Y13 support thread, anyone?

[cardibach]

I remember our GCSE one 2 years ago. It was a haven! I hesitate to start this as I'm not totally confident of wanting to post DDs results in the end, but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.
So, how's the revision going? What are the tricky subjects for anyone's DC?
DD is revising steadily, but then she always does and has had some disastrous module results, so not filled with massive confidence. Biology is her issue - she knows and understands it but can't seem to give the examiner what they are looking for. We've had papers back and her tutor says she hasn't answered anything incorrectly, just hasn't said precisely what the examiner wants. Seems so unfair.

I'm stressing. Anyone else?

boys3 - Yes, sounds like different board timing, AQA I think? DD enjoys the subject so much that it really put her in a grey mood for the rest of the day. Thankfully, online forums and pals at other schools seem to echo her view on the paper, which seemed to help.

Morning to everyone.
How are your DC feeling today after a nights sleep- are they able to rationalize a bit more about yesterday's exams.
I find it difficult with DS as he won't talk about exams at all, so have no idea how he feels he's done.
I suppose if the majority of students found the exams tough the grade boundaries will come down. They shouldn't be to disheartened ( I know easy to say).
I hope today they all feel a bit more positive

But HP the grade boundaries will reflect the difficulty, surely? You don't need to email the exam board.

I know you're talking about edexcel but for the OCR salters paper, over the last however-many years ( all of the years there's been a paper) the grade boundary for A* has been between 68 and high 70s ( I forget the top number DD told me but the 68 is right) out of 90. On the basis of yesterday, the boundary could come down to even lower - DDs hoping for about 67, so we'll see.

My point is, although I don't know the numbers, that'll be the same for edexcel - so those needing an A should still be in with a strong shout.

At. DDs school, though, there are a couple of girls who need A* specifically in chemistry! which is going to be harder with a more random paper.... But the universities will know that.

So I'm trying to say, don't panic anyone!

Beck a lot of the questions were challenging but one was like nothing seen before. My DDs school teaches the syllabus, they get less teaching hours than recommended. They are told at the beginning of the course they have to do the work for themselves. It is a superselective school consistently in the top 10 results wise, so the girls are hardly dim. In my honest opinion questions like that benefit the spoon fed whether in the private or public sectors whose teachers or tutors go beyond the syllabus.

Looking at threads on student room there were tricky questions from other boards but nothing on the scale of Edexcel.

I think our source on the edexcel paper could come from the same school HP! Either that or more than one top ten school that does edexcel found one question impossible!

I don't know how other schools found the OCR salters paper but of the four questions one was way out there in the strange range ( common view of all the girls at DDs school). Again, this at a top ten school sending girls to Oxbridge and imperial to read chemistry/ NatSci . I'm just hoping if they could nt do it, no one else could either..... We just won't know til August and that's the hard part.....

Yes, there was a suggestion on student room that the more people that complain the lower the boundaries go, so I for one am complaining. DD is away on work experience on results week so either she will have to make a day trip to collect the results or me or DH will have to go. She is taking a gap year and applying this September, so she can still resit next year if necessary, not like the poor girls with offers who have to worry about that as well. It would mess up her gap year though as I had planned for her to go to my sister in Tokyo for a few months to work and then possibly onto an exotic location for a holiday before Uni.

At the end of the day our tax money is going to make a nice tidy profit for Pearson/Edexcel or the other boards, impossible questions which only high flyers or the very well taught can answer are not a fair test of the syllabus.

Rosie and HP thank you both, DD is feeling a bit better today, but still rather subdued about the chemistry yesterday.

She had S1 this morning and said how hard that was. She finds it all very difficult and her confidence has taken another knock so I am struggling to pick her up again.

Sorry to hear that Fantasea. The examiners really need to think about how they can encourage the candidates to do their best rather than trying to knock them down. It seems that all the exams are hard this year.

*HP thank you, I agree, DD reports that a lot of her friends are saying how hard all the exams are this year. She has friends from other schools, so presumably a mixture of different boards and they are saying how hard it has been and there are lots of papers unfinished.

It makes me so cross as a teacher when I see exam papers that seem designed to catch them out. Why not test what they know rather than trying to show up what they don't? So unfair :(

Fanta - sometimes students feel low about it but have done okay. You can never tell.

Important thing is - have our DC done their best on the day?

I was most pleased to hear my Ds checked his handwriting could be read.
I try to Focus on what went well for him. They do their best and if they have to re-take or adapt plans - that is life and all part of the learning curve into adulthood.

Really hard though I know - a lot of pressure.

summer you are right, you can never really tell. I have stressed to DD that as she has done her best, she has nothing to reproach herself for and will have no regrets. She finds it all so difficult and has tried very hard. It is a lot of pressure on them, but I am holding on to the fact that the end is in sight now.

FantaSea she has nothing to reproach herself for and will have no regrets I couldn't agree more.

I think that all of our DC have worked very hard and whether they are at a top ranking selective school or a bog standard comp they deserve to be proud if they have done their best.
It doesn't matter if that best is grade C or A* it is just as difficult for all of them.

DS has physics this afternoon. At the moment all is calm. Fingers crossed for later. That leaves 4 for final week- 2 Maths, physics and chemistry. Quite a heavy final week but at least it is the FINAL week !! Appreciate it may not be for all. Has anyone else's DC got physics today?
FANTA- give your daughter a big hug from us all. She has tried her very best and that's all anyone can ask

Yes, DS just setting off for his Physics this afternoon.

Yes, Physics here. DS went to school to study this morning hoping he can check any queries with his teacher. He is confident of this paper.

Not so with Fields , Particles etc. to do next week.

Here's hoping that they all do well

DS is about to set of for his Philosophy and Ethics exam. I am really in awe of him. I graduated with a First in History last year, but can honestly say that the level of understanding and the sophistication of argument and debate he needs to demonstrate in his essays is utterly brain-scrambling. I fry my synapses every time I even glance at a past paper.

Ths kids over on the Student Room discussion for this exam are all posting stuff like 'I'm so scared I could cry '.

LapsedPacifist Unusual choice of subject, what subject is he doing at uni and what does he hope to do? Both of my atheist DSs really enjoyed RE at GCSE (in fact DS2 is sitting his GCSE RE at this moment), though neither is doing it for A level.
DS2 did give it serious consideration but the course on offer contained too much religion for his liking . Had it been just Philosophy and Ethics he'd have done it.

Yourlittlesecret I think it's an RS component. DD is doing a similar sounding one today too and she's a solid atheist. I checked with univs before she started AS and it's a respected A level choice.

Lapsed I so agree with you. Ds is studying philosophy but no religion (that section isn't allowed here in the ME, neither is the ethics section). To be honest I have no idea what he is talking about most of the time. His exam question for one exam last week was along the lines of "Any judgements about reality can be justified". No critique, discuss, analyse, no question, nothing. He said it was ok ish! He is considering taking philosophy as an elective module at uni.

I am sure DS2 would have taken it if he could have skipped the religion. His college doesn't offer just Philosophy though. He is hoping to take it as a none exam enrichment topic.

DS is studying OCR Religious Studies: Philosophy of Religion. The exam today is Ethics. He is also taking History, Govt. & Politics and General Studies. DS is a convinced atheist too, but seems to enjoy the debates . There is actually very little 'Religion' in the curriculum except for some comparative stuff, it's all about the philosophical and ethical beliefs and issues. He is hoping to study Modern History at Uni after taking a year out. Don't know where he will be applying yet - it all depends on his grades. The 'Contemporary History' degree at Leicester Uni (20thC history with a strong political slant) looks like a very good fit with his interests and the entry requirements are in line with his predicted grades (crosses fingers, toes, eyes, norks etc).

It's a solid academic subject and is well thought of by all universities (as is Government and Politics). It's pretty tough - Ds only managed a B at AS and he got As in the other 2 subjects lets not mention the Eng. Lit grade

LapsedPacifist Yes it's the debates and moral conundrums that DS enjoys.

DS says today's Physics (edexcel) was pretty easy so he is worried there will be scary grade boundaries. You can't win can you.

DD is doing a Biology paper now. She had to go and get her teeth checked at the orthodontist today (brace removed about 6 months ago - check on alignment). We live an hour and a half from the hospital. She drove there, 2 mins in the chair, drove back. Madness.
She has been at a friend's house working on Chemistry since then (doing it alone makes her cry - with friends she can actually manage to look at it for more than 5 minutes) and seems more positive than usual. Like Fanta's daughter, she has done all she can. What will be will be and we'll deal with it.