GCSE supporting - to half term, and beyond!

[SheilaFentiman]

Making a new thread to support half term revision and the set of GCSEs afterwards!

DD has a birthday at the end if the month and received her NI number this week. We'd had a letter about it a month or two earlier.

I'm not sure about NI queries, but we've been astonished to get calls answered at 8am on a Saturday morning.

4 more exams for us.

By the time DS came back from eating chicken wings and hanging around in the local park, he couldn't remember anything about the Biology exam. He has this knack of just walking out, and forgetting it all. So, who knows.

And his hay fever has really flared up this evening (due to having been in the park) even though he's been heavily medicating for the past 2 months.

@filchards you are probably an expert on dealing with hay fever but just in case, I get mine to take a shower and put their clothes in the washing machine, it can help a little.

@CornishCoast - thank you - tips always welcome! He was in his school uniform, so that all went in the wash anyway (well, the floor ...and I picked it up...). But a shower would have been a good idea. I've told him to dab around his eyes with a wet handkerchief or flannel and not rub them!

A shower might, in any case, have been nice. It really is sweaty boy season!

Down to the final 6 here. This is taking so long. English, chemistry physics, maths and geography next week. Further maths the week after. AQA higher biology was a gift apparently, not quite so positive about edxcel geography. Luckily biology not geography is an a level choice. She's not 16 till July so can't get a job yet but we had her national insurance number about a month ago. Also the confim what there doing to keep chid benefits one too.

DD and her pals didn't like Biology much today. Huge paper - over 30 pages.
Even DD's very able friend thought Geography was awful this morning (AQA)

Ds said geography went ok, not so sure about biology. He much prefers the political / economics side of geography to the natural geography in paper 1.

To pp saying her dd says you can't revise for paper 3 geography, I think you need to learn the case studies you have done on the local area, so you can apply them to the questions, e.g. being able to talk about the river you have studied.

DS is planning to do maths, physics and one of chemistry, biology or history for A Level. He also wants to do Politics which he will have an AS in as it was an extra curricular at his high school. So effectively 4 A Levels in year 12 and 3 in year 13.

DD did Edexcel Triple Biology which although she said was fine, this just means she thinks she's hopefully scrapped a pass combined with the marks from the first Biology exam which she hated. She was a bit annoyed that quite a few things she revised weren't in it. She's glad never to do Biology again. She much prefers Chemistry and physics.

I'm very intrigued as to what her grades will be. She's revised fairly consistently since Feb this year after the mocks which were not great for her. She's more interested in her social life than school but has made an impressive concerted effort. It remains to see if it's enough. I think it's enough to pass but definitely no 8s or 9s. I'll be ecstatic if she gets a 7 in anything. She is doing highers and triple so is capable but left it too late plus combined with let's say personal issues which are resolved but were something of an academic hindrance.

We should have a GCSE results thread when the time comes so we can commiserate, or show joy if they've done exceptionally well or just breathe a sigh of relief that they've scrapped a pass or just did fine.

And offer advice to those that need to retake maths or English because that's going to sting a bit.

@HappiDaze My DS did that Edexcel Biology paper too, and was both pleased and annoyed that the topics which required most "rote learning" didn't appear. Bio is his least favourite science (unlike my DD who did it for A-level; in fact they had no overlapping subject choices at GCSE either!)

No feedback at all about Biology here. At first DD was quite chatty about the exams, but has become increasingly monosyllabic about them as they've gone on. I think she's just wiping each one from her mind and on to the next one, which to be fair seems quite a good approach.

Six to go...

No Plan B discussions here - the Sixth Form she's decided on needs lower grades than the other option she was considering and she should definitely get them based on all her previous results. Lots of discussions about the lovely long summer that's almost in touching distance now though!

Ds said the triple science aqa biology was good but others really disliked it. It's his least favourite science so he's glad it's done.
Next week is his busiest one for exams.

DS tells me that Edexcel Geo paper 3 is mostly about knowing methodology from fieldwork undertaken. A bit like knowing the core practicals in the sciences. No need to memorise your own results from that fieldwork IYSWIM.

My daughters comment was they won't actually know the results of your fieldwork. So I guess if you write something vaguely logical who is to know they wrote the wrong numbers.....

DS slept for 14 hours ! He’s doing chemistry revision now. He said he doesn’t need any help with the sciences he knows what he’s doing with science. Great. Has chosen chemistry as his fourth option for A levels. So random! I’d have suggested geography or history. Who does physics AND chemistry at A level? Errr

I know it’s a (good problem), a non problem because most would be so happy for 6,7,8, but he wants grade 9s. He’s consistently got grade 9s and aced all his mocks (English was his lowest with a predicted 6) but he is making minor silly mistakes in the exams (out of nerves or something) and has never had to consider a plan B. And he is in tears after each exam that he wants to do for A-Levels. I would say what a spoilt brat, but he has put in the hard work.
The teachers have given the other students the time so they can at least get 6,7 and he has been stagnant since his last mocks. Not improving, not feeling challenged, not learning. Practice papers it’s 100% timed practice. He’s had to do other exam board papers. Maybe I should have put him into extra maths classes for further maths or something. Why is he going blank in exams? Does he just accept an 8 and be happy? Maybe he’s not good under pressure. (I don’t dare tell him that though!)
Oh well.

He’s also done his music exam and got a distinction. That’s where his talent is really - but he doesn’t want to pursue music.
I can’t talk about this to other parents. Not sure I can even say it here. Maybe he’s watched those bloggers who have got all grade 9s, and wants to do that.

DS says biology (I think AQA) was odd in that it didn't have lots of the things that were on their revision list. But it did have a question he'd have expected in paper 1, and it also had a question where it gave you the info in a picture and then asked you about it. He thought it went well though.

Geography was 'fine'.

Anyway, 18 down, six to go. Every time he does an exam from now on, that subject will be finished (for GCSE anyway).

@DontForgetToBreathe I do know the feeling... my DS will be disappointed by 7s or 8s rather than 9s, although he'll probably end up with some. He's also musical and sporty. I have no idea how long he can keep all those balls in the air, we'll see.

But as for Who does physics AND chemistry at A level? it's a very common combination, along with maths/FM, for people interested in physical sciences and engineering.

@DontForgetToBreathe That's a lot of pressure for him to put himself under. In my experience the people who felt like this generally did get the top grades, but it's very stressful for everyone around them – especially when it comes to the results.

Maybe he can spend the summer doing other things he really enjoys - keeping up with his music, which will be a great hobby/outlet if he's not carrying on with it academically and therefore isn't under pressure with it. And lots of reassurance that what's done is done. He's put the work in and while it might be nice to get lots of 9s, it's also enough to get just the grades that he needs.

Ds is planning physics and chemistry at Alevel. When I did my alevels we were advised not to mix science and humanities subjects. I had to fight to be able to do chemistry

I would have thought physics and chemistry was a pretty standard combination of choices for those interested in science

Does anyone have any good Chemistry online resources to recommend? It is definitely the weakest subject here, combined with poor teaching, so just hoping to pass (not taking it any further).

We are AQA board, separate sciences, and have the CGP revision guides and organiser/retriever. We’ve found the Maths Tutor videos good for maths so just wonders if there is anything similar for Chemistry that would be good for last minute going over things?

Cognito online and free

Okay that’s reassuring to know! @Changes17 and everyone above answering, thank you for understanding and not judging. I did Art. Always knew I would, as that’s where my talent was. Was naturally good at it, and despite getting As in science and Maths and other subjects I had to fight to do just Art for A levels. I knew I didn’t want to go to university, (or didn’t imagine myself to be doing that tbh) so I have different experience with A levels.
I understand doing things like you’re obsessed with it, and I didn’t feel the pressure during maths and science exams because art was mostly coursework.

I just have to try and help, by not helping. But that Hitler vid does make him laugh because it’s him. I’ve told him to maybe get a sense of humour and just revise like he did during his mock exams. Not like he GOT A 9. I don’t know if the actual exams are harder or his revision style has changed and he’s complacent and comfortable in his mind.

Yes, @PhotoDad Ds is musical and sporty too. Highly driven. What’s the revision style your DS has? My son’s room looks like some serial killers with history timelines and post it notes on the walls and piles of books on the floor that you can barely walk across. Mind you, better than my room was I guess with the smell of white spirit and paints hahaha

This thread is a lifesaver. I feel my friends in RL would have blocked me by now

DD's chosen 6th form has some odd rules about A levels (aside from their insistence on a average of a grade 6 accross every GCSE taken) meaning that if you choose Physics A level you must also take maths A level and if you take Economics you must take Maths as well.

DD is taking Biology, Chemistry and PE (although chemistry may be switched out for Maths depending on results I expect). SHe is also taking a DISE level 3 BTEC (Dipolma in Sporting excellence) which is a condition of her taking a place at her sports academy.