Page 26 | Anyone up for a GCSE handholding thread?

BaconAndAvocado · 2023-01-08T14:26:37+00:00

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.......

doctorwhonerd · 15/05/2023 20:23

Did anyone's DC do the Drama exam today?? My daughter said it was okay but that there was a mix of responses in her school thinking it was super difficult while others thought it was reasonably easy

bendmeoverbackwards · 15/05/2023 20:24

I’m just wondering if we should be careful discussing exam questions with the contingency day in June?

StandUpForYourRights · 15/05/2023 20:26

bendmeoverbackwards · 15/05/2023 19:28

Thanks @StandUpForYourRights hopefully they’ve done ok on the questions they did answer. Dd is doing Christianity and Judiasm, is it one paper on each does anyone know?

Show quote history

We did Islam and Christianity here. I think it was 2 papers, 1 hr 45 between them

ElfDragon · 15/05/2023 20:33

doctorwhonerd · 15/05/2023 20:23

Did anyone's DC do the Drama exam today?? My daughter said it was okay but that there was a mix of responses in her school thinking it was super difficult while others thought it was reasonably easy

Dd2 did drama today. I’ve only had minimal reporting, but she said it went ok. She didn’t seem too traumatised by it, but is a bit quiet, although I think that’s the reality of the exams actually being here, plus biology looming tomorrow!

Hersetta427 · 15/05/2023 20:35

Yes it’s an 1.45 per paper per religion. Dd is doing Islam and Christianity too.Christianity was today and Islam next week.

Circleoffifths · 15/05/2023 20:38

bendmeoverbackwards · 15/05/2023 20:24

I’m just wondering if we should be careful discussing exam questions with the contingency day in June?

I think contingency day is only used if an exam doesn’t go ahead for some reason. For exams which have taken place then that’s it. They are not going to repeat an exam paper which has already happened for some students on contingency day. For students with clashes there are strict rules around isolation before they sit the paper at a different time.

GinGella · 15/05/2023 20:40

ElfDragon · 15/05/2023 20:33

Dd2 did drama today. I’ve only had minimal reporting, but she said it went ok. She didn’t seem too traumatised by it, but is a bit quiet, although I think that’s the reality of the exams actually being here, plus biology looming tomorrow!

Show quote history

DD had drama, I think the issue was the 32 marker was expected to be only one character (actor??) to consider for the response but it asked for a relationship which has never happened before so they have all prepped at DD school for it to be considered from one characters point of view. Apparently, it can be any live theatre (including monologues), so DD teacher said this was very unusual. She said other than that it was OK, she wanted to maximise marks on this after a not brilliant devised so she was abit gutted but hopefully shaken it off for biology tomorrow!!

BunnyNumNum · 15/05/2023 20:41

Drama today for DD. She said it was okay but there were others in tears who ran out of time. School forgot to give out the scripts until half way through which won’t have helped.

Hellocatshome · 15/05/2023 20:42

Yes as far as I am aware contingency day is if there if an exam doesn't go ahead for everybody for some reason not for individual students who miss an exam. if you miss it you miss it, if it clashes you are kept in isolation until you can sit the exam on the same day as everyone else.

Titsywoo · 15/05/2023 21:02

DS had both Christianity and Islam today - 2 papers of an hour each. The next RE exam is the abortion/euthanisia/divorce etc type of stuff - think they are called Theme A/B/F etc etc. DS finds these easier as he loves a good debate.

sugarapplelane · 15/05/2023 21:08

GinGella · 15/05/2023 20:40

DD had drama, I think the issue was the 32 marker was expected to be only one character (actor??) to consider for the response but it asked for a relationship which has never happened before so they have all prepped at DD school for it to be considered from one characters point of view. Apparently, it can be any live theatre (including monologues), so DD teacher said this was very unusual. She said other than that it was OK, she wanted to maximise marks on this after a not brilliant devised so she was abit gutted but hopefully shaken it off for biology tomorrow!!

Show quote history

My DD said exactly the same.
Her school had focused on prepping them to write about 1 character, not relationships. But she managed to write 5 pages so hopefully she’s done enough to get the mark she wants.

christmastreefarm · 15/05/2023 21:23

My daughter has decided the place to watch her science you tube videos is in bed with me - speakers not headphones. I'm learning more than I am interested in about photosynthesis and lactic acid!

Rowgtfc72 · 15/05/2023 21:24

Dd has just come downstairs with her biology flashcards and recited to me the entire workings of the heart then burst into tears. There's breakfast club in the morning with more of the same.
I don't even remember revising for my GCSEs. What are we doing to our kids?

BonjourCrisette · 15/05/2023 22:09

Mine has also cried about Biology tonight. It's her weakest subject and she's spent all night in a bit of a state.

And I also don't remember revising for my exams. It's all crazy.

Taswama · 15/05/2023 22:37

We have no revision for the exam tomorrow rule. This was after i read Why we sleep, which includes research on how people do better after 2 nights sleep since they last revised a topic.

So today I got Ds to watch some Macbeth but that was it. Bed at 9.30pm.

School did a biology revision session this afternoon and will squeeze a German one in after the biology exam but I have no control over that.

Hellocatshome · 15/05/2023 22:40

Taswama · 15/05/2023 22:37

We have no revision for the exam tomorrow rule. This was after i read Why we sleep, which includes research on how people do better after 2 nights sleep since they last revised a topic.

So today I got Ds to watch some Macbeth but that was it. Bed at 9.30pm.

School did a biology revision session this afternoon and will squeeze a German one in after the biology exam but I have no control over that.

DSs school have obviously missed this research. For a morning exam they have a revision booster after school the day before and at 8am on the day of the exam. For afternoon exams they have a revision booster at lunchtime immediately prior to the exam.

SheilaFentiman · 15/05/2023 22:50

Just sent a biology addled DS1 to bed. He’s a bit worried.

Infracat · 15/05/2023 22:50

My son is really annoyed with himself as he thinks he messed up one of the drama questions. Hes stressing over it but Ive told him to try and forget about it now. And move on. Whats done is done etc. Hes being very hard on himself. I also dont ever remember GCSEs being so stressful or having so much pressure surrounding them.

Infracat · 15/05/2023 22:51

My son has also gone to bed stressing about biology. He said there is just so much content to know.

BonjourCrisette · 15/05/2023 22:57

I keep telling DD I don't care at all about whatever grade she gets in Biology. She wants to do Eng Lit at university so Biology is completely irrelevant. But she too is stressed out. I have to say, there seems to be a lot more to learn in it than when I did my exams nearly forty years ago. I recognise about half of the Biology syllabus I think. The rest isn't hard as such but there really is a lot of it. I'm not convinced lots of rote learning is the best use of anyone's time.

SheilaFentiman · 15/05/2023 23:05

Yes that’s whaT DS said, so much content. Especially with the quotes and poems needed for Wed as well

DownTheRabbitHoIe · 15/05/2023 23:13

DS has had the evening off revision and has watched the football. He's technically been on revision leave for a couple of weeks but has been going into school and going to revision classes at the time when he would have had his normal lessons.

He's got exams every day this week, one next week and then nothing until after half term so it's going to be a bit intense for a short while.

BonjourCrisette · 15/05/2023 23:29

Good luck for tomorrow, everyone!

TeenDivided · 16/05/2023 06:31

DD (y13, MH issues) in pieces last night again saying she can't cope with doing the maths on Friday and please don't make her. It's going to be a long few days. (Which is why I am distracting myself with this thread. Also my thread in Further Education about resits elicited precisely no one.)

Good luck to all for Biology.

christmastreefarm · 16/05/2023 06:37

@BonjourCrisette My DD is also looking to do English Lit at uni, hates science. So whatever she gets I don't really care. She still worries though.