GCSEs 2018 (5 & a puppy, but no kittens)

[Stickerrocks]

Here we go again.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/secondary/3177476-GCSEs-2018-4-already

Evening all

Sticker glad your dd is OK after fainting. I hope your Mum's surgery can be done soon.

Jufus Hope your dd is OK after the scan...can't imagine the pain she was in after a dislocation.

Teenmum I think that's a great idea to go away, especially as your dd has friends visiting as well.

Blue Belle I can't think of anything worse than car breaking down on the way to an exam...! I also have an old car and need to get an overhaul. Mileage is low but it looks a mess.

For those studying Macbeth, there is a live screening of the RSC's version with Christopher Ecclestone and Niamh Cusack on Wednesday 11th...we have Reel cinema close to us, no doubt the other cinemas will have it too. Taking my ds, but I am also looking forward to it.

Ds working through English exam questions at the moment. He's looking at poetry and finding it difficult, but stoically plodding along with revision with feeling stressed over it here and there - plenty of cups of tea provided by me, but have to work after tomorrow. He's going in for Science revision on Wednesday and a few times next week.

Can't believe it's all so close...

Normal service resumed here following Easter break. DD holed up in her room saying she “might” do some revision but she hasn’t planned her week and doesn’t know when she will need my assistance with practice papers. She will “probably” use the revision timetable that her cousin gave her a copy of.

Following advice on another MN thread I’ve bought a load of black biros for any last minute lost pen emergencies during the exam season.

Oddsock that's a good point. What stationery do they need? I know black ball points (not gel pens), but what else? I have half an idea that coloured pencils are required for geography, a ruler, a compass, a protractor and a clear pencil case to carry things in.
Is there anything else?

Speaking from personal experience - make sure their calculator is working or have a spare in the house just in case! Ditto for cheap spare geometry set.
Yes to the black pens - they seem to have learned some hiding techniques from the socks in this house!

I have to get DS a compass he has been waiting for one for the last 5 years!!! Definitely win the bad parent award for that one

Ha ha Bluebelle I’m in line for bad parent award too!!

Don’t know about coloured pencils, mmzz will investigate. I’m going to buy spare highlighters too mmzz

Thanks for the tip about a spare geometry set loose

Bought DD a better calculator for Christmas which is still in the box ...

At the last count, we had SIX GCSE-style calculators in a drawer. But as DS1 call it, one of them is set to 'expert only' mode, as the numbers have all worn off the keys. Better make sure that one gets binned so DD doesn't grab it in a panic one morning.

Ah yes, the compasses. They never seem to stay rigid enough to do the job. I strongly suspect DS1 of simply drawing near-enough circles freehand when required.

I can't count the number of protractors I have bought. Also if your DC is a fiddler have lots of spares, mine are and compasses/protractors etc break and come loose. Exam time isn't the time to nag and moan have last minute panics about lost and broken stationary !.

Also if typing check what they will be typing on. Ds is going to do preps etc at school on the laptop he will be using in the exam just so unfamiliarity doesn't reduce his speed even more. I know some schools use desktops for typers in exams

This is a note to myself to say that the emergency calculator is hidden in my chest of drawers under the ski jumpers.

Just looked at the front of the Geography sample paper and it doesn’t say anything about coloured pencils...

They never seem to stay rigid enough to do the job

A mini Philips-head screwdriver is your friend here. I’ve always got one in my pencil case!

Just a very quick question - I am correct in thinking that the IGCSE Maths is just two papers and not three....just transferred DD's exam timetable onto Google Diary and I'm sure I have seen reference to three papers but assume this is GCSE not IGCSE?

The IGCSE papers I’ve seen have been two 2 hour papers. GCSE is three 1.5 hour papers.

Thank you....I am sure I checked this when exam timetable came out but last June there seemed to be 3 exams for iGCSE too...but on the resit in January just 2....but I guess its the change over from A-G to 1-9.

What’s the exam board?

Edexcel Higher...

Thank, Noble - will add a mini screwdriver to the checklist, assuming it doesn't count as a 'weapon' any more than the compasses do.

most subjects seem to have fewer longer papers now. The long papers are hard work but the plus side is fewer days with two exams and they seem to 'clear' subjects quicker - for eg DS gets rid of RS and computing completely in the first couple of days (two less subjects to revise). The girls had all subjects hanging over them until after half term.

Here’s the exam board timetable, Teen, def two papers!

Thank you....@noblegiraffe

Oratory - DD is the same she clears French and Computer Science in the first week ...although she has 6 exams in that first week ....then it flows quite nicely with 3 exams per week.... She was a bit lazy initially with coursework for English but I'm quite pleased that she will only sit one English Lit and Lang exam now ...

DS has got a real mixture of weeks. Week one, just one History paper, week two, both Eng Lang papers, weeks 3 and 4 really busy - 7 one week, 6 the other. Then half term. Then a week of 3 exams, a week of 4 exams and then he’s all done at lunchtime of June 15th.

I was relieved to see triple science is down to 2 papers per science from 3 before.
DS is cracking on with physics and doing music revision later.
He got his offer from both his current school and his slightly more preferred option today!

@Kingscote - Assume your DS is doing the Cambridge IGCSE's? Do they start at beginning of May?

He’s doing a massive mixture - Cambridge IGCSE for English, History, French, RS and Music, Edexcel IGCSE for the 3 separate Sciences, OCR GCSE for Geography and Edexcel GCSE for Maths!

I think they just let the teachers pick the syllabus that fits best with their expertise.

First exam is May 2nd - 29 days’ time!!!!