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Secondary education

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GCSE Support Thread 2013

681 replies

wolvesarerunning · 18/04/2013 16:33

I've been waiting for someone to start this (was on the 2012 thread last year and am unlucky enough to have dc 18 months apart in consecutive school years!) Please join me to support and share the angst with only four weeks to go now to the first written exam.

OP posts:
Dontwanttobeyourmonkeywrench · 20/05/2013 20:35

English lit and chemistry today. He overslept and DH had to dash him to his bus Hmm He came home, dumped his bag down and grunted twice in reply to my questions so I'm taking it went OK. He fell asleep, woke up, ate and has crawled back into bed with a nasty cough.....

Physics on Thursday and then a longish weekend so all being well, I'll be pushing him out of the door on Friday to blow steam with his mates.

Nehru · 20/05/2013 20:35

anyone for RS tomorrow? Paper 3 AQA?

creamteas · 20/05/2013 20:53

Russians its a worry isn't it. Has she been given extra, extra time because of her hand? Does she have a time prompter? DD doesn't need this, but I know other SEN children that get reminded about moving through the exam paper.

DD has a scribe for most exams, as she can't type well enough to word process. But as she has so few of them, gets thrown by the ones where she as to write herself!!

Contwant yes, at least least half term is in sight, and they get a bit of a break. DD has more exams before than after, so will be over half way through after physics on Friday.

prettydaisies · 20/05/2013 20:55

No RS I'm afraid. DS has another maths paper tomorrow.

QueenQueenie · 20/05/2013 21:29

Maths IGCSE paper 2 and Greek Prose tomorrow... I think I know the Greek translation nearly as well as ds1!
This is the hardest week for him. Chemistry and eng Lit today, those tomorrow, Weds off, biology and eng Lit on thursday and history source paper and Greek poetry Friday. Phew! Then half term...

MsAverage · 21/05/2013 08:16

Chemistry and Eng Lit yesterday. Says the same thing about Chemistry which someone told here about Biology: new material, but super easy.

Abra1d · 21/05/2013 12:16

IGCSE RS this pm for us as well.

Had Maths paper 2 this am. So three complete GCSEs done and dusted now. I wish it wasn't so bitty--parts of exams all over the place. Would be much better to have a total blitz on, say, Chemistry and complete it all in a few days.

Abra1d · 21/05/2013 12:19

Sorry, it's GCSE RS, AQA this pm, not IGCSE.

boschy · 21/05/2013 12:21

I'm impressed by those whose children LET them test them on subjects etc. DD1 is having none of it, and doesnt actually appear to be doing a great deal of revision at home. However she's not v academic, and I am just hoping she scrapes through with enough Cs to look good on her CV! she's got her 6th form place unconditionally tho I suspect we will be retaking maths for the next zillion years... today is her first exam free day since the beginning of last week so no doubt she will come home and complain how boring it was!

prettydaisies · 21/05/2013 12:32

DS has also now finished maths and is home. Biology next on Thursday. His sister (who's one year older than him) didn't get an A* for biology, so he is very motivated to do well on that paper!! (Not quite sure that it's for the best of reasons, but nevermind.)

Abra1d · 21/05/2013 12:57

Nothing like a bit of healthy competition!

Kez100 · 21/05/2013 13:43

Reports on yesterdays Chemistry is that it was OK. Physics is on Thursday.

circular · 21/05/2013 17:56

Boschy - Cant get away with testing DD either, although she allowed a limited amount last year.
Study leave now officially started, but little evidence of more than a couple of hours revision today.
She claims Eng Lit poetry(Thursday) cannot be revised for, pointless spending more time than she is on Music (Friday) not worth starting any science or geography yet, as nothing else till 10/6.

creamteas · 21/05/2013 18:13

Another resounding OK here for RE today, this is the definitely a theme.

Exam free day tomorrow then Physics on Thursday.

Over half way thorough the papers now, thankfully.

MrsFrederickWentworth · 21/05/2013 18:37

IGCSE maths 2 anyone? Suspect it was better than 1.

Now only school exams, thank God.

Praise be, no Greek. How DH and I loathed it.

notfluffy · 21/05/2013 20:00

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

creamteas · 21/05/2013 20:42

not fluffy oh dear, is she ok about it? How many questions did she miss?

Hopefully, it will just be a couple of marks missed.

Abra1d · 21/05/2013 20:53

Yes, I heard IGCSE Maths 2 was better than Maths 1, too.

notfluffy · 21/05/2013 22:41

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

AViewFromTheFridge · 21/05/2013 22:51

Circular, the poetry definitely can be revised for!

TheOriginalSteamingNit · 21/05/2013 23:05

German tomorrow.
Not sure whether it's ok dd does past papers upstairs and then comes down and says 'yeah it was fine I marked it and it was fine'!

She's very narky with her sister at the moment, think it might be 'kicking the cat' a bit!

Casey · 22/05/2013 07:22

German this morning, then another marathon 4hr day of Physics and Lit tomorrow. Then we can breathe for a bit.

School are putting on 4 hrs of history revision over the hols, so that takes the pressure off at home and gets him out of my hair, so we can get on with packing!

beachyhead · 22/05/2013 07:58

I agree that maths 2 on IGCSE seemed better, and this is from a girl who really can't manage Maths. Yes, German today and then Biology and the modern poetry bit of English Lit tomorrow... Then breathe Grin

We seem to have only crashed and burned in Chemistry so far, and frankly I'm amazed its only one that has freaked her out...

Rock on A levels and subjects we like Grin

JWIM · 22/05/2013 08:45

Another mum with DD sitting German today, Physics and Eng Lit (Poetry) tomorrow and finishing the week with Music. Will then be just over half way! DD swings from her usual warm, polite, engaging self to a raging, door slamming wild child. She has worked hard, but I have come to the conclusion that two years of near constant testing and controlled assessments etc is far more stressful than terminal exams after a two year period of study.
Good luck to all DC sitting exams today.

Abra1d · 22/05/2013 08:59

I agree. My son's GCSEs are all 'sudden death' at the end of two years, but I prefer it this way. Constant modules and course work mean they never get relief from the stress.