GCSE Support Thread 2013

[wolvesarerunning]

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.

physics 'ok but not as good at chemistry and biology' - she said she wasn't always sure which 'kind' of answer they wanted so put both - not sure what to make of that!

But lots of maths-type questions, which she prefers. And liked the eng lit paper as got to write lots of ideas she'd already had - and apparently a moving poem about a girl leaving home, but not sure who it's by?

DD also had physics, and I got the same response as about all the others. It was ok.

Nothing now till after half term, thank goodness, and just English, geog and maths to go now.

Planning on doing something nice over the weekend, then easing back into revision towards the end of half term.

Got an 'OK,'better than Mondays' for AQA Eng Lit. Liked the unseen poem .
In a good mood tonight as no more English.

Edexcel Music tomorrow a.m. then nothing till 10/6. Suspect there will be some serious cramming going on throughout half term and the week after.

DD (not doing GCSEs until next year) said that several of the Year 11s left the exam hall in tears after doing the Biology IGCSE. I guess it was a hard paper this year.

Well I have got very little more out of him but he did come home whistling - so, even if it is bad news, at least he is a happy teenager.

We made it! Ten days' break now with no exams

Yes Leeds2, my daughter had IGCSE Biology this morning and found it terrible. Such a shame, she's continuing for A-Level and got an A* in her January mock, so we really thought it would be better...

WJEC Eng Lit was "OK" AQA Physics P3 "fine" but she also mentioned the bizarre 1mark space travel question. No idea what they wanted to see for that one. I'll be interested to have a look when the mark scheme comes out

We have Music tomorrow too
"I have all Bs so I can get an E in this & still pass"

DS said that he has absolutely no idea how he has done in English lit which is worrying as he can be a bit of a loose cannon in essay type subjects.

Ahh.. Now I'm wondering if ds got completely the wrong end of the stick - he thought the biology IGCSE was quite easy ... This could well mean he's gone off at a tangent and missed the point of the questions entirely

DD says physics ok but says not going to take Eng lit at A level anymore after today - oh well, back to the drawing board! Is there any A level considere easy as a 4th subject needed again ....;)

Will have to ask dd about the space travel question! She said for their German listening, the cd player was turned up so loudly that it was kind of distorted, gave her a headache, and the room next door could hear every word!

I'm just glad she's done for the week. The rest of the papers are spread out enough and should be fine. At least I'll be calmer because she can look like she's had time to do some work!

Ds has his school exams still tomorrow, and dd2 has a Spanish speaking controlled assessment, so they're still both nervy. took Roll on Friday night.

DD said exactly the same about the Physics Aqa Unit 3 today - said was good , not as hard as expecting and the bizarre question about Space as to whether money should be spent on researching it. At this point she did check the front of the paper to make sure she had been given the correct one!

DD mentioned the space travel question too. She said it had nothing to do with anything on the syllabus so she just guessed an answer - only a one-marker anyway, but weird.
Music tomorrow and then a night off revision!

Music here as well then a well deserved week off for our DCs

ds reckoned the govt sneaked the space question in to gauge potential future interest

Week off?

I know it's half-term but DD has 3 days of workshops and 3 days of rehearsals I won't see her from Sunday lunchtime until Friday evening / (not sure how I feel about that)

Well, your DD has obviously finished her exams so she's got a year off now, not just a week! if she chooses to do something else in her exam free time that doesn't negate the fact that her exams are over. Lucky thing!

Nah - she still has 2 more but won't start cramming for them until Friday

Does anyone else here have children doing the AQA dual award Science IGCSE? My son says that the second round of Physics, Chemistry and Biology papers are harder, as they are the 'additional' element of the dual award. Is this right? I was hoping that as the first round had been OK-ish for him I could relax a bit.

DD didn't offer much comment about Physics or Eng Lit (Poetry) yesterday. Music today - she has tended towards a bit of a fatalistic attitude these last two days - 'oh well, if I just get a D for today I'll still end up with a B' - when she is on target for a fairly secure A for Music. I hope it is just the weariness and that the break now will revive some enthusiasm. The rest of the exams after half term are more evenly spread so less tension about what to revise when.

Good luck for those taking exams today. We're off to the Leavers' Service later this morning - DD is equipped with tissues (there will be tears) and permanent marker pens (to write on shirts).

DD hoping for A Music, has A so far, but think she needs mid-A today to keep it.
Target is B, prediction A so putting a lot of pressure on herself.

Spent much of last night reading the Student Room posts, trying to second guess the section B questions.

Eng Lit (poetry) yesterday was "well good" apparently. something about conflict, and the poem was one they had had a revision lesson on last week. hoping for a B.
half term anyone?

Don't do anymore but hope you enjoy yours, will enjoy a with you later. Here's to a few calm and restful days before it all starts again.