GCSE support - the final frontier!

[SheilaFentiman]

These are the voyages of the GCSE Enterprise. To support our DCs, bemoan exam boards and to boldly go through the last fortnight like no one has gone before!

Whoops, sorry! Thanks for pointing that out.😡

Ds has just gone off for Geography . Fingers crossed to everyone doing Geography this afternoon

It's ok! There's so much info out there! It's nice that people share 😊

DD said OCR Triple Physics was 'alright'.

She has done to the Library to revise for Geography. 75 more minutes and she is done.

Its great how we have gone from counting the weeks, to the days, to the minutes!!!

DD said AQA combined higher physics was not awful but not great. Physics is her weaker paper so hope the other 2 sciences will pull her marks up. One more to go on Monday with Textiles. Good luck in Geography everyone.

I do feel for the geographers! Friday afternoon on what is most people's last day and in this heat!

DS happy to be finished for the weekend. Still got statistics and further maths but the end is in sight!

Lost count of the times my DD has pointed out the "everyone else" finishes on Friday but she still has to do D&T on Monday, and every time I point out that the others in her D&T class won't have finished ...

She found Physics "really good" this morning but now has to stay focused for Geography this afternoon.. then she is partly celebrating with a few friends (who have finished!) with a pool party/sleepover tonight!
Then to enthuse herself for Tech revision over the weekend 🥳

DS is more than fed up he's not done yet and additional maths is one of the last exams - it's a slog to get him to do anything and DD1 is very much on edge about Monday's chem - so I'm fed up as they are very grumpy and snappy with me.

DD said Physics AQA triple was ok, not as good as paper 1 but not bad.

Anyway, we are done! DD is going to spend the afternoon watching films and wallowing in the sadness of leaving school. Good luck to those doing Geography and tech subjects next week.

DS said Edexcel Physics was pretty easy.

He's still got the Food Prep exam on Tuesday. Not sure how much revision will be done for that!

It's his birthday on Monday, then he's off to Spain for 4 nights with a friend and his family.

Had a friend pestering me that I should go out and celebrate! Tonight! Turkish restaurant! With my dc and hers !

Is anyone else totally knackered? I don’t know what time I woke up and have been nervous until I hear exam went well I just…
And been in this cycle for so long I just want an evening doing ….nothing….

Other people don’t understand!!!!

I want to do nothing tonight when the kids get home. Is that boring?

Can’t imagine ds wants to go out into town? Can do that tomorrow evening or properly planned maybe Sunday. He can go out with his friends tonight I don’t fancy dragging him around. (Friend doesn’t have a son doing exams!)

I'm on my knees. Literally at one point - had a mega mega migraine this morning and keeled over on the kitchen floor, and then had to crawl to the sofa. So dignified. DS was brilliant - brought me tea and pancakes and stayed with me until my meds kicked in. There's not a hope of me going out and celebrating today!!

(And all my DS cares about is that the new Grand Tour is out on Prime!)

I'm going to go pick up DD after geography as all her close friends finished with physics this morning. Plus it is boiling out there and it's a mile walk home. Maybe we'll go for an ice cream on the way back. She is rather gutted she still has the final astronomy paper on Tuesday, and has saved revising for it to this weekend! Can smell the end though, hope everyone else gets to enjoy a relaxing weekend!

I've been a bundle of nerves during this GCSE period and I have been remembering my own exam experiences. I did one of the last years of O levels and was at a selective state grammar school. My parents were interested in my schooling but not at all anxious or involved in any way. They didn't have any expectations of revision or preparation and did not help in a practical way. I suspect they enquired how exams went, but it was very low key. I'm not convinced they even knew what options I had chosen. In the late 1980s this seemed very normal amongst my friendship group, except for the really high achievers (destined for Oxbridge) whose parents did seem more invested. I wonder when and why this changed? I went on to do A levels and attended a now Russel Group university but I still think I would have achieved better grades with more parental input. No point in this post but just something I have been pondering abstractly whilst stressing about DS.

Just waiting to see how ds did with WJEC history. We are going out for a meal later but like others I feel very tired!!!

lord, we have just worked out that first exam was art on 22 Mar and last will be additional maths on 21 Jun. Three whole months!

@SirSidneyRuffDiamond

I can kind of relate to that.

My mum left when I was 14 and I had to stay with my abusive father.

This was 30 years ago.

As the eldest daughter I was expected to cook, clean, wash, iron...everything.

My dad would shout at me for still being up studying when he got back from the pub.

I got 3xA*, 4xAs and 3xBs in the end and went on to do A Levels and then to the University of Leeds.

Said father then kicked me out for back chatting one day so I went to stay with my sister and then got a bedsit aged 19.

Had to leave University and make my part time job full time in order to pay my rent and feed myself.

I simply cannot imagine my DC going through what I did.

I support them in every way I can.

I had a tough childhood and have been through a lot in muly life to say I'm only 44....but you know what, its made me tough!

I hope my DC at least inherit that from me!

DS finishes today....he's going out with friends with a trip to the barbers thrown in.
Hallelujah!!! He's been sporting Jack Grealish luscious locks for months....he's now going to get a skin fade just because he is no longer bound by the school rule of "no shorter than a grade 2".

Also cannot wait to throw all his books away lol.

No word from DD -but it seems from feedback here that Physics (higher) AQA was okay - I have somehow committed to having a few friends sleeping over tonight after a party! BUT - I am recycling paper and notes, packing up study guides in a box to pass on and am DELIGHTED to be able to see our table - it will be good to eat not having things balancing precariously on books - and constantly shuffling piles of paper and books - goodbye clutter!

DD's friends all seem to be going out to have various things pierced. Fortunately she's a bit of a wuss so keeps saying 'perhaps I'll just get a second one in my earlobes - but there are septums, belly buttons, eyebrows - the lot. Is this a standard rite of passage, or a reflection on just how ridiculously strict her school has been on earrings?

Getting ready to go and collect from Geog with sleeping bag and changes of clothes in hand for some hang out later! I wonder how long it will be before we’re moaning they’re not doing anything or lying in bed all day! That did make me laugh earlier. DS threatening an all nighter on the Xbox tomorrow - trying to get through to him that eldest DS with A levels might not appreciate him shouting at 4am on his head set!
Best of luck to those next week!! I feel for those in Geog in this heat for sure! 🤞🤞🤞