Yr 11 support thread - the scaffolding is holding up well

[pointythings]

Because we need a new thread now that things are really hotting up!

Late arriving to the thread... DC1 is doing 12 subjects, mostly IGCSEs. Plodding along with revising: mind maps and past papers.

All I can do is make sure they're fed and hetting enough sleep. We did have a day off yesterday to go to the cinema.

Full day off yesterday as we went out as a family to the coast and got back late. About to wake DS up at 10 so he can work today.

Thanks for the info re revision methods. I think I have to trust him (but I just don't think he has been taught how to revise hence past papers working well).

Half term would have been easier not to have I agree. Even DS said he just wanted to ge them all done.

Two weeks today, it is all over 😊😊

tiggytape true...at least they will get into some type of rhythm in the remaining two weeks of exams (we hope!). We advised DS to revise the final week of exams' subjects first part of half-term and now he's doing next week's ones.

It is a shlepp though, no doubt about it.

And yes it is hot and muggy and stuffy - let's hope for a break in the weather...

DD1 is doing about 4 hours a day on her working days, about 2 on her off days. Mind you, she is also doing 'stealth revision' while we are out, telling us stuff she has memorised and going over it in her head that way. Then we take notes on the bits she isn't strong on and she picks those up when we get home.

My ds has got History exam on Monday but doesn't seem motivated at all he's been going to school had 1 session of history revision that's about it he's in bed now. What can I do?
He says don't worry he knows wat he's doing honestly these 7 months have been tiring cannot wait till exams are over then it will be August where I will keep going on about his results gosh...
Is it only me or other parents are stressing? My dh said don't keep pecking his head.
I think these holidays weren't a good idea okay few days break then school for booster sessions and that's it

ready, I feel for you. Mine didn't start revision until the week before exams, she's had a few days break and is back at it now. I think we'll all be on the wine this coming week.

Giraffe, any revision has to be good. As long as he's trying to learn from the papers as he goes along, or learning from his mistakes afterwards, that's positive.

DD's school say over the years they've got a feel for what'll come up on the next maths paper after they've done the first one, and base their revision session on that. DD was actually going to go to that one, but now tells me she wants to do RE revision instead that morning in preparation for RE exam that afternoon. I've said to her even if that's all she does for maths (ie no further revision), I'd rather she went to that, do think think she'll listen?!

I sometimes find myself having heretical thoughts about how much revision is really necessary-even as I crack the whip. If you've concentrated in your lessons, done your homework.....do you really need to do hours and hours of revision as well? Not prepared to risk it, though........

I think it depends on the subject. I think even if you've concentrated in lessons and done all your history essays, while you'd probably be able to do a good overview of events, you wouldn't have memorised key dates or necessarily remember exactly the order of things. So you would probably pass but not do brilliantly.

And in English literature you'd know the themes and the plot, but wouldn't probably know many quotations (though DS rather arrogantly claimed that even if he hadn't revised the poems he would have been able to write an essay about any of them - because he knows enough about poetry, style, linguistic features etc).

But if you've concentrated in MFL or maths or English language, revision is just practice, I think.

ready you know we have the same DS type so mine fits your description to the letter. I'm working full time so no way to measure what he's been doing this week, he tells me he's done revision but has also been out every day of the week, including he has apparently revised with his friend yesterday.

I can't actually do much about it, I hope he's getting into sixth form but then I have a feeling he won't know what hit him once the hard work is expected. He didn't want to consider any other options except his school sixth form and I did make him aware he may not get in if he doesn't do well in his exams. We'll take it one step at a time and I think the decision is his in the end, I won't be able to nag anymore for sixth form, he'll be almost an adult so his choice of achievements is his. There must be a point when we're pulling back and allowing them to live with the consequences of their choices.

Thanks fleur & ifonly
I feel shattered today. He is now up & revising whilst on the xbox
He has the promise of a festival ticket based on effort put in, I've told him he's earnt 2 out of the 5 days so far. I will absolutely stick to it but I'd really like him to go. Besides, the last thing I want is to have to flog him down & then collect him 2 days later with a giant load of laundry & then have him back on the Xbox!
fleur I'm self employed & have intentionally kept work quiet so that I can support him. I doubt he would have done anything if I was working full time, it must be very stressful for you. I feel cross too, I feel like he's so lucky & he doesn't realise it.
We have no summer hols planned as both dc have such a full summer planned. I've been looking into something at half term but to be honest I feel like going without them, it's going to take more than wine!
I have recently been diagnosed with a chronic condition that causes pain & exhaustion, I could do without it.
Honestly pleased that so many of your dc are working so hard, I hope they get the results they deserve

Ready mine has a ticket to Reading festival booked, he should be off literally after picking up his results. He knows though that he's not going if he doesn't get into sixth form as we'll have to find a college sixth form through clearance so he'd have to be here.

It is hard, I have moments thinking he's still a child and I should put my foot down and moments when I realise he's now fully responsible of his choices, there isn't any way I can shove revision down him so all I can do is nag and hope it sinks in.

Yesterday I said to him I used to be his age too, I know what "revising with a friend" meant. He replied "but I did revise". Well let's hope so, nothing else I can do.

What annoys me the most is the stress I can see on his face the night before the exam when he revises till stupid o'clock. I have mixed feeling between giving him a hug and shouting at him that he should have revised in time. He doesn't seem to see the connection between being well prepared and the fact that stress would be minimal if you don't go in with a hope that you'll get questions you've revised the night before otherwise you're screwed.

Bertrand, you and my DS are of one mind there. It works for him, in Maths and most of the Science, but not so much in English Lit.

Well, I hope it has worked for him, as nothing I say will make any difference.

Bertrand DD1 is structuring her revision along those principles. So she's focusing on dates, details, formulae and values and facts. She knows the rest of it because she has been conscientious and hard working all the way through.

My ds is sort of the same. Doing minimal revision because he's worked so hard for five years and says he knows everything inside out. I have to trust him and the teaching he's had. I still think he might drop a grade here and there but I'm not worried.

Dd just back from a German revision session. History on Mon, English Language then German next week , so that will be another 2 completed by Wednesday followed by a 5 day gap.

I'm going to go against the majority here, I think the half term midway through the exams has been a great way of keeping the stress at bay. Knowing you have a max of 2 weeks exams then a break has worked well for DD.

But I realise that a) depending on your choices and boards, some DC will have started earlier and others will finish later, DD just got lucky.

And b) her school only gives study leave after half term, so she's been in all day every day until that point.

And actually, there's a c) the school have put on revision sessions last Saturday, and each day from yesterday (Thursday) through to Sunday. So plenty of organised revision is available

Has anyone looked at Corbett maths? A list of stuff they anticipate coming up on papers 2 and 3.

LIZS,

Maths on Thursday too?

She took Maths last year, Further and Add Maths papers later on.

Just checking you hadn't forgotten one.

My ds is the opposite and hasn't conscientiously worked hard for the last 2 years so is basically learning the whole of each subject via text books and bitesize and then doing past papers. He has not used one of his exercise books - complete waste of time for him!! They are all sat in a pile on his bookcase ready to be recycled on June 21st (I just couldn't let him throw them out before the end..... just in case!)

He had the weekend off then has been revising for about 6 hours a day. Going to bed about 1am and getting up about 11am but then revising all afternoon, finishing about 6pm. I have no idea how he is revising, all I know is that he hates mind maps!!

One thing he hasn't touched since Easter is his PS4 which I am amazed about. He does keep reminding me that he will be playing on it all summer though. And seeing friends. And going to parties. And NOT getting a job - grrrrr!!

Btw, if anyone wants the answer booklets to the CGP EDEXCEL physics and chemistry revision workbooks, let me know! (I bought them by accident, ds is doing OCR!)

pasanda my DD1 isn't getting a job either. With our blessing. I never had a summer job and have done fine in life. It really isn't an essential.

But then pointy your daughter has been working non stop since before Christmas, perhaps you'd feel she needed to get a job & a work ethic if she hadn't. We don't all work the same do we?