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.

We don't have a good Chinese takeaway nearby so M&S provided our Chinese feast last night.

She's never had hayfever, thank goodness. DH does which made the exam seasons difficult for him. I saw that was the one medical condition specifically mentioned as meriting some 'consideration'.

More chemistry revision today and I expect she'll do a maths past paper. My job is to keep the dog quiet!

Errol, hope your DD shakes off her cold soon. DH is hanging around moaning about his man flu so we are all giving him a wide berth in case he passes it on - sounds like there is some horrible cold virus doing the rounds and of course exhausted kids will be more prone to catching it.

Wish I had your DD's 'problem' Tilly - I've no boobies to speak of

5 more days - we can do this!! And then I can get on with my own work, still have 6000 words left to write on my dissertation

Just an email from a relative who is a teacher absolutely ranting about Govt testing and league tables etc, never heard her rant like that before. She's seriously considering giving up. Loves teaching, hates the bureaucracy.

Ono, me neither! I think she takes after her nanny in that department. Has my DMs small hands.

Horse, sadly many teachers are feeling like that. Hence the huge turnover and difficulties recruiting

DD didn't g9 to sleep till 3, having slept in the evening, but got up at 9.30 to go in to do physics and maths.

So dd has had a look at a predicted Maths Calc paper - the AET one which Eve kindly sent me. Eve.

She thought it was very helpful to look through but slightly cheekily wanted me to ask if there are any answers to it?!
Or are there any other versions (especially ones with answers!)
I know they want the moon on a stick don't they? - and we try to find it for them!

Enjoying the sunny weekend but thinking it will be even better next week!

bTM, my relative said around a thousand teachers a week leave the profession

Is it too soon for some 'This much I know...' thinking?
I don't think so. Obviously, all DC are different but here are mine:

Make sure you have enough printing ink and paper- more than you think- from early May onwards.

Keep plenty if snacks and treats in. And a secret stash for when they run out expectedly.

Don't try and control the revision. Put them in charge of it and praise when they engage with it rather than nagging when they don't.

I've been reading this thread with interest, but no one seems to have the problem that we are having, namely that my normally organised and diligent dd yesterday confessed that she has been unable to revise for the gcse exams since week 1. Her grade predictions have always been A*-B. She has been in her room the whole time and we assumed that she was revising, but she seems to be somewhere close to the bottom of the pit of despair, with a complete mental block. She gets as far as opening the books, but apparently that is it. World's worst mother had no idea and with 3 exams to go it is a bit late to be telling me. It doesn't help that she isn't sleeping either. Any wise words?

Excellent tips spudmasher Mine would be; try and let the stress wash over you (not one I always succeed at I might add)

re spudmasher's last comment, that is exactly what I thought I was doing. This is so unlike her that I feel sick. I thought i was being appropriately hands off but now it feels like neglect. I tried to get her a study bud but no one else was interested, as their DCs are obviously managing to get their work done on their own.

I expect just telling you will be a big relief to her simbo. Did she say what is causing her block? Does she feel overwhelmed?

If she is predicted high grades then she probably does know a lot of it anyway. Has she said how any of the exams went?

simbo, that must be awful for both of you. I always wonder how to revise, different people revise in different ways don't they?
We bought revision guides and looking through them, they seem quite good to use, with end of chapter questions and exam tips. That and past papers have been helpful.
I appreciate this may be too late for your DD, but if she ends up doing re-sits, you may find it useful.

I bet she's been overwhelmed. That can result in mental paralysis.

Is it possible that she'd done plenty beforehand ( mocks etc) so less need for last min cramming?

I bought all of the revision guides and I know that she has used them off and on throughout the year. It would be true to say that she will know some of the stuff anyway, but I think that she is relying too much on the maths calc paper being her stronger one - what if she is wrong??? Maths chem and physics are her 3 worst subjects, so having them last is probably compounding her misery. I don't think that she knows what is wrong with her. I suspect a combo of hormones and sleep deprivation (never been her strong point), but knowing that she has downloaded all the past papers and that she can't bring herself to do them... I also think that she may be worrying about the lack of structure and companionship that she may be facing after next week.
She did seem relieved to have offloaded; also unlike her.

Simbo that sounds awful for you all.

My DD has claimed that she has done nothing/ been taught nothing/ got nothing right / didn't know any questions on more than one occasion since the exams started, but in actual fact, it has just been her expressing her exasperation at not being taught a couple of units and a couple of tough questions.

She is a drama queen and it think she has used me to try out 'worst case scenarios' etc.

Now I'm not saying that your child is doing this, just putting it out there as something my DD has done.

She had always done well in the mocks, maybe took it for granted. Don't know. There just hadn't been any warnings. She has always been a closed door kind of gal in more ways than one, so I just thought she was getting on with it. She made herself a very detailed revision timetable, so she has had us fooled. But yes, mental paralysis is just what it is. I have tried to get her to work elsewhere i the house or garden, but to no avail.

Simbo my friend's DD is like this, similar grade predictions. She seems to get up early the morning of the exam and read through but doesn't seem to be able to revise. Lots of tears after exams and she is regularly sick before an exam, not helped by her big sister going on about how she won't be able to do this in 6th form. Friend very worried about her but doesn't know how to help.

for all the shattered DC and for parents. Thank goodness end is in sight. DD started doing Maths but then felt funny. Think she's gearing up for a stomach migraine so told her to chill. She's just in raiding the cupboards and says she might do some Maths later.

It is true that there are some maths topics they have not covered because of lack of time, but I really don't think this is her acting out the worst case etc. She seems really unhappy. I am now wondering how badly she thinks she has done. At first she said all the exams were fine, but seemed less happy after the maths. We also do edexel and she just didn't bother with the questions that she couldn't do.

Simbo, DD has done a lot of sitting in her room without revising too. She wants to revise, but it's like some kind of block. She has all her books and pens around her too. Sometimes she writes a few revision cards, but says that's not helping. I'm hoping what she has done has made a difference. I have stopped suggesting revision, as it seems counter productive.

My dd has been in her room most of the day. Just looked in on her and she is drawing and painting - displacement activity? If she is going to have a mental meltdown I wish she would hang on a week. I told her to do nothin other than go through a couple of past papers today and seek a couple of topics that she is wobbly on and revise those. So much wine been consumed this past few weeks that I am worried about the weight of my recycling bin. Maybe I should give dd some; it helps me sleep!

Thanks HSM, it's a relief that my dd has an astral twin somewhere. I just have to hope that this depression (because that is what it seems like) is left in her room tomorrow and doesn't go into the exam room with her. She has always seemed so in control and on top of everything. Now I am going to be terrified all morning of getting a phonecall saying she has flipped out or passed out or something.

Simbo, I think the enormity of it all hit them in week 1. I believe the AQA Biology and Chemistry were more difficult than previous years and different to the past papers. Suddenly they all began to doubt their abilities and became paralysed. Also the lack of feedback is driving them nuts because they don't know how well/badly they have done. Plus the exams drag on and on....

Part of it is also to do with the vast summer stretching out before them if they have no concrete plans and the fact that they are growing up and moving to the next stage can be a bit sad for them too. My DS was very sad after leavers day because some friends won't return for sixth form.

I expect she has done better than she thinks, especially if she has looked at the revision guide earlier in the year (wish my DS had done this!)

That is exactly what Friend's DD does, stay in room and draw paint. She too had revision timetables but it hasn't happened.

Given that you want her in best frame of mind possible, could you get her downstairs to watch something with you and have takeaway for tea ? Just to get her out of her room for a bit away from the whole meant to be revising scenario.

What grades does she actually need to enable her to go on to the next stage simbo. Is she going to do A levels?

ono40 has hit the nail on the head. My dd said that the AQA biology paper was nothing like the past papers that they have done, and this was the one she was expecting to be easy. She claimed that it did not match the specification at all. I do think that she is daunted by the summer. Some of her friends have plans , others not but they seem fine with the idea of vegging out whereas my dd wants to do something but every suggestion that we come up with is rejected on the basis that it doesn't interest her, though she can't come up with any ideas herself.