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.

DS doesn't appreciate help either, he thinks my revision strategies are old fashioned...he's probably right. I think this year has been brutal, with so many mocks the students are sick of exams now.
So snacks are being provided, & tongues are being bitten...

Ds now cramming at 5 am. Sympathies with everyone else being snubbed! I am all over the syllabus but no discussion allowed any more. The quotes are still stuck on the wall. I'm glad this English will be over but a bit sad that's it for ds and literature- he hasn't enjoyed it and I can only feel Gove's great books obsession has ruined literature for many of them. Bet he couldn't write a decent essay on Frankenstein.

@CornishGem1975 are you sure it's not Christmas Carol today and Macbeth after half term? The Shakespeare and unseen is paper 2 in June

What do you do when they don't revise?

DD is very motivated and does all her revision by herself and would hate me nagging so leave her to it and she gets good grades. I am much more concerned about her being able to relax but the Maine Coon kitten has solved that.

DS in y10 does absolutely nothing and no idea how will get him through. He is asd and mute since third lockdown. Supposed to have ehcp with help but nothing from it but have spent last few months on chemo trying to argue for help, still nothing yet but finally getting through to senior people and talk is changing so hopefully will come but after 1.5 years of him being in crisis. He just did year 10 mocks and grades were not great but at least he sat 7 out of 12 (got 6 passes at least with 8 in maths and 6 in physics, that was quite the achievement as he's not been to a single science lesson or done any homework in any subject this year) subjects and I think there were exams in 10 subjects. Next year will be challenging to get him through though at least when the summer is over I will have finished chemo and radio and 2 surgeries are done so back to doing it all myself again. Though school are now getting a dog therapist for him, hope it appears before he leaves in a years time but not holding my breath.

We're Edexcel @Butterfly44 It's definitely Shakespeare and Post 1914 today.

"All students must sit Paper 1 in full: Shakespeare and Post-1914 Literature.

For Paper 2, students will either sit Section A, the 19th-century Novel or Section B, Anthology and Unseen Poetry. Therefore, all students will sit three of the four sections available, and 75% of the GCSE."
Then she's doing 19th century after half term. They dropped the poetry.

On revision, I don't help DD at, just remind her of what needs to be done and make sure she's taking breaks etc.

DS next year and he'll never revise so no idea what we'll do. He barely scraped a pass in his Year 10 mocks so he's got some work to do!

Good luck to all the literature students today. DC barely slept so this'll be interesting.

Good luck for literature today! This is probably DSs weakest subject, I’m so nervous for him!

DD went to bed later than normal and is feeling tired this morning, so your DS is not alone @Womblesaremyfavouritefood . I suggested a power nap when she comes back at lunchtime but the concept is alien to her, so doubt she'll take my advice.

Good luck to all the DC today with Eng. Lit. 1.

DD is not very diligent. Capable but lazy is how I'd put it. We're fully expecting her results to be a bit all over the place. I am not sure how she's going to cope with A Levels, although she has already said that she'll be a lot more motivated because she'll be doing subjects she wants to study. We'll see.

Good luck everyone. DD has just gone off to school for an early start. English Lit is her favourite subject and and want she wants to continue with in some form at uni so she’s nervous but she will be absolutely fine.

DD1 has gone off for an early breakfast revision session but most pissed off as they are not providing croissants and juice like they did for the maths one 🙄

Said she'd be glad never to have to read/study A Christmas Carol ever again (didn't point out to her that it'll be on TV every Christmas)

My DD was very nervous this morning she felt sick and didn't manage much breakfast. I think it is because it is one of the subjects she feels she is good at but she has such difficulty learning and remembering things by rote (like many people) there's no way to feel like you have done enough revision for this subject - unless you have a photographic memory. I hope the exam boards are kind to them today.

I think it's up to them if they don't revise TBH, they are not babies any more and from September will need to be self sufficient at college. We have had discussions on how important it is and it's such a short time etc, DS has made decisions on busy weeks to not play additional matches for his sports team etc so I think he's taking it seriously.

I am confused at how the English papers work, DS said he has Christmas Carol and Inspector Calls today, Macbeth after half term.

We spent the journey in today discussing how she could approach questions about Gerald in AIC if they come up. She’s hoping for Sheila or Eric but as she commented “AQA are dicks” so it’ll be something more obscure.

Gosh, I'd be told to shut up if I tried that! So different!

Dd doesn’t want to even discuss exams on the morning of one! We all have to skirt around the subject, however we all have to telepathically remember we need to leave the house at 7:30 so she can be there at 8 to go over revision.
its like walking on eggshells. But I get it. She’s terrified and if this works for her then that’s fine.
Weve been keeping her home from school on days that there aren’t exams. Her stress is beyond belief and she feels more able to revise and stay in control when working from home. Apparently school have a lack of staff so classes have been grouped together now, so no chance of revision lessons. Poor decision in my eyes

@MrsPnut 😆 Ds also hoping for Sheila questions! Given the Edexcel maths paper, it'll probably be something obscure.

@PugInTheHouse - there are several exam boards for literature and quite a few texts so there seems to be a mish mash of timetabling for literature.

Interesting how so many have been put off literature. Ds said last night that he might have enjoyed Macbeth more if every last bit of detail hadn't been wrung out over the past two years. It turned reading/studying it into an almighty chore. I hope that eventually he rediscovers a love of reading literature for the sake of it.

Thanks @Lightsabre I did ask DS if he was sure that it was CC and IC today and he said definitely so let's hope so lol.

@Lightsabre I agree with your DC regarding Macbeth. I offered to take my DDs to the Globe to see a production of the play over Easter but they weren't interested- said they were sick & tired of the play. Had to point out that Shakespeare wrote them as entertainment and never meant for them to be studied in such depth by 16 year olds.

Oh we're hoping for Sheila in AIC too. DC's favourite character. Off to empty their room of anything even remotely Modern Novel related ... all those lovely, unopened and pristine, revision guides! (Sob).

I loved English Lit when I was at school (it was an option then not compulsory - I don't agree with it being compulsory at all) and if I had my time again I'd do it at Uni but both my kids detest it.

They think reading and studying Shakespeare is totally pointless, and the novels they pick are so dull and I do tend to agree.

If you're going to force kids into this subject, make it interesting for them! It's not hard, there are amazing works of fiction out there.

As for poetry, I can't believe they are still wheeling out war poetry. That's what I did in 1994 and it was bloody mind numbing then.

It helps that passing Lit or Lang counts as "passing English" so for borderline students, there's 2 shots at passing.

Dd doesn’t want to even discuss exams on the morning of one!

Ds is the same. My only job is to make sure he's up at 7:30

He's home and said it was fine. Not happy with the AIC character that AQA picked but said he knew enough to waffle