Year 11 GCSE countdown. Revision angst begins.

[Fastenurseatbelts]

Ok. DS1 has broken up for Easter and we now have to all accept that this is it. He has been doing dribs and drabs since mocks in February and an hour- ish in the evenings of stuff set by teachers.

Nowhere near what I remember doing for my o'levels a million miles ago. Friends tell me their kids are doing nothing yet. Not sure I believe them though!

Waiting for reality to kick in with him but he still seems to be treating it all like an end of topic test in class!

What's happening in your house? Are you staying well out of it or like me walking round waving a CGP guide 24/7!!!!!

[terry110]

I'm so glad that other DD faff about. I can't tell you how many agruements we've had with DD (15) with doing everything else other than revise. Talk about Queen of Faff! I'm at my wits end, she has a schedule and says she's on target but when she is now nocturnal as its holidays I'm just not sure. I'm on holidays with her soon and will hopefully be able to orgnaise her a bit. She's got a list of really good predicted grades but I think she thnks these are in the bag and not to worry but then when it's the night before the exam. she'll apnic like mad! What can you do? Faffing comes second nature to my DD and I could cry sometimes in frustration.

[Nocomet]

Maths past paper and extra questions today, it's taking forever. I don't know how how on earth she expects to finish in the length of the actual exam, even with her dyslexics 25% extra time.

She desperately needs because she has to do tables in the margin. More of Gove's back to basics nonsense. She's stands a jolly good chance of getting an A (she just did in her mock), but they still aren't allowed calculators on one paper.

In the real world, everyone, especially people with maths degrees uses a calculator. DF with a first for Maths certainly does, she hates sums with actual numbers in them!

[Nocomet]

Sorry that's horribly worded

[AtiaoftheJulii]

dd2 is doing well actually - she tends to get very anxious and wound up, but I think that having concrete work to get on with is helping. Rather than the exams being a scary thing in the future that she can't do anything about, she can crack on with revision and feel that she's in control. Does that make sense?

So far we have only had a couple of outbursts (e.g. last night - "I'm going to fail my GCSEs!" "Oh, why do you think that?" "Why are you having a go at me?!?!?!?" ) and they've been mercifully shortlived.

[AtiaoftheJulii]

How are they all doing now they're back at school?

Dd2 is putting the finishing touches to her textiles and ICT coursework, and just plodding away steadily at everything else. Main stress is about prom dress atm!

[Leeds2]

Ha ha! Luckily, DD doesn't have a prom to worry about!

[yourlittlesecret]

DS had two English lit mocks last week and was spectacularly nervous. He doesn't feel they've spent enough time on An Inspector Calls although he knows Mice and Men inside out.
Two weeks today the first proper exams and he now wishes they would just come sooner so he can get it all over with.

[Needmoresleep]

Stressful week. Finishing off the endless art, practice for two MFL orals, and a tube strike.

I was working 150 miles away, but ended up driving home for the night to make sure DD arrived in school stress free, albeit very very early. There is another thread with someone effectively moaning about the long commute her daughter will have to our nearest state school, one which did not offer our daughter a place. I have made a personal resolution that my on-line persona should be kind, so refrained from contributing, instead taking some pleasure from the fact that she too will discover the joys of transport strikes, plus she risks bumping into the Goves at parents evenings.

I think I will get the shakes if I hear the phrase "cette photo..." again. At least the rest is standard. Learn the stuff, do practice papers, sit the exams, and wait for the results.

The next strike is supposed to last all week. I dare not look to see which exams are affected. I also suspect she may have to suffer strategic sickness for some of the revision classes.

[yourlittlesecret]

Needmoresleep oh your poor DD. They have enough to worry about without fretting about actually getting to school. Does she have study leave? I would have thought the school would be sympathetic to Y11s caught up in the tube strike, is it actually during the exams?

DS2 has a bus trip to school because we are rural but it's very short. I have promised him some lifts on days with morning exams though. DS1 doing A levels travels to the next town, a longer trip, but is going to borrow my car on exam days.

[hellsbells99]

I have promised DD1(year 12) and DD2 (year 11) that on the days they have morning exams either myself of their dad will drive them to school but they can sort themselves out getting home.
Exams are stressful enough without the bus running late with it usually is

[hellsbells99]

It does mean we have had to juggle work around though including DH having to book some time off due to his shifts and me having to work away sometimes.

[bruffin]

DD is getting ratty and grumpy and finding ways to blame everyone else for it. She lost her photography work, which was DH fault , but it turned up at school, she lost her calculator which again was DH fault, but that has turned up as well

I didn't realise how close they are to leaving. DD has her last form registration next thursday, which is also shirt signing day and last assembly, then they are off to Thorpe Park on friday. They have to be in school for every lesson until they have had the exam for that subject. We had a exams evening last night with advice for parents and dc, which was basically be nice to them, make sure they are fed and watered and have the right equipment. Dc's dont do too much planning so that it gets in the way of actually revising and make sure you get to school 15 minutes before exam.

[LeapingOverTheWall]

Our head of year has been advising parents to catch their DC revising rather than focusing on when they're not (bit like the "praise the good" stage in toddlerdom), while simultaneously advising the students to occasionally revise with the bedroom door open or at the kitchen table to get parents off their backs .

We're currently struggling with sorting out extra time/scribes for DD2 who has torn something in her shoulder (happened 8 weeks ago, hasn't got better, MRI isn't for two more weeks . and she's doped up on codeine which isn't helping with revision). Lovely physio is writing a letter(and not charging us which is even more lovely) so hopefully that will be enough.

[yourlittlesecret]

bruffin Awww shirt signing day and leavers' assembly. Seems like only last week he did that at primary.
All these little rituals and milestones for the last time.

[AtiaoftheJulii]

Hope the tube strikes don't add too much to anyone's stress. There was what must have been a mainline and underground train strike the day of one of my Chemistry A level papers (school in central London). Lots of people slept at the school. Fortunately a friend of mine lived a couple of miles from school, so a couple of us stayed there.

The prom dress has been found and bought! So one thing ticked off :) Textiles has been marked (both pieces internally marked and then some are sent off to be moderated) and it looks like she has a solid A on that, so should be safe even if the marks go down a little. (Teacher says her marks have been fairly reliable in previous years.) So that's great too :)

Only 10 days to the first one though ....

[roeddwnibwytadyllysiau]

hellsbells99 I always do the same with mine - last thing they need is to be standing at the station listening to an announcement that the train is running late. I also make sure they have a hot breakfast.

Second lot of mocks gong on at the moment - so far so good although B4 C4 P4 today was a bit rough and ds thinks he'll struggle to pass it. Just hope 1,2 and 3 pull him through.

Anyone know how much the CA in double science (OCR) is worth?

[Leeds2]

My DD is doing triple science, but I don't think she has done any controlled assessments.

worries that I may not have been told about them for a reason

[yourlittlesecret]

DS doing 3 sciences. They do a practical in each science which is sometimes called an ISA rather than a controlled assessment.

[MrsMaturin]

Art exam yesterday and today. Dd is exhausted and sad it's over

Otherwise work going ok. Really pleasing two A*s in chemistry and physics unit 3 mock papers this week and a rave review from her history teacher for her controlled assessment. That was a relief considering what a stress it was - for her doing it and for me trying to get her to calm the hell down!
Further maths is causing some furrowed brows atm. I took one look at paper and started feeling sick so i'm no help.

[ISingSoprano]

Hi - can I join in?

We are going through GCSEs for the second (and last) time. Dd is troubled by anxiety and we are therefore having to do a lot of handholding. She is pretty good about revising and each evening we agree a timetable for the following day.

She is having some last minute mocks at the moment - P4,5 and 6 today which didn't go well, she had a panic attack and had to leave the room for a while. It's going to be a long six weeks isn't it??!

Leeds2 dd did her triple science CAs in year 10 - they are but a distant memory now!

[MrsMaturin]

I know there is a lot of work in art but I am so glad dd did it. She has enjoyed it and it's been a welcome change from her heavy academic subjects.