The Final Push - how's it going for your dc (and you) ?

[Hera]

I started the pen thread and got a bit hung up with the whole thing. After trying a number of different pens we have actually reverted back to the original gel one. We have checked that it scans OK, run it under the tap, left it on top of the wood burner to dry and hung it on the washing line in the sunshine So even though it does say no gel pens we are fairly confident that it will be OK and DS is so much happier writing with it than anything else.

DS went to see the RSC Macbeth production and said that it wasn't great as they missed large chunks of the play out and combined a mix of iambic pentameter and modern speech. I think it is quite a modern take. However it clearly got him thinking about the play which can only be a good thing.

He is quite stressed and generally looking a bit miserable. The French aural is the second week back and French is the subject he finds most challenging, especially speaking. he has also got a mock the first week back as well.

[Guest55]

Make sure they do have a few days just chilling - the exam session is a long hard slog and they need to be refreshed.

Good luck

[Surferfish]

Weirdly I found with some subjects having radio 4 muttering away in the background helped me focus. I find it impossible to concentrate when music, especially classical music, is playing because I find I'm listening to it too much.

I'm the exact opposite. I used to find that soft classical music in the background sometimes helped me concentrate on revision but pop music or radio/TV with people talking was a big distraction. We're all different I guess!

One thing to remember though is that they definitely won't be allowed to listen to any music in the exam itself (obviously) so it wouldn't be good to develop too much dependency on using music to aid concentration as its absence might be missed too much come the real thing.

If they find music helps have it on when reading and making notes, but when practicing past papers may be better to do them in silence to replicate exam conditions.

[Miltonkeynes1]

DS had a bit of a meltdown last night. I think it's triggered because his friends from other schools all seem to be receiving extra lessons in school during the Easter holidays, where as DS's school are not offering anything. He's also worried as they have not been given any practice papers. I feel bad for him as he works so hard but not sure how to help?

[piggys]

Dd had a bit of a meltdown as well, getting herself tied up in knots about an essay.....sigh. Sometimes our kids are paralysed by their desire to do well

Miltonkeynes1 has your ds asked his school for practice materials and papers? it's worth looking on the exam board websites for sample materials and specimins although there aren't many because the specs area all so new. If you had time maybe you could ask one of his pals do drop them over and you could photocopy them or something?

[doodles]

DS had a bit of a meltdown last night. I think it's triggered because his friends from other schools all seem to be receiving extra lessons in school during the Easter holidays, where as DS's school are not offering anything. He's also worried as they have not been given any practice papers. I feel bad for him as he works so hard but not sure how to help?

DS seems to have found some past papers (and marks schemes?) on line and I have ordered him question/practice papers books with answers from Am..on. They seem to be available for most boards.

DS ended up having the whole day off yesterday which didn't do him any harm at all - spent the morning at the local off road cycling and then the afternoon cleaning his bike and his room. DH took him to see a screening of Macbeth last night which I suppose qualified as revision but ..... Back to it this morning but this afternoon he has a Segway tour of the local area with a friend for their birthday.

He has worked hard this holiday but I think he will almost be glad to get back to school on Monday.

[Reading Mum]

Revision during this holiday has been a non starter so far
DD did a bit for the first couple of days then we were off to Dorset for a week of lambing (vet work experience), back home for a night before a trip to Manchester to compete in the National Concert Band Festival finals, back for the night then 3 days in Cambridge on a vet school taster. All good stuff to do but the timing wasn’t ideal. Now she has 2 days in school to prep for next week’s 10 hour Art exam.
She is just going to have to knuckle down after that is over. I suspect it will be a bit tense here for the next month
On the plus side she is not stressed and has a very clear idea of where she wants to go and what she has to get, in terms of grades, to get there..

[Stokers]

Very up and down here. I think, a bit like Doodles DC, DS will be glad to go back to school and cede a bit of responsibility. He's been very steady - 4 hours a day, split between two subjects and different techniques - but worries he's 'not doing it right'. This can cause moments of despair. We had a good chat a few evenings ago (following such a moment!) and re-planned approach for each subject and looked at the pre/post half term divide so he could think about priorities and that seemed to help. He seems very independent and I think I may underestimate sometimes the value of an friendly ear and some advice.

What I do try to re-inforce is that all his experience so far - mocks, grades, reports, teacher feedback, etc - is that he is very much on the right track. It's difficult to see that though, I think, when you're feeling overwhelmed by the sheer quantity.

Reading Mum - poor timing, perhaps, but also possibly good for the wellbeing. A tangible reminder of what exists outside of the GCSE/revision bubble.

[Tinkers]

The first week of the holiday, DD just couldn’t get her head into gear. No concentration or motivation.
This week slightly better, but certainly not managing 4 hours a day. Today she is going to London with friends to see Hamilton. They may or may not do some revision on the train. I suspect unlikely. Yesterday afternoon she went to see a friend and they went to see a film.

[tiffinboys]

DS hasn’t missed any football match on TV yet and is totally ‘cool’ about the exams. And exams are only about 5 weeks away. Looks like he is going to learn a costly lesson, though has grade 7 and above predicted in all the subjects he is sitting for. Can’t wait for school to reopen.