GCSE 2018 no. 6: stress, struggles and success (hopefully) *Title Edited by MNHQ*

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New thread for GCSEs 2018

Scooby - My Dd has, on the whole, worked quite hard but she's also had days when she has just chilled out. I don't think she did much revision last night (DD with DF) ...she's out shopping for small presents for teachers tonight and she's out partying tomorrow night BUT I do expect her to get her head down from Saturday 10.30am onwards. I'm actually finding DD finishing on Friday more disruptive at the moment they are downing books in the very last lessons...but they have worked hard over the last few months.

Looks like from mumbled message this morning the date went OK - he brought her a costa and they walked along the embankment..thankfully he finishes for exam leave tomorrow so won't be around next week because he's normally a weekly boarder (one less distraction - just the camera and the guitar that seem to have more appeal that revision)

HMC - Wishing your DD best of luck with the remainder of History exam - I bumped into a girl consoling herself with Pizza in the F & C shop last night ..she hadn't found the History exam that easy.

We stuck with the whole Tassomai package - touch and go whether DD will finish it depends on how diligent she is next week...although I expect that she would have done 100% coverage of the topics - even if all not completed (I think she is at 96% coverage on Biology and 35% coverage on Chem/Physics)..

When does she finish her art Sostenueto? My dd's art is all wrapped up (a relief - although she enjoyed it, because it is so time consuming).

Thanks Teenmum - good luck to your dd, sounds like she has been putting the work in. That's a happy outcome that the love interest is off and away next week

Another Dyslexic DC here who struggles with History (and most of his GCSEs). His teachers have always historically been surprised with his exam results (not reflecting his ability) but this time round he has worked very hard and is consoling himself with the fact that he knows, and his teachers, and I and his sisters, all know how hard he has worked whatever the results - and life will be easier next year if he can just get through the next 8 weeks !!

I agree with PP that it does seem simpler for boys in terms of exam week dramas (been there !). DS has a small group of relatively sensible supportive friends who talk occasionally of revision but mainly memes and gaming stuff.

"and is consoling himself with the fact that he knows, and his teachers, and I and his sisters, all know how hard he has worked whatever the results"

Amen to that Oratory - same story here

hmc assuming we're talking about the same exam board (CIE?), History will still be graded A*-G this year. And absolutely no reason why she can't still do well.

My DS was saying that the consensus at his school was that yesterday's paper was tricky, particularly the 4-mark questions. So hopefully the grade boundary won't increase!

Hope art and geography have gone really well!
My history teacher at school always warned up to keep away from drama queens before exams! She said her best friend at school would get highly emotional just before an exam and drag everyone down with her, so my teacher used to avoid her at that point!
Going through mock English papers with my students this afternoon - based on last year's boundaries they should all pass, and in some cases quite well, but you just never can tell. I'm trying to be realistic about expectations. (They all have obstacles to overcome and all are over 18.)
I agree with comments about dusting yourself off after paper 1 - if there's another paper and coursework it will be OK, I'm sure.

Very perky text after Spanish. Now onto a memorial service.

Hi everyone! Hope all exams went well and that everyone is good.

Today DS's year voted for the prom award things. Every single person voted for DS for "most likely to get the best results" (apart from himself). He's now worrying again as 1) he's not going to prom and feels he's letting the teachers who organised it down, and 2) he's stressing about doing less than expected.

At the moment in Geography they're going over Paper 3 content and DS is like He says the questions are quite ambiguous and doesn't know what to write to get the marks. Any advice?

He's also a bit downhearted as today in English they did a practise Question 2 & 3 (Paper 1), and whilst everyone else was writing he didn't know what to put He barely wrote anything.

Tonight he's planning to make some French flashcards, and then do some Maths.

Yes Cherryburn, CIE. Posters on this thread have definitely helped me (and dd) get some perspective . She's had an afternoon of happy maths revision today (who knew there was such a thing)

Yes that's a compliment he doesn't need really isn't IAmironMum - being voted most likely to get best results. Its a stressful time for every student - those at one end of the spectrum who are predicted the highest grades (and worrying that they wont get them) and those towards the middle and the other end, hoping they will meet the threshold for their Sixth form choice

I hope everyone with exams today was not too stressed and did well.

DS1 came home today with another 6th form application form, it's for one 9f the most successful 6th forms in Manchester. Apparently the college has said it will consider late applications from his school because of the circumstances.

So hopefully he will get offers from the Manchester one, and also the more local large college.

rumbled great news! Fingers crossed for him.
DS did lots of English revision at school - mostly by choice!

Another one under the belt - only 21 to go!

I have to admit I don't really 'get' geography - didn't do the GCSE myself. DS1 seems pleased with how it went and apparently he was able to deploy the case studies he needed. His last minute cramming (too late into the night I thought) worked well and he had some good facts to hand.

Now a bit of a break. Two English Language papers next week and then a week of hell (Latin x2, Biology, Chemistry and History.

Looking forward to a glorious bank holiday weekend. He has a cricket match on Saturday and for once I think the sun will shine. He says he's taking the Latin with him...

During dinner DS observed that today he had the last Maths lesson, he will never have another one in his entire life. Interesting times we're living.

Rumbled great news. Sounds like you have some options opening up - what a relief.

Well done to all that have got first exams out of the way

hmc the history error takes me back to my biggest exam cock up. I loved history and did it for my degree. I was getting As right through GCSE (before the days of A*)

My first exam I somehow convinced myself it was 1.5 hrs long. No idea how I thought that. I carefully planned my time and finished with 5 minutes to read through my answers. Then I realised everyone else was still writing. It was actually a 2 hr paper. I was so shaken and upset I couldn't think what to do even though I had loads more to write, but no space to write it in.

I just sat and tried not to cry for half an hour. I still came out with a B but I'm still cross with myself nearly 30 years later

Dd has finished 2days of photography exam today.
All thought of revision and exams now completely out the window as it's her leavers ball tomorrow.
Just thinking now of nails and hair dos!

stickerrocks ball was in school hall for me too. Now at a hotel in Newquay. How times have changed.

Rumbled that's great news. We're near Manchester too and dd has offers from Xavarian and Loreto. Both look like great options with good results. Xavarian is her first choice.

German went well today. She was really buzzing afterwards. She said it went loads better than the mock and she got very lucky with the unknown questions

No more friendship dramas but I have a call arranged with the year manager for tomorrow just so she's aware. I don't want it to escalate.

sandy, my DS also has cricket on Saturday. Do we hope they're out first ball so that they can revise quietly in the pavilion, or would a steady 50 improve their confidence for next week?

Kingscote for one moment I thought they might be playing each other but that would be too weird.

DS is a fast bowler but a v low order batsman. His ideal would be to take several wickets and spend his time revising Latin vocabulary whilst consuming vast amounts of food. We judge cricket opponents by the quality of tea served

Sandy would you mind me asking which exam board your DC is for Latin?
My DD1 is taking Latin GCSE this year alongside her A-Levels (as you do ) She has self taught, and is struggling to find past papers online.
If anybody else's DC are doing Latin and could provide links to revision material she'd be very grateful!
Thankyou!

Hesmylobster its OCR. I'll ask him what online stuff he has but I school has provided all the past papers I think. He has a lot of quizlets - self generated though. All my three DC seem to find it the most effective way to learn vocabulary.

snozzle hope she has a great time tonight.

A long tribute DD wrote was read out at her teacher's memorial & was also used at his funeral. Thank goodness they didn't ask her to read it as all the emotion of a year group photo (with two key faces missing), a Spanish exam and a memorial came out. NCS meeting in the evening - she could be sent to Newquay, snozzle!

stickerrocks - I cannot imagine what yesterday must have been like for your DD and all the staff and children ....

I think there will be different sorts of emotion today for DD...last day in school before exams..I think she will be happy to see the back of French and will be relieved there is NO more Maths.

Good luck to any DC who have Art today ...

Stickerrocks you must be very proud that they choice to read what your DD had wrote, I hope she continues to bear up under the most difficult of circumstances, you may find after the exams that all what she has gone through will then come out.

Really hope your DD's exams go as planned - she certainly deserves it