GCSEs 2018 (9) Will we get to half term, for never was a story of more woe than this of Juliet and who is Banquo

[Stickerrocks]

Thread 8

idsisatwat also all of AQA History is after half term. That's going to be the most time consuming for studying.

Good luck to everyone for Eng Lit today! Hoping the right poems and questions turn up! And a word of reassurance - the examiners will mark positively for any reasonable interpretation as long as there's something to back it up - and especially in the unseen poetry.
I am so relieved that after today another GCSE will be ticked off the list and DS has half term to recover.
I'm already planning to see the Star Wars film even if he decides not to!

Apparently today's (AQA) exam is worth 60%.

Bluebell that's pretty much spot on! Exactly what DD and her friends looked like when I dropped her off 10mins ago!

I think I need a wake up session this morning too though - this half term has felt loooooong! Id been hoping to do outside activities with my class today but it looks like rain is set in for the day so I have a day cooped up with 30 6 year olds to get through

Roll on 3:30pm and half term!

We'll be joining you for a half term of History Teenmum. DS finds it very hard and the volume and breadth of material is huge but he loves it and wants to do well so there's a danger he'll use all the time on history. He needs to cover the science paper 2 stuff and work on English lit (3 in mock) as well.

Only advise would be make sure you have covered everything well enough and left time to practise loads. DS realised for some subjects rather than trying to learn the details that earn the high grades he should make sure he covered everything he needed to well enough to secure the pass - otherwise he was getting bogged down trying to learn too much detail that was impossible for him - not sure if that make sense. ie pitch your learning to what you need and not try to follow all the advise which may be aimed at high achievers. He has had to be selective and prioritise due to his short term memory and other issues.

annoyingly our half term will be all of History and all of Classics , although DD loves both, her hand will be dropping off after the days she has both in one day. Really mean scheduling we've decided, although DD is mainly blaming her teacher (he has her for both subjects) for not checking the exam dates the year before he picked the exam board. They have a bit of a love-hate relationship going on, though hate is the biggest one at the moment, at least on DDs part [laugh].

After Eng Lit today it will be 2 subjects down, 9 to go.

Hi HMC sorry for late answer had to take dgd to train station. No dgd has no anxiety issues apart from tests, assessments and exams and when she used to do competitive swimming just before a race. She very quiet, not at the forefront of her peer group and doesn't like to be noticed. I will never forget in year 7 when the geography teacher said to her in a joke at parent evening ' you have been noticed!' She went so red! Always been quiet and studious in class. With her small friendship group she's loud and boisterous and the joker making them laugh and has great fun with them but really doesn't like lots of people in her face. She is shy really and she has promised to try and be more outgoing in 6th form as all her friendship group going elsewhere now. Most are doing arts and vocational studies, she was only one intent on university. She used to mix with two girls top of school but they used to use her to complain about each other and she was always stuck in the middle which made her upset and unhappy so she found other friends. Although quiet she has never had trouble finding and keeping friends.

bluebelle that's how dgd looked this morning!
Good luck all today!

Thanks, Oratory...it will be a case of just aiming for the pass- it's not a subject that DD will pursue further. DD has Eng Lang/Maths Higher paper same week so we have to fit in those two as well as some past paper 2's on sciences (although the second science exams are short at 1hr). Thank you to @wonderwine for posting the link for the what might in Biology paper2.

I;'ve found a couple of History sites - Mr Budd and RGS History and I think the teacher has given them lots of past papers (they did have exam technique too but this seems like weeks ago now). I think if DD didn't have the slow writing issue (Hypermobility) she would be fine but writing fast and having to condense your thoughts and facts isn't a great combination.

After today only 7 subjects left and 3 now finished ( art,RE, Eng Lit) whoop! whoop!

Stickerrocks - with respect I don't think being either a teacher or nurse is a comfortable or easy job! After 5 years of Secondary school I have the utmost respect for teachers - after all they are the ones nursing our kids through their GCSE's.

An Nursing can be a career rather than a job - I'm a Clinical Specialist, have a Masters, have published and even the Consultants can't admit anyone to hospital without going trough me!

I will be relieved when today is over - English lit is not ds's comfort zone. We won't quite be half way through though, 11 down and 12 after half term.

Sostenueto yay! after today DS has finished art, Eng lit, computer science and RE. 10 exams left after half term!
Hope dgd feeling much better this morning and fingers crossed she gets sensible questions!

MyVisionsComeFromSoup your DD might be a teeny bit unreasonable there! The exam dates were only published last autumn, afaik.

exam technique - I pointed out the CGP English lit guide yesterday where it said put in a intro, main body and conclusion. DS looked over and said that no one has ever suggested he write conclusions before.

I'm pretty sure they have, but that does not bode well for English lit 1. I acted like its only needed for english lit 2, but inside i was thinking "yikes!".

Teenmum I see you re still on the same schedule as us 😀. DS has time problems too (tho I realise now it’s reading and thinking time that’s the problem as muc as writing) and he has been told to bullet point the long questions if he s timing out of time - won’t get the high marks but will pick up some points and as others have said on this thread it’s easier to pick up some marks on all the questions than high marks on a few

exactly mmzz, but if it keeps DD happy and determined to do well to spite the teacher who is obviously trying to make her fail I'm nodding and smiling and hoping the current PMS finishes before too long, and DD comes a bit more back to reality .

Well the upside of having had such a full-on last 3 weeks is that after today DS only has 4 exams left, the paper 2s for Maths and the sciences. So it's going to be past paper central in here from Monday!

mmzz don't worry - it would be nice to have conclusions on lit 1 but I really doubt he'd have lost marks by not writing one.

Thanks, Loose, that's very reassuring. I'm going to miss you when it comes to A levels! You don't fancy quickly becoming a specialist on maths, physics and economics, do you?

Thanks all for suggestions of where to look for the remote! My day off and at least I can look thoroughly. It's actually his blue ray remote and he nees that to watch dvds.

I dropped ds off this morning, and caught his expression walking up the main road as I passed him. He looked forlorn...very tired last night. Other things are on his mind such as thinking he only has acquaintances, no friends etc. He sees none of these acquaintances out of school. I drip feed pearls of wisdom "every situation changes," "new start in September" but this really needs to be off his mind for the next 4 weeks.

Nettle hope your dd is OK. We've had some meltdowns here and there.

Teenmum good mantra....especially as I am supposed to attend Slimming World today. Can't face it.

Once today is over DS is in a very good place. Only 4 exams after half term - 2 x English language, a further Maths paper and Music. He finishes on Friday 8 June - I think his combination of subjects (double science rather than triple and History/French rather than Geography/German) is the first to finish at his school and he is now seeing the benefit of having front-ended it. Half term is going to be pretty chilled as the subjects he has left are not heavy revision subjects - listening to his music pieces; couple of past papers for English language and plodding on with some Maths. He's going to go to the gym every day and can get a good amount of sleep.

We are definitely in "light at the end of the tunnel" mode!

Must admit I'm feeling quite emotional about DD going off for her last official day in school. She was the "baby" of the year group for so long (summer birthday, very short, quite child like) but over the last few months she's grown like topsy and transformed into such a lovely young woman

She's gone off to school with a lovely card and gift that she and her friends have organised for their tutor and it all looks so thoughtful and grown up. Doesn't help that she still walks to school with her friend from round the corner and every day it reminds me of the day they trotted into the reception class hand in hand with their massive book bags and tiny school shoes. Waaaah!

Anybody else's dc going to revision classes at half term? Ds has Biology, Maths, Geography and History. Only day off is the bank holiday and we WILL go out and enjoy ourselves.

I wanted to take them to Kew Gardens last bank holiday but it didn't happen as ds though he couldn't afford the time. Some serious down time is needed!

Tawny I feel quite jealous! DS actually has a compulsory (!) geography revision session on Wednesday in half term!
Korma! Oh no! Don't mention tiny shoes, sniff! DS is at school with friends he's known since he was 4 1/2. It'll be weird when they're not all in the same place!
Mmzz - I wish! Simply don't have the brain power, I'm afraid! (kind comment, though!)