How many hours a day should a GCSE student study over Christmas?

[gscenitemare]

A quick search on Google showed me at least 400 hours of studying would be required for 8 subjects, so 3 hours every day for revision at least 5 months before the GCSE exams. I even hear some DCs study 5-8 hours a day over Christmas. That sounds insane to me. I can't imagine my DC studying for 3 hours every day, let alone 8 hours! Am I being too naive thinking like this? Is that amount of time of studying really necessary for GCSEs? If so, I need to start thinking of rescheduling his activities. Currently, he has no time for studying that much...

My year 11 has just done his mocks and gone from predicted 7/8s to 5/6.

He was shielded last term, then has had to isolated 4 times since September. Doesn't know whether he's coming or going. Work online is fine but he seems to spend a lot of time waiting to speak to a teacher if he has an issue with the work set.

Its just a nightmare 😬😬

DH teaches y11 and sees way too many stressed out kids in his office, crying or going to pieces over tests

It’s usually due to pushy parents

Kids , esp teens, are having a really tough time right now, anxiety is rife

My DS (15) is doing no studying over this holiday and I am fine with that. He’s done his mocks, which was stressful enough as school kept reiterating that these grades might be their final grades as GCSEs May be cancelled again this year, so he can chill out a bit now

I say to my students have a break of at least a week over Christmas. If they choose to do anything then I treat it as a bonus. It's a long time til May/June and it's been a particularly arduous term.

My dd has two weeks of mocks starting from the 4th January.

We've been doing an hour a day over the holidays - basically using Primrose Kiittens' YouTube videos to identify any gaps in maths and science. DD needs quite a bit of support.

Since returning to school in September after lockdown she's developed a tic disorder due to extreme anxiety. She's now on a PT timetable as her tics are too debilitating to be in school on a ft basis. God only knows what she's missed out on this term. Tbh we've only been doing an hour a day to help her manage the anxiety as I know she'll be having tic attacks pretty much 24/7 come the 4th January.

Her predicted grades are brilliant, but tbh if we can get to the end of the year without any further deterioration of her mental health then we'll all be mightily relieved. Tbh I can't see that happening so I'm just preparing for the worst and I'm researching how best to support her when it all goes tits up. Hoping that I'm not going to be an alcoholic by July. Not joking on this front.

Dd did revision over the summer and October half term so I put my foot down and she will be doing no revision this christmas break. She needs a proper rest as she has been getting a lot of headaches and I suspect she is exhausted.

Mrs No, Home&Hospital haven't been involved (practically everyone else has though). She has anxiety & depression and been unable to focus on anything much. We finally saw a consultant in November and she is picking up a bit now, fingers crossed.

@TeenPlusTwenties sending solidarity across the UK to you 💪. It is so hard dealing with the extreme anxiety. I can feel myself getting anxious as I hear about other people's teens doing X hours of revision a day when my daughter can't process any information. We will get through this is my mantra atm.

That's shit, Teen. I have a student in my year 10 class who I've never met - I've had to give H&H a brief run down of what we're doing so they can work with her as appropriate.

It’s all very well saying have a break over Christmas, normally I would completely agree! However DS1’s school haven’t had their mocks yet and they are supposed to be the first week back. He is currently revising for them and apart from Christmas Day and Boxing Day he has revised every day so hasn’t had much of a break at all.

Another one with mocks at the beginning of January. DS2 has probably been doing about 4 hours a day throughout the holidays. It's all his own doing and he's got a very clear plan for each day.

I suspect his motivation is driven by school expectations (selective independent) and by what he's seen DS1 and DD do for their GCSEs. He's quite a driven character and is also putting in a lot of hours rowing in our garage.

I'm not sure it's very helpful to compare how many hours they're all doing though. They're all very different - there is no right amount, just what's right for them.

Sandybayley said “ I'm not sure it's very helpful to compare how many hours they're all doing though. They're all very different - there is no right amount, just what's right for them.”

I quite agree with you.

I think comparing the amount of revision done can be useful for motivating bright but lazy DC.

DS2's friends talk regularly about how much work they are doing and I suspect this helps to motivate each other.

As I mentioned, he is also in regular contact with his cousin in South Korea- hearing how hard he works makes him realise that our expectations are not unreasonable!

Though reading how much revision other people's children do on these threads is not reassuring for many parents. I used to worry dreadfully as everyone's child on here seems to work nonstop for months on end, but it turned out it wasn't necessary to worry- DS was doing the amount of revision he needed to.

It’s really not necessary

unless they want straight 9s

@LobotheBotanist

Every DC should be aiming and working for the best grades they can achieve- whether that is 5s all round or straight 9s.

That is what we as parents should be expecting and encouraging.

A lazy 'the bare minimum will do' effort will not bode well for life and will not be accepted in my house.

LitPeach said “ A lazy 'the bare minimum will do' effort will not bode well for life and will not be accepted in my house.”

I agree with you, well said. I do reiterate to my sons that both hard work and merit will shine through in the end 🙏

Agree with @LitPeach as well.

DS1 is aiming for high grades but I find it odd that any parent would tell their child that targeted revision is only worth it if they are aiming for all 9s. They should be trying their absolute best at all times. That's how I've approached my life and it's the attitude I encourage in my children.

But each to their own.

Lobo, I don't understand - why wouldn't you encourage your child to attain the highest grade possible?

I did insist DD have Christmas Eve and Christmas Day off, but during the holiday she's mostly doing about 4 hours a day. She's focusing on her weaker subjects. I think her programme of study is really sensible, especially as:

1. she has mocks in January as soon as she gets back
2. given that it's still not entirely sure that GCSE's will go ahead, mocks are more important than they usually are.
3. there was no teaching from March to July, so there are gaps in knowledge that need to be identified, and plugged.
4. as we're in Tier 4, there's a limit to what fun can be had anyway. Why not take the time to build a solid foundation?

@cingolimama - yes, tier 4 is conducive to revision. DS2 is a bit fed up of walks with DH and me and revision is a good excuse to not join us

@cingolimama fair enough, I guess things are hugely different for different schools

My DS school taught solid online lessons throughout the pandemic (online from day 1, normal schedule), they have covered the entire syllabus and did their mocks just before the hols

DS had grades between 5-9 and I think that is good enough for mocks, and am more worried about his mental health and friendships and the fact all the stuff he loved has been cancelled, so I am giving him a lot of space to “just be”. Yes straight 8-9s would be amazing but are not necessary imo.

It’s only from reading MN that I realise other schools have not quite been so on the ball

So I get that people are the hotter in their kids revising.

But for my own child, I see his anxiety and am determined not to feed into that. If he gets the grades to do the A levels he wants, all is ok imo

@LobotheBotanist

That is not the kind of attitude I'd want to encourage in my DC at all. I believe in developing and inculcating a strong work ethic and encouraging my DC to try their absolute best in everything.

This will set them in good stead for life rather making them believe that mediocrity is acceptable and laziness to be encouraged.

I don't care what grades my DC get- so long as they have tried their absolute hardest. I would be equally happy with all 5s as straight 9s if that is what a DC is capable of achieving with hard work.

Myself and DH believe that most DC in the UK could be working a lot harder at school and could be doing a lot better as a result.

Tier 4 and tier whatever-we-were-in-during-November have definitely made it easier for DD1 to revise and not to feel as though she's missing out on socialising! She's currently going out for a walk/run with a friend every couple of days but that's the extent of the real life socialising.

Her mocks have already taken place and she used getrevising to help her plan out a revision timetable. I think it recommended something along the lines of 20 hours revision per paper/exam over the months prior to the exams. That wasn't achievable before mocks as they were still at school, had homework to do and hadn't finished the course content but she found it a useful guide and liked that it encourages thoughtful planning of what will be revised in each session so she could ensure everything was covered. She set up a new revision timetable for the Christmas holiday (excluding Christmas Day itself) so she can practise things she knows she needs to having had the mocks and can keep things ticking over so there's hopefully no need for cramming.

I'm glad that your DC's school was on the ball. Afaik, most state schools were not teaching through the spring/summer, or at most very patchy offerings.

I get your concern about anxiety, I really do. It's always a fine balance between supporting/encouraging/kicking their ass and letting them be dopey teenagers. And all of this is heightened because of the awfulness of the past year. We can only do what we think is best, trust in our children's resilience, and cross our fingers.

Previous post to Lobo

Yes @cingolimama, it’s hard to get it right

Am more worried about his anxiety than I am about his grades. All kids are different anyway

He is a hard worker at school, teachers speak highly of his contributions in class, so he does not need a kick up the backside or a “hard work ethic instilled”

It’s partially a cultural thing too, I am from a country where kids left to their own devices a lot more, and not pushed as much. They are treated as more autonomous as teens, and can make their own decisions (and mistakes), including about learning

I failed my own A levels and that taught me much more than my parents being on my back would have I ended up working very hard at Uni after my resits