Is it too early for an A level support thread!

[HereWeGo2023]

Hello all, apologies if there is already a thread but I can’t find one.
May had finally rolled around and the first exam is a mere 2 weeks away. Exam stress has hit our house! It’s feels like everything is about waiting at the moment - waiting for the predicted grades, waiting for the uni offers, waiting for the exams to start, and then the long wait for the results!
This is our youngest DD but the first one in further education so would love to chat to other parents going through this

Hi @lastdayatschool I’m another NI mum! I’m just lurking here though as ds is only AS this year so there’s no where for me to go! It just helps sometimes to know others are going through the same thing.

Dd did AS 4 years ago and is at university now but it has been more stressful with ds somehow. From following on here, I’m not sure if our AS is the best way or not or if another year of study before meaningful exams would have been better!

I'm ok with AS Levels, in that they've spread the revision workload and exams across 2 EOY periods rather than one.

It also means DC don't need to fully commit to their 3 A Levels at the start of lower 6th - DS was undecided between Politics and Economics, so did both for AS and then dropped Politics.

However, I do know of a few of his friends that didn't fully grasp that AS count for 40% of overall A level grade and so consequently have been resitting some this summer also to try and bring grades up.

A* grades also seem challenging to achieve also based on the CCEA docs.

*@lastdayatschool agree that it’s good to spread the workload and also the benefit of being able to choose which to drop after AS. Just feel like it seemed to come round so quickly this time.
Dd got 3 A’s and it felt like a real good start to A2 (which didn’t happen for her thanks to covid).
Ds has worked hard but he has found some of the papers so far extremely difficult and is not confident he has done well enough. Just feels like an extra year of the stress of waiting for results!

Dd has had a nice couple of days off but intends to get back to it tomorrow.
Ds1 travels back to university tomorrow for his finals. So no real let up here at the moment. Four exams over two days. He'll be fine, I'll be a wreck.

I suggested to my daughter she come out with me to choose plants for the front garden. She looked at me aghast. Looks like half term is revise revise revise.

Another NI mum here. I am undecided about the AS exams - it certainly eases the pressure on U6th with 40% banked already, but the loss of L6th being an ‘off’ year as it were is massive. It used to be a lovely year to work hard but also take
time to build new friendships and try new things, and I think the constant pressure over 3 years in a row is a lot mentally.

DD’s last exam is 23rd, but I think there
might be an exam on 26th maybe - possible physics or something?

Roll on end of term - 23rd for DD, and 30th for the younger ones in non-exam years - bring on summer!

Wednesday first exam for Dd1... one in the morning, one in the afternoon... she has been studying with friends, a bit in her own, library but also managed a few shifts of work as a distraction and some family time.

She doesn't seem that stressed yet but I am sure next week will be difficult. Her room is absolute chaos with piles of folders everywhere, can't wait to get rid of everything !!!

We've got a double as well, @Travelban - Spanish in the morning, Biology in the afternoon. He's the only one taking Spanish and it's the listening paper, so he needs equipment. I can imagine chaos ensuing trying to get the student, the equipment and the invigilator into the exam room (even finding the key may prove tricky) in time to start.

@tribpot same here, Spanish and Biology!!!

Good luck to them.both!!!

Ah-ha, snap! Well, best of luck and all fingers crossed!

Good luck to any DC doing economics paper 3 this morning. Back to it so early after half term.

Final psychology paper this afternoon for DD, it will be nice to sugn off on one subject. Good luck all.

3 in 2 days here, going to be a hard 48hrs.

Good luck to all sitting Economics and Psychology today. Final Psychology exam for DS today, then Geography 2 tomorrow and Politics 2 on Wednesday - we're planning a trip to Wagamama on Wednesday after the exam before bracing ourselves for the final week which has the dreaded Politics 3 (USA).

Holding my breath for economics this morning. then English, then History. Its a busy week.

Economics today for DS, then Maths & biology on the next 2 days. He doesn't seem himself today, maybe just not awake after half term?

Maths tomorrow and physics on Friday here. Hoping the physics paper isn’t as brutal as the first one.

Psychology p3 here today - kind of strange that it finishes before anything else starts. Biology P1 on Wednesday and then that’s it for this week. Then it’s just two weeks of Biology and Chemistry.

good luck to all the dc with exams.

DS got Psychology too then History and Classics this week, Psychology is his weakest so delighted for us and him it’s done

Dd has psychology today, geography tomorrow and is done then. I hope these last two are sensible and don't bring dc to tears like the others.

DS has finally explained that 'fine' is better than 'ok' when he's talking about how his exams have gone.

He felt that today's economics paper went better than the previous two.

DS hated today's paper and didn't finish. Hes really not happy.

Oh no, which exam was that @WednesdaysPlaits ?

Economics paper 3. He completely ran out of time.

Psychology today too. She woke up at 3am, misread the clock started to get dressed then looked again realised fell back to sleep. Woke up this morning couldn't understand why she had her jeans on but pajama top...poor kid just stressed!