Current Year 11 2021/2022 support thread pt III

[StColumbofNavron]

Thread for the parents of DC sitting their GCSEs in about 4 weeks time - eek.

DD1 is doing AQA but they're studying ACC and poetry anthology. They hadn't started AIC so decided to give it a miss.

DD2 is doing J&H and AIC.

@MrsScrubbingbrush bizarrely DS's school decided to drop ACC despite studying it on and off since year 7 in favour of poetry anthology which they'd barely started. DS has SEN and really struggles with poetry so we made the case for him to continue with ACC. Really hope we've made the right decision!

My DD has Shakespeare (Macbeth) and Post 1914 Lit tomorrow. A Christmas Carol in after half term for us.

Sounds like you made the right decision to me. ACC is a well known story and if they'd been studying it off and on for while then your DS would be familiar with it, rather than starting something new. DD is doing the Love & Relationship anthology and hates analysing poetry. She'll be glad to see the back of it tomorrow!

@Rollergirl11 that's a good point about the separate papers helping with allocating time.

It is confusing that even within the same exam boards, there is a choice of texts.

DS who struggles with French found today's listening paper 'okay' but the reading paper 'really hard'.

His Eng Lit papers tomorrow (AQA) are Lord of the Flies & poetry/prose. He then has a break on Thursday before Chemistry on Friday. A tough week for sure.

Ds's school dropped An Inspector Calls because they hadn't started it and believed that by keeping Anthology it will help them with the unseen poetry element on paper 2 which is worth a lot of marks. They had to keep Shakespeare and unseen so that is why the other papers are now separate tomorrow for AQA as there could be different combinations. Ds will be doing A Christmas Carol which according to AQA is still the most popular 19th Century book.

Ds said AQA French higher today was weird as it was French poetry and Phantom of the Opera! He was annoyed that there was poetry but thinks he did okay. We'll find out on results day.

Our school usually does Great Expectations but changed during the first lockdown due to length with disruption.

@OnTheBenchOfDoom

My DDs school kept poetry for the same reason. They never bothered starting Jeckyl and Hyde. Her other paper tomorrow is Lord of the Flies which seems rarer on here.

DD sat French today, she has not done French since y9 and said it was OK but not easy.

English tomorrow, Macbeth then either Women in Black or an Inspector Calls, she has done both with change of schools and Christmas Carol x 3. educas.

Then 1 Thursday and 2 Fri, chemistry, re, computing. Still no Maclaurin result here.

Just had a stressy argument with DD

Tried to help revise but she said I doesn't know what I'm talking about

Don't

Our school ditched poetry too. They taught it during lockdown so possibly the weakest topic? I saw ds going over Inspector Calls earlier. It's good to see him revising even if his motivation is not to have to retake English.

I am not allowed to help ds revise. We have an agreement that I will provide stationery and food /drink only.

His siblings let me help them and can vouch for me being good enough to read revision cards, check quotes are accurate etc

He's doing Inspector Calls and J&H

@mosside lots of tongue biting going on here too

Yes Inspector Calls here too. I was trying to be helpful, other DD demands I help with revision for small tests for hours! So I was just trying to help and now she's gone off in tears saying I don't know what I'm talking about and I always tell her that she's not doing enough (she isn't) literally plays minecraft all evening

I will leave her to it I think

Lots of sympathy from me @mosside. Ds very grumpy and I can't do anything right to help him today so am just popping out to prepare meals and drinks. Truth is he doesn't like English Lit and never puts enough work in but obviously I can't say that. He's been cramming quotes today. I think he'll do well on the passage questions but the essays are going to be tough for him. He's swatting up on context as that's worth a lot of marks apparently.

Edexcel here - Macbeth and Inspector Calls tomorrow with Dr Jekyll after half term.

@mosside

Sounds like my household. Older DD always demanded I test her and I'd have to spend ages reading out Spanish flashcards. DD2 resists all offers of help and takes innocent enquiry as criticism. I can't wait until this is all over.

English lit is DSs least favourite subject. He’s for revised for paper 1 Animal Farm and Christmas Carol for tomorrow but is not looking forward to Macbeth or unseen poetry in paper 2, but thankfully that’s after half term.

Lots of tongue biting and being a servant here too

Good luck all for English lit tomorrow

Thank you all 🙏 glad to find people in a similar place!

Battle zone between revising DD and Y8 DS who just wants to play computer games finally came to a head tonight.

DS I have a life too you can't make me shut up forever
DD My exams are the most important thing in the world and my life will be over if you don't be quiet

Was the gist of it 😫😢

This isn't my first rodeo, Ds1 sat his GCSEs in 2019, he has basically told Ds2 that parental help was invaluable for testing and just talking through stuff too. With both children I can only help with History AO1 which is dates/things that happened and then essay planning the argument as the large mark questions are all a statement followed by how far do you agree? Also English lit as it is my degree and English language which I love.

Ds2 was gutted that they didn't do An Inspector Calls as we watched a YouTube video of the play for Ds1 and he enjoyed it far more than Romeo and Juliet who he just believes are incredibly stupid teenagers who are over dramatic

As much as Ds2 detests English lit in particular he has thanked me for everything I have helped with, but we did talk way before yr11 where I told him he would hate me, I would be checking he was revising and I would be helping him with English. Because I am his parent, I care too much and am willing to incur his frustration at me. I will also feed him snacks. I think I am over compensating because my parents never helped me with any school work. But Ds2 really wants high grades and has worked incredibly hard on the subjects that don't come easily. It is a very stressful time for them, they have missed chunks of school, the demands that parents, teachers and society puts on them for these exams is hard.

Ah, just found you all, I am living the dream too. 😬

DD has said every single exam has been hard, today was French and PE. She is moody and has just finished telling me how much she hates me……

how much longer?

Wow. All you guys put me to shame. I don’t help DD with her revision whatsoever. She is very capable and I think DH and I would just hinder her if we tried to help.
I’m just trying to keep her room as tidy as I can without disrupting her papers and ensure she has nice things to eat. I’m also on hand at breaks and lunchtimes for her to FaceTime me from a school office if her anxiety has got the better of her for one reason or another.
Oh and I’m also doing two bloody school runs at the moment as DD wants to get in to school early to get in a revision session ahead of her exam but it’s too early for DS so I’m dropping him in usual time. 🤦‍♀️😬

@Rollergirl11 we don't get involved either, I feel that they have to get on with it themselves now otherwise they'll never learn. We obviously check in and ask if he's OK etc but totally down to him. DS2 has additional needs so things may have to be different with him in a couple of years.