2018 Scottish Exam Support Thread

[Groovee]

Practicals have already started for many, folios are being worked on... here's the 2028 thread to get us through.

I have Dd sitting 3 highers and D's sitting 6 Nat 5's. Oh the stress.

Thanks WaxOn. Music here too, our first but we have H Maths tomorrow and H Physics next week. Very anxious I'm afraid - DS seems to be ok on surface but not inside. He has broken out in a bit of a rash on his arms/legs (so perhaps he is literally not ok on the surface). Not itchy (thankfully) but looks a bit like heat rash. Best of luck to everyone from me too

Ds came downstairs about half an hour ago and said he was going to see the doctor tomorrow (before his exam at 9 ) if he felt as bad as he was currently feeling.

He had a bad cold and is very bunged up

To be fair on him, he's very rarely ill, so doesn't cope very well when he is. He said he couldn't study because he felt so bunged up. (Not necessarily a bad thing as he's done plenty of revision - but he didn't want to hear that).

I reassured him that he could take a decongestant for the exam and even though they sometimes rebound, that's ok if they work for the 3 hours of the exam. I went to talk to my neighbour who is a GP and she said rather than a GP, it was best to go to see a pharmacist as they know best re decongestants - but that he should do so today, so that he can take some today and see how he reacts to them.

So I took him along to the local pharmacy and asked to speak to the pharmacist. Ds didn't want to speak, so I just said that my ds had an exam tomorrow but was very bunged up and probably needed a decongestant. The pharmacist then described ds' symptoms perfectly (ds says with the exception of his dry tongue) and advised Sudafed alongside paracetamol - but that that wouldn't help with any nerves Ds said that wasn't an issue (he's fairly confident about his AH Maths).

After we left the pharmacy, he laughed about how the pharmacist's beard was exactly the same as his inspirational Maths teacher (who left for Qatar last year) - so we took that as a good omen

Only a week to go until it's all over

Got this text this morning. Wondering if there's been an issue as I then got an email!

A reminder that phones are not allowed in SQA exams. Best to leave at home to avoid invigilators having to delay exams. Thanks

Higher music paper was bad apparently!

Only a week to go until it's all over

Wow, DD doesn't start till the 15th! .

Hope your DS feels better tomorrow prettybird.

DS2 thought music was okay but who knows.

Music went well yesterday - a good intro to the diet. Maths today

Dis went off to school fairly happy. Took his Sudafed at 8.15 to give it time to take effect. Quite apart from its pharmacological effect, the placebo effect is very strong in him

He did some good studying last night and said it was "like being on steroids" once they kicked in. He's gone off with the box (I've said he can take the next tablet half an hour early, but he's timed it so he shouldn't need to) and a full packet of tissues

Good luck to everyone doing Maths exams today!

Don't think DS1 feeling too confident today as don't think he's been doing enough work. Told him not to worry about it as he doesn't need it so no point stressing. DS2 tomorrow is a different matter...

All the best to everyone.

We have maths today and tomorrow, AH physics for DS1 next week. H modern studies and English for DS2 next week then that's him done and dusted.

We have widely varying finish dates - dd1 on 10th May (Graphics) and ds not till 4th June (Gaidhlig). However, dd1 has to get her AH Art folio ready for 31st May, so there will be a lot of stressing going on here!

I suggested to DS that he didn't study last night (older siblings didn't either). I find it keeps them calmer to rest the night before and exam. I have no idea how orthodox this view is but I believe it stops the stressing and potential sleepless night. We also do a cooked breakfast before exams. I woke up several times during the night thinking OMG it's Maths today so was quite pleased when I eventually got up to cook breakfast. I promise I don't leak all this stress to DS - so nice to leak it here safely

May 22nd finish for us - Higher CS (5 teachers in one year so no idea what to expect).

I agree that it helps to relax - but they won't believe us that if they can't do it /don't know it by the day before, last minute studying won't help.

Tried to tell ds that yesterday when he said he couldn't study because of his stuffed head - that it was no bad thing as he'd already put the work in - but he wasn't wearing it.

DD's last exam (Biology) is 21st May, which is also a school holiday for us. That's going to be weird for her last ever day at school!

I always take Sudofed when I have a cold, it's good stuff!

Ds starts tomorrow and finishes about the 21st. Dd starts on the 18th then her last ones are the last week. Had hoped they may have both finished early and gone on a wee jaunt 😂.

Ds wasn't happy with his AH Maths - not the exam itself but just his performance in it. (His exact words were, "I fucked it " ) He says he over-thought one question and there were others that he made careless mistakes.

But there again - his "standard" is 100% and he is thinking of it in terms of 100 minus his mistakes rather than adding up the marks he got right.

I've told him that it's done now, nothing can change it and that it's a case of looking forward positively to his next two exams.

He's off out this afternoon to the cinema (to see "Infinity Wars" again ) which is definitely the right thing for him to do.

My DS is home. Maths deemed to have 'gone well'. Not pushing for further details

DS1 thought maths went better than he was expecting. he's currently helping DS2 ready for Nat 5 tomorrow.

We used to be really strict about not studying that subject the night before or morning of an afternoon exam and maybe looking over something else instead but everything seems to have gone out the window now.

We usually try to do a protein rich breakfast but DS fancied toast and peanut butter so he had two slices of that, a yoghurt, a banana, some fruit juice and a cup of coffee. He took a cereal bar to eat while waiting to be seated. He's got hollow legs. They made themselves sausage, bacon, toast and eggs for lunch though...

One down and 11 to go between my 2 here. My contribution to the morning was making sure DD1 had plenty stationery, a hanky and sweeties and crisps for the half time interval. DD2 did suggest I could go and sit her sums for her tomorrow but I suspect / hope she will do better under her own steam.

They are planning their trip to the pictures for tomorrow afternoon - thanks for the suggestion Pretty

Turns out DS1 needed the loo 1 hour into the 3 hour exam but as there was only one invigilator he said he couldn't ask to go. i said he should have asked to go as the invigilation isn't his problem and 2 hours is a long time to wait.

100% as a standard for AHMaths
That's brilliant
Kids are so clever thes days !

You misunderstand User - I was meaning that ds is aware of all the marks per question and takes what he remembers getting wrong away from the total marks possible - as opposed to counting up what he is confident of having got right.

In a Science subject with a black/white (right/wrong) marking schedule, that is a perfectly understandable way of assessing how well they think they have done (if a little negative ) - especially amongst kids who are used to getting 90+%.

Someone who was only aiming to scrape a pass would gave a different perspective, trying to remember/work out how much they got right and whether they did enough to add up to c50% (assuming that the pass mark will be 50% )

Ahh I see
Am sure he will do really well
Good luck to all our DC in this year’s exams

DH is stressing because Ds is too calm. Dd freaks while Ds is so laid back he's horizontal. I've come to bed to get away!