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

[mmzz]

New thread for GCSEs 2018

Thanks- that’s really helpful. School are good and he’s not on exam leave so there’s plenty help. His Physics teacher has offered to spend an hour with him tomorrow going over the circuits questions he couldn’t do. I’ll print off those command words and get them to stick them somewhere in his room.

My worry is we’re spending so much time on the weaker topics but actually he needs to do well in his stronger ones (history, geography) to be able to do the A level!

That’s helpful Second thank you - in biology DS seems to be missing the marks for a different reason every time it’s very frustrating and I don’t know how much lee way if any examiners have if students essentially say the right thing but using different words/language.

Rosie, I wish DS would work on his weaker topics. He really struggles with Maths and Sciences and yet I caught him putting History on his timetable again today!

Just to reassure everyone that I do also have experience with a teenager who is not super-organised / on top of their revision...

DS1 (shortly to take English Literature A-level) has not yet chosen any quotes from any of his texts, let alone thought about memorising them.

He has started revising History and Politics (his two stronger subjects). English Lit: not so much.

Where are @Oddssocks15 and @Sostenueto?

No, sorry Kingscote. All new GCSEs here.

Rosie one of my jobs involves getting people through professional exams, where the key 8s to get first time passes rather than the equivalent of A*s. My mantra is to be consistently mediocre, showing you know a little bit about a lot of stuff. For your DS at this late stage I would be trying to cram in key things from the revision guides. Only get him to draw up his own cards if he remembers things that way, if not, use the key facts from the book. If you haven't got CGP books, get some now. He is likely to be able to wing a few point's on each paper just by reading through them.

DD has 2 chemistry papers and 2 maths papers to hand in on Tuesday, which were delayed from Friday because she was assertive and told both teachers that her real Spanish speaki g exam was more important. She desperately needs to get Eng Lit quotes on cards and learn more quotes for Islam & Christianity. I wish I could do something to help, but Little Miss Independence strikes again! At least she has said what she's doing now.

AQA command words has just leapt to the top of Google searches!

mmzz - i’m here -waving-

Sorry I have been AWOL. My FIL sadly passed away, been supporting DH. Funeral last week

DD insisted that she wanted to wear the same suit to the prom and funeral. Two stressful shopping trips later, one suit and one prom dress and prom high heeled shoes bought. DD is a tracksuit and trainers kind of girl so will see how that goes.

As usual have no idea how revision is going and this might not be right attitude but I’ve given up asking. One more week at school. Slightly panicked by talking to a friend last night who said her horizontal son got himself so stressed about exams he made himself sick on the mornings of the exams. I leave for work at 8:15 so DD will have to sort herself out if that happens

Can someone give me a summary of last few posts please?

I was just wondering where Oddsocks was too...hope she (& DD) are OK...I think Sostenueto said she had some issues with internet access although I may be wrong.

DD did well this morning in a French exam paper the tutor set up for her gaining 75% - which is just on the grade A boundary ..I will be happy with a C come August given the rollercoaster ride we have had with French (Tutor said she had been fairly strict with the marking).

Computer Science still causing a slight headache but loads of time to work on the weak area's this week..doesn't help that DD is aware its the first exam and therefore this will set the confidence levels for the rest of the week...so difficult creating momentum when they feel so negative about a subject (and the mock was such a waste of time).

Is it just me, but this weather doesn't seem to be helping - feel like a bah humbug but DD and I both struggling with hayfever.

Odd Hope all went well for you & your family. To summarise:

More joining us and adding to the debate. We now seem to have DC who are well prepared, cool, relatively calm & collected; DC who have suddenly realised that this is all happening now, not in a few months time; DC who still won't let us near them or their revision; and DC who are still laid back but possibly shouldn't be.

Mix of revision and other stuff going on this weekend. Wide spread relief that MFL speaking exams seem to be over. Those with iGCSEs are in the thick of it and the rest of us have a short lull before the storm hits on 14th.

Haven't seen a patio or pupdate from Sost but her DGD seems to be in the first category above. The split of study leave and no study leave whatsoever seems fairly even. Tassomai stills seems to be a hit with those who invested.

Oddsocks its good to hear from you. Very stressful time for your DH and you and your family. Take care of yourself too.

Stickerrocks - that's a good summary, but have we really managed to fill hundreds of posts with so little?!

It is a bit too hot here and tree pollen isn't helping!
Oddsocks it must be a very difficult time for you and your family
I think DS is getting a fair amount done as he's most of the way through lots of maths practice and trying to keep the momentum going with physics.

DS tells me that the fear has arrived. It came when he realised this morning that the number of days left until the 14th is now in single figures.
He responded by playing solitaire when supposed to be working. DH and I then spoke to him. Then DH and I argued. Now I'm not speaking to DH.
I think it's called stress.

I don't think I see enough of the others in our house to fall out with them. Yesterday I went to see Sarah Milligan do an afternoon show then came home to find family staying over so we all sat in the garden til midnight. Tonight we're leaving DD to stew over past papers while we go to see Bill Bailey. I'm obviously a firm believer in comedy (& ) being a good stress reliever.

Yep today has been a bit of a washout in terms of work done. My husband has now taken my son to play a bit of cricket!

I’m going to try to get home from work early next week so I can help by testing him and going over mark schemes.

Sorry Oddsocks to hear your news.

I've decided that GCSEs are a bit like pregnancy/birth/toddler stories. Those with older DC have been there, done that and don't understand that straight A*s and coursework are a thing of the past and think we are being a bit precious. Those with younger DC think year 11 will never come & don't know what all the fuss is about. Other year 11 parents aren't interested either as they are too busy worrying about their own DC and think others are doing too much/too little by comparison. Thank goodness we're such a mixed bunch here.

On another note, we lift share to & from school with another DC. Unfortunately DD and chum are poles apart in their approach & stress levels. DD wants to sprint into school not talking and avoid a post exam post mortem after each paper. Other DC wants reassurance and a line by line regurgitation of the exam. Any hints & tips of avoiding the end of a 16 year friendship over the next 6 weeks?

DS2 went to see Avengers: Infinity War this afternoon. He took a Physics practice paper with him so he could do some in the car on the way there and on the way home. He got quite cross when his brothers wouldn't stop talking about the film on the way home and he couldn't get much done.

He is a bit subdued today and has lost his sense of humour. I think we're seeing the first signs of stress.

stickerrocks that sounds really awkward; I suggest she sends her friend a carefully worded message this weekend to explain.

I suggest seeing whether you can bin the lift share during exams.

I like stickerrocks plan of going to a comedy show whenever things get too much. I went to a stand-up night on Friday evening, but it was one of those intimate affairs where the room only seats 15 people, and just felt awkward.

Thanks for the summary stickerrocks

It has been upsetting and stressful but life has to go on. Had two days in the garden constructing a modern style rock garden, absolutely knackered now, and a sit down

Stickerrocks- the other girl needs to speak about it to alleviate her stress. Your DD needs not to hear about it to avoid increasing her stress.
So, if they travel together one of them is going to be upset at the other's behaviour.
I'd say don't try to have them in the car together, but if you do try for it, then give the other girl a chance to bail now.

Ideally, you should bin the lift share. If you can't, then play blaring music. Or talk incessantly at them about something other than exams. Or tell the other girl that your DD likes to play music to herself to calm herself 24 hours before an exam, so she'll be listening through headphones in journeys in both directions, and maybe the other girl would care to bring her own so she isn't sitting with only you to chat to?

Really sorry to hear your news Oddsocks. Glad you've had a productive couple of days in the garden.

DS has been on Maths & Chemistry today. He announced this morning that he's 'just going to keep on working till it's done' now. So naturally I am now worrying that he's overdoing it! Think the fear has kicked in (for him-mine kicked in a while ago!) We're back on bloody RS tomorrow (finishing the sections we didn't get to yesterday). Hopefully the verbal approach is working and it's a lot less time-consuming than doing past papers. They're next to impossible to mark anyway because the mark-schemes are so wooly.

mmzz sorry to hear of the marital strife. DH is away for a week (business not pleasure) and I'm enjoying the time with just DS and me (not sure DS would say the same!)

Kingscote DS is on the old Edexcel igcse syllabus I'm afraid.

odd really sorry to hear.

No revision in three days here because of music commitments. Getting really stressed because he's not the type to revise or do a past paper in the car or anywhere else. Very distracted also. Tomorrow is day 1 of study leave and I hope day 1 of serious revision.