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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:
OneMagnumisneverenough · 10/04/2016 21:26

we got this:

lazystudentsguide.com/the-lazy-students-revision-guide/

but probably started too late.

prettybird · 10/04/2016 22:01

Edinburgh schools were/are closed because a wall fell down (by wall, I don't mean a wee wall in the playground, I mean the whole outer skin of one side of the school Shock) at a primary school in the gales in February or March. Inspections over the Easter holidays have revealed that the same fault could be present in all 17 schools built under the same Public Private Partnership deal in Edinburgh Shock

They were also built in other local authorities......Hmm but maybe the building inspectors did a better job of inspecting Wink

dotdotdotmustdash · 11/04/2016 00:51

Just found this thread. I've got a Dd in 6th year, sitting 3 AHs and crash Nat 5 Mandarin. She's heading off to China for a year before (hopefully) coming home to go to Uni. She had unconditionals from Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Glasgow and a rejection from St Andrews (she didn't fancy it anyway after the open day). She has to wait until later in the summer to find out if Edinburgh will defer their offer until next year.

Once she finishes this summer I am completely finished with schools after 16 years of having school-age children. It will be very, very odd!

prettybird · 11/04/2016 10:03

Ds has finally grumpily acknowledged that he's going to spend 15 minutes a day on some French so the nagging eventually had an effect Wink

He has form for this: when both dh and I suggested a training diary for his cycling and (based on our experience of training for marathons) a plan based on speed, strength and stamina, we were told we knew nothing about cycling Hmm. A few days weeks later, he comes to us for advice in his training diary about his training plans.....Grin

prettybird · 11/04/2016 13:26

Dotdot... - that will be really weird for you but you must be proud! Smile

Is Edinburgh her preferred choice? China will be an incredible experience, so I hope they allow the deferred entry.

Is she planning on studying Mandarin at Uni? I studied Russian from scratch at St Andrews (which I loved, but I recognise it's not for everyone) but ended up not taking it to Honours (although I could have). Ended up doing joint French/Economics Honours.

dotdotdotmustdash · 11/04/2016 16:09

Hi Prettybird.

Yes, Edinburgh is most definitely her preferred choice, she wasn't hugely impressed at Glasgow's open day and she didn't go to Aberdeen. She loved the atmosphere and the welcome at Edinburgh.

She isn't planning to study Mandarin, but I think she will want to when she comes back from her year in China. Her offer is for International Relations but she can choose Mandarin as part of her course. She's also doing German at AH so she want to keep that up too. She'll be busy!

It is very weird that I'll never have any more parent's nights or uniforms to buy. It's a new life stage for us parents and I'm not sure how I'll cope with it! My Dd will be fine :-)

Groovee · 12/04/2016 09:44

Dd's Nat5 dance practicals take place tomorrow. She's getting nervous now.

rogueantimatter · 12/04/2016 14:59

onemagnum is the lazy student's guide useful? DS usually needs to be told the same thing by several different people before he takes a blind bit of notice

dotdot Friend of DD did the Chinese intensive mandarin course in China last year and loved it. Now studying at Strathclyde uni. Another friend of DD is doing it after the summer!

Thank you prettybird. Shocking. For several reasons....

Groovee good luck to your DD for tomorrow. (sorry for the irrelevant remark but can't resist mentioning that I wish I could dance )

DS got a call to say a place on a residential music course taking place from this Thursday until Sunday evening has become available. Very proud of him for getting in to the group and delighted for him, but not good timing. At least while he's away I don't have to see him not doing much studying!

OneMagnumisneverenough · 12/04/2016 15:31

The book is pretty good and very straightforward. However it recommends starting at least 2 months before the exam. We are probably pushing it a bit with one month but if it's any closer it may not be as useful. I think you'd still get some good advice though mainly common sense and it would help more for next year. Even DH who thinks he's a studying guru was happy with it.

Groovee · 12/04/2016 15:39

Rogue I can't dance either. great news for your Ds.

We were at the orthodontist today and it was hellish to get the dates suited round the exams. But the next appointment is them coming off yay.

prettybird · 12/04/2016 16:10

Rogueantimatter - ds is the same. Parents telling him are particularly unpopular stupid because they know nothing irrelevant wrong long suffering Wink

Indeed, for his cycling I used to go and find another parent to tell him that he needed to do something (eg put his saddle up) Hmm. He'd listen to them. And dh finds it particularly difficult being his rugby coach - fortunately ds is temporarily playing for another team. Grin

I've found that daily repeated nagging advice does eventually get through. Not that he'd admit it Wink I've calculated that it takes about 7 repetitions Grin You just have to develop a thick skin for the abuse you get on the 1st 6 attempts Grin

Groovee · 13/04/2016 15:30

Text Dd about 10.30am to see how she got on as her solo was at 9.30am. No contact all day. I'm pacing the floors.

prettybird · 13/04/2016 17:23

Which exam is that part of Grovee?

I'd hope assume that "No news is good news" Grin

Ds did the performance element of his Nat 5 PE a few weeks ago (playing rugby). He's effectively completed his Nat 5 PE already, so that's one exam in the bag. Smile

Groovee · 13/04/2016 20:22

Nat5 dance. She had to do a solo then dance for her friends who each had choreographed a dance but she did 2. Then show her own dance that she choreographed for 2 classmates.

My garden was their dance studio last week!

Drama practical next week.

Groovee · 13/04/2016 20:24

Oh and one of the dances was white skirt/top which she poured red paint over! Ds phoned me to tell me to empty the washing machineShock. I nearly screamed when she walked in, with the realistic blood on it. She told the teacher " my mum is a whizz with stains!" So it's on a major wash to hopefully make it while again.

Groovee · 14/04/2016 21:15

Dd's group in Nat5 drama had a performance of their practical exam before next week. Was meant to be the whole drama class but sadly none of the others turned up. Was well impressed with the group and they did really well including Yorkshire accents.

prettybird · 14/04/2016 21:59

Well done to your dd's drama group Smile

Ds asked me for permission to go out to Goals with some friends. Said he'd done plenty of studying. I've been impressed with the work that he's been doing I think and the fact that he actually asked me, so I gave him my blessing to go.

Groovee · 14/04/2016 22:39

Aww bless your Ds. It's finding the balance so they don't end up over studying.

prettybird · 19/04/2016 14:59

Just over 2 weeks to go until the exams start. How are people coping?

Ds was revising poems for English last night - a couple of Carol Ann Duffy poems. He asked me if I knew who Hathaway and Haversham were Grin. He then proceeded to educate me about Shakespeare and sonnets Hmm

He's also accepted that he should be doing 15 minutes/day French but am not sure if he's started yet Wink

OneMagnumisneverenough · 19/04/2016 15:08

I'm not sure tbh - he took a pile of stuff away on holiday last week but not sure he did very much. Tried to get him back in a routine at the weekend but lucky if he was in the room for more than an hour each day - prior to that he was lying on his bed staring at the ceiling... Hmm

he did about the same yesterday after school.

haggisaggis · 19/04/2016 15:20

What study leave do your dc get? ds is in S5 and sitting highers - he gets the day off before each exam, and the day itself, and 2 full weeks starting 9th May. That's S5 & S6 only. S4 only get the day before & the day of the exam!

prettybird · 19/04/2016 15:37

Ds gets from 3 May (2nd May is a holiday anyway). His first exam is 5 May (Nat 5 English). He's then off on study leave until 6 June when he'll start his S5 timetable. His last exam is 27 May (Computing Science) so he effectively gets a full week "off".

He's sitting 8 Nat 5s - although in practice he only has 7 exams as one of his subjects is PE, which doesn't have an written exam.

haggisaggis · 19/04/2016 15:43

We're Angus council and they seem to be really tightening up on study leave. Only 2 of ds's exams actually fall within the 2 weeks they've allowed.

dotdotdotmustdash · 19/04/2016 16:08

My Dd is in S6 and finishes for study leave on April 29th. We're in Fife.

prettybird · 19/04/2016 17:48

Ds has come home (in fact I had to go and pick him up) and gone to bed with a migraine Sad

I got my head bitten off when I suggested he should go to bed with the curtains shut and no devices but he's done just that Wink