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Original poster

Nat 5/Highers etc - Anyone getting ready with their S4 - S6 dc?

862 replies

weegiemum · 05/04/2016 15:39

My dd1 is in s4 and about to sit 8 Nat5s. I don't know who is more wound up about it - her or me! (and I'm a teacher!!).

Wondered if there's anyone else out there to hold hands with?

DD is sitting English, Maths, Ghaidlig (Gaelic native speaker), French, History, Art & Design, Physics and Design & Manufacture. First is English on 5th May.

OP posts:
YoScience · 10/05/2016 19:15

DD came home from her exams, tidied her room, cleaned the kitchen and mopped all the floors.

Procrastination at its finest but I was delighted. The things she'll do to avoid Maths!Grin

Groovee · 10/05/2016 19:16

No she told me what she had made and I asked about the extra plates and she said she invited them round.

Kr1stina · 10/05/2016 20:55

And I was wondering why her friend had a duck

Groovee · 11/05/2016 08:47

I've got nerves for tomorrow's maths. Going to see if Dd wants to come out for coffee with my mum and I. The maths tutor recommended she doesn't do anymore papers just talks through random questions instead for an hour.

YoScience · 11/05/2016 09:11

I'm worried about Maths tomorrow too, Groovee. DD has gone into school today for a maths revision class. Maths is by far her worst subject, she really struggles with it and only scrapped a pass in the prelims. I just hope she can do that again tomorrow, she would hate to have to do it again next year!

Fingers crossed for them all! Smile

OneMagnumisneverenough · 11/05/2016 09:22

DS has gone in for Engineering and I think he is more worried about getting the bus home than the exam. He has a numbers type of mind so isn't worried about Maths either, just hope he hasn't become complacent.

Kr1stina · 11/05/2016 09:33

Good luck to those with exams today

DD has just informed me that she doesn't need to do anymore maths as she did two hours yesterday Hmm

Whereas yesterday she told me that it wasn't the kind of subject you could revise for < adds to long list of subjects you apparently can't revise for > Hmm

So now she's listening to music supposedly revising for music ( Friday, one hour exam, easy ) instead of maths ( tomorrow , 2:40 mins, difficult ) .

As you can see I'm totally relaxed about it ....

< pops another pill >

OneMagnumisneverenough · 11/05/2016 09:37

Think everyone is looking forward to getting Maths out the way. We have a weeks break and then Computing Science and Physics the following week.

prettybird · 11/05/2016 09:48

Ds has French - his least favourite subject - and Chemistry (which he likes) next week.

After tomorrow he's completed half of his Nat 5s.

Groovee · 11/05/2016 11:10

Tomorrow takes us to 5 exams with drama on the 25th!

Dd has been online shopping. She would not come to my mums then she told me why. Doing washing now!

hidingwithwine · 11/05/2016 11:14

DS just got up. I commented that he could chill for a day since his next exam is the 20th to get a stream of "Are you mad? I have 8 essays to memorise!" type responses. Can't say the right thing at the moment at all.

Kr1stina · 11/05/2016 11:31

Of course you can't say the right thing . A mother's place is always in the wrong .

hidingwithwine · 11/05/2016 11:36

He's been through to apologise. He's not a snappy lad usually which indicates how stressed he's feeling, even though it's his best subjects left now. We're all a bit fraught in this household just now.

Kr1stina · 11/05/2016 11:43

DD has just appeared in her school uniform saying she is going in for lunchtime , she's bored Hmm

For the teachers here - One of Dds pals has just decided that she wants to be a teacher . My DD has just explained to me why she would NEVER do this because it's so much work - then she listed all the things that her teachers do - learn the whole curriculum , Prepare lessons, set objectives , power points, handouts, revision materials, class tests ,write reports , set and mark UAS, prelims , give up their time before school , at lunchtime , run supported study after school and classes on Saturday mornings etc .

She knows that her teachers stay up late every night doing marking so they can have the results ASAP . Three of her subject teachers are HoD so she sees that they have to deal with disciplinary problems as well.

So some kids do know and appreciate how much you do , honest Flowers

hidingwithwine · 11/05/2016 11:50

That's good to hear - my DD decided at Christmas that she wanted to be a primary school teacher how badly have I failed her and DS1 was in there yelling "How often has mum said we've NOT to go into teaching?!" before I could Grin

OneMagnumisneverenough · 11/05/2016 12:19

Engineering "went good" apparently. Now I am more worried again about his English! :o and he managed to get the bus home and thinks since he walked from the bus stop that counts as his fresh air and exercise for the day.

3 down 4 to go.

Maybe those budding teachers could get a job in DSs' school? I am fairly sure they will have been told that they are welcome to pop and see teachers if they are about in the school since they will have a fair bit of non teaching time at the moment with the senior school all out. But (as far as I am aware) there have been no study sessions, no weekend or before or after school session or Easter school etc. I'm not saying there should be, just that it is isn't a given that those things are a requirement.

DS2 is now really focussed on History so was asking what jobs he could do that involved History that wasn't being a History teacher- he reckons he doesn't have the patience... :o

YoScience · 11/05/2016 19:34

Glad to hear engineering went good! Smile

DD is struggling through a maths specimen paper. I think tomorrow will be tough for her!

Groovee · 11/05/2016 22:06

Glad to hear about engineering. Dd is at the in laws. They're taking her out for brunch then dropping her off for the exam. Feel guilty about working tomorrow.

OneMagnumisneverenough · 11/05/2016 22:10

Good luck for everyone with the Maths tomorrow. I had a very "frank" discussion with school today about DS2s Maths class for this year for his Nat 5 - I think we are getting close to a resolution after I called them out on the bollocks inconsistencies of their reasons for for not allowing him to move.

IndigoApple · 11/05/2016 22:34

We're having maths worries tonight too. DD is focusing on what she doesn't know more than what she does know and starting to panic. I've tried to help her tonight but with limited success. I've had a chat and told her just to do her best and am making sure she gets an early night.

Groovee don't feel bad about working I've not managed to take any time off during the exams but I've been texting DD regularly, making sure she's up before I leave etc. One of her friends' mums is able to work from home for the duration of the exams which is great bit not practical for my job. DD is going over there for breakfast and more revision tomorrow then getting a lift to school which is good.

Good luck to everyone for tomorrow!

OneMagnumisneverenough · 11/05/2016 22:42

At this point the best thing for them is to be thinking about exam technique really rather than trying to learn anything new.

Read the paper properly, answer the question that was asked not the question you think it is, relax, check how many marks the question is worth and that's probably how many steps are needed to answer it. If you are unsure about a question move on and complete all the ones you do know and then go back and pick up as many points as you can even by half completing them. Always allow time to check, even if you haven't completed the paper. better to get the questions you know completely banked rather than attempting ones you aren't sure off when you've made a silly mistake in one you do know how to do. Make sure you've checked the whole paper and haven't forgotten to answer the last page. And once again. relax.

Kr1stina · 11/05/2016 23:33

DD went in for math revisions session today and said her teacher told them ( apologies if anything is lost in translation )

" don't go home and try to do any hard questions because you will just get upset and panic . 85% of the paper will be easy knowledge so just focus on doing really well on these questions and you will get an A. Even if you don't know how to do all of a question, just do the bit you can rather than panic because you don't know it all .

"There there's one really hard question that you've probably never seen before but don't get upset just do what you can . Take time to check your work because you can probably pick up marks elsewhere on other questions where you have made silly mistakes "

Which is pretty much what magnum said I think

prettybird · 11/05/2016 23:41

The one thing I've drummed into ds (as has his teacher) is to put down all his workings.

Stood him in good stead when there was one question he hadn't been sure about - turned out that almost all of his workings were correct and it was only the very end he got wrong (and he ended up getting 93% Smile)

OneMagnumisneverenough · 11/05/2016 23:41

:o

Panic is the enemy! You always know more than you think.

unlucky83 · 11/05/2016 23:54

DD I think has done zero revision Sad
She has been meeting up with a friend who is a bit of a bad influence ( was off 'sick' for over a week and missed a practical coursework thing because they hated their new haircut Hmm) - she has other friends who are hard working and a good influence .. they are staying at home studying -she could go round or they could come here but she is going 'into school to revise' and wandering around town instead ...
And she still hasn't handed in the work she was supposed to - I've emailed the teacher and told her DD says she hasn't managed to see her in school (this teacher works in two buildings - still I don't think DD has a valid excuse)
She is going to bomb maths tomorrow - she should be ok for French but Chemistry she really needs to do some serious work...and it really isn't happening Sad

Good Luck for everyone tomorrow ...