Thread 33 - Lovely Jubbly Jubilee Break, then back 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. Possibly a move to Parent of Adult Children Board in future?
previous thread

Gosh the endometriosis treatment sounds absolutely brutal. I can't imagine putting on 33 pounds in such a short time & having hot flushes at such a young age. I used to go & talk to Doctors about Prostap, as I worked for the company that made it. Of course I was in my 20's and I remember quite blithely talking about the side effects & having no idea what they were like in real life.

Astonishing how many of us have similar issues. I had the hideous stomach injections for Endo too. Due to damage from endo and an inverted uterus I was told I’d never have children. DH has two from his first marriage. I was very lucky to have DD…(mind you..my mother was told she’d never have children as well).

I didn’t have endo but had Prostap to shrink uterus in hope of making hysterectomy easier as had had fibroids. To be fair it worked and I woke up to be surprised surgeon had managed keyhole. I think a lot of women have gynae problems, we just don’t hear about how prevalent they are as we get on with it in silence along with being sandwiched between looking after children and elderly parents.

@cariadambyth , I cringe thinking about it but it was like this. Friend, her DD (early 20s) and I were walking the dogs. Both our dogs were on lead, mine as she has arthritis and doesn’t know when to stop so her bouncing has to be moderated. Group of 4 people with labs appeared and all of their dogs came up to mine who was delighted about the idea of 4 new friends to play with and doing a great impression of Zebedee on a lead with me clinging on the other end .

My leg got barged into and it really hurt my hip which has a problem and I was in loads of pain, tears to your eyes sort of thing. Not one of the owners noticed as they were taking no notice of their dogs whatsoever. I called after them , fairly politely at that point to say that it is dog walking etiquette to not let off lead dogs approach those on lead and both of ours were on lead for medical reasons amd would be grateful If in future they don’t let that happen. They looked at each , didn’t really say anything ,sneered and laughed then walked off.

You know the expression seeing red? I did and totally lost it , had a massive go at them and my language was appalling. I eventually became aware of friend and her DD staring at me with their mouths open and eventually got a grip of myself. Friend was later talking with another friend who was telling her about some of her friends who were walking in the woods and this awful woman had totally lost the plot and was shouting and swearing at them for no reason. She said she thought well actually it wasn’t for no reason but kindly didn’t say anything. It scared me how angry I was and I decided there was no way I was having another injection.

Good luck to anyone sitting an exam today 🍀🍀🍀

Oh goodness @Volterra , how frightening for you. Just goes to show the impact these things can have, not only physically but also emotionally. I completely agree with you about gynae issues being far more prevalent than we realise but they are seldom talked about and people keep on keeping on.
Thinking of those sitting exams today.

@Wheresthebeach yes mine was in my stomach too. I have a weird tiny lump at one of the places it went in. Yes I'm amazed to read that others went through similar.

Good luck to those with exams. Ds is having a rest from revising for a few days as last exam is 28th.

@Volterra you weren’t wrong though, my dog hates being charged at by bigger dogs, she squeals and is scared. If I was having one of my moods with menopause I could react the same. it is very scary losing it and feeling like you have no control.
we had a bit of a rant at our two last night as they both seem to have switched off. DS still has 3 of his A levels to do, he’s supposed to be getting A’s but doubt it will happen.
neither of our DC seem to want to do anything other than eat, gym and game. I want DS1 to get a job but we are away at the end of July and he’s going away again for another 3 weeks (he’s here for 5 weeks before Uni). What jobs do you think would work for being so restricted?
im already worrying about DS2 personal statement as he will have nothing to say, he’s dropped all sport and can’t be bothered to do anything extra curricular. Do we just leave him to it? What are others DC doing, volunteering?

Dreading today. Business and psych, with bio tomorrow. Only had 6 days since the last 3 in 2 days. DD is exhausted, totally overwhelmed by the amount of revision she had, consequently there are some areas she has not looked at at all. I don't know how big those areas are - haven't dared probe as living on a bit if a knife edge!

Hope everyone else goes ok today!

Roll on the weekend for a bit of rest - last one next Friday.....

@icanbewhatiwant what exam is your DS doing on the 28th? I only as as AQA finish on the 24th and I assumed it was the same for others - I didn't realise they went on another week.

Great idea re drinking water now - I don't usually drink even half a litre so I definitely need to start - I am embarrassed to say that I only really drink diet coke even though I am a grown woman who knows how bad that is for me. I can't stop completely yet but I need to cut down and drink more water. I don't drink 2 litres a day of anything so it will be a challenge but needs to be done.

DD has psychology paper 3 today - not sure how much sleep she has had as she was still revising when I went to bed at 12.30pm and was already awake when I got up at 6.45am (I think she had only just woken up).

Tomorrow it's Biology paper 2 then a whole week until the next one.

She got distracted yesterday by a friend that had a week off and was planning their summer. DD is now going to Board Masters and a hockey festival alongside her other 2 holidays and Leeds festival (Sunday only). She will need to work with her dad to pay off the loans we will need to give to cover costs! I keep warning her not to plan the same for next summer as she will need to work... I can't blame her for wanting the summer of her life though, she has earnt it (although not physically earnt the money to pay for it)...

Good luck to all today. Looks like today is Psychology, Physics, Business and Accounting.

🍀 Good luck everyone today, nearly there! DD has GCSE French writing this afternoon.

Good luck to all sitting exams today! 🍀
DD has Greek literature: prose. Two hours with Xenophon and Herodotus.

@Heifer Ds has edexel RS (Islam) on 28th. He is meant to attend all RS lessons between now and then. He has a car but a lot of the dc's don't have cars and there isn't any public transport (only a public bus school hours or the other school buses) so only those with parents that don't work, those within walking distance or with cars can attend. Unless they stay all day. So he said not many are going in. He says he's going to go to most of the lessons. Lesson late morning today.

Ds1 and I did 3 hours, 6-9pm of pyschology revision. We had to stop, we were both exhausted. And this morning going over things 6.30am to 7.30am.

He's gone off to school for his 2 final exams now. Psychology this morning. Business this afternoon. Then he's finished.

Good luck everyone with exams today! Both mine have a day off today and more exams tomorrow. Then DD has 2 GCSEs and DS has 3 A level papers and they both finish next Thursday. DS has lost momentum too - I’m not surprised, it is such a long haul.
mom sorry to hear about everyone with horrible experiences with inducing early menopause. My HrT regimen has just been augmented by testosterone so I am looking forward (?) to seeing if it makes me furious and shouty…

Good luck everyone else with psychology, business, or others today.

that sounds hard - DD would hate to have to go into school right now. But she has chosen to on a couple of days to talk to teachers individually. Good luck to him.

Does anyone else finish around 28th June? any later?

@Seeline living on a bit of a knife edge I hear you!! I can't wait till next week for them to be finished.
I have never known dd to look so pale. She usually has a great colour skin with a very healthy complexion. At the moment she's a bit spotty and very pale for her. She's just been holed up in her bedroom for hours on end. I hope the sunny weather continues so that she can get into the garden and relax.

@NCTDN I think there are a lot of pale, spotty Yr13s around right now - DD certainly is. Would be great if the sun could stay for a while to give them some colour back - although I think DD may sleep for a week first. She is very grumpy this morning.

Totally get re knife edge. I have a fear that she will be late or running late and then get extra stressed about being late. She needs to leave in a few mins so I had better go and gently encourage her along (will probably get my head bitten off with "I know".....

Good luck to everyone for today.

I've been hopping from foot to foot as DS friend who is also sitting the exam was 20 mins late to pick him up. There was last minute revision last night on some topic the teacher had 'just read to them'.

DS has also reached the tired, looking a bit blank stage. I'm thinking rather than cook dinner I'll persuade him to come to the beach for a walk and chippie. But he has got maths tomorrow.

A walk on the beach and the chippie sounds perfect. Can I come?!

That’s one of the benefits of DS boarding, I don’t need to worry about him getting up as potential threat of his Headteacher coming to wake him up that was jokingly put in at the initial open day has stuck with him and he has 4 alarms set. It’s then only 5 mins walk to college.

Great to see more are finishing. DS hit the halfway mark yesterday, number 7 today and am hoping today will not be as awful as yesterday. Week today and it’s all over. Think he is going to be so tired this weekend.

@NCTDN More than welcome. Beach is vast and will be quiet midweek.

I feel lucky that since a couple of weeks before half term DS has worked fairly consistently, probably 20 hours/week, so he has not done as much as some of the more diligent on here, but he does not cope well with being tired so it is better for him to do less revision if it means his performance is not affected by tiredness. He has observed that he sleeps much better if physically tired, so spent the afternoon playing tennis yesterday rather than revising. He walked to school today for Physics although I had been giving him lifts as he said that he thinks walking in for the Maths on Tuesday set him up for success. I think mental state is an important factor for success in exams.

Sounds like your DS has got a very busy last few days Volterra.
I'll be glad when all this is over. But then we will be stressing about results!

Eww where are you lucky enough to live?