Good luck ..........

[Bestichka]

Hi menagerie, don't feel awful, you just do what a normal caring parent would do. We had this stage couple of months ago, and just had to set the record straight: DS, you're lucky to have parents who really care about you, and made a huge time+ money investment in giving you a chance. The least you can do is show some respect and appreciation, shut up and pull through this. If you really don't need this and are soooo fed up - fine, go to our well-known bog- standard local comp, and we'll save the money for a few years of the Maldives family holiday. But you won't learn the languages you're dying to learn, and won't have the friends you're so desperate to have. Over.

This seemed to have worked, as for the past 10 days before exams he seems really switched on, and volunteers for math, english and vr revision, and even extra reading! Not sure though he remembers to write in full sentences

Just hang on there, it's tough for everyone, and kids at times just don't know how to cope with anxiety and frustration

In terms of cooling down, it's unlikely he'd learn much at this stage, so it may be beneficial just to re-cap exam rules with him: don't send too much time on hard questions, re-check your work, remember capitals and full stops, mind-maps, times tables, basic formulas, abstract nouns etc. I had a mild panic attack the other day when all of a sudden DS got stuck with identifying a pronoun!!!

[menagerie]

Thanks Bestichka,
We all went for a long walk through the woods and round the lake today. Like a puppy - he needed to let off steam. Doing some maths now with DH, and apart from that I'll do a bit of exam technique and that's it until tomorrow.

Cooking his favourite tea tonight and have lined up a good comedy to watch together afterwards.

I'm sure he'll be fine. Like your DS, he does want to learn certain languages, go to a school that has a D&T suite worthy of a top uni, and spend time with bright, witty, gentle boys. Bet he pulls out all the stops tomorrow.

Good luck everyone. Hope it's going well for those who've already started.

[loveyouradvice]

Fingers crossed for all our DD and DS.... and for us!!!!

The beginning of a stressful couple of weeks and lets all pray they get into their favourite schools.

I so agree with everyone about time to relax and let off steam now - we had a "no work" day yesterday and it was fab - painting pots, basketball, taking down the Xmas tree.....

That said, I am doing a bit - like going through timing, and giving her a few examples of Maths questions she knows she can get but doesnt always see.....but only a little for the next 3 days... and thank good ness for hte James Bond DVD collection - it is one a night from now on!!!

[tiffinboys]

Good Luck to every one sitting for indies test.

DC has done one and one more to go. And we are experimenting going with little practice; relying generally on whatever prep was done for the grammars test. DC is quite happy with this approach. Will see if this worked and will be happy to get the interview call as DC is not at all into Music or Arts.

[Jean.Brodie]

We were there three short years ago! So I feel for you all!

Good luck to all candidates!

[fairyelephant]

Fingers crossed everyone! What will be, will be - half wish I could sit them for her (maybe not the maths, those papers are tricky!). At least there's not too long a wait afterwards to hear the outcome. First one for dd is Friday, hope she can get to sleep the night before, she often gets herself in a bit of a stew at bedtime...

[nothing-yummy-mum]

I can now confirm that eating half a loaf of bread does nothing to alleviate that hollow feeling on the stomache. Or six cups of coffee - or ten fingernails.
So, feeling more than a little queasy and unable to concentrate on work, it is time to take stock: DS should have finished at least one paper by now. He's more than likely to have lost his pencil case, misplaced his coat and acted silly at least once. He will probably miss a page, misread the essay topic and forget all the basics - or his brain will kick into gear and he will ace today's exam.
Whichever way it goes, it is such a relief that the end is in sight and that no level of panic/lecturing/last minute prep will change the outcome. Am actually strangely calm about the results (although it will probably be a completely different scenario waiting for interview calls next week..)
Good luck to everyone for the last stretch!

[souverian]

Well, despite trying to persuade myself that this one doesn't really matter and there's always next year - have had the most appalling headache since 9.30!

Ds looked so tiny going off with one of the prefects this morning - I felt a real pang of 'fgs what are we doing, he's too young for all this!'

Cannot wait to see him at 3pm!

[Bestichka]

oh, i know the feeling - DS is summer-born and not quite THAT tall yet, so seeing him almost lost in a crowd of confident boys 1-2 heads taller than him make me almost cry.... SCARY AND PAINFUL this process is, surely...

[souverian]

Well, it's over! Ds said he really enjoyed the English, managed to answer 94 out of 100 maths q's (how many of those 94 were correct is another matter!) and thought the VR was 'not too bad'... lunch was great though

So now we wait...