Page 3 | GCSEs 2019 support thread 4

Itsagrandoldteam · 02/06/2019 10:56

There are so many different topics that the school could choose to teach in history. I don't understand why the exam bodies don't just say "here's your topics for this year", then everyone would be studying the same thing.
My son is studying:
Conflict and tension
Germany 1890 - 1945
Restoration
History of medicine - I cannot believe the amount of content in this one.

My son loves history and is hoping to take it at A level.

behindlocknumbernine · 02/06/2019 11:08

Thank you taco
ready - same here regarding dhorse - dd knows having him is an incredible privilege (and we are talking a hardy connie, out 24/7/365 on grass diy, barefoot, naked) and sacrifices were made to enable her to have him.
I paid for ds to go to Reading festival the summer of his gcses. Dd does not want to go to Reading but will probably choose a couple of horsey events to enter, hip allowing.
Twelve exams to go....

behindlocknumbernine · 02/06/2019 11:13

I'm surprised by all the different exam boards and especially the difference in topics our dc are doing in history.

Dd is doing Crime and Punishment (which spans 1000 years!), Cold War, Early Elizabethan and the USA. its Edexel.

History and Biology are the only things she has diligently revised this half term. Although she has done a few maths practice papers.

She's now off to see a friend and spend the day revising history and having a bbq.

Rugbylife · 02/06/2019 11:17

4 exams left here, Eng Lang x 2, maths and music. As of Friday I will have 2 home for the summer, eldest back from Uni. Only have to get one up and ready for school he’s in Y8 and totally thinks it’s unfair he’s the only one that has to go to school.

Michaelahpurple · 02/06/2019 11:27

The aqa history sounds rather grim - the lack of link between topics seems very odd and not conducive to encouraging a real historians attitude or approach.

Having said that DS1's school has chosen a board and options which is all 20 C and basically international relations - causes of ww1, League of Nations, Cold War, containment of communism, Israeli Arab , gulf war 1. Call me methuselah, but I struggle to see the gulf war as history.

Will go and buy my stannah stairlift now

NoClueWithStyle · 02/06/2019 11:37

Ugh history sounds horrific. I never liked it at sch but as I age I find it more interesting. But the exams sound horrible and enough to put any student off.

Dd only has 9 exams left, eng lang is the only one she is worried about. She is desperate to pass so she never has to do it again. (Dyslexic). Overall she feels she's on the home strait.

She seems to have struck a good balance between rest, revising and fun over half term.

We can't wait for the 14th June and for the pressure to end. Then it's the long wait until results day.
🙄

Sending good luck to all the pupils and strength to all the parents for the remainder.

onaroll · 02/06/2019 11:40

Yet another Mum taken aback by the volume of History to revise - and its an A'level choice. Now i get why history alone gave them a printed revision strategy sheet. (pictured).EDEXL here.

Dd has 12 exams left , 5 being history components.

steppemum I hear you regarding prom clothes. Dd also wears boys (usually takes her brothers hand me downs). Also no make up owned or worn. Her friend group all boys. She has surprised us, she's decided on a dress ( very painful shopping experience for her - totally out of her comfort zone. She whattsapped her friends a picture of it on ' why is it the first thing I notice- a mole dead centre of your back' from one of them , a typical boy response she said. She will be wearing her converse, heels are a step too far for her.

To everyone who complimented Ds ( pc build for Dd) thank you. He's turned into a good lad. GCSE's were not a good time for him, overwhelmed him. He didn't do as well as hoped - that in turn 'made him'. He was rejected for his 6th form choices with his results and had to find a new path at a new college. He went on to smash top grades in his course - he is now halfway through his degree apprenticeship.
He is there encouraging Dd to study but also reassuring her if it goes 'tits up like me' - its not the end of the world, you get other chances.

Good luck to everyones children in this final 2 weeks. Also to all parents and to those with extra stresses on top of exams - strength to you.

SilentSister · 02/06/2019 11:51

I think we are quite lucky, although the Edexcel IGCSE has been reformed with more content, there still seems to be a good balance between facts to learn, and opinions to give. From what DD is saying much of their exam is still very opinion led essays, so still much more like an ALevel, which I think is a good thing.

DD has on Monday:
Germany 1918-45 Development of Dictatorship
Civil rights in the USA 1945-1974

And on Thursday:
The USA 1918-41
Medicine 1840-1948

The subjects are all interlinked too, which makes better sense.

On Wednesday:
Classical Civilisation - Roman City Life

and Maths on the Wednesday morning before the second History paper.

The last week will be the second papers of all the sciences and German reading, writing, listening.

The end is in sight

cantkeepawayforever · 02/06/2019 11:58

DD has 4 History papers, 2 Eng Lang, 2 maths, 2 Further Maths, 3 second language and 3 of the 2nd Science papers to take.

We're about half way through, AFAIR, in terms of numbers of papers taken / to take.

Iambuffy · 02/06/2019 12:03

The new gcses are just repetition of facts/events. Very depressing.

A level history for example will be much more opinion based.

KittyMcKitty · 02/06/2019 12:15

I can’t bare to think of the History as 4 separate papers just seems too much like that!

Have just realised that tomorrow morning ds will be sitting History GCSE (AQA), I’ll be invigilating it (Edexcel) and dd will be sitting her end of year 9 exam in it (they’ve started their GCSE courses - chose options last school year - they’re doing the Germany 1890 - 1945 Paper) - fun morning in our house then!!

srilankadreaming · 02/06/2019 12:46

lambuffy, are you sure it's Wiemar republic tomorrow??? DD is doing Edexcel and says that's paper 3 and she only has Medicine through time tomorrow, with WWI. (their school has chosen this over Crime and Punishment). Please tell me we've got it right !!!

cantkeepawayforever · 02/06/2019 12:53

I can’t bear to think of the History as 4 separate papers just seems too much like that!

That's why we're mostly counting it in 'entries into exam hall' - 2 history, 2 Eng lang, 2 maths, 2 Further Maths, 2 language, 3 Science papers.

Still 13...but somehow less bad than the 16 papers...

myrtleWilson · 02/06/2019 13:08

srilankadreaming we are edxecel and we have Crime and Punishment tomorrow, American West & Elizabethan on Thursday and then Weimar and Nazi Germany on the 11th....

OddBoots · 02/06/2019 13:12

DD has History too, it is the subject that has had the most in school extra classes, she has spent about 8 Friday after school sessions and about the same 3h Saturday morning sessions. It seems like loads of content but it looks like all the boards are the same so at least they are all on an equal footing.

onaroll · 02/06/2019 13:12

srilankadreaming
EDEXL History here.
Tomorrow : Medicine in Britain
Thursday: Early Elizabethan
Superpower relations
Superpower, Elizabethan
Tues 11th: weimar & Nazi Germany.

Scabetty · 02/06/2019 13:13

Ds is only stressed about History (Edexcel Crime and Punishment tomorrow). He seems to feel prepared for the others. Dd is doing A level History and has hated it - loved it at GCSE (A*) but found the step up challenging. Only now, with exams looming, does she feel on top of it all.

steppemum · 02/06/2019 13:28

onaroll - can I ask what degree apprenticeship your ds is doing?
ds would love to do an apprenticeship rather than straight uni.

He couldn't sleep last night, has slept 3 hours this morning, woken depressed and feeling rubbish.
Feel hopeless as a mum as i don't know what to do with him. Sent him back for a bit more sleep, will wake him with food later.

fortunately no exams tomorrow.
rest of the week is Eng lang x2, physics, maths, business and biology.

srilankadreaming · 02/06/2019 14:01

Ok thanks, myrtle and on a roll. Thought I was going mad!
Tomorrow: Medicine through time and WWI ( still medicine related)
Thursday : American West and Anglo Saxon & Norman England ( that one is worst in terms of content)
Tues 11th - Weimar and Nazi Germany - no revision done AT ALL for this so far, DD hasn't found time with everything else. She is weak at maths and Physics so has been concentrating on this.
Good luck to everyone this week, think this could be the toughest one.

CarrieErbag · 02/06/2019 14:04

Dd currently sleeping off a migraine after a bad night of sickness.
This all can't be over quick enough.

Soursprout · 02/06/2019 14:04

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

srilankadreaming · 02/06/2019 14:47

steppemum- I'm sure you are a lovely mum. Hope your DS feels better soon and sleeps well tonight. flowers for you

onaroll · 02/06/2019 15:05

steppemum of course you're not hopeless as a mum - you're there supporting !
Is it okay to dm you , rather than boring everyone 😉 re apprenticeship ?

Iambuffy · 02/06/2019 15:15

Sorry its crime and punishment tomorrow

Greeborising · 02/06/2019 15:46

Dd is also doing history of medicine

She keeps coming downstairs engaged at the sexism!