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

[SilverBlue4]

Here we go

@Ventress
Thank you. Yes, there’s seem to be lots of different elements to the course!

Can we all just hope that it cools down before the exams start again 😩

DC also has 3 history exams, as well as the NEA. Seems to be the same for all exam boards. One down, two to go!

@SilverBlue4 yes hopefully it will be a bit cooler net week!

DC was in the library all day today and said he managed to concentrate despite the heat. For some bizarre reason he's only brought back English and History revision and not Econ and can't get into school until Monday. He said this was a deliberate choice as Econ is not until next Thursday but I'm really not sure that was such a wise decision....

@Tebheag we are in the fortunate position (for DC at least!) of paying for tuition and accommodation. We said it's a loan but tbh it's unlikely he will pay much of it back unless he becomes a rich lawyer which its his plan ;). He will need to get a job to cover the extras though and is planning to work most of the summer as well if he can get a job.

oh sorry @Fabfabfab, I thought your DS was doing the same board as mine! Mine has English literature (modern US) on Monday followed by history 2 on Tuesday (Cold War) and then economics (themes) on Thursday.

Then all over - yay!

He has two (long) history papers only, plus the NEA of course.

No worries @Ventress he does medieval history so maybe that's why it's a bit different. Two exams sounds much better than three though and great that he is finished by the end of next week! My DC has three exams next week, then a whole week before his last one.

I am not a lover of this heat! Also makes revising so much harder. DD has now finished Lit Lang (she feels a bit sad she will never 'study' English again and I do too as it's 'my' subject!). One more History (two exams and one NEA for her) and two Sociology.

I am also trying to guide my younger daughter to be prepared for her Y10 mocks. She is neurodivergent and it is going to be so much harder for her (and me!)

I am also suddenly feeling overwhelming panic about uni costs - wish I had a time machine so I could go back and make better financial decisions! Or do last week's lottery numbers!

Right, will catch up on thread now

Thank you @BlackBean2023if nothing else it’s made the whole “financing university” question easier 😂

Me too @MamOfTwo. I’d have loved DS to do English lit - it really is his subject! Sounds like it’s your daughter’s too . Another 2 paper history person 😊 I hope everything is okay for your younger daughter- certainly sounds challenging for you both.

I hope so @SilverBlue4. It is incredibly hot today!

DS is finding it impossible to revise in this heat, this we got up to 33 degrees today and I’m also finding it hard to focus on work.

DS has done a maths past paper today... So slowly getting into it but it's hard when it's so hot. Apparently not so bad tomorrow.

He has not done any maths since this time last year as maths is a resit from year 12 so we'll see how rusty he is! He does do FM so I'm sure that must help a bit.

I think DD is just pretending exams don't exist, although she did hold on to a copy of Othello this morning... She is spending most of her hand term helping backstage and with props at a local amatuer theatre production...and melting .

Back to revision for DS today. Just trying to cool the house down as ds1 didn’t use any of our usual tactics while we were away so we came home to a sauna!!

saw this on WIWIKAU, it might be helpful when mid august arrives!

Thank you @Muchtoomuchtodo that is very helpful! I was thinking about results day the other day and how it all works. So I guess (hopefully!) all will log on to UCAS see they have their firm and then go to collect their actual results from school/college (knowing they are at least their offer grades)?

As someone who went to uni in the 1990s and ended up going through clearing, I am often wondering how all this was managed pre-internet!

Thank you @Muchtoomuchtodothats a great diagram. I have forwarded it in to DS 😊

Well DS did sweet fa yesterday but finished off with an English literature essay in the evening. Thank goodness! He seems happy enough. We are out for lunch with parents, sister and niece today.

Good luck for revision today. Not as hot as yesterday hopefully 🤞

That’s a great diagram! Thanks for sharing. Not quite as hot here today so hopefully Dd will focus more. Off out to buy a new fan today, I saw someone say they were quite useful to take to uni. First of the uni purchases!

@Muchtoomuchtodo
Thank you for the diagram, really helpful.
Clearing scares me but DD said that there will be teachers at her school to help with it…if it gets to that stage!

Well DS has done very little this half term . Very disappointing. He has three exams next week on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and yet has done not a lot 🙄

Yesterday I asked if he was revising and got the confusing reply “sort of, playing chess”. Not sure how chess is revising!

I hope your dc are faring better - at least it’s a little cooler.

@Muchtoomuchtodo thank you for the flow chart. I am trying not to think too much about results day yet as for DD will be all or nothing. We have had tentative chats about resitting and taking a gap year but the reality of that will be very difficult for DD to come to terms with.

DD is revising well but is swinging from being happy with a practice chem paper, to having a tearful breakdown when looking at a bio topic she is convinced she doesn't know. She does though, she knows more than she thinks so we just have to reassure and redirect her after some food and a break 😂. This is not unusual for DD though, it is how she got through her GCSEs.

Next exam is chem paper 1 on Tues followed by bio paper 1 and psych paper 3 by Friday, so her worst week for number of exams. I'll be glad when we get through it as the build up seems unending!

Good luck to those with exams next week too. @Ventress it sounds like your DS has everything under control, even if you can't see it at times 😁.

@Ventress similar situation here!

He had a morning at school yesterday as they'd laid on a revision session. So that was good. But to be honest I think that's about it this week.

Exams wed, Thur and Fri next week.

The heat wave hasn’t helped… DC has studied but this has mostly involved re-reading books for English literature or watch the film versions. He’s spent quite a bit of time with friends in a cafe or library so not sure how much revision actually got done!

@AuntyBulgaria impressed that school put on a revision clinic over half-term, wish DC’s school did that!

@Muchtoomuchtodo that chart looks really helpful, thanks for sharing!

Wish results day was sooner as it will be a long wait. I spoke to a teacher yesterday at my gym who is also an exam invigilator and she said one student had been made to come in and do the exam after having appendicitis the day before. Sounded pretty harsh. She said the grades would be adjusted but still!

I’m sort of glad your dc are similar @AuntyBulgariaand @bluefineliner. It’s funny though as I am positive both of your dc are going to completely smash their exams! No gap years or retakes will be required. The knowledge is there. Just hope DS is the same!

Hopefully DS will put some effort in today. DH has a classic car event on Sunday morning and the venue has a wonderful Italian cafe so DS and I planned brunch there. I may change my mind if no work gets done!

DS seems to have been working hard since we got home late on Tuesday, though I’ve been at work so can’t be completely sure!

His exams finally kick off on Monday, ending on June 12th with his 18th birthday in the middle!

Like you say @Fabfabfab, results day feels like it’s ages away and I’m also trying not to think about it too much @bluefineliner . I will quietly be looking at clearing in the days running up to results day though….

Your post struck a chord with me, bluefineliner! DS is very much an absolutist about his grades, even if he doesn't need absolutely top grades to get to where he wants to go. And right now he's suffering a real crisis of confidence about not only his exams performance but the validity of his chosen degree and career, and his place in the bloody universe ...

Some of our young people can be so easily thrown down by a 'bad' practice paper (or god forbid, a 'bad' actual exam) and it's so hard to lift them up again. Your DD and my son really do know more than they believe they do, but it's so hard to convince them of that!

DS also has Chem 1 on Tuesday and his humanities subject on that same day, which I know happens but seems so unfair! 3 next week, 3 the week after and then 2 on consecutive days the third week. I'm just praying DS can get his exam head back on and turn into a bit of a machine for the next three weeks.

(sorry to gatecrash at this late stage, btw. I've been reading this thread for the last couple of weeks...)

I think dd has been switching between revision and Netflix, she hasn’t been leaving the house too much, but did venture to the pub yesterday which I was pleased about (bless her DH and I were out and she still texted me to let me know she was going, I think at 18 I wouldn’t have worried about telling anyone). She’s frustrated she’s got a similar result on two maths mocks, lower than she’d hoped. Wish I could help her out, but all I can do is listen to her and keep her fed and watered.

Same here @Ventress , exams for the first three days and still doing next ton nothing. Today he started to panic but he still won’t do more. 🤦🏼‍♀️

I swear we have the same son sometimes @JustHereWithMyPopcorn! I do think that once they’ve started panicking if just gets worse and they blank out. I do feel for them; A levels are so hard.

Good to see you @TruffulaTree. I feel your pain and really agree with you about the absolutism of our yp and their exams and their place in the universe (great way to express it). We had the “bad” exam during GCSEs and I dread having this again as it was very difficult to get past.

i hope your son does well next week. Very difficult when they have more than one in a day.

I’m sure your DS has been working @Muchtoomuchtodo. I had my 18th in the middle of A levels too. I’m sure your DS will be looking forward celebrating once the exams are over 😊

Oh crikey, results day. I daren’t think about it! DS is at his job on results day so DH and I may go up and lurk until he talks to us 😂

I did review clearing for several days last year so I’ll do the same this year. If anyone wants me to monitor their dc’s clearing options, please let me know. I’m not at work and wake early so I’m very happy to monitor 😊