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.

[Inncogneetow]

At ds1's school they do all the exams at the end; so he has mod2 sciences a well as mod3! 11 exams before half term. Incl two days with 4 hrs each day. Eek!

[musicposy]

Hi. I was on last year with DD1, Back this year with DD2 who is taking just 2 IGCSEs this year, Biology and Sociology. She's only 13 (Year 9 so not so young) but is home ed and we spread them out as it's easier.

First paper 7th May so just over a week EEEEKKK! Biology papers all before half term and Sociology all afterwards, which is rather nice :)

DD1 was very laid back last year and kicking her into action was difficult. Different problem with DD2. She's a complete perfectionist and is getting herself in a right state about them. That right state does not translate to extra revision, oh no. It translates to stropping and not speaking to me on a very regular basis and crying.

Sigh. She is desperate for As minimum, particularly in the Biology as she wants to go on and study science at A and degree level and because DD1 got them (which is a ridiculous reason). She keeps saying "What did DD1 get for this paper? What grade was DD1 getting at this stage?" She will not believe that I cannot bloody remember!

DD1 is now at college doing AS levels and is suddenly revising beautifully for them, brightly coloured posters all over her wall with revision notes on them. Her exams start on May 13th, coursework done already.

Despite only doing two, I certainly need to be on here for DD2!

[musicposy]

Cooroo I love your idea with the science. DD2 works really well from pictures, we've been making little revision cards with me writing and her doing the pictures (short end of the stick or what?) but I think her drawing as I read and we talk would work really well as she loves drawing. It's time consuming anyway as it's only me teaching her so it may as well be "useful and fun" time consuming!

[BestIsWest]

Hello, DS is year 10 and is doing Eng Lit., Science and a history module this year. He is a very bright boy but severely dyslexic and has terrible problems with his maths too. He's doing higher tier Eng Lit and his teacher says he's capable of an A or A* based on his understanding of the subject but this just doesn't translate to his written work. He got a C in the first module but I'm hoping he can do a bit better. As far as the other subjects are concerned I'd be delighted if he got Cs.

We're in Wales too but Welsh Bac isn't compulsory in his school.

[TheWave]

Anyone else's now leaving revision for those exams that are after half term till the holidays? Is that enough time? I suppose it's planning of some sort.

[webwiz]

I think DS is starting to focus on the exams before half term now TheWave and his drama practical exam (I could have a moan about how much time that is taking up ).

[Doinmummy]

I said DD could go for a sleepover last night on the understanding she comes home and starts revising. She's not home yet! How on earth do I get her to understand that it's just a short while of knuckling down and then it'll all be over.

[roisin]

TheWave - it depends what the post holiday exams are, and how many.

After whit half term ds1 just has English language, Maths and History. He doesn't need to do any Maths/Eng revision (as they are skills-based and he's doing extremely well already). So he has 10 days to revise the first History exam; and another 7 days for the next History exam.

It is therefore very sensible for him to do no history revision for the next 4 weeks and concentrate on the 5 revision-heavy subjects for which he has exams before half term.

[Doinmummy]

DD came home , has done an hours revision and has gone out again! Aargh. She will fail won't she ?

[ihearsounds]

Hi can I join.
Dd year 11, doing more exams this year.. Did a few last year, still got a few more to go this year..Emailed school on Friday to find out what is happening. Still no timetable for exams, and students told that around exams will be regular classes.. Hoping this is a wind up. Older siblings did exams, and just went in for exams. Rest of the time, they were chilling and revising at home on study leave, which I am sure started a week or so before the exams.

[TheWave]

Yes that's what we've got I think roisin so I had the same thoughts that it might be a good plan to forget those later ones for now.
doin not necessarily. There is a balance? Has she got down to something in past weeks?

[circular]

TheWave At the moment DD is leaving the revision of the exams after half term too. Partly because they have still not finished controlled assessments on Physics & Chemistry, so she is having to go to lunchtime and after school sessions for those. And she needs to revise for French & Music before half term which are well underway now. Also has Eng Lit before half term, but claims no revision needed.

She is fortunate though, that she has no exams the first week after half term, so effectively two clear weeks to revise. But it is still 4 revision heavy subjects, 3 sciences & Geography.

[TheWave]

Not heard that about Eng Lit. Must ask DD1 later if that's true.

I'll be interested to see what they think of revision in the lessons that they go in for in between exams (as mentioned in the other thread recently). If they haven't got study leave that is. Sounds good in theory. Forces them to get up etc.

[circular]

We have study leave here from 20/5.
Told there will be 'some' revision sessions during that time, but no timetable yet.

[webwiz]

DS doesn't have study leave and so they stick to a normal timetable during the exam period but as soon as an exam is done that lesson becomes a "revise what you want" lesson. It worked well for DD2 even though I was a bit dubious beforehand.

[roisin]

ds1 is revising for Lit; he has re-read all the texts and discussed them chapter-by-chapter with dh. Also making notes on key themes and characters and doing practice questions.

His Board (WJEC) has a closed book Lit exam, which is unusual. So he also has quotes to memorise.

[webwiz]

DS did an English Lit mock exam last week and did very well on the Romeo and Juliet questions but not quite as well on Animal farm. Going through it chapter by chapter sounds a good idea.

A closed book exam is unusual these days Roisin I think I still remember some of the quotes I learnt for my English lit exam!

[circular]

Unfortunately for DD, English is her worst subject. They can take the texts in, but that's not really the issue for her, she jut cannot write an essay under stress. Got in a terrible state over the CA, glad thats over with. Better with the poetry though.

So pleased she got Language out of he way last year, or it would be double stress for her.

She does WJEC Geography and from those she speaks to doing other boards, sounds different for that too.

[roisin]

I'm pleased it's a no text exam (I only found out a couple of days ago, tho ds1 knew!)

As many students waste a lot of time in AQA exam flicking through text trying to locate particular fact or quotation.

[Doinmummy]

wave DD has only revised for a couple of hours all together! I'm so stressed about it. She says she's concentrating on science which is fair enough as its the 'real' exam and not a mock. How she'll cope next year when all the exams are ' real' I just don't know.

[BestIsWest]

roisin, DS is doing WJEC Eng Lit too. Which texts is your DS studying?

[Doilooklikeatourist]

WJEC English Lit here too .
They're studying About a boy , Of Mice And Men and An inspector calls ( though I'm not sure if one is for English Lang )

[BestIsWest]

Mine's got Of Mice And Men, An inspector calls and Heroes which he loved.

[roisin]

Ds1 doing Lord of the Flies, To Kill a Mockingbird and A View from the Bridge - so all long texts too. (R&J and poetry for CA, not exam.)

What about you?