Anyone up for a GCSE handholding thread?

[BaconAndAvocado]

DS2 has his GCSEs in June. He had mocks in November and more (why??) next month.
He needs to get 5 6s to stay at his current school (IB, not overly keen) or to transfer to another local 6th form.
He said he’s going to start revising this week......
Think his school will be helping him devise a revision timetable this week. I’ve bought him flashcards, he just needs to knuckle down now.......

Hello! Joining in. This is my second year running of GCSE stress...and no break next year as then I'll be in A-Level stress!

My DS is doing no revising. He won't get the grades for where he really wants to go, but will get the grades for the back up option which he really doesn't want to go. But I've nagged him for years and nothing works, so it really is all on him now. I'll support him to find a path once he gets the results but I can't force him to revise.

My son is revising now but started very late.

Finding the Cognito site, I'm printing out past papers and he's doing them to find what he doesn't know- thought this might be helpful - it covers all exam boards.

https://cognitoresources.org/home/61574f175f6772cbbb4cfbed

Took dd away for the weekend to see visiting oversees relatives we haven't seen since 2019. Obviously the school would never have given permission to miss the Fri and Mon but we were sensible to check it didn't clash with any exams or unmissable revision.
In the car coming home dd finds her photography exam scheduled for Wed/ Thurs is now 2.5 hrs today, 5 hrs Wed and 2.5 hrs Thurs because of the teachers strikes.
Dd has emailed her teacher to see what happens next.
It's all a shower of shite. She actually did French oral revision and English Lit revision with the kids we were staying with, now this.

Oh what a pain!

I know for the art exam at DS’s school, one boy did his on a different day (they all have the topic and prep work so cheating not really possible!) - can’t remember why but it wasn’t illness related. Hopefully your DD can get her slot another day too.

Tearing my hair out here. DD has got behind on her textile coursework and now is spending every day doing this.....she isn't doing this for A levels. Thankfully needs to be in at whatever stage this Friday. I am more concerned the the things she needs to revise for, she isn't as spending all her time on the course work! Last minute.com to say the least!

@BrightRedLipstick and other parents - don't let your children underestimate the benefits of regular breaks and fresh air. Also, limit study sessions to 45-50 minutes, more than that and brains suffer from overload. Stop doing any thing for an hour before bed, rwlax and get a good nights sleep

Please can I join
DS has had a melt down in his English class when the teacher gave them a past paper under exam conditions. He is mentally struggling so much.
Earlier this year he got diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma. Found out last week that the operation was successful and they got it all out, now just the GCSE's to stress about. His anxiety has always been bad now it's terrible!

Ah it sounds like your ds has been through an awful time. Just focus on keeping him well.

I don't ever remember having any of this stress with gcses. We didn't even revise out of lessons.
Gcse photography today and tomorrow. French oral Friday.
Dds a lot happier for having those 4 days away at the weekend. Last night was declared revision free too.

@Rowgtfc72 yes I agree I don’t remember this level of revision stress by the school at all! Maybe my 50yr brain has forgotten it I do remember Alevels being very hard work far far more than even my degree was so maybe they are just teaching more ahead of AL? I also didn’t do 10 which I think is ridiculous when you only need 5-6 for college L3 courses!! My dd has Spanish oral Friday and super worried about it bless her. She can hold her nerves in top level sporting competitions but hates public speaking even in English let alone in Spanish

We had a positive day yesterday, ds did his final welsh speaking exam and got his history coursework mark which was excellent. He went to bed saying that he had had a good day!!!

@mumonthehill great news!

@WinterMermaid234 agree I'm 51. Sat 8 gcses. My a levels were definitely so much harder than my degree.

I’m 53 and did 5 O Levels!!!
I don’t remember studying for my A levels but I do remember my grades. I don’t mention these to the DCs!!

I got an email yesterday from the Head of Year 11 asking me to encourage DS2 to make a revision timetable. With a bit of cajoling, he’s done it! Now he just needs to stick to it.

Does anyone else’s DCs have a prom/celebration night to look forward to?
It appears that DS2’s schoolisn’t doing anything. DS2 said it’s because a student was caught snorting cocaine at the last one..... probably untrue.

Welcome @CornishGem1975 and I agree with you that you can’t force them to revise. At my DD’s request I’ve backed off completely, we have an agreement that if she wants help with revision she will come to me.

Hope everyone is bearing up, it’ll all be over in a few weeks time. Dd has her Spanish speaking tomorrow, I have no idea how that will go. She missed part of the mock and got a 1! I just hope she can get a pass.

My son's year is going on a boat trip but not until after the exams. Its a nice thing to do - especially for anyone not into discos. Can still dress up. Some of them can be v silly though (my son included) and I'm amazed the teachers are prepared to take them anywhere. Very clear about no alcohol though and anyone turning up drunk won't get on the boat.

@BaconAndAvocado both Dh and I did badly in our A levels. I got CCD and was luckily still accepted onto my first choice uni (offer was CCC).

Dh got DDE! He had to ditch uni and got a poly place. He went on have a successful career and happy life. We remind our DDs of this - there is more to life than grades.

Italian speaking done last week- went well apparently . He's switched to doing Foundation which is less stress.

French speaking tomorrow. Ironically he's supposed to be better at French than Italian but he seems to me to be struggling more.

My DD's school is having the traditional Prom type event.She doesn't want to go too much pressure I think on dressing up etc. I wish they had just a dance and buffet where kids could dress up or just wear normal smart clothes rather than the prom dress and sit down dinner affair. I appreciate lots of kids to enjoy the dressing up.
The boat trip sounds fun but a bit terrifying for the accompanying adults!
DD has had her Spanish and French and now trying to slowly ramp up revision for the main chunk.

I wouldn't like to be an adult supervising all those kids on a boat trip!!! And to be honest the no prom because someone snorted coke at the last one is entirely plausible.

Day one of the art exam done today. Day two tomorrow and then that one’s all over!

My DD has a prom, big country house and all that glitz. She is finding dress hunting and research much more stressful than the small inconvenience of her GCSE's that are happening before the prom!

DD has a barbecue to look forward to at some fancy place. The parents are also invited and tbh I am dreading it. I hate talking to people I don't know. Wondering if I can somehow get out of it. Don't think there is a whole prom dress thing. I think they just wear whatever outfit they want and eat burgers etc.

Tonight was DD's GCSE devising performance so we have one down and 11 to go. She's now done the entirety of one GCSE (equivalent, it's a school-directed course).

I do not remember giving my O levels a second or even a first thought (I am 54 and did 12 just like DD), I just turned up and sat them. There was definitely not this level of panic and stress! I'm not sure I even had a revision timetable, though perhaps I should have done. But I was talking to my DD's headmistress tonight at the show and she seemed appalled that I'd not really bothered with my O levels and told me she had worked really hard for hers and I think she's a similar age to me. So maybe I was just a very lazy child! And I got three Cs at A level and still got into Oxbridge - the world was just different then. I had a 2 Es offer and I don't think that happens now.

@BonjourCrisette I worked really hard for mine - 1985. I put myself under enormous pressure. School and parents were laid back. I was keen and hardworking but not great at retaining stuff. Nearly had a breakdown over A levels. Got to a good uni to do a Subject I loved which was mainly coursework and practical so never had any exam stress. I was probably educated beyond my intelligence!

My son is so laid back that I want to shake him. But I think it might partly be self-preservation as the school piles on the pressure on a ridiculous level. Poor kids. There needs to be a balance.

I think exam pressure has always been a thing but I think our kids have so much angst about other things. Social media pressure is vile (and I probably don't know half of it), state of the economy and future prospects, all that they lost during the pandemic. And such appalling lack of support for MH issues.

A laid back child sounds very relaxing from my perspective! Sounds like your son and my daughter could both benefit from heading the other way a bit!

I guess everyone is different - I was the opposite of you, loved exams and had a great memory but would really have found coursework incredibly difficult (and would have done much much worse in any course that included it).

You're right that they do have a lot of extra pressure compared to when we were young (my O Levels were 1985 too). DD voluntarily took herself off all social media bar BeReal some months ago as she realised that it was making her feel miserable. It has definitely helped her mood.