Anyone else got a revision refuser (GCSE)

Original poster

Jennywren8 · 28/04/2024 11:04

Got all the study guides, offered to sit with him/help his revise/test him, and nada. He got 3s in his mocks so with just a bit of work he could come away with some 4s. Am gutted, I was such a self motivated grafter at his age.

OP posts:

Waitingfordoggo · 28/04/2024 11:06

I have a GCSE non-reviser and an A level one as well. Both claim they are doing some but I don’t see much evidence of it. I was also not a reviser so I suppose this is karma.

EarthlyNightshade · 28/04/2024 11:26

I had this last year and it was really hard (for me). We were in the lofty position that he had 4s mainly in mocks (a few 3s) and despite doing no work, he attended revision sessions and came away with 4s and 5s. He was delighted with this, and while Y12 has been a nightmare (for unrelated reasons), these results won't hold back his future choices.

What does your DS want to do next? Has he got a backup plan if he does get 3s?

sashh · 28/04/2024 11:27

Don't ask to revise ask them questions about their subjects. Things like, "how do you say XYZ in.." for MFL.

In history ask questions about the period they are studying, so "What caused X to declare war"?

Waitingfordoggo · 28/04/2024 11:33

@EarthlyNightshade Similar here. DS’s mock results were mostly 4s and 5s and a couple of 3s. The 3s were in subjects he doesn’t ’need’ to pass so he’s not too bothered 🙄 I’ve come to the conclusion I can’t make him care about English Literature and have made my peace with that 😂

He does go to quite a few of the school revision sessions (before and after school) despite not revising at home so at least he’s doing something.

ArchaeoSpy · 28/04/2024 12:07

could you showcase the earning potential from having good grades as a motivator etc ?

Byth · 28/04/2024 12:24

Me. I have one.

He refused to revise for mocks as apparently nobody bothers too and was going to start revising for the real ones when the time came. I told him it would be too late by then but he didn’t listen. He’s refused to go to after school revision class because his friends weren’t going.

I have bought every revision guide, every set of flash cards, we have every set of revision cards his sister made 2 years ago. He still didn’t start.

He started thinking about revising 2 weeks ago but has now realised he’s left it too late and that he can’t revise 2 years worth of work in such a short amount of time so there’s no point even trying.

He got 2s and 3s in his mocks so I keep saying just one mark could drag him into the 4s in some subjects but I may as well talk to the wall.

So frustrating as every teacher has said he had the potential to get 5s and 6s.

I’ve even offered financial rewards for getting 4s in the hope he’d do something but no, that’s not worked either.

Feels like such a bloody waste. I’m beyond frustrated.

Original poster

Jennywren8 · 28/04/2024 12:39

Byth · 28/04/2024 12:24

Me. I have one.

He refused to revise for mocks as apparently nobody bothers too and was going to start revising for the real ones when the time came. I told him it would be too late by then but he didn’t listen. He’s refused to go to after school revision class because his friends weren’t going.

I have bought every revision guide, every set of flash cards, we have every set of revision cards his sister made 2 years ago. He still didn’t start.

He started thinking about revising 2 weeks ago but has now realised he’s left it too late and that he can’t revise 2 years worth of work in such a short amount of time so there’s no point even trying.

He got 2s and 3s in his mocks so I keep saying just one mark could drag him into the 4s in some subjects but I may as well talk to the wall.

So frustrating as every teacher has said he had the potential to get 5s and 6s.

I’ve even offered financial rewards for getting 4s in the hope he’d do something but no, that’s not worked either.

Feels like such a bloody waste. I’m beyond frustrated.

Gosh, you sound in exactly the same boat at me and are DSs are acting almost identically. It's so gutting as he was predicted 5s but 3s and some 2s in his mocks. Phones/social media distractions don't help. I guess there is comfort that the school will be ramming key points down their throats at the moment so hopefully some will absorb in. In a panic I have got him a maths and English tutor but very last minute and only has had 2 sessions and not much time to do many more. He has responded well to these thankfully but too little too late

OP posts:

Original poster

Jennywren8 · 28/04/2024 12:42

EarthlyNightshade · 28/04/2024 11:26

I had this last year and it was really hard (for me). We were in the lofty position that he had 4s mainly in mocks (a few 3s) and despite doing no work, he attended revision sessions and came away with 4s and 5s. He was delighted with this, and while Y12 has been a nightmare (for unrelated reasons), these results won't hold back his future choices.

What does your DS want to do next? Has he got a backup plan if he does get 3s?

He has a conditional offer at sixth form and a conditional offer for the local college where he can do level 3/2/1 - the college course is more what he's interested than the subjects at college but they have to be much more self motivated at college I understand and his current approach doesn't bode well..

OP posts:

Popfan · 28/04/2024 13:33

Does he understand he will have to resit english and maths? My DS is pretty resistant and hasn't done much but he really doesn't want to have to sit through more English and maths lessons and so has really started to pull his finger out. We aren't worrying about english lit and really focusing on english lang.
He does have maths and English tutors which helps. Suggest he focuses on english and maths and 3 others. The school will also be doing lots of revision in lessons too. Are there any extra lessons after school / lunchtimes?
Rightly or wrongly financial rewards for studying can work well too!

I can't wait for it all to be over!

FunnysInLaJardin · 28/04/2024 13:44

I had one of these. DS1 did no revision at all and managed to pass 6 GCSE's with 3 6's and 3 4's. He was capable of 7's in all subjects but just wasn't interested in working.

It was enough to get him into college to do a BTEC in games design which he should pass this year and then on to uni to study electronic music production.

However he had a week long exam last week and fell asleep at least twice! He has also done no revision, but in the end it is his life and he must live it as he sees fit.

DH finds it very frustrating as he was a real worker, I however was far more like DS1 and so I reap what I have sown!

SamPoodle123 · 28/04/2024 14:34

Have you tried some incentives? I know some people are not keen to offer rewards for good grades, but I do not see what the big deal is to offer some reward for hard work. It worked for me as a dc, who was not always keen to study. I wanted a dog for years and finally my parents agreed I could get a dog if I got all A's on my next report card (truthfully, they just thought it would not happen because although I was smart, I just did not always apply myself). But with the promise of the dog and from no help at all from my parents, I came with an all A report card and got my dog :) Mum was never keen on getting a dog, but after we got the dog it basically became hers (sleeping w her and going with her everywhere because she was so smitten). And of course I was very happy with the dog too :) But it became her baby more then mine.

My dd is not keen on studying....she just never was the type. She goes to an academic school because she decided she wanted to go to it and studied a bit to get in. I thought once she was in it would make her study all the time....but nope. So I offered her a bit of reward for end of year assessments if she gets good marks and that has motivated her to study :)

ohthejoys21 · 28/04/2024 14:37

I went through this with ds. Nothing I said made any difference. He started working later for his A Levels when I had given up nagging.

He's early 20's now and I recently asked him if there was anything I could have said/done differently to make him work.. and he said no.

The true answer is that they just want to have to do it,

WhamFantastic · 28/04/2024 15:34

My DS also GCSE year and doing nothing.
He has dyslexia and ASD and although has huge amounts of support he is not doing any work. So frustrating as he's a clever boy.

Jennyjojo5 · 28/04/2024 15:44

Neither my boys were revisers… they just didn’t have the motivation or inclination to do so. They both found school incredibly boring, studying subjects they had zero passion or interest in. This is half the issue; studying something you find a boring subject,

my eldest is now thriving at uni doing sports journalism and is doing exceptionally well. I truly believe that that is because he has a huge passion for the subject matter. I’m the same when I think about it; at work I struggle doing tasks I find boring but give me a task I love then my whole heart and soul goes into it

I wouldn’t worry about it too much for now. I told my boys to throw themselves into revising English and maths as the priority and not bother so much with RE or languages etc (they would never use these) as I didn’t want them to go through the pain of resits.

they both passed pretty much everything. Who cares about 8 or 9’s anyway, unless you want to go to a Russel Group uni? Being academically highly successful most definitely isn’t the be all and end all and society should stop this pressure of being academic at school being the most important thing in a child’s life.

Bluevelvetsofa · 28/04/2024 15:54

If we had a system that catered for practical applications as well as academic, it would be beneficial to lots of young people.

We need to get rid of the notion that everyone should go to university or they’ve failed.

Original poster

Jennywren8 · 28/04/2024 17:51

Jennyjojo5 · 28/04/2024 15:44

Neither my boys were revisers… they just didn’t have the motivation or inclination to do so. They both found school incredibly boring, studying subjects they had zero passion or interest in. This is half the issue; studying something you find a boring subject,

my eldest is now thriving at uni doing sports journalism and is doing exceptionally well. I truly believe that that is because he has a huge passion for the subject matter. I’m the same when I think about it; at work I struggle doing tasks I find boring but give me a task I love then my whole heart and soul goes into it

I wouldn’t worry about it too much for now. I told my boys to throw themselves into revising English and maths as the priority and not bother so much with RE or languages etc (they would never use these) as I didn’t want them to go through the pain of resits.

they both passed pretty much everything. Who cares about 8 or 9’s anyway, unless you want to go to a Russel Group uni? Being academically highly successful most definitely isn’t the be all and end all and society should stop this pressure of being academic at school being the most important thing in a child’s life.

Love this, thank you. My DS (who is diagnosed autistic) has a real passion for particular hobby and is the same, he spends hours on it and it relates to a subject he wants to do at college.

OP posts:

TeenDivided · 28/04/2024 19:59

It is a real pain resitting GCSE English language and maths at college. The results of resits don't tend to be great either. Plus they may do a different exam board ...

Stopsnowing · 01/05/2024 22:49

It seems from thesr answers as well as the experience of my friends that it is boys more than girls who struggle with revision.