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.......

No, I mean she has done all of History, all of Drama and all of Eng Lang. I don't know how many exams in total. It's 12 GCSEs (and three are all done with, all exams and assessments complete).

Ah 12 subjects not 12 exams that makes a lot more sense. They have started super early then to get 3 whole subjects done already.

They started last week. But most of Drama was already done as it is a lot of practical assessment etc.

Students sitting Cambridge IGCSE (likely to be mostly at private school or independent candidates (probably HE)) have had Eng Lang last week and other subjects too.

The vast majority of GCSEs and IGCSEs are examined starting from next week (leaving aside speaking exams and art or other NEA).

I presume the Cambridge ICGSE exams are earlier as a lot of students are not in the UK so the UK's exam timetable doesn't affect them?

@MargaretThursday yes I remember ours being much more more spaced out too. No English exams and I only did 9 subjects, but even so. I wonder if there was only 1 exam in some subjects because of all the coursework. Also we did lots of different exam boards, which might have added a bit of random variation.

DD's are nearly all AQA and it's relentless, basically every day for 4 weeks. I feel so sorry for them, especially with having to stay in lessons between exams.

@Piony same, I did all coursework for English language and English literature and a history coursework project. Plus I only did 9 GCSEs in total.

DD has 24 papers, she is fed up already. Just hoping that once they start things will settle down as often the build up is just overwhelming. Right now I think it's best to back off or she will be in total meltdown.

My son has a day off exams for his birthday too @MargaretThursday !

He has two days with clashes as he is doing politics AS as an extra subject. On those days he has two exams almost back to back ( he gets extra time so the small gap is even smaller). He's been told he can bring food to eat on those two days but container has to be completely transparent with no writing.

All of our 'tupperware' has the brand name on so I found some cheap ones in town with just symbols. He took it in today but was told not acceptable. So it will be clingfilmed sandwich and a few bananas I think!

I don't know how many exams DD has. She's not up for detailed discussion, unfortunately. She's working each evening though, and her mocks were ok, so I have to trust that she is doing what she needs to. She starts on Monday for a full four weeks. She has two days somewhere with no exam, but needs to be in school anyway. I'm trying not to show it, but I'm more anxious than she is, and certainly a lot more anxious than when I did my own, which felt like a total non-event .

My DS on study leave today, although they have compulsory revision sessions throughout the exam period even in between morning and afternoon exams. I really feel for him, it's going to be exhausting.
DD is at 6th form college doing A levels, no study leave until after half term and she has 4 exams before then - she's not happy.
It's going to be a long 6 weeks.

Ah best of best wishes to all your DC.

DS2 (now 20) was the only one of mine to do the revised GCSEs, ie wit no coursework, which certainly took the burden of exam off a bit for DS1 and DD.

I recall DS2, who is normally pretty laid back tbh, getting up one morning about halfway through, when he had had a particularly heavy week of 8-9 exams, and saying "oh I am fed up with these GCSE exams now."

Remember that a heavy week especially at first will get a good number out of the way. Advise ignoring any that are after half term now - there is a clear empty nine days to work on history (or whatever is in June).

But anyway, it is not the work they do now that will show what they know, but the work they have done for the last two years or even the last five, or even (maths and Eng) the last 11. Believe that they will do their best and show what they can do. And provide many many snacks!

@Clary "Advise ignoring any that are after half term now - there is a clear empty nine days to work on history (or whatever is in June)."

Thank you. DD is doing exactly this but the "history or whatever" is 10 exams. Half term seems a complete unknown - I'd assumed she'll spend it cramming but I'm starting to think she'll be burned out by then. We will just have to fit round her at the time.

But 10 exams is probs about half - so right now, focus on the ones that start on Monday and take up those first two weeks.

Then they can kiss goodbye to Eng lit and computing and German and half of their science exams. And focus fully on final work for what's to come. It deffo helped mine to compartmentalise a bit.

But I agree, spend some time in half term relaxing as well.

The exams are really spread out so only English language is exclusively after half term.

Dd has become brought home a double sided A4 sheet with exams and revision sessions s on.
All very real now
It kicks off Tues with combined science.
She's already completed photography, half of engineering and French oral.
After school study sessions are no longer compulsory and she's said she will be coming home to study in peace.

well the timetable shows Spanish, music and stats are also all after half term - tho of course limited numbers of students take those subjects. But I meant there will be elements that can wait - the physics topics on the paper after half term can be left until that week, for example.

Timing of exams depends on exam boards, surely?

At least the core subjects are all aligned. They might all be, not sure.
(Not iGCSEs).

Yes that's fair enough @clary . I am trying to get ds to focus on paper 1 content if paper 2 is after half term.

No they are all at the same time on the same day - otherwise there would be horrendous clashes as many schools choose different exam boards for different subjects.

Edxcel IGCSE mostly aligns as well (some oddities such as all of the French, inc writing, being the same day, which AQA has the writing exam later). Just Cambridge IGCSE has early ones. But they seem to be outside the usual run to some extent (ie this week and last week) so not an issue with clashes.

@cclary
Love the many many snacks suggestions!
I am stumped for ideas for that too.
Maybe I start a new thread for GCSE snack suggestions to stop me from worrying about the other stuff.
It's all very real now for the DC with school almost finishing.
Mine is so emotional.
Apologies for jumping in. I was on this thread before under a different name!

Thanks both for explaining

@DarkChocHolic yes GCSE snacks really is the key issue!

It's quite stressful isn't it? Only a few days to go now. Like most others it sounds, my DD's start on Monday for 4 weeks. She has been working really hard, so the thing for her is just to manage the stress, sleep and eat properly. She puts a lot of pressure on herself and she goes to bed really late, whatever I say about it. We have been going for walks in the local park to go over flashcards, which at least gets her out of the house.