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.

[CornishGem1975]

Yes with hindsight @Fizbosshoes Triple Science might have been a better call for my DD but when she chose her options she wasn't remotely interested in science - she was all focused on art, music and media. She did a complete flip at the start of Year 11.

[legosnowqueen]

@Silkierabbit hoping you feel better today

I think these days with 2 exams where the second is after lunch are very challenging, having no real down time after the first exam & the impact of the post lunch slump have a real impact on the second exam. DS has decided to have a very early lunch today to try to mitigate that, will see if it helps...

[Bellini12]

DD has 4 exams too over the next couple days (& had 3 already this week). She’s so tired but coping pretty well. So far they have gone a little better this week after a hideous 1st maths igcse paper and the first English lit which she didn’t think she fared well in so hopefully they have balanced out.

This is defo the most brutal week so will be glad when it’s out of the way. Then 6 left.

Good luck to everyone’s DC’s.

[PugInTheHouse]

They are definitely wilting aren't they, half term has made things worse I think. I will make DS go to name rehearsal then cricket training tonight to give him a break. PE tomorrow afternoon, he has said these seem to have been the hardest papers for both mocks and actual exams so far. He is predicted a 7 but he'll be lucky to get a 5.

The school have been awful in the teaching of the theory for PE, it is so disappointing, revision sessions have been the teachers putting on a YouTube video with revision info and them not interacting with the class or giving them chance to ask questions or stop if it's too fast. Totally pointless.

[Bellini12]

DD also said these are the hardest exams she’s had and isn’t sure if she’s done as well as her mocks which is a bit worrying. Just praying those grade boundaries will be lowered. Feel so sorry for this cohort but results will eventually get forgotten about in the grand scheme of things.

Also, you need a certain amount of luck and questions don’t always go your way. It seems the stuff she knows inside out doesn’t always come up as the main markers!

[Fizbosshoes]

@Bellini12 my DD says the same. She did really well in her mocks but I'm pretty sure she won't get the same grades this time. although some revision would probably help
She says the same about English, French and media, that they've learnt lots of stuff in depth and then not needed it, although science and maths cover a broader range of topics.

[Notcontent]

DD has found the exams pretty challenging. Lots of stress and tears this morning.

[DFOD]

Just had a text that History was “lovely” it was only 45 mins - but she is under pressure by her teachers and herself to get a 9 (NOT by us) as it’s her passion and is doing for A Level. Exhausted though with physics (her worst this afternoon) a very polarising and stressful day is nearly over. She is planning to go to a sports club tonight to see her mates and let off steam as no revision needed (supposedly) for Eng Lang tomorrow - R&R is a key part of any resilience training. Will be glad when this week is through. Back of it broken. Just shuffle along to the finish line afterwards

[DFOD]

@Notcontent

DD has found the exams pretty challenging. Lots of stress and tears this morning.

We had similar meltdown the week before half term. Then just another pace since - trudging through. I hope your DD can restore and relax a bit to get to the end of this week.

[Notcontent]

Thanks @DFOD i think she calmed down and managed to go into physics in a better frame of mind. She wants to do well and these exams feel like a marathon after only having done 10 km runs before. It’s the volume plus the content feels harder than mocks and everything she has done before.

[Lightsabre]

Ds has just texted to say History was 'not good' for him. He's spent so much time revising this particular topic (Nazi Germany) so I'm not sure what has happened. Physics now, hopefully he'll fare better in that and end the day on a positive note.

English Language tomorrow and that will be it for English. Hooray! Then another intense weekend of revision for the next History exam and trying to badger him to do Music. He feels that will be the most difficult exam of them all.

[Womblesaremyfavouritefood]

DC's favourite subject now - physics. Wondering how history went this am. Typically I won't hear anything until they are home later, and then it might be monosyllabic.

[Silkierabbit]

Thanks Louis and Lego feeling a lot better today. Crazy day with silly season amongst the boys, DS who is staying home as a flight risk at school as enrichment week. Mr Floof is gatecrashing into male rabbit and playing leap rabbit plus oncologist who took an hour to track down for scheduled call as so many things going on at hospital, ESA for chemo interview, LA meeting, Head, senco etc and reminding DD she had a physics exam as well as a kitten to play with. But all done now and just English Language tomorrow and another week done. Yes. 3 more weekly chemos and 11 more days of GCSEs.

[CornishGem1975]

DD said physics was okay and she answered every question. I asked her which was the hardest of the sciences so far and she said chemistry exam was harder than the physics one so I'm a little relieved that she didn't hate it!

[Naem]

@CornishGem1975

DD said physics was okay and she answered every question. I asked her which was the hardest of the sciences so far and she said chemistry exam was harder than the physics one so I'm a little relieved that she didn't hate it!

DD seems to think that this was another one where they ignored the guidance they gave and had electricity on the paper, which she knows she got wrong as she didn't revise it as per the instructions.

Was nobody else bothered (ie did DD miss something)? She is AQA triple higher

[QueenMabby]

My ds said physics was harder than he anticipated and harder than the past papers he's done (AQA). He found that a bit gutting I think as physics is his fave and he usually breezes it. Again with the badly worded questions - seems to be a bit of a theme this year! He answered every question though.

I usually tell my ds that if it was hard then it will have made him concentrate so he probably hasn't done as badly as he thinks!

A few years ago I did a science a level for "fun". Paper 1 was horrible. Really struggled and was convinced I'd blown it. Paper 2 was a gift. All my favourite questions and best topics. When I got my results there was only a 3% difference in my two marks. Make of that what you will!!

History was good this morning though I think.

For ds now, after today every paper he takes is the last one for that subject which has buoyed him up a bit and made it feel like the home straight even though he has seven exams left.

@OddGoingsOn - so sorry about your DS's bike. What a shitty thing to have happened. Hope it's not affected him too badly.

@Silkierabbit - hope you're doing ok today - nearly there for you too.

[Lightsabre]

Ds has texted to say AQA mixed up the advanced information apparently?

[Stradbroke]

Yep DS says circuits were on there and the advanced information said they wouldn’t be.

[Stradbroke]

Also Aqa triple higher.

[legosnowqueen]

@Naem DS said there were topics that they were specifically told wouldn't come up, he mentioned circuits...also AQA triple higher...

[Lightsabre]

Sorry, that was for Physics Higher Paper.

[CornishGem1975]

We were Combined Higher. DD said everything seemed okay and as per the advanced info.

[CornishGem1975]

I honestly think the faffing with advanced info this year has made it more complicated than it needed to be, they would have been better off without it.

[DFOD]

@legosnowqueen

@Naem DS said there were topics that they were specifically told wouldn't come up, he mentioned circuits...also AQA triple higher...

Exact same feedback here for that exam.

V up and down - question by question

[Rollergirl11]

DD’s relieved that today is her last day of 2 exams. History was fine this morning. She said Physics was hard (Edexcel Triple Higher) but she didn’t want to cry like she did after the Chemistry paper. She said Chrmistry was harder despite her generally being better at Chemistry than Physics.

Just English Lang tomorrow and then after that just 7 left to go!