Year 11 GCSE exam support thread 3 - the exam weeks

[HSMMaCM]

New thread for those of us starting the exams.

Keep calm everyone.

Big day today in our house. DD2 has GCSE French and Biology today, like so many others. DD1 is doing AS exams and has Geography and Sociology today.

DD2 is very good at French but goes to pieces when they start the tape. She used to be the same with mental maths at Primary school. It's such a worry and so annoying because we both know she can do it - the tape just makes her panic :(

Ds1 was like that with the tape and maths Tranquility. He is doing German instead of French but I imagine there's still a tape at some point.

Has she practised with a tape? I think they re-play the phrases a couple of times.

Panic attacks are tricky. Do you think this is why so many children give up with languages?

Ds1 got into a right state stressing about the German speaking.

DS has 3 options for college , just got to decide which one.

He's very dyslexic and was put in bottom tier for most things and was steered towards vocational colleges.

He works really really hard, a steady all year working and astounded his teachers with good mock results and a B in RE last year as opposed to predicted D.

He was predicted D&E's based on cat scores ( despite level 5 in SATs) but is outlooking B and some A's so thinking he can do A levels in spite of the school not believing he can.

I'm very proud of how hard he works.

Like others, Biology is the exam of the day here.
We've not had a good start, DD1 complained that her 'tummy was hurting' this morning. Her period's not due for another 10 days and she really suffers with them, so I'm hoping it arrives when it's supposed to, for the 1/2 term holiday rather than when she has exams. Then we realised that she'd gone off without her lunchbox and while DH dashed along the road with it (only to find that her bus had gone ~ I think the bus company is making a special effort to be early at the moment, knowing there are exams on), I got DDs 2 and 3 into the car and didn't realise that DD3's swimming kit hadn't made it to the car with the other bags, so no swimming for her today. So I've dropped DD1s lunchbox off and now having a calming !

Eve, your DS sounds brilliant, it must be so difficult but he keeps going. for him!

Thanks, Littleham. We've done all the past papers on the website together. She is really feeling the pressure because she'd love to do A level French and has only dropped 2 marks in the assessments so far. Instead of giving her confidence that seems to have made her feel she has it all to lose. It doesn't help that the two French exams come back to back so if she struggles with the first one she is likely to make the second one more difficult too... Argh!

My DS has some amazing option for next year.
He has secured a place at a good private 6th form where we were fortunate enough to be awarded a substantial bursary.
He has also been offered a place in an excellent state 6th form college, which as an out of area applicant is a great achievement for him.
If he fails to get the grades he needs for those he will go to more local 6th form, attached to a school, which is also very good.

The signs are that he will get the grades he needs for the private one, which just blew him away at open day. I'm so excited for him. His school has served him well, but I think he will fly at 6th form, in smaller classes with great tutors.

Morning all - checking in on this momentous day! My DD is also sitting 2 French this morning and Biology this afternoon.

She OK and not too stressed out last night when she called from school last night but a bit worried about her French. She is actually very good at French but because this is so well known at school amongst her peers and teachers she is feeling under pressure a bit. She said she was looking forward more to the Biology exam as she felt under less pressure with that!

Well the first French one will be out the way now and the second one underway I think.

Hope all goes ok for all of them sitting exams today

Great to be excited for their next steps, and proud of their efforts, whatever different ones are right for each of them

DD is having a pre-biology trough of jelly,toast and earl grey tea whilst discussing osmosis. An interesting combination.

Better eat that jelly and drink that tea quick Ashbeeee before it becomes an osmosified amalgamation?

DD went off to school with the glazed, fixed smile of the deranged just before they lay about them with an axe..... I hope everyone is very very nice to her today

I have given her some extra chocolate in her lunchbox. Brain food you know.

I don't know how I am going to get threw this, the house is already full of testosterone (all boys) and now the mood swings due to stress. Ds1 came from school quite happy as he said his exams went ok, but by the evening he was in a terrible mood. Complaining about everything. Thankfully he was a lot calmer this morning.
Ds2 has his biology exam today and he ate nothing yesterday after school nor had any breakfast but he was just snapping when I was offering him breakfast. I don't know how he will do as I know he took nothing to eat with him also.

They at that age where you can't tell them or make them do anything they don't want too.

Well the French should be finished now! DD was complaining that she would miss extra Biology revision this morning because of French

ruby, my 2 never eat anything for breakfast - they don't get up (DS) or come out of their room (DD) in time. DD takes something to eat a bit later, plus a packed lunch, DS sometimes buys double lunch on his fob!

Twirly, that pressured feeling is the same for my DD - not French, but Biology. The expectations are so high, because she is the Biology nerd.
I hope your DD has kept her calm.

I called another local school's Sixth Form office and she can still apply there. Now I don't know how to bring it up, without denting her confidence. How I wish I'd have made her apply in December, but we were dealing with other school issues back then and were busy getting her back on track.

It's hard, isn't it? Somehow all her school life has been a breeze until last year.
Unlike her little sister's, who doesn't like her school and would love to stay at home with me every day.

Both mine have French this morning.

And they were both very nervous about the listening exam.

I offered DS a coffee shop breakfast, which he'd usually grab with both greasy hands, but he declined . Hopefully it wasn't a complete disaster.

Biology this afternoon.

WF, DD said yesterday she ate too much for breakfast, and it sat in her tummy like lead.
Today she only had one slice of dry toast with tea.
I'm sure she would have refused a coffee shop breakfast as well, but it's a good idea for a day when she has exams in the afternoon or exam free day. I'll add it to my "keep going" list.

Had a text from DD, French went well apparently. God knows what/how she did but at least she feels ok and calm before Biology.

DS said someone let rip a huge fart in English last week .
Maybe that was too much breakfast?

WordFactory! I bet there was much amusement at that!

DS said everyone burst out laughing and the invilgilators all began shushing etc!

The time is 1.30 - you may begin ...

Sending a couple of prayers to the gods of biology papers this afternoon!

Had a slightly deranged session of revision this morning with DS1 - trying to memorise the human heart and which side pushes out and which one pulls in ...

DS "I know - right side (coloured blue in text book), think Tories! In! left side (coloured red in text book), think Labour! Out!

Its going to be a long afternoon ...

'Turn your papers over'

How long is Biology? AQA B2+3 here!