Y11 2023-24 thread 4

[Techno56]

New thread for GCSE survival 🙂

RE A level is quite lacking in the ethics and philosophy. Worth checking out the syllables. Sociology and psychology could be fab?

DS said edexcel igcse biology was weird, too. The structure of the exam and the phrasing of the questions were different from past papers.
He also talked about the tilapia question. There was something about cloning and loads and loads on the female reproductive system. I wish I have told him the detailed version of his birth story, because he would have remembered that.

RE A level is quite lacking in the ethics and philosophy. Worth checking out the syllables.

Isn't it called Philosophy, religion and ethics? Depends on the exam board I suppose but I thought most didn't do philosophy as a stand alone subject.

My dd also said some weird stuff on biology she said 5 mark was a question she felt required more detail form the picture?
She said there wasn't much to go on.

@Panic71 if I remember rightly it was one essay on one paper that was seemingly so incorrectly marked. Not sure if that makes it worse or better?!

DD2 found biology tough today. Everyone else seemed to find it ok so she's feeling a bit worried. OCR Gateway higher combined.

My daughter is the other way @bingobluey78 she thought it was a good paper but is now worried because everyone said it was hard and now she thinks she has done everything wrong. She think she miscalculated the vector question as she got a different answer to everyone else. Social media doesn't help because she keeps looking on Reddit. I've told her to leave it, it's done and she worked her socks off xx

OCR does A Level Philosophy Religion and Ethics - it’s what ds hopes to do. His school doesn’t offer Sociology otherwise he’d have opted for that instead.

Morning,

DD didn't like Biology 2 yesterday, but did like paper 1. It is an A level choice for her too. I struggle to know how to take her dramatic comments post exam, it will literally be 'everyone else said it was easy but I thought it was hard'. She did this with her Biology mock, sobbed about doing it all wrong (she was predicted an 8) convinced me she'd get 6 at best, got a 9. So I find it hard to know if she is over reacting or not. We are trying to reassure that whatever she gets will be good enough (because it really will for us), but it won't be for her and I am actually dreading results day in a way, but know it could go either way too.

I just hope we can forget about results for a good chunk of the summer as I can't bear these cyclical conversations about 'what ifs' that no one can answer.

Sorry for the moan, I know I should be glad she cares, but it is so draining. I am envious of those with children who say 'great' when asked how their exams have gone every time regardless of what grade they are aiming for 😂.

Full final weekend of revision here, Chemistry seems to be the most important, but Maths 3, History 3 and Physics 2 so plenty to stress over still!

My DD will come home and go through every question she can remember. Partly I feel it's a way of delaying getting on with revision and still having too much adrenaline in her system but it's exhausting. And if she doesn't think it's gone well, it's extra tiring as she wants my view on whether I think it sounds like it was disaster or not (and I have to quickly think of ways it was not as bad as she thinks).
Older DD was so different! We got a brief summary and moved on.

We have a brief conversation in the car but by the time.we have been in the house half an hour my son claims he can't remember what was in the paper! I think I am grateful for this as once it's done he is pretty much moved on and ready to work for the next one.

I have discovered results will have to be collected by hand, email won't come until later. So dreading that one!

My DD is doing straight philosophy A level next year. She is also doing history which is her favourite subject although she’s a bit concerned to learn the content issue is the same for A level.

i think she will mainly be doing history this weekend with some chemistry and please some maths!! She hasn’t done any physics yet and is planning to do it all wed/thurs! Along with two big sleeps.

My DD is the same. Mostly chemistry and history with a few Corbett Maths 5-a-day chucked in over the weekend but parking any physics until Tuesday evening as she plans to spend 2.5 days on just physics revision. Physics isn't an important one for her in terms of A Level choices so I can live with that!

I've taken myself off for a pedicure to prepare for my last weekend of nagging!

Straight philosophy AQA would be ideal but DS's current school doesnt offer it and he is keen to stay. Plan b Sixth form offers it though. His school does RE Edexcel and there's a whole paper on ethics, one on Buddhism (for his school), and one on philosophy of religion. I worry he wont love it and would prefer straight philosophy but the pull of familiarity, his friends staying, and the 6th form being highly rated may be too strong... He will do Psychology (or English if he finds he doesnt like it) and maths with that.

Did depressed by performance on AQA Biology. Thrown by one question and it messed up rest.....what to say?

My daughter is planing much the same for Weds Thurs. except she’s got maths, Latin, chemistry and further maths before then. She’s also got geography on Friday. It’s a Godawful week ahead. I hope her stamina lasts.

My dd also found AQA biology hard. She 'had tears' which is very extreme for her. It's a shame as she knew everything on her revision cards, but other stuff came up that she wasn't expecting. I feel for her she's just worn out by them all.

I do feel really anxious about maths paper 3. I also regret sticking with higher Edexcel and not switching to foundation. He just needs a pass. He passed in his mocks but I do think it will be super tight. Paper 1 he thought was actually ok, paper 2 he said was really tough.

DS very happy with how Edexcel Bio went yesterday. Before he was worried it could go either way but his strongest topics and questions came up. Nice to have this after the reverse situation in Physics!

Three more to go: Chemistry 2 on Tuesday, Geography 3 on Friday, and finally Music on the following Monday. Nearly there!

DD likes Corbett maths for practice- she has to do little and often else she forgets the method!

Yes we have a tutor and plenty of papers. Just need to get over that pass line 😬

DS really seems to have internalised the content on the female reproductive cycle! 😀 I've talked to him about it since he was about five but they really do learn it in-depth for GCSE. We've been having discussions about the luteal phase 😀 I hope it eventually comes in useful in a practical sense. Joking aside, I think it's brilliant that they learn about this stuff.

DS really enjoyed his biology paper (AQA higher single) but woe! has now got the bug I've had this week. Not COVID (tested) but wobbly, running nose, headaches, achey neck. Oh FFS. He has four papers left. Currently sitting at his desk listlessly leafing through his chemistry revision book. 😢

Hope everyone else is doing ok. Last push!

I'm not sure there is much revision going on upstairs 🤔
He wasn't up until after 11 am. So far he has been down several times to eat, request things to be added to tomorrow's online shop, and most recently, because he had spun so much on his chair that he almost made himself sick 😫
They are going to Nandos for a friends birthday, and they are staying in town for a football related light show, so whatever has been done this afternoon will be us done for the day.

Maths maths maths maths and more maths today as paper 3 and further maths paper 1 in the early part of the week. Still, after a wobble yesterday evening she seems so much more confident today. I think exhaustion after three days of exams on the trot had taken its toll.

Tomorrow is all chem and Latin revision as those are Monday and Tuesday exams

This feels never ending!

Last week here is a big week. Maths, Spanish, Chemistry, History, Physics, and Spanish. History and Chemistry or Physics are all possible A levels. Eek! She seems quite cheery though.

I hope he feels better soon @GlomOfNit

No revision here as DS and DP are at Twickenham for the rugby. Tomorrow will have to be maths all day (I hope). Luckily his week ahead is much more spaced out than others.