Year 11 - 2024/2025: Heading down the home straight towards that finish line!

[QueenMabby]

Next thread. 10 days of exams to go. Looks like we’re all heading into a busy week this week - good luck!

DS spent some time with his girlfriend until she kicked him out to go and get a tan with her friends. Tan over Man.

Lovely stats teacher is putting on a final revision class after chemistry tomorrow. She's got DS from a fail to a solid pass and more importantly shown him that he is able but having no consistent teaching for a year was problematic.

I've kind of got end of term vibes myself, which is not compatible with my actual job!

@QueenMabby @BreakfastClub80 DS's school has them sit maths at the end of Y12 and FM at the end of Y13. As FM is only allowed as a 4th subject it means they still fulfil the 3 A levels in one sitting requirement from universities. I assume if there is any doubt about their ability to see FM through then they'd urge them to drop to just maths before the end of Y12 and then they spend a year consolidating their knowledge and sit the exam at the end of Y13.

DD is back from Edexcel Geography B paper 3 and a very happy bunny. Said it was a lovely paper.

I am praying that she has got enough marks from this one to drag 1 and 2 over that grade 4 line.

Unfortunately I don't really have a good handle on what 'really good' actually means in her case in any subject. Is is like really good and I scrapped a 4, or really good and I got a 7 on that paper. Who knows...

August will be exciting to see what is in the pick n mix bag that her results will probably be!

Just Music left on Monday afternoon and we are done and dusted...

DS seemed happy with AQA Geography today, I think my attempts to go through it with him yesterday were hopefully helpful, and he says it went much better than the only paper 3 mock they did where he did very little on the fieldwork questions as he ran out of time.

He is planning to do maths, FM and physics (and also chemistry). The college he is going to allows then to do AS further maths (I think in year 12) if they decide they don’t want to carry on with it. Another college we looked at had them sitting maths in year 12 and FM in year 13, but then advised them
against taking FM if they were planning to do medicine unless they were very sure of a high grade in it because they would need 3 A levels sat at the same time

DS is back from Further Maths. Said it was hard and he needed all the time, but thinks it went ok. Fingers crossed!

@VioletIndigoBlueGreen- what board is that?
Dd happy with AQA further maths. She said the general consensus was that it was a “mid” paper although she reckons that most people are reluctant to ever say FM is “good” as it can be so tricky to do really well in. On checking she made four corrections. She did the paper in 50 mins so had a lot of checking time - I’m hoping she hasn’t over-corrected herself!

@QueenMabbyit was AQA as well. DS normally finishes early with plenty of checking time, but used all the time on this paper. He said he spent ages on one question and realised he was misreading it, so sorted that out and moved on - hoping that it’s gone ok overall. He did well in the mock but it’s really hard to tell with FM.

My DD could have done with some of that time. Came home cross as she had to rush to finish FM and had no time to check. They only did 15 after school sessions in total so not many lessons. No plans to do FM A level but it should help with A level Maths.

"Are you doing chemistry revision?"
"Yes" - we both laugh as he's clearly not.
"What do you know about chemistry?"
"That burning peat bogs is bad"

I'd love to know if there is an overall trend towards tailing off a bit as the exams go on. Different if you are planning to carry on with chemistry or physics, but if you're not, do people do a bit worse in these final papers?
Maths is important to DS but by paper 3 he was flagging. On the other hand, business and English, which were done and dusted earlier on, were quite positive experiences.
I keep trying to tell him that his remaining exams are just as important as all the ones he's done already, but he's not having any of it!

😂fair point well made!

We have similar chemistry progress going on here. Not sure how much he has done but I have seen some flash card action 🙌

@EarthlyNightshade we’ve got tailing off going on here despite chemistry and physics being chosen A level subjects 🫣 Before the paper 1s he was crazy busy doing past papers. Today we are struggling through some flashcards and he hasn’t even opened a past paper 😭

I've told him if he's not revising he can wash up. If he is revising I will wash up.

What a choice!

@rosemarbleI regularly have that washing up conversation with DS. It’s surprising how motivating it can be!

DS thinks FM was alright - better than expected - last night he told me it was hard 🤞- Maths and FM are A level choices . Geography was alright . Chemistry revision just started - apparently not looked at it in 2 weeks … I did suggest looking at it at the weekend 🤷🏻‍♀️

This made me laugh. “Really good” in my DD2s case can mean she could answer some questions (chemistry) or she got 80% (food tech)!

Geography was “super good” so we’ll take that! She then went to her friends house and said they did a hour of chemistry. Now home and hopefully revising but it’s like pulling teeth some days so I’ll be glad when Monday’s over.

Tomorrow they have shirt signing and the leavers assembly after the exam then she’s off to one of the lad’s houses to hang out so that could get messy! Plenty of time over the weekend for physics revision 😬

@Sisublondie - how lovely to hear DS has gone out for a post exam lunch 😊

No exam here today but lots of revision (apparently) for Chemistry tomorrow. DD also joined an online presentation for the college she's got a place at in September and it's got her really excited for what's to come. She particularly honed in on the principal's comments about students being given more freedom and independence than they get in schools! Her school hasn't been great for years 10 and 11 so she's itching to experience a completely different environment post-GCSEs. I'm just relieved she came away excited and not anxious.

DD2 college got in touch - there's a meet and greet morning - day before end of year assembly then day later prom. So works out nicely.

Bit of a panic about getting over there by herself on bus so suggested she talk to few friends going there and failing that DS will be done and dusted so can go over with her - it's where he is now and she'll rapidly get used it it as other two did.

I sent DD to bed after Geography this morning, out of nowhere she’s exhausted and felt rough. Slept until mid afternoon but feeling brighter now thank goodness. She found Geography ok, perhaps not her best ever Paper 3 but it’s done.

Chemistry tomorrow, which she’s worked hard for so I’m glad she’s feeling better. Then Physics and DT next week, both A Level choices so she can’t afford to wind down at all!

DS said geography was very easy and FM was very hard. That's about what I expected to be honest. He finds FM very hard. Just hoping for a pass.
After a tiring day just started chemistry revision and we will see how long it lasts before he calls it a day as he's already on the edge.

Anyone know the required practicals for AQA chemistry combined foundation? Google is a minefield. (Or I’m just really tired! 🤣)

I hear you. DS not doing science but a good grade would do no harm to his future.
For paper 1s he was in school, listening to teachers drilling down on the material, doing past papers, etc. Now it's "flashcards", which might honestly be anything, any subject!
I am tired too - it's too long!

Ugh...

Having been all cheerful about Geography Paper 3... have now found out it's only out of 64 marks and is 25% of the overall grade. Whereas Papers 1 and 2 are 94 marks and 37.5% each.

So back to assuming that she won't be passing that one 😭

DS would roll his eyes and say, "Don't bother with Google. Use chat GPT." Pretty much all his revision has been using that.