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Secondary education

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Original poster

GCSE revision

9 replies

eatyourveg · 09/04/2010 15:09

Am quietly going bananas here trying to get ds1 to sit down to revise. First exam is only 6 weeks away and the french oral is even sooner! School have put on a few revision classes over the hold which he seems happy to go to and one of his teachers has given me a template for a revision timetable which is up on the wall and started 3 weeks ago but all he's done is a few bitesize multiple choice tests online without bothering to read the topic info first. I have bought him some CGP books, post it notes for vocab and index cards for the triple science terminology. My problem is how to get him to realise that it really isn't hard, he has all the resources here. It is no use me writing out the post it notes and dotting them around the house, no good me writing definitions of key terms on index cards, he won't learn it - it has to come from him. I am trying not to say anything other than do you want me mark anything (CGP workbook stuff) but he says he hasn't done anything. In the past we have banned the computer, taken away the guitar and grounded him but it doesn't work he just lays on his bed listening to music sulking. Anyone got any ideas? He has a place at the grammar school if he gets his grades but at this rate it will be a year of resits. I know its an age old problem but its hell watching him throw his prospects away.

OP posts:
mnistooaddictive · 09/04/2010 15:14

You can lead a horse to water........ You have done plenty for him, much more than most parents but only he can do it. Can you arrange a treat each evening if he has done a certain amount of work - nothing big but his faviourite dinner, a DVD whatever he wants - ask him. AS harsh as it sounds sometimes you have to let them fail. Better now than at uni.

TheArsenicCupCake · 09/04/2010 15:24

There is not a lot more you can try. It has to come from him.

With ds1 we got him a wall planner and he has broken down what he has to revise for, organised which days and what days/ evenings off he has.. Etc he's only in year ten, but does have a lot of modular exams and a couple of earlies.

He still has a very relaxed attitude to it all.. Which drives me nuts. But I don't want to put extra pressure on him. As they are modules, the best thing that happened was that he got a d in one of his best subjects.. Which shocked the hell out of him.. That's when he bucked up a bit.

RubysReturn · 09/04/2010 15:26

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
eatyourveg · 09/04/2010 16:53

His mocks were 4As 5Bs and 2Cs and he's predicted 7As 3Bs and 1C. (C is for maths so particularly worried about that one)

He took his first core science module in Y9 and got an A because he stuck to a proper revision plan then got switched to triple and has not bothered much since. In Jan he did half of the triple units and got Bs across the board with one weeks revision. We celebrated but to be honest I was quietly peeved as it gave him a false sense of security.

I was really hoping he'd do badly but school had put on loads of revision lessons. He can't assume that just because he has got by in the past means he can afford to do nothing this time. I'm getting really stressed out about it and find it so upsetting.

OP posts:
RunningOutOfNames · 12/04/2010 22:31

Did he revise for his mocks? DD didn't do much and didn't do as well as expected but unfortunately she hasn't bucked up her ideas much this Easter.

I told her at the beginning of the holidays it was down to her. She doesn't go out much at all, just sits in her room watching stuff on her laptop. Not sure if I should be doing more but don't think there's anything I can do. I work full-time and have no control over what she does during the day. Can't confiscate the laptop because the school puts revision materials on their website rather than printing them out.

Nelleh · 16/04/2010 06:34

Been there!

I was in exactly same position last year. Despite finding himself a GF (who achieved 11As) and not revising (lots of parental support and supplies of (unused!) revision material etc.)DS achieved 7As and 6Bs - however, should have (realistic - not pushy) managed a few As, but didn't. On the plus side, he is now taking a completely different approach to AS levels and can see the relevancy of his success to his future (unlike many peers who are coasting - E and U at AS!. On the negative side, peers who achieved A*s at GCSE have clearly been offered superior opportunities for university!

Unfortunately, this will mean NOTHING to your DS!

Good Luck!

RunningOutOfNames · 16/04/2010 08:50

Thanks Nelleh!

I made myself feel worse last night - I came across reports for the last two years and realised she's actually been going down hill as far as targets are concerned. She was originally all As and A*s, now a mixture of As and Bs but realistically will probably only get a C in some.

It's difficult to get through to a 16 year old that it matters for Uni.

Glad your son has seen the light.

Nelleh · 16/04/2010 12:26

There's nothing like results day to put everything in perspective! She's 16! Anyway, there's always re-takes!

Give yourself a break

sandripples · 19/04/2010 16:30

Some DCs don't seem to need to revise anything like as much as I did for old fashioned O levels. My DD did not seem to do very much but got lots of A*s. Don't despair.

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