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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:
circular · 08/06/2013 15:33

Russians Geog here too Wednesday am. WJEC by any chance?

Also Biology Monday pm, Chemistry Thursday am.
Final exam Physics the following week.

Two weeks of no exams gone really quick.
Good luck to all next week.

RussiansOnTheSpree · 08/06/2013 15:50

circular No, AQA. They do seem to try and have the same subjects on the same days across the boards though, don't they? Eg all the history people having exams on the same day....

JWIM · 08/06/2013 16:43

DD has just discovered her cousin (A* probably all the way, so we'll be managing 'comparisons' come results day) has finished. It is hard to keep the motivation going I think.

MrsBartlet · 08/06/2013 17:55

mumslife - fingers-crossed your dd gets what she wants to get her preferred choice. Some of dd's friends are looking elsewhere, even though they don't have to as her school has a sixth form.

History here too on Monday. 4 papers next week which are quite well spread out and then the following week it is just Latin and that is it.

circular · 08/06/2013 18:26

Russians - not sure, sciences seem to be all, over the place.

Sounds like your DD has a busy schedule after the exams too. is it London music courses she's doing? Apart from a few performances, DD only has one day music thing booked, She was hoping to find some work, but won't be 16 till nearly the end of the hols.

RussiansOnTheSpree · 08/06/2013 18:39

circular the only London things are spectator. She is going to be spending a fair bit of time on trains. As am I :(

webwiz · 10/06/2013 16:35

DS was happy with this morning's History exam (germany) and not so happy with this afternoon's Chemistry exam.

The first Maths paper is tomorrow so at least seem to be getting through them at last.

Casey · 10/06/2013 16:57

ds1 was pleased with history paper today (AQA American West).

Just maths now for him - tomorrow and Friday.

sisterhood · 10/06/2013 17:21

Webwiz - My DS was the opposite.....hated the history (but then he hates history full stop!) but thought chemistry was ok....Maths for us tomorow as well.....8 left and counting.....

RussiansOnTheSpree · 10/06/2013 17:21

DD1's school bus was late this morning. So she and the other kids arrived with about 1 minute to spare before history started. I was VERY concerned this would completely mess her up (for many people with dyspraxia, getting in a right old tizz messes you up for ages, and a late bus followed by having to leg it up a hill for nearly a mile worrying that you are going to be late for an important exam is the sort of thing that can get you in a right old tizz). But she texted me afterwards and said it was fine. Chemistry also was, apparently, fine. She actually mentioned two bit of genuine information - John Snow was in the History exam, and combustion was in the chemistry. Sadly it wasn't Jon Snow (but we spent perhaps longer than we should have sending texts back and forth quoting Axis of Awesome's Rage of Thrones, which was a nice diversion from my work but possibly less helpful for her chem exam). And the combustion was boring combustion not eg spontaneous human combustion which would be far more interesting and relevant to our sort of things. Sigh. 'twas ever thus. Grin

RussiansOnTheSpree · 10/06/2013 17:23

DD1 has applications of maths 1 tomorrow, then Geog Wednesday, and Application 2 Friday. Then just methods 1 and 2 next week. So basically from my perspective it's downhill all the way after geog but she doesn't see it that way AT ALL.

TheOriginalSteamingNit · 10/06/2013 17:49

Is 'methods' the maths one? DD just has 2 next week, too.

History today: there was a spider in the hall, and this is the main thing dd has commented on. Nothing tomorrow and then some physics and maths, I think. And Crickle Finking, as it seems to be known.

RussiansOnTheSpree · 10/06/2013 18:13

Nit - Edexcel double award maths is split between applications 1 and 2 and methods 1 and 2 and I am completely at a loss as to what combination of two papers gives single maths and what combination gives double (it's double award). I don't know if they have to have applications 1 and methods 1 for single award and applications 2 and methods 2 for double or if its all applications for single and all methods for double. As far as I can see, applications is more of the 'easy marks' maths and methods is more proper pure, but there is certainly an element of real maths in applications too, it's not just the basic marks stuff. But I try to steer clear as much as possible, DD1 is good at maths but not Good and it just winds both of us up, really.

TheOriginalSteamingNit · 10/06/2013 18:17

Oh bloody hell, even the schedule sounds horribly complicated! Ours is AQA.

Found dd staring disconsolately at her screen saying 'I just don't want to do any more', and have told her to stop for a bit. This seems to have been going on forever.

RussiansOnTheSpree · 10/06/2013 18:26

Nit - yes it is complicated but I cope by just pretty much letting it pass me by (as does DD1). There are 4 papers. They are all maths. She has done all the past papers there are, she might do some more before the exams but she might not, it's too late now anyway. The things she can do, she can do. The things she can't do, she will never be able to do. she can think on her feet. She'll be fine or she won't, revising maths isn't going to help anything. Geography on the other hand is a very different story - she wants to do A level and her coursework wasn't the greatest (she broke her hand the first time in the middle of it) so she has to do well on the exams to pull it back to her predicted grade.

webwiz · 10/06/2013 18:43

Russians I think I would be in a tizz if the bus was late on an exam day so well done to your DD for keeping calm (and good luck for all the varied maths papers).

DS has Edexcel non calculator tomorrow he took one look at the maths revision book on the kitchen table and just said "I can't look at it anymore it won't make any difference" so I have sent him off to lounge around. I agree Nit - it seems to be going on forever.

RussiansOnTheSpree · 10/06/2013 18:49

Web - I don't know if she did keep calm. I know she says she did. Not always the same thing. But it's done now. I have no idea whether it's calc or non calc tomorrow - it just says 'written paper' on her timetable. both applications papers say 'written paper' then methods 1, next monday, says non calc and methods 2 next wednesday says calc. So that's a bit opaque. Hopefully she will know. She won't be doing any revision this evening - she has been at a music lesson since school ended, she should be home any moment and we have a hot date with House Lannister.

sisterhood · 10/06/2013 18:53

Goodness Russians...what a nightmare for your DD with the bus! Its the last thing they need isnt it?! We have 2 maths applications papers this week (OCR - Linked Pair) and the 2 methods papers next week......Geog on Weds and Biology TA on Thursday. Good luck to all!

JWIM · 10/06/2013 19:47

DD was also happy with History (Germany) this morning but liked the US questions (she wanted to do this but it was selected for study) so I hope that means she was just glancing through at the end!

Maths tomorrow and again later this week I think, with Geography and two more Maths (also doing the double option) next week.

It is getting harder for DD to motivate herself - should be OK for Geography as she wants to do A level. Maths - well her teacher has all but switched DD off so I am just saying do your best, get at least a C overall and you will never have to do it again.

Russians - must be something about History - the Jan exam was on a day of snow and school was declared closed about 20 mins after the exam started. They had two separate starts to allow those delayed in getting in to still do the exam on that morning.

mumslife · 10/06/2013 20:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

creamteas · 10/06/2013 20:58

DD also is doing Maths (Edexcel non-calculator tomorrow), Geog on Wednesday then the final Maths paper on Friday.

So far I have manged to work things out so I can take her to school for every morning exam, but can't on tomorrow so I will be crossing my fingers that she doesn't have a bus issue. I'm glad your DD coped ok Russians.

SwedishEdith · 10/06/2013 21:07

Very grateful to this thread for keeping me up-to-date. Agree that they have been going on forever Two maths and a geography this week and then can forget about it all. I've already seen all her French exercise books in the recycling bin Hmm Grin

prettydaisies · 10/06/2013 21:29

DS did history this morning (Germany) and chemistry this afternoon. Both were, according to him, 'fine' and that's all I got out of him. He now has 2nd classics on Thursday (The Odyssey) and biology.
He has to get the bus to school, but it's a public one, so he has been able to get an earlier bus than he would on normal school days. He too would hate to be late, so Russians I think your DD did really well to remain calm.

circular · 10/06/2013 21:46

Well done to Russians DD for keeping calm.

DD had Biology this afternoon, first time she did not have enough time left to check over more than half the paper. Said her usual 'OK', rest of group fairly mixed responses.
Nobody else on here seems to be doing OCR Gateway sciences, not sure why.

boschy · 10/06/2013 22:57

maths tomorrow morning and Friday morning and then that's it. I think its AQA, not foundation but the next level? I sort of feel there is nothing else to be done now but keep her on the straight and narrow for the rest of the week and then she can just STOP for a bit.

I think her results will vary widely - if we get the C in maths we will all cry with joy, but she's on an A* for media, distinction in science and most of the rest are around the C level.

but maths is the body in the woodpile for us...

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