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!

There really must be a better way than this. Some kind of shorter but more regular testing over the two years perhaps? I don't know. Maybe that would be even worse!

Nearly there now.

Re learning to drive.

DH taught DD1 himself, only 4 paid lessons. She passed first time 2 months shy of 18. We had accidentally (not looking but one turned up) bought a car with dual controls.l which was essential!

DD2 (just resat maths, age 20) has a trial lesson this Friday. So far her anxiety has meant she has not been in a position to learn. So fingers crossed. We have paid for dual controls to be added to the automatic We have available to her. She will def need paid lessons as she listens to outsiders better than to us.

There are apps for testing the theory. But also a book with the 900+ possible multi choice questions in it.

We used the James May app. My DS is September born, he’s got a brain. Thought theory would be easy. Failed first time along with other older clever people in the year. Think the message got through to the others in the year. The exam is quite tricky and you do need to look at it first.

Re Driving @ImTerriblySorry, I'm not entirely sure. I think many, like Labrador says, underestimate how tricky it is and don't give it the respect it's due.

I'll check with ds1, but I still think the physical book helps. Easy to read the bits you need, (not all), and then something like the 4 in 1 app, which is only £4.99, instead of some of the apps that are £4.99 every month. It has 14 sections and you work your way through them.

Then getting to grips with the hazard warning test and learning to click three times, only when the hazard is 'developing'.

I'll chat to ds1, see if any other apps are now better, since he did it.

Dh will teach ds2, because his work sites are humongous and so he can teach him over the summer, prior to his October birthday. Then he'll just need road sense and practice.

I've already contacted Ds1's driving instructor and she's pencilled ds2 in for October. I'm hoping he'll only need a month or 2 of weekly lessons, because Dh and I will take him out weekly aswell.

Dd has two past papers on her revision plan today - Spanish writing and physics. We’re also going to sort out her textbooks and she wants to finish writing the thank you cards for her teachers.

It’s going to be very strange to be done. I think she’s going to get bored very quickly - she doesn’t like not being busy!

"I might print off a physics past paper".

The signs are good.

I'm going for a run.

@Sisublondie - I'm a bit late, but I was so sorry to hear about your DS lashing out. Others have said some wise things. It's hard being a parent to a teenager.

My Dd is most excited about the post exam weather. Physics today and think school is putting on an online FM maths class this afternoon. I’m taking DDog to give blood!

@QueenMabbyshe could learn some language for holiday country

She’s been on DuoLingo learning Japanese for the last six months! It’s tailed off since exams started but I will definitely encourage her to pick it back up again. She was already learning Mandarin on it before so it was confusing trying to do both at once.

She has a list of things that she’s started compiling ranging from a full pirouette on pointe to cooking a family meal. Not many are ongoing though.

He’s gone upstairs to do a past paper - physics I think. He’s still in denial about music. I’ve done the ‘in 28 hours it’ll all be over’ speech but it didn’t seem to make much difference. Apparently he did some music recision yesterday, but we were out at a sports tournament with DD so will never know the truth.

All this talk about driving - seems so alien - DS is still 15 and it isn’t something we even need to think about for another 14 months. We’ll be doing university open days before he sits behind a wheel of a car!

I know DD2 doing revison today - a past paper has a mistake in it.

It gives multiple choice options and you have to pick two - 2 marks - so she came down saying one one option was only she recognised as answer - looked to marks scheme only two acceptable answers the other one isn't in the printed list you have to choose from.

No notes or anything about a mistake and no examiner remarks - told her best thing to in an exam write down the remaining 3 options that were not in the list at all.

She also found an area she needs to go over.

So that's good though exam papers mistake is a bit hmm.

Thank you so very much, @Nicflowers82… I did well up nicely when I read your lovely post…. In a good way 😸! I absolutely agree… the relief, for want of a better word, to put it, on finding you are not alone in all the SEN struggles- and, otherwise, of curse, is immense. I don’t know about others, but my DH doesn’t always “ get it” ( rather, he struggles dealing with the difference with NT DS18, too, so we clash in our not knowing what to do!). I’m sorry your DDS has similar struggles, and I wholly empathise with your feelings on finding his untold daily struggles out… ( my thoughts have flown around from fury to upset to fuming to just relying on good old karma to do her job in the future 🤷‍♀️😸!)….

I hope your DS, and mine, and ALL move on to find their safe place and blossom into the beautiful people they already are. 🤞🙏💖🤞.. Good luck for the rest of this fun! 🤩

Well we’ve done 2 (painful) hours of physics revision and I think he is officially cooked! Just can’t do anymore…..neither can I. He’s done nothing for Spanish writing and I’ve decided to just let that go….hopefully he will still scrap a pass.

phyiscs is a bit patchy….Forces…..doesn’t know Newtons Laws…..but I’m trying to balance helping him fill in a few gaps in his knowledge but not panicking him because he doesn’t know things.

counting the hours until Wednesday 4pm when I pick him up from school and his final exam / final day!!!!

Nothing done here at all today yet….and he is being a cocky arse as it’s all over. Poor DD (14) is feeling horrible with a cold and DS, who is done tomorrow is being unbearable! Pffft teens… if this were a job I would have resigned years ago!

Ratty is actually being good! (Because it’s physics)

but will see how long it lasts

full afternoon of Spanish writing tomorrow it won’t feel over until Wednesday morning I don’t think when I just get little out for school who knows?

it does feel summer holiday mind which isn’t helping

anyway can’t stop now physics is important to him

DS just has physics left, I’m thankful the way the exams fall mean it isn’t English Lit last or I don’t think he would have had any motivation. He had an athletics competition yesterday so didn’t do anything then but is looking at stuff today, and it’s one he’s fairly comfortable and confident on.

We've stiill got Physics, Music and Spanish next week so despite it being DD's birthday today she's revising all day. We are going out to her favourite restaurant later and going to see Hamilton next Saturday which is very exciting.

@JaninaDuszejkoWe are going to see Hamilton too later this month, booked as a post exam treat. Can’t wait! DS has physics and music tomorrow, then further maths on Weds and it’s all done.

He’s also working on an online orchestra audition recording so has spent large parts of this morning playing bassoon in the kitchen because it sounds better than in the dining room. Fortunately he feels he has enough takes to pick from now, and is back to the proper revision.

Prom is coming up on Friday and with it all the dramas of the teen friend group 😬

Good luck to all DC for these last few days!

@VioletIndigoBlueGreen nothing like leaving it till the last minute (says she who uploaded dd2’s late last night).

One Day More…

driving also seems so far away here- dd2 won’t be 16 until a long way through the summer hols

Hamilton will not disappoint. Enjoy.

@JaninaDuszejko Hamilton is excellent.

@achangeofnameisasgoodasarest Wrong musical!

@achangeofnameisasgoodasarest Sadly Ds takes after DH in this regard, they are both complete last minute merchants. I’m the opposite and find it enormously stressful! Good luck to your DD!

@TeenToTwenties - well let’s hope they don’t throw away their shots, anyhow

So! I dropped DS18 off at work at 11.30am ( NT Hall in next village.. 5 minute away), and, did I come straight home, it’s Sunday, perhaps flick through the Sunday Times Style mag? In the sun? DH is at his hobby, the school event went well so finished planning for that. Be back by 11.38 at the latest if a newly sheared sheep is on a wander…..OR!, head into town to Sainsbury’s, the only apparent purveyor of Haagen Das Strawberry Cheesecake ice cream 🍦 in the locale, and which is now DS16 new favourite ( since his excursion post- exam with his mate B last week when they got a Domino’s 🍕 too. So, like, “ for-EVA!”, and “hates ALL other flavours” now). Because late last night, imbibing this was the deal breaker for any physics revision to take place today. Which would also mean potentially getting stuck in Tourist Traffic Hell?

Well, I figured any last ditch attempt to help was in order. Last hurdle, and all that. So, I joined the stream of caravans, cars with tent boxes, classic weird cars on Big Days Out, over an hour later made it to Sainsbury’s! ( usually 10 min max!)! Yay! Looked like they had runout, scrambled the the icy 🥶 shelf, turfing out the Salted Caramels that had been inconveniently shoved into the Strawberry 🍓 Cheesecake bit, and, right at the back! The Holy Grail!! I found one!! A bit freezer- burnt, looked like it had an icy Mohican, but PHEW!! I digged more! Found two other stragglers! On a roll! So, purchased at till, with real person!, on way out, checked if Nectar points! I did! But, I’d also paid for FIVE tubs?! Which I obviously had not bought, as there were not 5 in the freezer! So! Queued up at Fag/Vape counter ( rammed), got a refund, having to convince them I didn’t use self service, and it really was another’s human error.

Joined the Tourist Traffic queue! This time, hedging out of town, but towards where I live…. all the while, thinking. “ Yup, it’s hot, yup, I’m really quite pissed off,😡, but, imagine the sheer joy on DS face! And, him completing the past paper you printed off yesterday ! All worth it”!!

I got back at 1.30pm…. Yes, DS was mildly interested to see what I had clutched in my hands after I’d taken “ room service” up…. and he asked me to scrape remaining Mohican off the sad looking tub…….

It is now 15.44pm.

“ Please compare the Effort put in by Sisublondie v Sisu DS, and determine whether SisuDS has actually done ANY Physics Revision at this point”….

”Jack 💩, Baby”!! Nada. F All!! 🤷‍♀️😈🙄🤷‍♀️😹!!

Are ANY of our DC revising today?!! 🤷‍♀️

ps- super jealous of Hamilton!! And 🥳 Happy Birthday!!

@Sisublondie you absolute star! I’ll have a bowl if DS isn’t interested.
Meanwhile, I’ve done nothing today, courtesy of a migraine, but DD has done Spanish and FM past papers this weekend. Just hoping she might look at some Physics, as that is tomorrow.