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.

+ve feedback on chemistry here as well.

So sorry Mrs Bennett, take care of him as when exams finish it might hit him hard.

I have had to tell DS that his great grandfather passed away this morning. He was 96 and had been ill for a few weeks so not unexpected.

Funeral is tomorrow in another country so DH heading of and DS is quite resilient to these things.

Message from my dd that chemistry (AQA)was really easy; made her wonder all the more what on earth that biology paper was about, and has her wondering whether physics will be more like the one or the other.
Sorry to hear that some of you have had such an awful time. Puts it all in perspective.
I'm interested to read so many uni comments. should we be looking at that already? My dd knows what A levels she wants to do. but feels that her uni choices will be dictated by whichever courses are easier to get into. She believes that she can't even try for geography as the bar is set too high. I haven't even started thinking that far ahead.

Chemisty (GCSE and IGCSE) both straight forward here.

mrsB I think you have every right to be proud of your DS. Resilience is one of the qualities I aim to foster in my DC. Imperative IMVHO to a life of success and happiness.

DS says Chemstry was fine BUT he is now thinking that maybe they wanted more in depth answers than they had been taught to give. Oh the optimism.

History tomorrow. Then another 7 bloody exams to go, up till the 19th.

I lost my temper today. Stress +.

Childcare was "ok" and chemistry was "ok".

Chemistry2 was bad, but not as bad as Chemistry1 (which she found v.hard despite everyone else saying it was easy). I did get her to remember some stuff this morning, but it is clear that again her difficulties in interpreting what information the question wants have affected her ability to show what she does know. (She got a B on a practice paper yesterday too.)

I think DD's brain is on empty now. But only Physics2 to go, which she will find dire anyway, so additional science is probably a write off. But if anything is to be failed I'd probably pick additional science, as it's not critical in any way.

How was chemistry? I asked.

Haha haha bloody ha. He answered.

This was OCR paper 2 of 3.

LineRunner, still 7?

Glad the exams seemed to go OK for most of them today, sympathies for those who found them hard.

I am in awe of those of you looking toward uni entrance - DD can barely face the thought of starting sixth form, which will almost certainly be in a new school/college and she is worried about finding/making friends rather than the actual courses.

I think we're lucky that there is a very good 6th Form in our dcs' school. It will be different in format and there will be newcomers, but much easier for those already there, much less daunting.

DD said the (igcse) chemistry was fine - she reckons she got one question wrong, the colour of copper carbonate (she wrote blue, then thought of anhydrous copper sulfate, crossed it out and wrote white, crossed it out again for blue, crossed it out again for white.) I have to say as someone working in chemistry with 2 degrees it is a pretty much irrelevant piece of information anyway, I don't see any point learning colours without any notion of why they're coloured.

She said she wanted to have a nap all through the exam - glad she's got a couple of days clear now before physics U1 fri PM.

simbo - likewise with the 6th form. DD seems sufficiently disconcerted by the fact that the forms will be changed (going from 4 to 6) and that there will be newcomers. OTOH, those who have a move now, esp if it's to a college, may find the transition to university or whatever lies beyond 6th form easier,

Oh no, Errol, you have just punctured my balloon! Still want to know how many Y11s are looking (as in physically going to ) uni this summer. Should we be yet?

dd came out of Chemistry in one of the happiest post-exam moods I've seen. Possibly helped by waiting in the sun for me for 5 mins - she said it was lovely today and near to her perfect weather
Whether her good mood was tinged with a degree of "I'll never have to do this subject again" I don't know. She generally hates chemistry. She said it went well for her friend who hates chemistry too!
Also any paper she finishes is a good paper for dd and she had a whole 3 mins spare on this one!

We're going to look at our local uni this summer, only because it's probably the only one in the country we haven't visited (viewed 12!!! with DS1 - not recommended!) DS2 only came to one Open Day with us which was Durham, which weirdly is one of the top unis for the course he was considering but is now having doubts about!

Edexcel chemistry was "pleasant " strange boy my DS! NO exams therefore no school tomorrow then it's RS on Thursday, still 7 here like linerunner 2 more weeks of this sunny am so jealous!

There is no pressing need to look at universities until summer 2016 simbo - unless your dc particularly wants to do so. It also
a) depends on results and
b) depends on which A Levels they decide on and
c) needs a decision on what they want to study long term.

The UCAS application for this year group needs to be submitted between October and December 2016.

My older two went to open days at the end of the AS year. The only reason to go earlier is to help focus their minds on what they want to do later.

I know that it is really selfish but I don't know how to book summer hols next yr if we are going to have to be trekking up and down the country looking at educational establishments.
I don't envy anyone who still has 2 more weeks of exams left. Surely they couldn't have started when we did, ie mid May? We just have physics left on Friday.

simbo, dds first exam was 5th May, and last one is 19th June, but she's doing triple science. She had a bit of a meltdown last night from stress/ fatigue over something non exam related!
Next Friday can't come soon enough. history tomorrow, then we are lunching with old friends to give her a break.

I haven't looked at colleges in detail yet, as DD still does not have a firm plan. I have heard the following options :

1- being spotted by a talent scout
2- dance college
3- psychology
4- marine biology
5- job as an admin assistant

Regardless ... She's absolutely definitely moving out after sixth form, as she can't wait to be in control of her own life

DH is taking DD to a couple of open days, but it's partly because while she's sure she wants to do engineering and probably electronic/electrical, there is a rather bewildering selection, with some of the 'good' unis starting everyone off with 'general engineering' while others offer more specialised courses eg robotics or mechatronics. So it seems like a good idea to go to a couple now to ask questions.

This exam thing is not good for blood pressure. DD came down to announce she can't find her Japanese dictionary for the writing exam on Thursday. Sorted that with Amazon Prime order (I hope).

Still find it hard to believe you can take a dictionary in so said shall we check with Tutor (ex Examiner). DD agrees good idea, email Tutor who says no.

DD meanwhile found link to last year's paper where it does state they are allowed so forward that to Tutor and start drafting email to Exams office.

DD looking very pale muttering she only got a B on recent practice with dictionary.

Tutor comes back, is very sorry, yes you can - had been stopped but now started again.

DD gets blood back in her face and makes soup . Again.

I now just need to lower my blood pressure and normality will resume.

SPT I had a health check just before the exams started and was told I was borderline high blood pressure I dread to think what it might be now!

I am frantically trying to be Zen like...

We are doing triple science, too. Funny how different boards seem to have it on different dates.
When I went to uni there were no open days (that we knew of) and as my parents hadn't been they would have been able to contribute nothing, so I went alone to my interviews.
I think we may have to start thinking about it, though.
As far as dc assessment of a paper goes I work on the principle that there are no easy or hard questions - only those you do or don't know that answer to.

Think calm thoughts Horsemad, fingers crossed it goes down once this is all over.