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 !

@Oblomov22 - geography? It’s a great A level, straddles science and humanities, 20% coursework, short essays only, overlaps with sociology and other humanities a bit… worth a thought?

@Oblomov22 yes, beautiful

Thanks @Delphigirl it was my question originally - @Oblomov22 was helpfully answering about Business. He probably should have done Geography at GCSE - I don’t think he can do the A Level without it. I wondered if Psychology would fulfil the same function as a bridging subject?

@crazycrofter Stumbled upon this lovely thread - my DD has done the applied diploma in criminology alongside 2 A levels. She has Irlen syndrome which affects her processing speed. The diploma has worked well for her - it’s assessed over 2 years - 2 exams and 2 controlled assessments. She has her final exam in 2 weeks and already knows she is going into it with an A in the 3 other units so it has taken a lot of pressure off. She’s enjoyed the content and how it relates to real life and current affairs. Her 2 A levels also have significant coursework elements so she actually only has 4 exams this summer. She has extra time and always uses it all!

Oh I’m so sorry @crazycrofter I knew that was you, I just had a brain storm!!! Hmm that’s a pity about not having the GCSE. DS currently doing A levels has incredibly low processing speeds hence the huge difficulties with exams - but he has coped quite well with geography for that reason.
I wonder if gcse geography is imperative. It probably is really, I think almost all of the A level syllabus builds on what they have learnt earlier.
Re psychology, I don’t know. What has really killed DS is the crazily specific mark schemes in biology and chemistry. He just can’t cope with that level of memorisation, retrieval, processing, writing all in exam conditions. So I would find out if psychology is the same or not. If it enables kids to express their learning in their own words (obviously using correct vocabulary and scientific language) then maybe that is a good compromise. Can he do eg a taster lesson?

Thanks @Dahliafairy that’s really helpful, as I’ve not come across anyone doing it before. @Delphigirl ds absolutely hates being told what to do/how to do it, so anything with a restrictive mark scheme is out! He does life his way..

The other question I suppose is whether he’d be limiting his future options by doing a BTEC and a level 3 diploma. But I won’t hog this thread any more!

@Delphigirl taster lessons are the week he’s at NCS!

@crazycrofter you are not hogging the thread! A friend's son did Geography A level without doing the GCSE. Was fine.

Welcome @Dahliafairy !

I was quite pleased earlier as I sneaked a look on Dd ticktok to find an A Level video thingies saying how pleased she was with her Sociology exam yesterday.

Made her fave baked Gnocchi dish and called her down for the One Show (they had Southampton City of Culture bid on where she wants to go). She couldn't have been anymore rude and moody about it all.
She has apologised and just keeps on saying she is stressed out. Sent me WhatsApp messages of her crying face and posting 'noone understands my struggle memes" on Facebook. But there is no mention of techniques to help herself. I just can't deal with , I feel ashamed, I've disappeared upstairs. She also has pmt I think 🤔. Keeping out of the way, don't want conflict. New boyfriend who she is apparently head over heels with is driving down to give her a hug.🙄

I wish I'd done Geography A level !

@crazycrofter DS only applied to one uni which was a grades offer as opposed to UCAS points offer. He still got an offer but it was a BTEC grade higher than the A level equivalent offer, which is equal to 2 A level grades. So he would have needed B, Distinction, Merit (= 120 ucas points) but with A levels would have needed BCC = 104 ucas points (the uni's published offer). It might be limiting in that respect but IMO it's more limiting to take level 3 courses which aren't suited to your learning style and struggling with them.

@Crazycrofter Ds1 has done sport & business btecs & Psychology A level.
He's bright but dyslexic & severe ADHD.
I think he's also pretty good at exams.
He got fed up of the coursework in the Business as he said it was boring, but aced the exams and has a overall distinction the teachers estimates. Hopefully it won't be pulled down by moderation. Sport he's hoping for a distinction, but he's really enjoyed the practicals.
The subject he's found most interesting is Psychology. There's a lot to cover in the syllabus and it's not an easy choice.

Also DD2 is doing Geography A level without doing the GCSE first. She's doing very well, but had to put more work in at the beginning of the year to learn the work she had missed.

It’s been a long time since I checked in- hope everyone is well.
It’s Edexcel politics for Ds too tomorrow. He had Pre U Geography today which he said went well. He has Pre U Geography on Friday as well.
Good luck to all.

Oh @OrangeCinnamonCroissant it’s hard when they treat you like shit when you’ve done your best to be nice to them and do nice things for them.

AQA further maths tomorrow afternoon is the first exam here. Have told him to go to bed just now but he wants to be up early to do another past paper in the morning which will be tight as school is a good drive away and we have roadworks on the way so he’ll have to leave by 11.30 at the latest.

DS has suddenly pulled it out of the bag work wise over the last few weeks so I hope he feels it pays off tomorrow. I am slightly worried he has focussed too much on further maths and neglected others but 🤷‍♀️

Orange 💐

DS1 has Further Maths this afternoon but is going into school this morning to revise with friends. DS2 has GCSE English Lit this morning which he seems to be very stressed about. I feel like a stranger in my own home. Will be glad when this is all over.

Hi all, I haven’t posted since exams started because I’m was too scared to post. Ds’s first exam on Monday wasn’t great. He ran out of time, he always struggles with time but refuses to apply for extra time as he doesn’t want the stigma & his OCD but he is very executive function impaired and just doesn’t know how to estimate time properly.
I thought because he had done so well in his mocks he’ll be okay for thexams and let the matter drop but it seems it’s reared it’s ugly head again. He also had terrible neck , back and collar bone ache (being investigated) during the exam. He has another one this morning.
Aaarrgh! I’m sick with nerves, he needs high grades.

Ooh @OrangeCinnamonCroissant I hope she's pulled herself out of it today, it sounds like moving out of her way was the right thing to do.

@Oblomov22 My mam has always wanted to go to Tallin so I'm planning a mother/daughter trip when DD is off to uni. Likely not this year as my mam is still nervous about travelling post-pandemic and also my grandad is unwell. I'd love to hear all about your trip though.

DD hasn't got any travel plans for the summer either (well, apart from with me!), that mostly seems to be because she doesn't have anyone to go with. Her friends either don't have valid passports or are just not interested. One of my hopes for her for university is that she makes some friends who are up for trying new things and visiting new places.

DD has English Language this morning and Further Maths this afternoon, she's in relatively good spirits and definitely seems less nervous than yesterday morning. That's it for her for this week. We've got a camping trip planned for the weekend so we're both looking forward to that and the weather looks decent.

Good luck to all of those with exams today - ds is off now until after half term. @Shimy : good to see you back and sorry to hear Ds has had a hard time. I do think the extra stress of real exams is impacting both my kids more than I expected it too: dd has had loads of timing issues/read questions wrong etc. which she doesn’t normally do. Hope your Ds has a better experience in his next exam. And hope ds’s boyfriend hug worked some magic @OrangeCinnamonCroissant and things are calmer in your house!

Sorry to hear about dd @OrangeCinnamonCroissant - I hope her first few exams go well so that she starts to relax a bit.

@shimy that sounds stressful. Both of mine struggle with timing (ds has ADHD and I just don’t think he can plan his time at all, as well as being slow). I hope the pain eases and today’s exam goes better.

Dd is regretting not doing enough work 😩 She said she thought she’d be more prepared for her A Levels but she just can’t focus in her room. She’s off to the uni library today before History tomorrow.

Thanks @Cantonet those were the subjects ds had put down (though Business A Level). I suspect it’s the Sport and Business which clash.

Shimy I am so sorry to hear this, how stressful 💐 Really hope today’s is better. If he has done well on the what he did he will hopefully be fine and there are other papers yet which he can make marks up on. Do you think the pain could be stress? I’ve been having a conversation with 2 physios recently about how stress can cause physical pain.

DS off the starting block this afternoon. Good luck to them all 🍀

@Isthisjustnormal thank you. I think the stress of it all being first time exams is also taking its toll with reading questions wrong, hopefully the next few papers will be much better. Wish her all the best.

@crazycrofter Thanks so much. I’m praying for much better news today. Good luck to your DD and all the last minute revision. I’ve always told DS that the last minute revision in my experience has always been the best. It’s the one bit that actually came out on the exam! (Not that I’m advocating not studying till last minute ifyswim).

@Volterra He’s had existing pain in those areas which is being investigated. He’s done loads of physio, collar bone weakness (he used to have a tic that stressed the collarbone and he’s had aches in it since) physio can’t seem to find anything other than weakness. Then he ripped his arm out of it’s socket playing volleyball? Just before lockdown, which has led to a weird clunking noise every time he moves his arms now, then a newly diagnosed back problem. All of that linked together somehow. Whenever he leans his head forward to write for extended periods the collar bone and now back start to ache, he said it feels like his head is about to fall off.
sorry to go on a bit.

Good luck to your DS too, I didn’t quite understand what you meant by being ‘DS off the block’?

Oh goodness Shimy, that sounds really rough on him. Will he be able to submit extenuating circumstances to the universities? I meant DS is off the starting block with the exam today ie, will have started.