Year 13 -2025/26 - Support, discussion and looking after each other - thread 2 - exam time

[SilverBlue4]

Here we go

Well done everyone, sounds like today's exams have gone well overall.

@MiniMidiMaxi Happy 18th to your DC! Sounds like there may be more than one celebration for him given his birthday as well as end of exams soon! My DC has also decided not to drink any alcohol during exams. He said yesterday he's planning to go to the pub/a party every day after finishing exams on Thursday to make up for it!!

@Katymaus glad you have joined us!

It's funny how someone started a whole new thread about over-involved parents as I don't see anything wrong with us offering support and encouragement to each other here as parents, as well as helping our DC out when we can. I have personally not offered any help to him with revision, he doesn't have a tutor and is quite independent overall, but being there for him and wishing him the best with his exams and providing some financial support when I am in the position to do so seems like a good idea @Ventress

Last exam is on Thursday! DC is off having dinner with his girlfriend tonight but managing to do 4 hours revision a day which I think is pretty good going at this stage.

Thank you for welcoming me! My DD had French today which she thinks went well after being quite nervous this morning.
For the record, I'm another one who thinks taking an interest and being there when they need you is the happy and healthy approach - it's probably why I think this thread is so great

It's nice to have a day when there are lots of positive exam reports. I'm sure those that didn't find their exams to be so great just have a different threshold for good/bad. Someone's good is another's disaster.

No revision here. It's hard for DS to get motivated. He has maths (Edexcel) paper 2 Thurs. This is a retake for him (he secured an A last year and school is paying for the retake to see if he can get that elusive a ⭐) and he feels fairly confident so minimal effort is being shown!

DC was a bit unhappy with Music today - the topic they were told not to revise too much on as it was unlikely to come up, came up (luckily they had done some work on it, being paranoid about that sort of thing, they said). The listening question was a weird example of the genre so hard to compare. But I don't think they're devastated or anything. If mocks are anything to go by, they should have 90%+ on their performance, and also they have a low offer.

They have applied for halls today - really hope they get the cheapest ones given we're paying! 😬

DS is done!! Geo 3 was the last exam today and he is happy with how it went despite the slightly odd overarching topic (international tourism). He doesn’t want to celebrate until his sister finishes GCSEs, so we are holding off till next week.

Glad to read that today was a good day for most. If your YP isn’t happy, I hope it turns out better than they think. I remember when DS had a really bad GCSE physics paper and thought he outright failed it. He ended up with an 8 in August, which shows that you can never tell.

Wishing energy and strength to all YP still persevering - you’ve got this! 💪

Welcome @Katymaus, it’s lovely to have you with us. I’ve really appreciated this thread too. @Fabfabfab, I agree, I had a look at the other thread and backed out slowly. Much prefer to spend time with everyone here, including our lovely @Ventress💐.

Happy 18th birthday to your DS, @Muchtoomuchtodo! 🥳🎉🎂 Glad physics was kind to him today!

@Ventress, enjoy your time away, I hope you are going somewhere nice and come back to a tidy house!

@BlackBean2023, good luck with the extension - sounds like it’s perfectly timed! We have just done ours, hope yours goes smoothly. Are you staying put through the build or moving out?

Fingers crossed for you on halls selection @Echobelly

DD did exactly the same 2 exams today. She said they went well.

She happened to revise one of the politics questions yesterday, and one of the texts in French involved the word for goat (chèvre) which she recognised from having goats cheese salad over the weekend.

the one she’s been fearing the most is this Thursday and the. She’s got her final two papers next week. Finishes Wednesday.

@BlackBean2023 good luck with the extension if your builders are anything like ours it will be like dealing with teens !
@MiniMidiMaxi happy 18th to your DS when is his last exam.?

Can't believe DS is finished tomorrow. Geography was OK ish according to DS. I have a different view after he told me he only did two paragraphs(he waffles) for the 24 marker as ran out of time.
@ComingInByAnsible congrats on reaching the finish line for ALevels that's so sweet he is waiting till his DS finishes GCSEs.
@Echobelly 🤞 for cheap accommodation.
@Ventress hope you have a lovely time away. The threat of large spiders would make mine tidy. 😂 I normally tell DS that moths and flys love messy dark rooms. He has a bit of a phobia for them can't sleep in his room if he spots one.

Dd is exactly the same. No revision for maths being done because she thinks she knows it all. I’m finding this all really stressful. That other thread would have a field day!

@Tebheag thats exactly what happened to my dd.. she said she got carried away on the 18 marker so ran out of time on the longer one although still thinks she may have done ok. Sounds like a super interesting topic to me… we are off to Thailand in a few weeks to celebrate end of exams so she will be able to put that knowledge on international tourism and Climate change into action!!

How lovely hope you have a great time. Good to hear your DD still did well.

DD was nervous today - her only day with two exams. Especially as she made a very avoidable error on Econ 3 last week, which she’s a bit gutted about.

Anyway, back to today: apparently AQA French was “very good”, and Edexcel Politics 2 was “a gift of a paper” as literally everything we worked on together over the weekend came up. I don’t care how overinvolved that makes me sound! Then there was cake for tea as it’s DS’ birthday. So, all in all, not bad for a wet Monday.

Nothing more this week, then her last 2 exams are next Tuesday and Wednesday. Congratulations to your DS @ComingInByAnsible and others reaching the finish line. Best of luck to those sitting Chemistry, Business, RS and anything else I have forgotten tomorrow.

@HighburyHope your Monday does sound ideal! despite the rain. A nice break until the final exams now. However if my DD is anything to go by it is never a 'break' just another run up to the next exam 😂.

@ComingInByAnsible what a relief your YP has finished exams, I am so looking forward to that feeling!

@BlackBean2023 good luck with the extension, it will be worth all the upheaval in the end. We did a huge renovation in 2007, worth it but haven't done anything since like it, we may be moving soon so now considering again arghh!

@Ventress Hope you are doing ok and enjoy your break which is well deserved.

@Tebheag good luck for the final exam today.

@MiniMidiMaxi happy belated 18th bday to your DS.

@Katymaus welcome, I don't post that much on here but am always reading how everyone is doing. I flit between the medicine thread and this to try and keep my sanity whilst DD plods through her exams.

So chem paper 2 today for DD, she is well prepared (even if she thinks she isn't!) My DH has shown a side, which I am loving, of being her best calming intervention when things get too much. The patience he has shown over the past few days when she had wobbles is amazing (I unfortunately am not quite so patient as work has been busy so am so glad he has taken over 😁). We are positive this morning however and if this goes ok it will only be biology to worry about.

Good luck to all exam takers today.

Some amazing updates! I’m so thrilled that yesterday’s exams seemed to go so well for our lovely dc!

Good luck to everyone who has exams today! The end is in sight for you all. 👏💐

it’s great to see so many of our dc have finished, or almost finished, their exams now. Then we (and they) have the horrid delay until they get their results! I can’t imagine the stress of those of you who also have dc taking GCSEs!

Over the summer, DS (as well as cleaning his room) will be learning how washing machines work, what can go in the tumble drier and how to cook things other than pasta 😂 useful life lessons. I fear otherwise we will turn up to pick him up at Christmas and his room will be full of mice! He’s also got a part time job so we have the joy of teaching him about the multiple bank accounts he’ll have come September 😆

Do you think they will need laptops? DS has only ever had an iPad so I guess we may need to get one.

Have a good day , I hope those exams go well 🤞

Thank you my lovely @ComingInByAnsible. Wonderful that your son has finished now. I’m pretty sure DS would rather be doing exams than the stuff I have him doing now 😂

when does your younger dc finish their exams? Then you can properly relax! As can the rest of you with dc doing GCSE!

I hope @Muchtoomuchtodos son had the best birthday 🥳

there do seem to be lots of exams this week. Good luck to everyone- you have got this! 🌟

Woken up today feeling a bit under the weather with a cold and sore throat, trying to stay away from DC who is revising as I really don't want him to get ill before his last exam on Thursday...

@ComingInByAnsible great news your DC has finished his exams and how lovely that he wants to wait to celebrate until his sister has finished her GCSEs! Hope she is doing well too.

@Ventress I know what you mean, my DC has a lot to learn this summer before going to university. Really hope he'll get a catered college but will need to teach him a few key recipes in any case. Yesterday he tried to pretend he didn't know how to put a duvet cover on, think he just wanted me to do it as it's really not that difficult! I've said to him that he will be in charge of house cleaning as soon as he finishes his exams and may pay him a little bit for it.

DS in Chemistry Paper 2 this morning. Yesterday afternoon / early evening he couldn't face doing revision, think he's getting burnt out from all the practice papers, he's so bored of them. Fingers crossed it's gone well today. I'm so jealous of everyone finishing up, he has three more exams after today and doesn't finish until next Thursday.

@Fabfabfab hope you're not feeling too poorly with the cold.

Oh dear. Not a good paper apparently. This is the subject he needs to get an A. 😬

i hope you are feeling better soon @Fabfabfab. Horrible to have a cold. DS thought about catered colleges but I’m not sure they do them at the uni he wants. Hope your son gets the college he wants.

I’m sorry this morning was difficult @JustHereWithMyPopcorn three more exams!

Your poor son. I’m sure he will have got his A 🌟

my nephew was taking chem 2 this morning too. Although he’s practically guaranteed his place as they do it by predicted grades and the SATS they’ve done earlier in the year rather than actual grades.

DS just back from Chemistry too. He said it was a hard paper. He’s not even halfway through yet so very jealous of those already finished!

@Ventressand @FabfabfabI’m going to have to do the same as DS called me in half term to ask me which was the washing machine as he needed something washing - we don’t have a dryer at the moment so who knows what he was confusing it with

@Fabfabfabhope you are feeling better soon. DH had a horrible cold last week but managed to stay away and not pass it on to DS so hopefully yours will be short lived and everyone else will stay well.

@Fabfabfab hope you feel better soon.
Look forward to hearing the stories about teaching kids to cook etc
DS can do basic spag bol, cheese sauce, pancakes, scrambled eggs chicken breasts and rice.
He can do clothes wash but need to be specific asked him a few times to put towels in the wash and he has done just that! no detergent and not turned on the washing machine. 🙄

Chem 2 not bad for DC (Edexcel I think)

I'm going to teach DS a base tarka dhal and a base pasta bake. Dhal you can then have plain or add spinach or other veg to change it up and pasta bake too you can have plain or tinned tuna/ salmon/chicken. He likes cooking though. He does his own laundry but needs to be nagged too!The problem will be getting him to clean the bathroom

@Desperatelyseekinglazysusan dhal sounds like a great idea. Nice and healthy and relatively easy to make :). Maybe we should start a new thread with preparing for Uni recipes.

@Lalux @Tebheag @Ventress @JustHereWithMyPopcorn thank you so much, that's very kind. I'm having a rare day on the sofa just watching daytime TV, can't remember the last time I did that, or the last time I was unwell even. Annoying getting a cold this time of the year. The window cleaner just turned up and started cleaning the windows whilst I was stretched out on the sofa watching GossipGirl haha!

@JustHereWithMyPopcorn hope the grade boundaries for Chem are lower for this exam. It's so hard to know how you've done but fingers crossed it's gone better than your DC thought!

A base tarka Dahl is a great idea! DS isn’t actually bad at cooking, he just makes a horrible mess which he’s going to have to clear up!

I hope your son is sorted for his remaining exams @Lalux. It is odd that some have finished and others barely started! The humanities exams seem to have been before the science ones.

I love the idea of a thread with recipes 🙂

I am starting to put together a list of things he needs in his room. The boxes they do are a great start on that list but there are certainly other items which need to be included. I remember reading that a mattress protector is the best gift for a young person going to uni. DS will also need a first aid kit!