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 did AQA higher combined chemistry today. He’s only predicted 6 and said it was totally fine - much easier than he expected

he’s only predicted 6s with few 7s and said all AQA higher have been ok so far and that’s he’s been able to answe them all

I have spoken to DS and he said the AQA higher combined was alright, hard but OK. That's all I can get out of him. Glad they have a week off now.

Aaaaand we're done for this half term! Three weeks of actual exams left but a week to settle and prep.

DS said Chem (Edexcel iGCSE) was a bit weird in places but ok. I just think so many of the questions are badly worded.

DS got given the wrong chemistry paper. He put his hand up to tell the invigilator that he had incorrectly been given combined instead of triple and they told him he had got it wrong, he then had to argue that biology last week wasn’t combined so it must be a mistake. They then brought him another paper but it was foundation so he had to put hand up again and get yet another paper. This meant everyone was delayed 15 minutes and he said it was so stressful that by the time he started the exam he just couldn’t concentrate properly. Thankfully he managed to calm down a bit and finish it. He then had computer science in the afternoon which he thought was ok.

Thank goodness it’s half term, 10 exams down, 14 to go. One whole GCSE completed.

DS2 did AQA chemistry higher paper he said it was ok and he answered all the questions. He did computer science this afternoon which he thought was more difficult. 12 done and 12 more to go. The first week back he has 6.

We watched the Fassbender one during lockdown 1. Get yourself some wine. You are gonna need it!

10 down 12 to go here. Same 6 first week back then 3 and 3 with physics paper 2 being last one

Day off from revising here tomorrow. He needs a chill day. Then back on it Sunday with another family day for one of the bank holidays.

DD has done 12 exams with 13 left to go. And two GCSEs (RE and Drama) completely done now.

She’s not planning to do much tomorrow but I’m sure will be back to it soon.

She said she thought Chemistry (AQA triple science) was OK although some things needed a bit of thinking about

Thanks, @StColumbofNavron @ZandathePanda and @NameInUseAlreadyAgain I'll have a look.

We also have two GCSEs done (ICT and Eng Lit) with seven started and one (physics) still to come.

He had a lovely afternoon out with a friend from another school yesterday (they are friends via a sports club) and I've signed him up for some sport tomorrow - he's done no exercise for weeks!

Although this half term won't be a break it does feel like a bit of a respite!

DC thought the chemistry (AQA triple higher) absolutely 'horrible'. Looks like opinion is mixed on this, but there seems to be sufficient numbers saying it was difficult that they're not panicking (have read them a lot of the comments on here which is soothing). Computing went better, and that one's now completely finished. Those books are now put away forever! Seeing friends today and then back at it tomorrow.

Have a lovely half term everyone.

I also wanted to say a quick thank you to EVERYONE who's contributing to this thread. As a first - time GCSE parent, the chat on here has been invaluable in keeping me sane, and in turn helping to keep DC sane. Thank you!

I've just set up a box with "burn me" written on the side. Think she'll find it therapeutic to start to fill it as she ticks subjects off.

(I won't burn it for a while, just in case 😂)

@PaddingtonPaddington that must have been so stressful for your son and the second time in a week. Am not totally convinced mine would realise they were doing the wrong paper 😩.
mine are taking a day off today and then will start again tomorrow (an hour on Geography and no more I have been told). @Womblesaremyfavouritefood Agree that this thread is so helpful I quote bits to my sons about how hard other children have found it (looking at you chemistry).

@PaddingtonPaddington what a stressful experience for your DS.

I've told DS that his homework this weekend is to watch Top Gun - so that we can go & see the new one as a family next weekend 😀

DD has hardly anything written in her science exercise books, contrasted with five full ones for English Lang./Lit. and several for geography and Spanish. Very telling given the meaty content of triple science! Afraid we've already ceremonially recycled the RE ones (only GCSE subject she's completed thus far), as I really don't think there's any way she'd agree to resit the subject even if she doesn't pass (which is unlikely).

Good to hear that you are able to have a pause between chemo sessions @Silkierabbit . You have a lot to be contending with at the moment. Wishing you all the best.

@PaddingtonPaddington how awful for your DS. I suspect some young people would have walked out at that point. So frustrating.

DD binge-watched most of the new series of Stranger Things yesterday. She's doing a solid block of geography today (it's her best subject and the one in which she most easily is able to retain the info) and then will be spending most of half-term on the sciences (the ones in which she is not so able to retain the facts!). A bit of revision but not much will be fitted in for Spanish, maths and the remaining two English papers.

Hope everyone has good half-terms and some R&R built into the revision schedules.

Not a chance of any revision, homework or anything today given Liverpool’s big game tonight. I told him to at least draw up a timetable for the week.

DS1 has said everything is ‘fine’, he was a bit nervy about maths, I could see it but overall he said they’ve all been ok. Some curve balls, some stuff he didn’t cover, some he did. He biggest bit of feedback was that business studies was a total waste of time and that his younger brothers could have done it - he was really annoyed about the paper, even though he doesn’t like BS (timetabling clash) and went into very much knowing that it was largely common sense and supply/demand and profit etc.

I agree. This thread is invaluable, thank you.

I've been following this thread and it's been comforting to hear from parents of DC who are all different and managing their GCSEs in different ways. My DS is my third child but only the 2nd one to take GCSEs and as my DC are all so different I don't really have a reference point. He's had some shocking teaching particularly geography and I think it was on this thread someone mentioned GreenKey tuition for geography. In desperation I signed him up for the Easter masterclasses and they were amazing. He did the walk through paper 1 with them the day before the exam and they just taught the kids how to approach the questions and were so positive. If anyone is looking for some effective but different geography revision over the holidays they have 2 masterclasses on. I can't rate them highly enough and honestly I have no link with them at all. Just passing on the recommendation.
In between revision my DS will be helping in the garden and spending some time with friends. He's lucky that his exams have been quite spread out.

DD has had two revision free days but she's back on it today. Glad she's given herself a rest!

DD has said she’s not doing any revision yesterday or today (although she did make a to-do list yesterday). She’s been out with a couple of friends at a kilo sale and I think going back to a friends house.

DS doing some more revision now I think - more geography A Level revision.

I hope no one minds me mentioning him on this thread but as he didn’t do GCSEs due to it being in 2020 and I fell off the year 13 thread when he was having some problems I’m using this thread as a place to talk about him as well.

@MirandaWest my DS1 is also in year 13 so I think we are both probably facing some similar problems. It has been so difficult with the older ones missing out on doing actual GCSES and then all the problems that lock down has brought for them both in terms of mental health and education. I think it's nice if we can discuss both DC as sometimes others are facing the same problems.

MirandaWest, you’d be very welcome back on the year 13 thread.
Ove got DS doing GCSEs and DD doing A levels (including geography, which is her Achilles heel, and we’ve also been through the mill with her and her MH issues).

Does anybody else feel like they were so relieved to get to half term, and now only a couple of days into it, are desperate to get back to exams and the feeling of ticking them off, rather than being in hiatus? I just so want them over, and not having to urge nag DD to sleep sensibly and eat sensibly and above all revise!