Year 11 - 2024/2025: Half way, half baked, half term!

[QueenMabby]

Continuation of the year 11 support thread. Go!

Dd is a night owl. She wakes late, then takes forever to get going, before finally gearing up in the evening and working late. It stressed me out a bit initially, but she is putting in the work - just not in the mornings!

She has mostly wanted/needed emotional support, plus food and drinks from me, as she tends to work through something, then come downstairs and talk it through with her siblings.

I wasn’t well yesterday evening and she came in my room for a cuddle before getting back to work, so I think her stress levels are starting to build up again already, despite her two day break.

She is still in bed at the moment, but planning on meeting a friend for lunch in a favourite cafe, then going to to revise in the library this afternoon.

I have to get DC going in the morning, not early morning mind. I wake him up at about 9, he lies there for 45 min or so coming to (me repeatedly popping my head round the door as he’s dropping off again!). Gets up, has a shower, eats breakfast and then starts… so he’s not starting till 1030/11.

But he finishes early compared to others, between 4 and 5. Then that’s it for the rest of the day. He doesn’t do anything ever in the evening. He just wants to flop and that’s fine… so long as he gets going by 11!

I agree that the impetus and adrenaline has disappeared. It all seems such a slog now. DD also not up and despite having the bank holiday weekend off, still looks exhausted

@Sisublondie about the FS exam, a friend recommended an exam centre where you can book privately. DS’s school access coordinator had to fill in some forms confirming his normal way of working. So he’s taking GCSE English Lang as normal this May/June (as a Y11 student) and as a backup will be taking FS Level 2 English in Aug (results should be with us before 21 Aug). Just thinking of saving him the pain of having to re-sit GCSE English Lang in Nov and possibly failing all over again. A friend told me her DS (older, now in his twenties) sat GCSE English Lang six times before they realised he had dyslexia.

DS isn’t the most expressive so when asked how talking therapy went or if the ADHD meds are helping we just get an ‘ok’ or a shrug. He does seem calmer and more focused now but can’t really tell how it’s all going because, like @ThisPerkySloth2 and @Delatron, there is no chance of me or DH discussing or helping with homework/exams/revision. I just get to wake, feed and shoo him out the door on his bike.

I tried to keep them going over weekend and week - as experience told my they'd struggle to re-start - but still not sure that much has actually been done.

I found it easier with DS GCSE as there was clearly help I could provide and could see revsion happening and improvement - making sure something done but I'm not overstepping and getting backs up is much harder to get right.

I think I'll have to check on DD1 as it sound like she re-arranging the room rather than doing additional maths she said she was today. She full of cold with a cough she really hoping gone by next week but still not stressed which is good - the first week back the heaviest left after that it's just three exams.

@Sisublondie DS wants to do something in scientific/medical research so Chemistry, Biology, Maths tracks. How about your DS, what does he want to do?

I don’t think much has been done here. The next exam is next Weds so hoping now it’s a week away DD will get going again with History, Maths, Sciences, Spanish and Music!

Dd did a bit of English Language yesterday and a maths paper today
She's now playing on her iPad and out later on
I think shes low level stressed/anxious a lot of the time about the exams so I'm very careful about what I say atm
Also, finally got her exam timetable for the after half term. A couple of late starts and leaving after morning exams

School have put on some half term morning revision classes so DS has had an hour here or there but then considers his study time done. He has lost his mojo for revision for sure and I am concerned that if finds it when the exams kick off again, it will be too late. Sounds as though many are in the same boat.

ive cracked the whip again today and made DS make a list of his tasks today after pissing about really yesterday watching the simpsons and nothing meaningful happening really He restarted on Monday with a past paper with DH . I’ve tidied the desk , made a huge plate of snacks. I’m now on the mummy lecture too with this week is your only chance to check gaps and actually do anything meaningful rather than cram . He’s currently on a 15 minute break ….. I’m just policing him today and throwing snacks at him and ignoring the bad mood . Doesn’t help little brother yr7 is having a lovely time on Roblox etc with his mates . This is all between me trying to work from home ! 🤪

They both seem to be craking on today - or giving apperance of doing so.

DD2 is finally going though additional maths topic booklets I printed off in January for her.

Mine is arguing that her brain is incapable of revising without simultaneously playing music and streaming The Hunger Games.

I have given her 'that look' but apparently I need to 'educate myself on the neurodiverse brain'.

We have only just got back, after a morning of deliveries in the sunshine, a treat trip to Greggs for lunch, met Dad for a cheeky lunchtime in our local pub, now back and the sky has gone dark and gloomy, but we are done for outside for the day, so can indulge in all things books!

To be honest I am enjoying learning again, I mean a lot of their subjects I did at GCSE but they have changed (well more geography not maths so much) and I didn't do biology or spanish so I am on a steep learning curve with those.

This afternoon I am intending on learning all about the global development gap. I find this stuff fascinating, which probably helps.

The geography past paper 2 I have printed out looks great fun, but we have to finish a couple of case studies first, my eagerness is either a hindrance or a help. Who knows? My favourite are the photograph questions it's like being a visual geographical detective, and we are firm enjoyers of a gentle who-dunnit in this house (Death in Paradise/Midsomer Murders). So I think it's a bit like that. I know it's not but otherwise it's another dull past paper. I do this with science practicals, maths problems and applied the same unexperienced enthusiasm to poetry. I sometimes act dizzy, sometimes it's genuine, and then my NoRevision swoops in to explain my ignorance and my initial reason for embarking on the whole pile of paper is done.

That is how I am approaching my eldest and these GCSEs.

The youngster (2 years behind) is a completely different character and temperament, as with everything so far, we envision a completely different set of goalposts. But that can wait for another day.

"This is really interesting why wouldn't you want to know about this" is an effective sentence.

The planning of Curitiba in Brazil is amazing. I now know.

"this is using parts of my brain I haven't used in years" (all true and mainly applies to maths)

we are going to attempt to make our own mozerella tomorrow (boiling full fat milk to 46C adding distilled vinegar, scooping up the gunge) I said "this is chemistry in the kitchen" only to be corrected emulsifying is biology and "something teenage mumble something fat surface area" I don't mind being corrected, but still think it's chemistry, we shall see and have a huge interactive family debate where some of us know a bit about some of it. And that is how we get through this.

I am not neurodiverse @OhCrumbsWhereNow but I used to revise with The Simpsons on tv. I couldn't do music as well but I couldn't revise in silence either.

So I don't think revising with music or tv, or both is necessarily detrimental. But I would suggest, if you can, that she does a couple of longer questions with "apply subject here" without music or tv to get used to exam conditions. That's all I'm asking sweetheart.

See if that is acceptable.

I admit I work with the TV on in the background (years of practice doing that as it's standard in my sector) but I am extremely good at tuning things out. I do however suspect Hunger Games may be tuning out Geography...

I am going to attempt to get her to actually write stuff but not sure it will happen. I am going to employ your exam conditions suggestion - thank you! She's got all the tutors round her little finger where she tells them what she would write instead of writing it.

She would do best with a scribe and then being able to edit what they had typed for her, but not sure that is even an option in terms of access arrangements. So we are stuck with her just typing.

@OhCrumbsWhereNow NoRevision has spent the best part of the past 8 weeks talking through what he would write down.

I don't get him to sit and write because I know he will do that in the exam.

He needs to know exam technique.

If the knowledge required is in her brain that is a huge step in the right direction.

Getting it out on paper/in and exam, once, I think doesn't need to be practised as much.

DD’s day off yesterday seems to have rejuvenated her: she’s done Spanish and Latin this morning, and seems quite cheerful. Meanwhile I’m having a meeting with my manager tomorrow about how she can support me through this (fundamentally, DD’s mental health problems rather than GCSEs).

Hey all! Well, late to the party today… whilst deciding how to approach Wednesday Revision, as DS was still slumbering, I went to drop DS18 off at work this morning. Unfortunately, I was in a car crash on my way home, so only just back now. Luckily DH was at home, but no idea if anything was achieved in my absence 🤷‍♀️🙄. Anyway, I’m going to play catch up on here, and find out from DS if today has been a literal total write off, all round ( no pun intended, as other car looks like it is). On the absolute positive, yes, it caused damage and chaos on the road ( busy with holiday traffic) but no injuries 🤗

Gosh, @Sisublondie hope you’re OK

So glad you are OK @Sisublondie. That is what matters!

Oh @Sisublondie what a nightmare

Blimey I am glad you are ok @Sisublondie

Maybe take the day to rest and recharge your own batteries and leave DS to it - apply your own oxygen mask first! 🙂

Thank goodness you are unhurt @Sisublondie!

erm what is the staple gun for? i mean i too want to make sure my DS revises but stapling them to the kitchen table is a little extreme😂

i must have missed a previous post but genuinely curious about the staple gun?????

@ThisPerkySloth2 it's a metaphor - the staple gun - for keeping him supervised at the kitchen table with no distracting YouTube mainly

we almost killed each other over a 3 marker maths question just now.
Dad, him, me and brother all had our own printed out copy
(after 20 minutes of him explaining it as if I was 5 from another planet) we might have cemented "tangents" into his brain!