Y11 2023-24 continued

[Techno56]

New thread for when the other one fills up, I need somewhere to panic away from my son 😁

Similarly to @deuxgarcons it is English reading GCSE today.

DS is on study leave, so we encourage him to go to gym / football / rugby with his friends a few times a week. He works hard, and he needs to rest sometimes.

Good luck to all the kids. Friday will be tough and next week will be even harder.

Joining in too! "We" (and it does feel a bit like that) had English reading today too. He's got loads crammed in between today and 20th May then a 2 week gap (admittedly one of which is half term) before the others which are much more already out. He's child 2 but No 1 was due to do them in 2020 which of course didn't happen.

I feel so rubbish, absolute dread for the next few weeks and trying to hide it from my son. Roll on June 17th or even just the 24th May after which things look a little easier.

I've just done an online shop for a small treat for each day she has an exam. 18 days. Things like some toe separators, paper Pom-poms, small art canvas, herb seeds, etc.

sostrenegrene have lots of tiny eco friendly bits and bobs. I'd usually have gone to Tiger, but ran out of time. Cost me about £40 which I figured is worth it.

Good luck people and our kids 💐
Drama tomorrow and Biology day after here as well.
any last minute checklist, I asked her many times now about the pencil case ready, I am sure she will be fussing about it tmrw, when it’s time to leave.
Also she normally goes by train and then there is 10 minutes walk to school, I was wondering what would you do, two schools at the very centre of a town, I can only imagine the no of cars there trying to drop kids off.. but I also don’t think walking in the mid day heat would be fun.
DH as usual is not very helpful, we have done this before, not a big deal vibe. DD is my first and I have no idea how to proceed, I can’t drive that far, so it would be either taxi or train I guess :(
I really want this to be as easier as possible for her.

DD just cleaned the stickers off her calculator and then came and asked me if it was ok if she had got it wet?!!!

arggg
seems ok so far, I’ve told her to put it face down and leave it until tomorrow. We don’t have a spare and they don’t make the one she has anymore. I’m sure it will be fine but it’s one thing I could have done without worrying about as I already have nightmares about the battery giving out mid exam. She says they’v e been told there won’t be spares, but there will, won’t there??!!

first exam tomorrow - RE

Those of you with more than one child, can I just say I feel for you. Once is enough for this !

I have ordered American sweets, and this amzn.eu/d/dXRoGPt which will likely get eye rolled, but I like it.
Calms and rescue remedy, too
I am on the lookout for daily treats that aren't all sweets. Boys are so hard

I'm with you on that!

I have this for the next 4years, as DD1 this year, DD2 next year, then two years of A-levels!!

Roll on june 14th
I want to ask a question- realistically for an academically able student who wants to go to a high ranking uni, do GCSE results matter alot - as in not all 8s and 9s

@dinomirror To some extent, yes. You generally don’t need “perfect” grades for, say, Oxbridge or medicine but to a varying extent they may affect the outcome of an application. Increasingly Oxbridge (and e.g. Imperial) rely more on subject aptitude tests, but not all subjects run them. Medicine is a minefield as literally every medical school scores applications differently. Some place significant weight on GCSEs and others don’t, relying much more on UCAT scores and interviews. There are some very knowledgeable people on both the Oxbridge and Medicine entry threads in Higher Education who are always up to speed on the specifics by course and institution.

For other institutions which don’t run entry tests there can be a surprisingly high GCSE threshold in any given year. E.g. (again in the HE section on here) on this year’s university entry threads there have been excellent candidates rejected from, say, Durham for Economics (high-demand subject at popular university) for getting really very good strings of GCSEs but dipping below an 8 in one or two - and the feedback indicating that that was where they fell below other applicants. It’s tough because nowhere would it be written that that’s an entry requirement for such a course, it’s just that in a given year for a very popular course they have to find ways to distinguish between the many excellent applicants.

Sorry for the essay!

I’ve been trying to point this out to DD. She should (could) get all 8s and 9s. In reality I don’t think she will, shes not really worked hard enough. She said just tonight that it doesn’t really matter as she only needs 3 6s and 5 4s for college and she will definitely get this… but trying to low key emphasise that it might not be enough if she wants a place at competitive uni, as earlier this year we had a really rough patch & I have been mostly grateful we are ticking along… tricky!

In the same position as you @WarningOfGails. Its basically a given she will get 6+ in all subjects but for some (eng lit!) she could try a lot harder- she started too late i think. However shes a person who places her self worth on her grades so results day should be fun

Jeez dd will be sat down now paper in front of her. This is her most important exam, it’s her favourite subject. How this goes will dictate the mood for the rest. Arggggghg.

Country** fingers crossed for her!

Don't know about you but after actually having kids I've found the stress leading up to exams one of the most ageing experiences of my life

Inspired by so many of you getting treats for them I'm out shopping now and saw there is a Hello magazine Taylor Eras Tour special magazine and thought oooh, DD would love that and it would encourage her to curl up one afternoon and relax

... £10 fucking pounds?!!!!!! Christ on a bike.

Still may get it though!

Good luck, everyone! DS had English language yesterday and has Biology and Physics on Friday. Physics is the one he's most worried about. Then 7 more exams next week, which is going to be tough. He's on study leave so is enjoying the opportunity to get a bit more sleep, which at least helps with tiredness. Getting up for the morning exams will be a challenge though!

My DD too! I don't know what to do with myself to be honest! I need to get a grip though as there's still 20 exams to go after this. And breathe...

I am glad you said that, exact situation for me. Eng- most kids in school only got 5/6, so go into defence mode BUT also want 9 in everything.
I am worried about the result day for exact reasons

Thinking ahead to results day - is there a protocol?! I mean, do parents go into the hall? Wait outside the school? Wait nervously at home? I guess it's what your DC wants you to do in the end.

It went very well, yay! And we’re off… biology and German tomorrow.

DD currently appears to be eating the entire contents of my fridge 🤨

@MamOfTwo having been through it last year, I think it really varies. Some schools don't have the kids go in at all. Most do. At first my DD had said not to go with her. On the day she changed her mind. I waited outside nervously with other parents. She then came out with her envelope and opened it with me there. It's very nerve wracking!

School have said the students are to go in between 9.30 and 10.30 on results day. It’s walking distance from home, so no excuse to accompany her! I think we will just wait for the phone call. It will be my birthday, so cake will be available at home whatever happens 🎂

(I also got my O-Level results on my 16th birthday - the postman came early and my Mum hid the envelope in amongst my pile of birthday cards!).