Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Scotsnet

Welcome to Scotsnet - discuss all aspects of life in Scotland, including relocating, schools and local areas.

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:
lamusic · 19/04/2016 17:58

2nd of May until 1st of June although as there is still exams the 1st,2nd,3rd of June you to back after last exam

Groovee · 19/04/2016 18:07

We got no exam leave at prelims so because Dd is sitting more than 3 Nat5's she finishes on the 29th April and due back on the 6th of June but due to a school trip she'll return on the 10th. Think she has an induction on the 2nd of June.

Dd sat her drama practical today. She said it was flawless and the examiner turned up with sweets and told them to relax and enjoy it.

Groovee · 19/04/2016 18:08

S5&6 get full leave regardless of number of exams while s4 only get it if doing 3 or more Nat5's or 2 days prior to an exam. One of her friends is getting no leave as she is doing Nat4's and must attend school every day.

OneMagnumisneverenough · 19/04/2016 18:14

Maybe a bit of eyestrain with the unaccustomed sun today pb?

We get same leave as prettybird too, DS1 has his exams spread fairly well across the weeks with his last exam in the last week (Art) but starting with his least favourite English and Geography.

prettybird · 19/04/2016 18:27

No - this migraine has been brewing since Sunday. He's got tablets from the GP but is refusing to take them I suspect he's lost them Hmm "as they don't work" Hmm He doesn't seem to understand that if he takes them early, then they're more effective.

I'm going to try to persuade him to go to the GP again and/or get our neighbours (who are GPs) to talk to him. I don't know if there are alternative medications he can try.

Don't want him to have an attack during the exams Sad - although as it seems to be major physical exertion (especially if he doesn't hydrate properly) that triggers the migraines, he should be ok.

OneMagnumisneverenough · 19/04/2016 19:02

I've suffered on and off since I was a small child. Dehydration definitely doesn't help nor does lack of sleep. Eyestrain is another trigger for me but luckily I've never got to the point where they've been bad enough/often enough to consult a Dr. A few hours sleep in a dark room is usually enough unless it's got so bad that I am vomiting with pain. I do get non-migraine headaches that can last for 3 or 4 days at a time though and that's not fun either.

prettybird · 19/04/2016 19:23

I only started suffering migraines when I was pregnant with ds and after having him as I unsympathetically reminded him when he said I knew nothing about migraines - but haven't had one for years now. I used to get the halo effect as warning - so sitting at a computer became really difficult as the writing on the screen shimmered at me.

OneMagnumisneverenough · 19/04/2016 19:33

So you passed them on to him while you were pregnant then?! Wink

I used to get various aura, sometimes visual (like pixelation or like tunnel vision), sometimes it was a smell - hard to describe what of. Now it's mainly a fuzzy sort of buzz in my eyes that makes me nauseous but I've had the shimmering screen too.

prettybird · 19/04/2016 20:22

I blame dh's genes for ds' propensity for migraines as he says that he started getting them when he was himself a teenager Wink

OneMagnumisneverenough · 19/04/2016 20:31

I'm the only one in my family to have them, well apart from DHs nephew buts not genetically related to me.

prettybird · 19/04/2016 21:21

He's up now and working (whether it's revision or homework I don't know - but even homework at this stage will be revision Wink) - no pressure from me.

He's not hungry though - has refused tea. He's had some yoghurt and that's all Hmm

OneMagnumisneverenough · 19/04/2016 21:24

Mine had more work to do for his Art and some maths homework and he did a bit of something else - he's missed helping with the Scouts tonight which might become a longer term thing for a few weeks.

OneMagnumisneverenough · 19/04/2016 21:24

glad he is feeling a bit better I meant to say.

Superjaggy · 19/04/2016 21:43

Hmm, I'm wondering if I'm being too lenient with my DS (in an attempt to not be too overbearing)... He's away watching a footy match at his dad's just now.

He tells me he's been doing a couple of hours a day, and his exams are well spread out, so at least he has cramming time in between.

Prettybird, glad your DS is feeling a bit better, hope he's back to full strength and appetite soon.

Groovee · 19/04/2016 21:50

My dd is at the 5SOS concert. Feel she needs the night off after the drama exam. Back to the grindstone tomorrow. The S1's from a local closed school will arrive tomorrow. But shouldn't cause too much disruption.

Have noticed that she is pretty chilled then the morning of an exam becomes very stressy and downright rude. I did pull her up on it this morning.

OneMagnumisneverenough · 19/04/2016 21:53

A couple of hours a day at home as well as school stuff super? I'm sure that is probably about the same or more than a lot are doing - I guess it depends on what he is doing as well as how much - 2 hours spend reading his books and his notes will be a lot less useful than two hours spend writing notes/doing mindmaps/practicing papers or questions etc. The book we had recommended 100 hours as a starting point. We've said two hours a day after school and 4 at the weekends is about right but when he is on study leave he should do a school day worth of study and then he's have every evening free - don't think it will happen though.

prettybird · 19/04/2016 22:08

I don't think you're being too lenient. A couple of hours a night is fine - that's all ds is doing.

Ds is still going to rugby training and watching rugby games/favourite TV shows like Big Bang Theory and Brooklyn 99.

I'm pretty much letting him get on with it and organise his own revision schedule except for nagging him about the benefit of 15 minutes/day French revision

unlucky83 · 19/04/2016 22:29

This is such hard reading ...
DD1 about do 6 Nat 5s ...doing zero work. She has done all her coursework -afaik but not done her French oral yet - when she was supposed to do it she had a really bad cough/cold, her voice was really croaky and at times she actually lost it (And it was when she wasn't thinking/trying to tell me something she wanted to -so I do believe it was genuine.) Apparently the teacher cancelled it - it lasted for about 5 more days then she was supposed to do it one day but the teacher was sick, then something else happened etc etc - was going to be before the holidays - still never happened - as far as I know she still hasn't done it and I'm quite worried but she seems not to be concerned...saying she has been told she can still do it -but won't say when Hmm

As for revision - I'm going to have to sort her out this week - she has ADHD and is a chronic procrastinator (as am I Sad -think I have it too) - just hope if she bombs most of them it might wake her up a bit and afaik she can do them again next year...but actually I think she might be better going to do something vocational at college next year because I think she has had enough of school/academic learning (she won't be 16 till next Feb or I'd suggest getting a job for a year or so )... all with a view to going back to education in the future when she is has had a break and is ready for it.

OneMagnumisneverenough · 19/04/2016 22:43

unlucky I've said to mine that school/college/uni isn't the be all and end all and they should be looking no more than 5 years ahead. You should be thinking now about what you want to do until you are 21 at most and then think about what you are going to do next. People don't need to start at the coal face at 16 and work at that for the next 40 years. It's all a lot more flexible than that and people are ready for different things at different times in their life (she says, given that she has worked for the last 33 years since leaving school and doesn't obviously practice what she preaches..:o )

You can't put an old head on young shoulders. DS1 is quite compliant but DS2 is a different kettle of fish and I suspect I will be tearing my hair out this time next year when he is doing his Nat 5s

Groovee · 19/04/2016 23:06

Unlucky, my friend is having similar issues with her Ds. He's a January birthday and failed most of his prelims. He had his Xbox and Internet removed too but still won't do any work.

She's lost as to how to get him to realise that they are important.

prettybird · 19/04/2016 23:17

My nephew was/is like that. He's 21 now and still not ready for "further" education.

He scraped his Standard grades, managed to get a Commonwealth Sports Modern Apprentice role and after that has an ok job to keep him ticking over and pay for his social life. He's a lovely, generous kind young man.

He'll "find" himself eventually - probably in his 30s Shock

His sister on the other hand is in her 1st year away at Uni doing well. She's always been much more focussed.

Just goes to prove how even in the same family, different kids have different strengths.

OneMagnumisneverenough · 19/04/2016 23:24

DS2 is probably brighter, more socially aware and talks a good game but in practice he's a lazy bugger who will argue black is white all day long rather than actually doing anything. His heart is in the right place. He wants to go into politics. I'm now thinking he sounds an ideal candidate :o

Superjaggy · 19/04/2016 23:35

That's reassuring then, if DS' current studying hours don't seem too minimal... I think he's mostly writing practice questions (his subjects are all language and social, so very essay based) but I can't persuade him to try mind maps or condensed notes at all.

Unlucky I agree with what the others say, not all young people will be suited to the school / further ed pathway and would be better off working or whatever for a few years until they're ready. Or find that they're then on a good pathway without needing to study further.

To be honest I'm totally surprised that my DS has studied as much as he has this year, I thought he was a cert for leaving after 5th year and being at a bit at a loss as to what to do next... Your DD could yet have a big turnaround!

unlucky83 · 19/04/2016 23:36

Thanks for your support - she is bright and did no work but did not too badly in 3 of her prelims and passed them all (just) . She could get good As in 3 of them - but won't...in some ways I wish she had done worse than she did in her prelims.
I dropped out of school - started not going much from age 14 (like I said think I have ADHD), turned up for my O levels (at 16) and scraped a few. Went to A level college, dropped out - did a vocational course (and dropped out but did get the exams I needed - last lot part time ) then had an ok career - in my late 20s I went back, did A levels, Undergraduate and a Post graduate degree - and I loved it.
So I know it is possible ...but it is easier to do it when you are younger and also I was right at the start of my second career when I had DC - and was 40 when I had DD2 - now have completely blown it - my doctorate is actually pretty worthless...Sad. Do sometimes think if I couldn't face the studying young I'd have been better having DCs young....but then maybe not...

YoScience · 20/04/2016 16:03

I've been following this thread.

Can I ask those who have DCs doing Nat 5s how many they are doing and if they get study leave?

I mentioned up thread that my DD has had quite a tough year, her granda died during her prelims and she has had quite bad health issues. He was initially doing 8 Nat 5s, but dropped down to 7 (dropping chemistry to Nat 4)

Today she was told as she isn't doing the maximum number of exams that she wont get the same study leave as everyone doing the 8 exams (the full month of May going back at the start of June) But will instead just be given the day before each exam off and be expected in school every other day. (To do what I have no idea as the work for the Nat 4 was completed as she was following the Nat 5 curriculum) This seems really harsh to me, especially as the school knows she has been quite ill. Was just wondering if anyone knew if that was the norm?