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.

FA Cup final was mental in our house of Liverpool supporters.

For us, there is so much revision going on at school that I’m not interfering too much, but he has been doing some biology and English this weekend, though he had long hand notes that he had written for biology so I wonder if he hasn’t independently looked at it yet!! Only a few days before.

he had some good news on Friday as he got the results of 40% of his drama grade for the performance and portfolio. Obviously he still has the written exam for 60% so could change, but he has done extremely well. He isn’t a natural actor so his portfolio was very well put together (I was pretty flawed when I happened across it) but to also do well in the performance has been a huge boost.

DS3 finished SATs this week and he finds school a real challenge so very proud of the way he has approached them this week. He was in a separate room and given extra time which he wasn’t very happy about, but seems to have taken it all in his stride. He is now trying really hard to practice for an audition for the end of primary play - he has been very clever about it because he finds reading difficult so lots of lines would be a challenge. He has opted to audition for the side kick of the baddie which means you are on stage a lot but don’t have lots of lines.

DS2 is doing end of year exams at the moment before going into year 10, so in the weird space of sitting exams for subjects he won’t be doing next year. I’ve seen him revise a little and he had a big discussion with me about history arguments for certain subjects on his way to football at the weekend. I have told him though, that he needs a more structured approach to his learning next term — a ten min break in gaming to do homework isn’t going to cut it.

just Waiting for the day we have no more exams in this house!

DD has been working quite an amount of the weekend but seems to be OK still. According to DS she’s “quite looking forward to them”.

Shes got 6 next week - one every morning and two on Thursday. But after Thursday she will have finished Drama completely.

I got to test her on some of her (many) History flash cards earlier on - she knows a lot of facts

My son has lucked out with me because I have a history background so over dinner I was like ‘why did Vietnam win the war - explain with reference to the anti-war protests in the US and the actions of the Viet-Cong’. He was very eye roll-y. When he tried to sit on the fence I was all confrontational ‘but which was the most important factor’ ‘WHY?’

In my defence, he is the one who said that he wants to pursue a history degree 😀

DC is looking at the past paper on computing subject and finds some of the questions and model answers are not sensible. Happy to drop out of the Computing in A-level.

DD has 7 exams next week, 2 tomorrow but far more important is that Mr Floof arrived on Thursday and the two have been inseparable since.

This weekend son did some but not sure he’s gonna pass RS paper 1 Tomorrow without divine intervention …! 😂

Good luck for all DC’s with exams tomorrow! 🤞🙏

@Silkierabbit oh my goodness Mr Floof is soooo cute! Love the pictures.

DS has 4 exams this week and 4 the week after and fortunately no days with two until after half term. I just hope it's not too boiling in the exam hall for them with the forecast good weather. They are following their full timetable in between exams so fingers crossed that will be helpful. He has done some revision this weekend, mostly Biology and Chemistry (with a bit of Geography). (We did take him out for lunch on Saturday to celebrate his Maclaurin Maths Olympiad result and he has had time to play computer games as well.) English is his weak area but he refuses to do past paper questions at home so I'm a bit stumped on how to help him revise for that, I've tried watching some videos with him so hopefully some of that will have gone in. I'm sure they have been doing a lot on exam technique etc in class.

I'm sure the next six weeks will just fly by! All the best to everyone. They've had so much pressure and disruption the last couple of years, just hope they can all give it their best shot!

@Silkierabbit what a beauty!

DS has done a good chunk of revision today. I don't think he'll know what's hit him after 5 exams this coming week though...we have lots of revision planned all week but I know that in reality he'll most likely only do half of them coz he'll be so knackered.

Good luck to all your DCs - I bet very few of them have a clue about how much we are worrying/rooting for them...

So much luck to all! We had a close family bereavement, a shock but ds seems ok and certainly it's taken all our minds off exams. Funeral in the middle week. No more lessons here- i hope those with them find it helpful and stabilising. I feel like I should be here to watch the fort every night!

Good luck to everyone doing exams today. DS2 has 2 exams today and 6 in total this week.

Good luck to everyone 😊

I’ve been awake over an hour after a troubled dream - I think I must be quite nervous!

Yes, good luck to all the young DC today. Exam season is finally upon them.

Good luck all. Start today - DC spent the weekend hidden away revising. I am so nervous but trying not to show it. They've tried their best and that's all anyone can ask. But I wish it was 23 June!

Good luck to all the DC. May they remain calm.

Good luck to all of us.

Oh @aramox1 so sorry to hear that. Hope that you are all ok.

@Rollergirl11 - that's a great link. Thank you.

@StColumbofNavron - what a lot of examinating in your house! My dd has exam week starting on 23rd so she's revising too but only in 30 min slots!

@Silkierabbit - 7 exams in the first week?? Oof! At least it gets a lot out of the way early I suppose. Mr Floof is divine. I'd love a cat but unfortunately DH is seriously allergic. I nearly wavered when, age 4, dd suggested we get a separate house for daddy so that we could have a cat but.... 🤣

@IThinkIMadeItWorse - do look at the link @Rollergirl11 posted for me. Even if he won't do the questions it has a step by step guide on what the examiners are looking for. Might be useful. Well done your ds maths result. When did he hear? My dd (year 8) did the Cayley but we haven't heard anything!

Best of luck to everyone with exams today.

@aramox1 - my condolences. How sad. Sending unmumsnetty hugs.

I'm also struggling to sleep Miranda, it will be a relief when they finally start. No exam today for us, good luck to all those kicking off today. We've been using some last-minute online tutoring sessions in subjects DDs less confident in, not in any hope that much will be achieved at this stage. But more to boost confidence.

Good luck all. DD has two today and did not get much sleep last night, I kept getting messages about Mr Floof. Still at least it made her so relaxed she almost forgot she had exams today. She has 7 this week, 5 next, half term then 5 , 5, 5 in the following 3 weeks. She has a friend kitten sitting today whilst I do my chemotherapy. Congrats on the Olympiad results Its I know DD got through but I have not heard more about it, very rare for DD. Though I think Mr Floof is currently occupying all of her brain and he's like having a newborn.

QueenMabby DS was similar, at primary he had a giant soft toy obsession and once he said he wanted another giant panda. DH said he would leave the house if another one arrived. I explained this to DS and DS replied that was fine with him and he would prefer a giant soft toy panda. I explained to DS if he could find one that could cook and take the bins out he could have himself a deal. Someone really needs to invent that!

Sorry for your loss Aramox

@aramox1 so sorry for your loss. Puts things in perspective doesn't it. Sending hugs to you and your family.

Thanks @QueenMabby (and @Rollergirl11) I have printed one off and will try to get him to have a go this afternoon. We heard his Maclaurin result last week (after we prompted the teacher) but I saw on the UKMT facebook feed that the Cayley and Hamilton results are not out yet. I think last year we got his Hamilton result in early July maybe? (It took a lot longer to hear how he had done in the Cayley but that was 2020!)

Thank you @Rollergirl11 for the English link - just what DS needed too.

Good luck to everyone’s DC starting exams today. DS has computer science to start him off. Feeling nervous for him!

So sorry for your loss @aramox1

One down, 22 left to go for DD.

@aramox1 sorry to hear about your loss hope you are all doing ok. Seems strange that DS2 has started his exams today but DS1 year 13 will only actually do his first ever "real" exams next week as he was part of the original Corona Cohort 2020.

Day 1 done! DS has been remarkably calm all weekend, which I'm not sure if I should be worried about or not! Today's exam was RS paper 1, which he said was pretty easy!! Apparently there were less tears before the exam than he expected!!!!