Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

Y13 support thread, anyone?

700 replies

cardibach · 06/04/2014 19:20

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?

OP posts:
HPparent · 17/06/2014 17:22

Thanks Cardi. DD was getting A* on the old papers so was quite confident. She said she was shaking for at least 10 minutes after the exam. She said she thought she was asleep and in a nightmare and the real paper was tomorrow.

I think if girls at a super-selective with offers to do Chem at Uni come out of an exam in tears there is something seriously wrong.

Student Room posters are predicting the A grade boundary will be 60-62 out of 90 for both papers but even that won't be low enough for DD.

She has WJEC biology on Friday too. So hopefully that will be ok. She was predicted A* in that but has spent most of her time on the Chemistry.

Glad your DD is feeling better. Soon be over, then the trauma of results day!

Original poster
cardibach · 17/06/2014 17:25

DD needs a B in the Bio, but could probably get away with a C. To be honest I no longer care as long as a University can be prevailed upon to give her a place! I hope it is an OK paper as DD has spent all her time on it at the expense of getting more than a bare pass in Chem.

OP posts:
HPparent · 17/06/2014 17:55

Fingers crossed for all if them on Friday.

FantaSea · 17/06/2014 21:09

HP sorry to hear about your DD's Chemistry. We have had the same problem today with OCR Chemistry (not the salters one, but the other one). DD came out crying and has been crying this evening about it. She put in a lot of time and tried her best, so I will be proud of her whatever she gets.

cardi pleased your DD is feeling better, that is good news.

C4 maths tomorrow and then OCR biology on Friday.

Nearly there now!

HPparent · 17/06/2014 22:47

Thanks Fantasea. We have to wait and see what the grade boundaries are. The Edexcel exam was beyond ridiculous. DD would have got an easy A* on last years paper but this was again was like nothing seen before. Consensus on Student Room that it was not really a test of the taught material.

Sorry to hear your DD had a bad experience too. Hope the maths goes well tomorrow.

FantaSea · 17/06/2014 22:58

HP that doesn't sound like a fair exam at all, I am sorry to hear that. Thank you for the good luck message - DD is reasonably ok about tomorrow, but today has knocked her confidence again so I am hoping she will be ok. At least the end is in sight now.

HPparent · 18/06/2014 06:18

Thanks Fantasea. It annoys me that having put money into Edexcel/Pearson coffers by buying their textbooks etc, plus what we pay to them indirectly through exam entry, support etc, we get a paper like that. If A grade students think they did badly I can't imagine what the C or D predicted students must feel like. The paper left out masses of the curriculum and again was unlike any previous papers.

Petrasmumma · 18/06/2014 11:00

DD is finishing tomorrow, is going for tea and cake afterwards with pals as she is still too young for the pub. I can't help thinking she really deserves something stronger.

Molio · 18/06/2014 11:33

HP even the weirdest of papers have a habit of translating into expected grades and results. Very hard not to worry, but she'll very likely get her expected grade. That's just how it happens. A whole cohort won't sink. Erratic marking is much more of a challenge to individual students than a weird paper. Really hard for her but try to reassure her that lots of students have had similar experiences over the years and it almost never seems to throw up random results. Take heart from the Student Room consensus. DS2 felt similar about two of his papers in one subject this year and the Student Room consensus was that it was easy. Way worse :(

whatsinaname01 · 18/06/2014 13:36

DS just starting C4. I'm feeling sick with nerves for some reason today and have a headache.
He is so so tired.
Last night of revision though but it will be tough as he has physics tomorrow am.
This is by far the worst week. So many exams at the end of four weeks of them is no joke.
I really hope it all pays off.
I just want to sit and cry so god knows how he feels Sad

KittiesInsane · 18/06/2014 13:54

Same here, Whatsisname -- C4 today, physics tomorrow, mechanics on Monday. He was panicking last night because he suddenly couldn't remember how to do any of it. Yells of 'How do you do a differential equation FGS and why is it d u not d x and am I meant to substitute something or what?'

I supplied cocoa. Sometimes you can't do much else.

summerdip · 18/06/2014 19:00

whatsinaname - sounds like my house

Had a stressed telephone conversation this morning because Ds felt he was making silly mistakes in prep. As he is good at Maths had to concentrate on other exams and felt he was under prepared.

Exam went okay. Felt he got it all right except one 5 mark question which he hopes he got 1 or 2 marks on. He can't be sure of silly errors. Thinks he's close but not certain of *

Can they tell? This is my problem. So far exams have been okay but will it translate into good results?

Physics tomorrow and most tough paper. Crossing everything. C4 and final Physics back to back - not good. Wish we had another day. Have tutor here to help him pick himself up for study tonight after 2 and a half hour afternoon paper.

Good luck all

Original poster
cardibach · 18/06/2014 20:00

One more day of revision to go here. DD finished her notes on BY5 and did a paper - got (nearly) a C. This is a great sign as she normally fails the first past paper she tries. She has 3 more to try tomorrow so should be all ready to go by Friday morning.

OP posts:
BeckAndCall · 18/06/2014 20:07

summer does he need an A * on every paper or just cross c3 and c4 on average? If that latter, at make is more achievable. ( If it's edexcel he did, the answers are already up on the student room!)

Went horribly wrong for Dd in C4 today - following on the horribly wrong C3 paper earlier in the week. Hoping for a stonking S 2 on Tuesday. I never expected an A * in maths though but it seems she was secretly hoping for it......

bruffin · 18/06/2014 20:18

the ocr c4 paper today was not nice. there was a question nobody could do. ds sent it to a friend who is doing maths at uni and he couldnt do it either.

HPparent · 18/06/2014 20:30

Molio thank you for your reassuring words. I hope you are right. Nobody seems to even know the answers to the questions on Student Room and normally they are posted within hours.

DD found a "Hitler parody" video on You Tube that someone had made of Edexcel Chem 5 which she was very pleased with!

Sorry to hear about your son's C4 Bruffin and also your DD BeckAndCall, it sounds like the examiners have gone off the rails. I hope the other exams go better for them.

I hope WJEC biology goes well for our DD's on Friday Cardi, at least they seem a more civilised exam board. DD did well at AS so has some room for error, but has run out of steam a bit since the horror of Chemistry yesterday.

FantaSea · 18/06/2014 22:14

DD found C4 (edexcel) today hard but she could attempt most of it, so we will see. Just biology (ocr) on Friday and then she's done.

bruffin znd Beck sorry to hear about your C4 today, that sounds ridiculously difficult.

It is so hard to have so many exams towards the end like this, one after the other. DD is exhausted and she says all her friends are too. Nearly there now.

Molio · 18/06/2014 22:46

And I meant it too HP. DS1 and best friend came out of the exam feeling the same (DS is usually the coolest of cats), both had an Oxbridge med offer at stake, and both got their A*, with a margin (and DS with a prize). They were gobsmacked. This is not a standard MN boast, but to say to your DD it's a long wait until the 14th, just have faith!

summerdip · 19/06/2014 07:48

Feeling sick today. Physics. Just so needs a B. Want him to be finished with Physics.

Yes, My Ds needs 90% in C3 and 4 as are rules with OCR so I understand for Maths.

Gosh, hearing all your stories, realise how hard this is for them all.

Here's hoping!!

whatsinaname01 · 19/06/2014 08:29

Summer Feeling exactly the same. DS has gone in on the bus so he can look over his notes.
This Physics exam seems to be the one he is most nervous about.
My stomach is in knots and I can't eat.
Fingers crossed ( even praying and I'm not religious Confused)
Good luck to all of them

summerdip · 19/06/2014 08:30

A novice - how do you find student room?

Also, glad to hear many students could not do one question on OCR Maths - ditto. Hopefully means,pass mark will lower.

bruffin · 19/06/2014 08:55

student room

Physics should be starting any minute now, ds needs an A Sad. He did do a revision course at Easter but it seems a long time ago now.

Summer, he needs 180 ums in C3 and C4 which is not necessarily the same as 90% in each depending on the grade boundary. Also its a total so can get away with 80ums in one and 100ums or 89 and 91 etc. Last year 80ums on C4 was 51/72 so only 70%.

KittiesInsane · 19/06/2014 09:02

Urgh, DS needs an A as well, and he looked like a zombie this morning. Afternoon exams are more his thing!

PurpleAlert · 19/06/2014 09:10

DD found the C4 paper hard- she said one 9 mark question was impossible but the rest was ok. She said she just about finished but that didn't have enough time to check her answers.

One more to go- S2 next Tuesday and then it's a waiting game.

She needs an A and 2 Bs for her course at Loughborough- she feels that she's probably got 3 Bs- hopefully it will be enough (they intimated that they would accept slightly lower grades and to call on the day.)

She is so desperate to go there- hope all her amazingly hard work has paid off.

bruffin · 19/06/2014 09:27

Does she want to do engineering Purplealert. DS needs A* AA for Southampton but they have said they will take lower but it was specified A for maths and physics