how much revision is your Y11 doing?

[princessparty]

..and when do they begin study leave?

[swanriver]

Maryz my nephew was also doing Junior Cert revision in holidays. His mum, my sister, was regularily screaming at him to get back to work on his revision. Goal was 6 hours a day, which worked out quite well because he usually did about 4 real hours as a result. She also did a lot of verbal testing, made sure he had no friends around, and generally kept (positively)interfering. I think he needed the intervention/attention to keep at it. He did have a few minor strops though. I felt quite admiring of her though, she just expected him to work and made no allowances for sunshine or boredom. He needed that.

[LadyBeagleEyes]

In Scotland here, my son starts his standard grades tomorrow (maths).
He studied a lot during the school holidays and he's supposed to have started now.
I'm lucky as he wants to do well, he's getting to the age where a small village is not enough for him and I've managed to convince him the only way to get out of here is good exam results, and hopefully university.

[parm11]

my yr 11 teenager does nothing but facebook and tumblr, she would get A* if she did a GSCE in them!! if i tell her to get some revision then i'm putting too much stress on her but she doesnt do any. she will do it if i drag her to the hospital library i use to get my assignments done.

she is predicted A's and A* and so i have decided to bribe her for every A she gets.

[JobCarHouseNoBaby]

I don't have a child yet but am young enough to still be in education (Masters) and can vividly remember revising for GCSEs in 2001, A levels in 2003 and Uni Finals in 2007.

Bribery might work for some, but think of how much pressure that puts the teen under, when they are already crapping themselves about how you'll react when they get their results? I know that personally, I was disappointing to my parents if I didn't get As (my mum said to me when I got AABBB for my A levels that I should have got 5 As and that it was down to too much partying). So add to that the monetary factor and I would have been a nervous wreck.

I appreciate all teens are different and thankfully I was motivated enough to revise. The key for me was to do a revision timetable. 8 subjects or topics a day, in 45 minute chunks. After each 45 mins were up, I would get half hour break to sunbathe/MSN (pre-facebook days)/watch MTV/eat lunch then start again. I also used to do 3 45 mins in the morning, then 3 in the afternoon, then 4 in the evening.

Having a timetable which allowed me some 'me' time but also ticked off all the subjects was extremely motivating (but then again, i'm an organisation freak and am now paid a lot of money to organise other people!)

It also helps if you have somewhere dedicated to do study, i.e. not just the sofa/bed, but a desk with good light, plenty of peace and quiet and not too many distractions. Dining room table is good if desk in bedroom is not possible.

If it does all go wrong however, just remember with enough commitment and drive, good things can come out of bad grades. My dad left school with 3 O levels and worked his way up from shop floor of a major financial institution to Director level. And his teachers told him he would only ever be able to be a mechanic. (Not that mechanics are rubbish, but they didnt think he'd make it in the corporate world).

[justhalfwaythere]

Scottish mum here. One doing highers and another Standards.

They've had the speech about how important this is and only they can do it and can they imagine what it will feel like when the results are out and everyone has done well and they haven't.
Went on about how they are old enough to decide what they want to do in life and if it means getting results for uni then they have to be responsible to getting the right results.
Decided that I can't make them study. They don't seem to be doing much tbh and all I'm doing is reminding them when the first exam is - MATHS TOMORROW!!!
They seem to be a bit 'whatever' about it.
The older one did get all 1's in his standards last year and 92% in Higher maths prelim - without studying - but think he's being blase about it and that rubbing off on his brother. He got a mixture of 1's and 2's in his prelims.

So my way of thinking is that they've got the brains and only they will suffer the consequences or reap the fruits - so it's up to them.

[bagpusss]

How about minus £20 for a D, and minus £30 for an E, to go with the plus bribery. Surely that would up the stakes a little?

[NotaMopsa]

nottirednow - this is second time around for me - I was MUCH more chilled with the first but then he actually raised his pinky !!!

TSC you do brighten up my days!

[SparklyCloud]

Secondcoming, I get you. Soon it will be 'too little too late' ..

Facebook keeps their interest though, that and clothes, make up and hair straightening... will look good on the cv, it shows they have interests and the ability to start a task and finish it

[noddyholder]

Study leave was the beginning of the end for me wrt ds. It was too long and sunny every day and most afternoons he had to go to his mates as he had left his invisible books there. I wrote a letter to the school and everything as I think giving them weeks off at that age puts all thestress on the parents

[NotaMopsa]

good thinking Noddy
never thought of it that way but you are right. It's such a damn stress - i am definitely more stressed than dd

[noddyholder]

I put up a big bloody timetable and for 2days he glanced at it every time I entered the room with supplies.when I realised he was face booking and watching skate videos all he'll broke lose. I had to be there 24/7 or nothing got done. By contrast the other school near us gives them study leave bit in the library and many f my friends kids who went there did better. They are not all mature enough for study leave. College is just more of the same and
At parents evening all the tutors said kids have a much more shrug shouldered non committal approach to exams as the years go on. My ds and his friends just don,t seem to regard it as that important

[noddyholder]

Sorry about typos I pad

[WhatsWrongWithYou]

How did your DS do, Noddy?

[noddyholder]

wWWY he did ok. He got 10 no As but wasn,t expecting any! 4 Bs and the rest Cs.

[gingeroots]

Agree about schools cutting them loose for study leave ,it's too long for all but the most motivated to keep going with any success .
Ds's school seemed to hand them a piece of paper with bullet points on how to revise and wave them goodbye .
But what do I know ,maybe they offered more help then I was aware of .

Having been through GCSE's ,reasonable results - I'd say do what you can and then leave them .
I've nagged for 5 years now ,Christmas ,Easter , half terms ,and now he's left without taking his A2 exams this summer .
I don't think he could take any more .

[melikalikimaka]

Following on from what I said earlier.....

I've got to give the (comp) school a gold stars for effort, they have phoned me and kept him until 9pm the one night, 7pm last night. Those teachers are either trying to pull some of the kids upto 'c' grades or very dedicated people. Well done teachers!
( for a very lazy boy)

[Anitaspeen]

My DS is using a piece of software called ActiVise which I picked up from a PTA meeting. It enables revision through repetition. Keeps the peace.

[NotaMopsa]

dd has come home from school in a panic
this is a first


ever....


ever.....

maybe - just maybe her body has produced some adrenalin ..... a chemical,much needed and long awaited kick up the arse.....

holds breath.....

[NotaMopsa]

agree mary