GCSE 2018 (7) [wine][wine][wine][wine]

[mmzz]

A new thread to take us through the exams
Link to old thread

@Teenmum - I took my inhaler into exams years ago. DD won’t need hers, but we do have something in place to help her pain and the examinations officer needed to be made aware beforehand. She now has it in her office and will provide it at every examination.

I’d ensure relevant examinations officer is shown the inhaler - they’ll examine it quickly just to ensure nothing has been hidden inside!

Best of luck to you all!

Computer Science x 2, French x2, Biology and Chemistry for DD..Biology revision seems to have gone well and, French. DD seemingly has had her head in Computer Science books (websites) all week (and again today)..just for paper 1...I have tried to get her to do a paper 2 test paper too - but to no avail..well and truly blinkered on paper1.

Snap Loose although DS wants computing to go well as first choice A level and there are gaps in his coverage. Not too concerned about Biology and Chemistry as should pass ok and not taking them further (but a higher mark in them has been sacrificed in order to spend time on English and A level choices so just hope they haven't been neglected too much). And yes - I have no idea bout RS.

First week is by far the heaviest so roll on Thursday night. Definitely a night off on Thursday !!

Thanks, @Alwayshiding - hopefully she won't need it if she uses it before the exam - she seems to postnasal drip from mucus from hayfever which has developed into a cough/breathing issues - antihistamines don't seem to be that effective.

Bluebelle - hope you manage to get GP appointment OK...I was thinking I may have to do the same with DD tomorrow but the inhaler seems to have helped.

DH testing DS on his computer science this afternoon, let’s hope the board don’t manage to muck up the exam paper!

Oratory A level choices are key, aren't they? I think that's where dcs put the pressure in themselves. DS wants maths, English, biology and computing to go well, especially as good results in maths and English should guarantee a place on oversubscribed psychology A level courses.
On the other hand, he still hasn't ruled out music, so that's important too!

@eve. I hope not given all the issues with the NEA...teaching seems to have been very mixed. DD spent a whole term doing the NEA and ended up doing several theory topics has homework (lack of time)where the teacher did not even go through the topic at all. She's worked really hard on CS this week so whatever the result she had done her best.

Dd is doing some additional computer science revision today in prep for tomorrow. She did biology this morning.

She says she feels really nervous today and was struggling to eat much at lunch. I'm sure that once the first exam is started she will begin to feel a bit better about it all.

Dd has 15 exams in total and finishes really early in 8th June. By the end of this week she will have completed two subjects (Computer Science and Drama) and two of the sciences (Biology and Chemistry - her least favourite) and will be 5 exams down with 10 to go.

Finished planting the rose in memory of DFIL, hopefully DH appreciates the gesture. DD and I had a sandwich at the garden centre, didn’t talk that much but she did say that her suicidal thoughts comes in waves but didn’t elobrate more than that. Bought her a lavender as she requested. She seemed fairly happy on the way home, keeping a close eye on her. She has been referred a few months ago for an appointment with specialist mental health but still waiting for that to come through (we were told waiting list was 6 months). She seems to think this appointment will be the answer to everything but the reality could be different.

She has music and RE tomorrow exams tomorrow.

Oddsocks it's terrible she has to wait so long for her appointment. Hope she has a good day with exams tomorrow.

Dd has CS x 2, rs x 2, biology and chemistry this week. Today is entirely CS revision although she might do some tassomai later.

RS revision will be entirely limited to the gap between her morning and afternoon exam

Could the popularity of RS be the difference between the generalised option that features introductions to the top level aspects of certain religions, and maybe a large component of ethics, versus the Catholic version that assumes prior knowledge and tests instead on things like the whys and wherefores of types of popular piety and the Cosmological argument for the existence of God.

Dd has just left for the week.

Lljkk if you wanted to know when your DD has various papers, why didn't you just look it up in the exam boards' websites?

Can anyone recommend a good resource for the Cambridge IGCSE History source paper? My ds has it a week on Monday and despite lots of practice and really good knowledge of League of Nations he is still struggling to interpret some of the sources, in particular the cartoons. TIA

I don't know which exam boards they are.
I guess I could tell from each of the revision guides, but that would mean sneaking around in her room. Other fish to fry...
DD is in control. I don't need to be.

@CeeCeeMacFay - Try googling Mr Allsop History - he has YouTube video's that cover Cam IGCSE History.

That's nice for you lljkk

Always hope your DD manages to get through the week without too much pain.

Oddsocks hope your DD has had a better day. It must be so worrying for you.

Oratory, mmzz and those of us whose DC are having to deal with dyslexia and other conditions that impact their preparations and performance, good luck for the week ahead.

lljkk - I am surprised the school have not sent the parents an exam timetable ..I have had several via email (probably to ensure I get DD to the right exams given that she is on exam leave so not in school).

Teenmum60 I have a similar issue with my breathing at the moment. Mine is a combination of pollen allergy and a post-viral wheeze. I'm using a steroid nasal spray and managing with a salbutamol inhaler about three times a day.

Two puffs of salbutamol before going into the exam can really help.

Schools are all so different! DS3 has his 'official' exam timetable printed on yellow paper, but it was just given to him, not me. I only knew to look out for it because DS1 and 2 had the same (and DS1 was more forthcoming!)

We haven't had an email from the school about exams since Feb. We did have a parents' meeting in Feb as well but it was more about revision guides, eating well, sleeping well etc.

Each exam is probably on the school website calendar. Will go and check. If your DD has it all under control, lljkk, I'm sure that's fine. You are in the minority on this thread, though!

Thanks - @TheSecondOfHerName - Using the inhaler today has made a massive difference ..she hates nasal sprays because it loosens the mucus before it has any positive effect (therefore she doesn't get past stage one). Hopefully using it before bed will help tonight too.

I cant believe I have a child sitting GCSE's tomorrow where have 16 years gone?

Yup, that's true. I don't belong anywhere!

No, just says external exams on the school calendar.

My sons' school emails the exam timetable both to the pupil and to the parent/carer. First the provisional timetable (to sort out clashes) and then the final timetable.

My daughter's school tries to introduce public exam conditions for all end of year exams from Y7 onwards. I found it quite amusing when she & I were emailed her Y7 exam timetable in the style of a GCSE timetable, complete with candidate number.