Year 11 GCSE support thread 5 - finishing off the exams

[HSMMaCM]

Only another week to go for DD, but I know some of you have two weeks.

DS's school had a maths revision clinic from 10-3pm last 2 Sundays, they really are pushing hard to get the results. DS has gone in this morning to chemistry revision clinic. Weds and Thurs any free science teacher will be doing physics revision and his graphics teacher has them in mon/Tues/Weds next week on revision.

cant fault the school at all.

DD has woken up this morning seemingly having forgotten all her Chemistry over night! Hopefully it will come back to her before 2pm!

Don't think our school have done much in the way of revision classes - at least the DC haven't said they are and we've had nothing via email. They were doing lunchtime revision classes from early in the year as DS1 was supposed to go but kept finding reasons not to.

Nerves maybe? Hopefully it'll all come back to her when she turns the paper over Teen.

Another meltdown from DS yesterday evening worried about the maths. He is exhausted by it all and frankly so am I. So not much chemistry revision done, ho hum.

They can retake maths and English Language in November apparently if they want to try to improve their grades (can't retake anything else).

thanks Horsemad... he has a sports lesson to get to, so working out timings.

I think we can just keep using this thread while we're in 'limbo' and start a new one if it fills up - and certainly will want one for results.

I think foxes may have a thing about shoes, there was a case reported of a woman who kept having one stolen only to reappear somewhere else in the neighbourhood.

Maybe one of the things kids should learn through this is that being under stress doesn't give you carte blanche to be totally inconsiderate, though I'm sure most of us are giving them more leeway than usual. Mine isn't being bad at all TBF, though her room is liberally strewn with used tissues. She's said she will clear them up but her bin is full. I think I'll put a black bag on her bed while she's out as a helpful hint.

The iGCSE chemistry (which I think is EdExcel) is only an hour too.

I can't help feeling that with a lot of kids the maths exams this year have sucked dry all their confidence. I'm sure he is not alone Ono. Not that that is any consolation! The end is in sight though!

We have more Greek today followed by chemistry. Latin tomorrow, RE on Thursday, finishing with Physics on Friday. He will then get home for a week before his last 2 exams on 18th. So only 6 more exams to get through, hurrah! And the unexpected bonus of him home for an extra week during term time (happy mum :-))

I too would like to find out how everyones' got on and final choices for A levels. I too was worried it might seem a bit crass but what the hell, we've all come this far so it would be nice to support each other at the climax (no childish sniggering allowed). Lol

No revision sessions at dd's school. What chance does she have?

dd had a shower this morning and while she was in it she left a blocked toilet overflowing. Neat toilet waste has just poured through the bathroom floor, along the whole kitchen ceiling, through the light fittings. Wee is raining down in the kitchen (bucket loads of the stuff). Big row just before Chemistry exam.

I have had enough.

That sounds grim, Littleham. I hope you can get it sorted out.

I would agree about Maths having sapped all the confidence out of some. My DD is feeling the same. She'd done masses of work, every past paper, and was hoping to do really well. Her teacher said all she lacked was confidence, and then she went in and had what little assurance she'd gained from working really hard knocked out of her by the paper full of unpleasant surprises.

On Littleham, that's awful. I had that with my shower once but, my god, not waste from the toilet! Yuk! You have my sympathy

Oh no, littleham. we had a big leak once (we were away for xmas, fortunately the window cleaner was working xmas eve and saw it!), the insurers were pretty good about getting it all sorted out, hope yours are likewise.

Re results - I think we're all well aware that while MN can be rather Lake Woebegone (where all the children are above average), our models may vary. I think I shall have a bigger grin on my face if some of your kids have done better in those horrible maths paper than they fear, than if mine gets an A* on it. (I do hope that comes over the way I mean it to!)

Little poor you. A couple of months ago I was outside scooping raw sewage and tampax from a blocked drain (although I could not blame my 3 sons for the sanitary wear) and then had to call a drains man who for about £600 cleared out outside sewage drains. It was not fun.

Don't worry about revision sessions. My boys have had loads on at school and chosen to go to them (except one boy who only went to one). I am sure they will do fine without.

Thanks everyone. Feel better after sobbing in the kitchen (more over the exams than the flood I think). DD made me a cup of tea and offered to pay for it but I've said she doesn't need to as it was an accident.

Why do floods always come at the worst time? Your stories have strangely cheered me up - at least the rest of you have had nasty floods / blocked drains.

Trying not to worry about revision. She is a really bright girl but like the rest of them is struggling to maintain any focus now. Good luck for Chemistry everyone.

BTW, Lotus - you're so right in your 'Russian history' post. There's something quite wrong with the current system where it's so geared for exams, a lot of them will be learning what they need to pass and then cheerfully saying they can forget it all for the subjects they're not interested in. I suppose some of it will stick to some of them.

Actually, DD did learn something she found interesting in the course of revising for her biology. I love coriander leaf, she's always disliked it, said it tastes of soap. Well, apparently that's a Thing! She read about some people finding that cilantro tastes like soap due to a recessive gene - noticed last night that the plant I'm eating my way through looked similar to the picture and asked what it was (so she's learned an alternative culinary term too ). Then of course we had to do some tongue-rolling at each other.

Oh no Littleham Not what you need. And Lotus, yours sounds vile!

DD's school has put on loads of revision sessions and she has gone to quite a few, but they don't suit everyone all the time. She often finds revising at home better, particularly talking through with a friend.

That's true Errol and Lotus about learning because they are interested and then remembering it. I think DD has enjoyed her History lessons and is interested so she will remember a lot of it. In contrast, mine were so deadly dull, I can barely remember a word of it!

That's horrible Littleham, I feel for you - my dad once made our toilet overflow, it flooded through the kitchen ceiling light and shorted out all the electrics!

Dd has got geography and physics today - she's quite confident about these ones along with tomorrow's history exam. However, she's exhausted. The maths exams really took it out of her, she actually has to think and her brain is fried. They really shook her confidence. Today she's definitely not her usual self. I hope the exams today make her remember that she thinks rest have gone well.

She's also starting to panic about the last 3 science exams - there's 2 units (out of 3) on each that they haven't really learnt so the plan was to really concentrate on those once the other subjects had finished. She's got a day free for each science and luckily she has a phenomenal memory, so hopefully she can just regurgitate the revision guide without really understanding it!

Hi Littleham, what a nightmare, you poor thing . Lotus your drain episode sounds pretty grim.

HSM, Philosophy and Japanese sound great in theory but the reality is she going to fail philosophy and she'll deny it strenuously but it is because she couldn't be arsed.

DD currently rifling through the bin looking for the packaging some shoes came in that need to go back as don't work with Prom dress. Apparently it is my fault for telling her to tidy it up rather than leave it by front door - it didn't cross my mind that she would chuck it away before trying them on. Ah, she has found them, I'm not telling her the fox and shoe story.

Think everyone is at the of emotional reserves. Just had difficult phone call with friend whose DD doing A levels and currently in meltdown after History meltdown . Convinced she won't get her first choice and doesn't want to go to Insurance as not Russell Group and is convinced she will never get a job if goes there. Doesn't want to go into clearing, doesn't want. Do gap year as all her friend's will be gone and only wants to go travelling with a friend. She's worked her backside off and all too much currently.

Would love to keep thread going as think it might stop me killing her over summer. I will just be delighted if she gets into L3 courses next year so she'll need 4 C's. Maths will be a resit, I know that now.

Thinking about your dd doing Childcare HSM I do wish there was more opportunity to learn practical life skills during the school years. I've worked for many years in early years and know there's plenty to learn about child development and approaches to early years education - fascinating and very rewarding and worthwhile work that is sadly still under appreciated by many.
I'd have liked both dd and ds to continue learning more about many other life skills too throughout their teenage years - from cookery to balancing the finances. I feel there is currently such an academic focus at the expense of a broader more balanced education.

Anyway, hope Childcare went well for her HSM
And good luck too for the Chemistry (dd has this today - EdExcel)

oh ye-eh oh ye-eh oh ye-eh!!
that is it we are done!!
Hurrah! Break out the beers!!

Lurking but just wanted to say this to someone, anyone really ( this is most definitely not a stealth boast) I am so terrible proud of my son. He lost his Dad and Grandad within a space of 3 weeks when he was only a few days into his exams. He is a bright, focused lad, predicted all As and has managed to keep going. He has remained focused and is putting all his energy into his exams. This time is so stressful anyway but to cope with such massive loss at his age just makes me so immensely proud. My amazing young man.

Oh no Littleham, what a horrible start to the day. Maybe you can both have a giggle about it this evening, once things have calmed down? Or is that asking too much? Probably because I'm so childish I think I would be tempted to dance around the kitchen with her, singing "It's raining wee, hallelujah!"

I'm sure it'll go down into family folklore: "Do you remember when you flooded the bathroom the morning of your Chemistry GCSE?" etc.

you must be very proud of him MrsBennett