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Original poster

The 2017 Exams thread.

432 replies

WankersHacksandThieves · 17/03/2017 09:04

I think we all found the thread last year useful and supportive so I've set this one up for us all to share our woe, angst and (hopefully) joy for the 2017 exam season. I'm also trying to have something on Scotsnet that isn't politics. I'm trying to avoid that tbh as it just all makes me too angry...

Anyway, I have two going through it this year, DS1 in 5th year sitting 5 Highers and DS2 in 4th year sitting 7 Nat5s.

Studying has been underway since the prelims ended. They are doing 3 x 25 minute Pomodoro sessions on weekdays and 4 sessions each day at the weekend. To be honest it's mainly been used for the coursework up until now but the last piece is due in today for DS1 and DS2s is all in now so proper study can commence.

How is everyone feeling?

OP posts:
LordPercy · 10/05/2017 06:42

DS says his "arm was on fire". It was a 3 hour straight paper and luckily his dissertation subject came up as a question so he was off running. He's not planning to write as much for English on Thursday as its two papers.

SwiftAnchor · 10/05/2017 10:53

Thank you!
It is a play, so after going through some past papers last night DD now thinks she will be able to make it fit somewhere, so panic over (for now!) Grin

35 pages! Shock

weegiemum · 10/05/2017 20:27

Dd1 has just gone for a bath, no more revision now for H English tomorrow. She's worked really hard for it and is hoping for an A.

It was Higher Graphics today which she said was a doddle - even doing it all in her best handwriting she was finished with loads of time to spare and left early - its only 50% of the mark and her folio was A standard, so she's hopeful.

After tomorrow she has nothing until 30th May!!

Original poster
WankersHacksandThieves · 10/05/2017 20:37

DS did Graphics today too weegie I got the usual "fine" from him. He's hoping for straight As but hasn't done any work I don't think. Hmm

Good luck for all for English tomorrow. DS2 has Nat 5 English on Friday it seems he has done Othello as he wanted to print off some quotes today and couldn't seem to link to the printer so emailed them to me :)

OP posts:
LordPercy · 10/05/2017 21:23

I've just been going over DS' poetry information with him for Adv H tomorrow. I hadn't heard of the poems before

Unto us - Spike Milligan
At Central Station - Edwin Morgan
Assisi - Norman McCaig

But I've been howling at the Spike Milligan one ever since! Sad

IndigoApple · 10/05/2017 21:41

LordPercy I did Assisi for O'grade in 1985. Can't say I was keen on it!

I'm about to go over DD's poems with her. Carol Ann Duffy but she did Norman McCaig last year. Her school alternates with both Nat 5 and Higher doing the same poet each year (not sure about Adv H).

Good luck to everyone!

weegiemum · 10/05/2017 21:54

wankers dd1 did approx 0% revision for Graphics - it was a crash higher and she has been top of a class who all did nat5 all year - her teacher was :( when she didn't choose AH.

Original poster
WankersHacksandThieves · 10/05/2017 21:59

weegie just spoken to him and he says most of it was easy - he did it as a crash higher too and teacher said if you had to guess who in the class was crashing it, you'd never pick him. he also says he thinks he's doe well in his assignment. He didn't choose it for AH as he says there is too much work involved that actually takes time compared with him flying through the work on his other topics.

OP posts:
prettybird · 10/05/2017 22:13

Ds won't let me help him at all with English - I suppose it means that he can then claim it was all his own work Grin

He did Carol Ann Duffy poems last year so I suppose at a pinch they'll be back up for either "Ambulances" or "The Cone Gatherers" - although "Streetcar" is his main backup.

He must be feeling reasonably confident as he was prepared to take rugby training tonight (his dad offered to take it for him).

SwiftAnchor · 10/05/2017 22:23

DD is doing Carol Ann Duffy too. She's really struggling with English and not feeling confident at all. She loved English last year and got an A but it's all went a bit off this year. I don't think she's been keen on any of the texts this year and that's maybe been the problem. Fingers crossed for tomorrow anyway.

Good luck everyone 🍀

IndigoApple · 10/05/2017 22:33

DD can't wait to drop English after tomorrow!

Groovee · 11/05/2017 06:17

Good luck to everyone doing English x

LittleRedFrog · 11/05/2017 08:41

Good luck to everyone doing English today and tomorrow. This is the most nervous I've been so far - DS is not a fan of English!

prettybird · 11/05/2017 08:43

Good luck to everyone. Hope the right questions come up Smile

weegiemum · 11/05/2017 08:45

Good luck for higher English everyone. Dd has done Carol Ann Duffy, The Great Gatsby and Macbeth, and is feeling confident - English is one of her favourite subjects and she plans on doing AH next year.

wankers DD1 thought about doing AH Graphics but as shes doing Art she thought the 2 portfolios would be too much, especially with H Photography thrown into the mix.

prettybird · 11/05/2017 12:32

Oops. Not a good sign. First time ds has texted me after an exam..... "Excuse my language here but thank fuck it's over". Shock

I await further feedback Wink

IndigoApple · 11/05/2017 12:44

Oh dear prettybird. I was expecting a text between papers or straight after but not heard a thing yet Sad

LittleRedFrog · 11/05/2017 12:58

Mixed reaction from DS. He had to answer on a poem he was hoping to avoid, but thought it was 'ok' otherwise. He's just hoping he's done well enough to never have to study English again!

SwiftAnchor · 11/05/2017 13:07

I have had an "it was ok" text, so taking that as a good sign until I hear more! Grin

prettybird · 11/05/2017 13:14

He's home now: not as bad as the text suggested. He reckons anything between a C and an A (and as he plans on doing Maths/Physics at Uni, not too much of an issue except for pride)

Says the Close Reading was ok - even had time to go back and tidy up his writing so they could actually read itWink

Not very happy with his Cone Gatherers answer - says he did it too much like close reading and also didn't do the symbolism bit well. He also thinks the structure of his answer was poor.

Didn't like the Ambulances question so he did that drama question instead on Streetcar. Chose Question 1 and concentrated on Blanche's emotional attributes and then got worried when the first couple of people he came across said that they'd done Q2. But then found out his friend - who is really good at English - chose Q1 as well. Was reassured by me saying that I don't know much about Streetcar (never even seen the film Blush) but the little I do know is that Blanche is emotionally damaged and self-destructive. He said that that was what he'd written about.

He's pleased that yesterday he decided to revise both Ambulances and Streetcar equally (Streetcar was just going to be backup), so he was able to include 4 (or 6?) good quotes.

Ran out of time to check it over - but for an English paper, that's probably a good sign. Smile But he did forget how to spend Tennessee - so wrote it really small and scrawly to try to cover that up! Grin

SwiftAnchor · 11/05/2017 13:43

Sounds promising Prettybird!

DD has said that the close reading could go either way, says she can't really say how she thinks she has done, but claimed the topic was just stupid and the author was a moan! Grin

Said the Carol Ann Duffy poem was fine, it was one that she knew quite well, and her play was Death of a Salesman and said there was a question that fitted that quite well too. So all in all not too bad.

3 down, 2 to go. DD has a full 2 week break now and then the last 2 back to back. (Italian and Geography)

prettybird · 11/05/2017 13:55

Ds has Physics next week and then Geography the following Friday. They're both exams he is confident about.

And then he gets over a week off before starting into his S6 timetable Smile

weegiemum · 11/05/2017 15:14

Dd1 though English was good, she got to answer on the things she liked, and close reading was "Easily manageable" bu its one of her best subjects.

Nothing now until art on 30 May! Shes hoping she might pikc up a few work shifts (she has a job in Maccy Ds) as whats left is Art (which shes ready for) and gaelic, which they can take the text into the exam.

Original poster
WankersHacksandThieves · 11/05/2017 15:48

Glad to hear about English - hoping for a favourable Nat 5 Paper tomorrow.

Hearing of everyone on the home straight is giving me Envy

Still not halfway through yet. DS1 has done 2 of 5 and DS2 has done 3 of 7. English tomorrow will tip DS2 into the home straight and take us to halfway overall. He has his last 3 next week so then has two weeks off before going into 5th year.

DS1 has two exams next week and one the following. He doesn't register for S6 until the 7th, then has conference for the rest of that week, work experience the week after and then is missing the monday after that as he is on DofE practice. So, first day of S6 timetable is Tuesday 20th!!

OP posts:
prettybird · 11/05/2017 15:52

Ds back from the gym his post exam wind down: apparently he managed to include 8 quotes Shock he says all appropriate for his Streetcar answer, so he was pleased his extra revision payed off. Smile

Glad your dd found it ok Weegie. As she's at the Gaelic school, does she have to sit Gaelic as a "native" speaker or as a MFL?

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