

I think it will be helpful to have started. That's a tough start though Piggy.

Not sure how DDs weekend went in terms of revision. She is thoroughly bored of it all now, doesn't really know what she is doing. Yesterday she was shut away in her room, but emerged at various stages in 3 different outfits, a full face of make up, nails painted in a very intricate pattern, a detailed list of the hair dyes she was going to try after prom and a list of activities she has discounted for her 18th birthday.....

@ealingwestmum my DD has been so much happier for 6th form at a co-ed. I am a strong believer in single sex for years 7-11, but think they benefit from that mixed environment for 6th form. Having said that DD is at a boys school with co-ed 6th form, where the girls make up just over 1/4 of the year. She loves it! The boys generally more laid back attitude has really helped take the pressure off - mind you 2 years ago when it was my DSs laid back attitude it was a different matter

Good luck to everyone this week!

That sounds manic ealingwest. They are winding themselves up into a frenzy with that sort of schedule.

I can't see what a school's co-ed or single sex status has to do with people clearly going way over the top with revision and risking their mental and physical health by not getting enough sleep.

@ealingwestmum @Seeline dd also moved from a girls school to a boys school, where girls are about 1/4 of the year. She says it’s so much more relaxed, the boys (and she’s mainly friends with boys) don’t get stressed in the way her old friends do. Obviously she’s probably not working quite as hard as she would have if she’d stayed there, but she’s relaxed and has still found time for socialising. 12 hour days are ridiculous!

Crazy, sounds like your DD's got the right balance of life to me. And good to hear it worked out for your DD too Seeline, mine moved at 11, but it was the right thing for her. The conversation got more weird when I said DD's in bed by 9.30pm (her: but why so?, me: because she still swims, albeit no longer competitively due to injuries her: then why?) and so on it went.

All of our DC have dealt with challenges in their own way , I didn't want to go onto say DD had put on 2 stone since lock downs and was struggling to regain control of her weight, so the routine was equally important as exercise in her case. I declined having a recent photo of her when asked, and feel so bad now as I know I did not have the energy to deal with the 'she looks so different', on top of the co-ed comments. I am a little embarrassed this morning to admit this.

Ealing she sounds like a complete nightmare woman and I have learned over the years to expend as little energy on people like that as possible. Good on your DD for being proactive and prioritising her health. All those hours revising are ridiculous.

DS went off very well and I think is revising a bit but also relaxing which is exactly what I wanted.

If the last few years with Covid have taught us ANYTHING it should be that prioritising our children's mental health comes first and foremost. I would simply not allow group study sessions to 4am. So dangerous 😳 , the peer pressure to compete is damaging in so many ways. What on earth is wrong with people?