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

[mmzz]

New thread for GCSEs 2018

DS is doing Romeo and Juliet, Jekyll and Hyde, An Inspector Calls and the love poetry for AQA.
(You may imagine how little he's enjoyed exploring the various forms of love, loss and longing! Just what every 15 year old boy dreams of! The poetry made R&J look like a thriller!!)

It says on the FAQ section of the Tassomai website that if you start late (i.e. Easter holidays), then they will adjust the course, if you ask them.
I wonder how many people work there?
I'm guessing that it's a small number, as it's a newish company. Really just one man with some good investors from what I can glean from the company accounts.

DS is due to finish the history syllabus this week and guess what the teacher has planned for when they do.......a party, apparently they can all bring in party food, call me a killjoy but I would of preferred that they got on with revision and saved the party for after the exams!!

It says on the FAQ section of the Tassomai website that if you start late (i.e. Easter holidays), then they will adjust the course, if you ask them
Yes mmzz that's what I read and I even quoted it to the guy on the phone!

Whatsfortea CGP revision guide is good for Macbeth. Also recommend the York Notes for AQA sample exam questions. You could revise doing essay plans for these.
Basically on paper 1 you get the Shakespeare extract for your play and the novel extract. Don’t spend too long analysing the extract because the important thing is finding other key moments in the play to help answer the question.
For revision, know the sequence of events, how main characters develop through play/novel and main themes. Do these as file cards with bullet points, Also revise how characters link to main themes. Every question is either how a character is presented or about how themes are presented.
You need an awareness of structure, context and key quotes for each main character and theme. When you quote from the extract the important thing is to keep quotes short and comment on the effect or impact of a key word. Saying a lot about a little is better. The trick is to focus on the points you want to make, weaving in quotation or a bit of context as part of the discussion - basically sound confident!

I wonder when the fear will set in? That moment when you actually want to revise more than anything else?
It hit DS on Saturday, exactly 46 hours before the exam on Monday and then stayed until Monday evening, but it has gone again.

DH said to me on Sunday that now that DS knows what it feels like to have more work to do than time left, he'll be driven from now on. Unfortunately, DH was wrong. He's putting in the hours, but he's not exactly curious to teach himself the bits he has forgotten. It's all a bit passive.

Loose that sounds like really good, distilled advice.

Thank you

Loose great advice I now have to try and convey it to my reluctant English reviser

You’re welcome! I’ll do lit paper 2 later today - I was too tired last night!
Sostenueto I do hope dgd is much better. I didn’t read the thread properly yesterday.
DS has almost clocked up the hours for that computer science project and project 1 for art is almost finished. By next Tuesday the curse of coursework will have lifted!

DD not showing any nerves yet...History teacher said on parents evening it's nice to be able to walk into an exam knowing you have worked hard and done the best you can. I will be happy if DD walks out of exams feeling this way, she has taken the attitude she is not going to put pressure on herself ...she knows what she needs to get to the next stage ...she also now knows what she is really capable of following the Biology exam so hopefully, it will boost her confidence but not pressurize her...or make her too complacent either.

The biggest achievement in my eyes will be passing the two exams she has struggled with French (which should be fine - mock was showing real promise) and History.

Not GCSE related - but amusing...I'm working down on South Coast (staying overnight in hotel). At 10.50 an alarm went off really loud...got out of bed quickly put clothes on and then realized that my laptop was overheating and it was this that had set alarm off...I could hear lots of noises in the corridor (will be keeping a low profile at breakfast).

I hope your dgd is feeling better sostenuto

Teen!!!
I think DS is taking a similar attitude, which is great. I want him to go into the exams feeling prepared but that’s it.
Oh - and a crucial addition to the above advice - the extracts in lit paper 1 are really useful for language analysis. If you can link to similar or even contrasting language in rest of play/novel that helps tick the language, structure and personal insight boxes!
It really helps to make a quick note of any particular devices/connotations or imagery next to quotes as you learn them. But don’t get stressed if you forget a specific term - just comment on the impact on reader/audience.

Great attitude Loose and Teen and your dc. One of the huge bonuses of last few years at school is how DS has grown in confidence at school and has been genuinely happy and relaxed and partaking in extra curricular stuff (from being a painfully shy and anxious 11 year old reluctant to try anything new) but I have also seen how confidence affects performance and am conscious not to push or knock too much. It’s not just the worry about impact on mental health but also knowing how anxiety and a drop in confidence really impacts on ability to take things in and revise effectively and ability to perform in exams particularly the more creative ones including english. A difficult balance I know but once we made progress in English some lovely ideas came out and sure that was in part due to confidence as much as new learning. Please don’t be too hard on the dc if not every minute of revision is effective - they are only 15/16 and can’t be compared to our most recent memories of degree/professional exam studies.

Had a bit of a surprise as school sent a Summer data sheet with target and predicted grades and some revision tips for each subject. DS is happy because he is already following the revision advice. Or so he says!

DS did an English narrative (paper 1, q5) assessment in class last week and got the result today - 40/40!! Started the year on around 20/40 so he's made a lot of progress. He's aiming for a 7 so he's well on track.

He's currently doing a Biology Paper. Later it's RE... his teacher has taught them nothing. The whole class is panicking because they know none of the content. Trying to help DS with organising enough RE revision (learning ) over the next 2 weeks - going to be tough!

What A levels/BTECs are your DC doing? DS has finally decided (after getting frustrated over Physics vs Biology) on Biology, Chemistry and Maths alongside an EPQ.

Hi
I'm a long time lurker on this thread so hope it's ok if I de-lurk!
My ds is sitting the exams too this year, and to be honest the last few weeks have been pretty hard going in terms of revision.
Ds has ASD and has always drawn a very clear line between home and school...with school work being kept to school hours! So it's been rather a struggle to say the least. The end is hurtling towards us though as ds starts on 8th May and finishes on 25th May, save for a single paper on stats in June.
An action packed three weeks with 22 exams across 14 days. I am in awe of our dc's fortitude really. Don't think I could do it!

superdoodle - That does sound like a fully packed exam timetable ..22 in 3 weeks (Ouch).

DD got DT coursework results back today - 84% which she (and I) are really pleased with ...I think top mark was 88%. She's having a good week :-)

Hello superdoodle from an occasional poster on these threads. My DS has ASD too but he is good at working at home - sometimes going to the extreme of having to be told to take a break as he worries he isn’t doing enough revision, won’t get his predicted grades, won’t get his preferred sixth form place.... DD, also on the spectrum, in Y8 sounds like your DS - it’s difficult to get her to do any homework on a school night. A day in school is enough!

Gosh your DS’s exams are crammed together! My DS has about the same numbers of papers but they are over 5 weeks - not counting the half term week. He starts May 14 and finishes Jun 21st.

Whatsforteaaa well done to your DS on his English paper - great progress! My DS is doing similar A levels to yours - Further Maths, Maths, Physics, Chemistry - and History to AS level if he goes to the sixth form that counts Maths and FM as one subject option. Not sure I think it’s a good idea TBH - can’t see any universities being bothered what DS gets in a subject unrelated to his degree choice.

Well done to your DD on an excellent DT coursework mark Teenmum

superdoodle, that sounds packed! DS has 21 exams over 4 weeks, with a holiday in between.

teenmum, well done to your dd! Great mark!

pannetone, DS was considering that very combination until they got onto electromagnetism in Physics ("it's fun but I have no idea what this even is" ) so Biology was picked. The sixth form want him to do FM but he's not too sure (he gets 90%+ on papers but doesn't want a huge unnecessary workload).

WhatsForTeaaa - well done to your DS - full marks is amazing...DD waiting for her English coursework marks to come back - touching wood ...she got 7's in her mocks and would be happy if this was repeated in actual exams.

DD hoping to do Biology/Physics/Product Design A levels.

DD has 17 exams (some of her exams have coursework so just one written exam is taken) - but over a 6 week period including HT.

Welcome superdoodle, that's some packed schedule didn't realise that anyone could finish before the half term. DS has 23 exams over 5 weeks including half term right in the middle!

whatsfor and Teen your DC got some great results, that must really help with confidence right before the exams.

DS is hoping to do the 3 sciences and maths, lets see what the 23rd brings before he finalises!!

He has a stinking cold at the moment so feeling a little sorry for himself hoping this will be the last illness before 15th June!!

Are the early exams I gcse s - I seem to remember they were over more quickly