THE curly-wurly, super duper, mega AWESOME current Year 10 2012/13 thread
Discussion for GCSE students, including those studying for IGCSEs and O Levels.
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Re: Year 10 2012/13Thanks.(Original post by Wawasan)
Oh and French isn't particularly hard to grasp the basics of - and that's coming from me, someone who didn't really know anything up until a fast track GCSE last year. On track hopefully for an A*! I guess that apart from Mandarin, no modern foreign language i beyond a complete beginners to excel at it. Thing about Mandarin is all of the characters, there's so many of them!
Luckily I was brought up speaking Mandarin.
Also, make sure you are entered into the higher reading and listening papers for languages at the end of your French and Spanish courses. If you were to take foundation, the highest possible grade is C. But its not really hard to get a good grade on a higher paper!
My teacher said that too; writing and speaking actually involves some kind of skill, wheras reading and listening you could - in theory - just guess.
Oh, where do you live? Sorry, I guessed you were British... *confused*(Original post by KythingToWrite)
Yeah, Med is super competitive. And here, because of the frankly huge numbers of people applying each year (and we have only two Med schools in the whole country!) the quality of teaching, and, as a result, the competence of doctors has really dropped
Ah. So it's an antelope! I thought it was some kind of ancient reptilian thing-y?
We've already started school
Our school year tries to keep in sync with the Tz'ian national system, because our sister Primary School uses the National syllabus, and so families would find it difficult to organise holidays if they had a kid in secondary and one in primary. So we start our year in July, have a month and a half break from December to mid-January, and end the year in early June.
So I've already started Yr 10
It's hard. We had a Maths test today and (even though I knew everything!) I couldn't finish in time. Nobody could, really. It was very unfair timing
God knows what's going to happen to my marks!

I think I would prefer that system actually; I hate having a really long, single break in the summer: I get so bored!
I wouldn't worry; if nobody managed to finish, your marks, even if they seem to be low, are all relative, and the teachers will take that into consideration.
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Re: Year 10 2012/13I live in Tanzania(Original post by Lainathiel)
Oh, where do you live? Sorry, I guessed you were British... *confused*
I think I would prefer that system actually; I hate having a really long, single break in the summer: I get so bored!
I wouldn't worry; if nobody managed to finish, your marks, even if they seem to be low, are all relative, and the teachers will take that into consideration.
It's a country on the East African coast, right under Kenya and Uganda. Or, to make things simpler, it's the home of The Lion King, Serengeti, Mt. Kilimanjaro, Me, and the world's most outrageous electricity cuts 
It's annoying, though, because when my dear cousins (from England, from US, from Kenya, etc) come over here for holidays, they have summer and I have school. We literally have a week or so only during which our holidays overlap!
I doubt they will. It's 'only' a class test, and besides, we don't do relative grade thresholds and stuff here. Your mark is judged as your mark, end of story. Thank God CIE doesn't think that way! And our Maths teacher kept scaring us today; we haven't gotten our papers back but we were discussing the questions, and he kept announcing, "Nobody has gotten this question right!" At the end of the class he told us he was kidding, but still. It was scary!
Huh. That's ok(Original post by shadab786ahmed)
Sure thing
but I might not be completely useful due to you picking different subjects
I already need a tutorial from you: How do you pronounce Welsh names? Like the 'y's that seem to be everywhere... I know there's a system, I just can't remember what it was :|
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Lol depends on the name(Original post by KythingToWrite)
I live in Tanzania
It's a country on the East African coast, right under Kenya and Uganda. Or, to make things simpler, it's the home of The Lion King, Serengeti, Mt. Kilimanjaro, Me, and the world's most outrageous electricity cuts 
It's annoying, though, because when my dear cousins (from England, from US, from Kenya, etc) come over here for holidays, they have summer and I have school. We literally have a week or so only during which our holidays overlap!
I doubt they will. It's 'only' a class test, and besides, we don't do relative grade thresholds and stuff here. Your mark is judged as your mark, end of story. Thank God CIE doesn't think that way! And our Maths teacher kept scaring us today; we haven't gotten our papers back but we were discussing the questions, and he kept announcing, "Nobody has gotten this question right!" At the end of the class he told us he was kidding, but still. It was scary!
Huh. That's ok
I already need a tutorial from you: How do you pronounce Welsh names? Like the 'y's that seem to be everywhere... I know there's a system, I just can't remember what it was :|
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You'd pronounce it cri-(soft z ish)-un(Original post by KythingToWrite)
Now I shall have to go look for it, or else it'll bug me. I do remember it had a double 'y' and a 'd'—Cryyden? Crydden? Am I making a complete fool out of myself with my incompetency at Welsh?
don't worry I'm incompetent in it too
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Re: Year 10 2012/13
Hi! I'm also going into year 10. I'm excited about it yet really nervous at the same time!
I'm doing:
Spanish
Geography
Art & Design
Short Course Latin
As well as (compulsory) English Lit + Lang, Maths (a year early), RS, and Triple Science.
Im worried I won't be able to keep up with my school work and extra curriculars, and my art - apparently its a lot of work! But I just want to start so I can get it over with! -
It'll be fine(Original post by DazedDreamer)
Hi! I'm also going into year 10. I'm excited about it yet really nervous at the same time!
I'm doing:
Spanish
Geography
Art & Design
Short Course Latin
As well as (compulsory) English Lit + Lang, Maths (a year early), RS, and Triple Science.
Im worried I won't be able to keep up with my school work and extra curriculars, and my art - apparently its a lot of work! But I just want to start so I can get it over with!
just keep up with it and it'll be a breeze
depending on your focus, a varying degree of strength... From the breeze
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Re: Year 10 2012/13woo spanish ... i can assist you with that deffinately ......i get my results on 23rd .....im year 11 in sept ....... most schools actually do maths a year early now due to the linear structure so they can resit .....and modular so they do 50% each year(Original post by DazedDreamer)
Hi! I'm also going into year 10. I'm excited about it yet really nervous at the same time!
I'm doing:
Spanish
Geography
Art & Design
Short Course Latin
As well as (compulsory) English Lit + Lang, Maths (a year early), RS, and Triple Science.
Im worried I won't be able to keep up with my school work and extra curriculars, and my art - apparently its a lot of work! But I just want to start so I can get it over with!
RS .. not much work needed tbh .. easy grades ... triple science make sure u do plenty revision but yous have to do linear so u have to keep refreshing topics by yourself for maximum potential
art ...... if it is BTEC ... well prepare some time out of school to complete all the coursework to a high standard ... not too sure how the standar GCSE works though
spanish ..i can assist
..' cuando sea mayor, me gustaría '' is an important phrase that easily helps u get higher marks
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Re: Year 10 2012/13Ahh, awesome! How come your electricity supply is so dodgy?(Original post by KythingToWrite)
I live in Tanzania
It's a country on the East African coast, right under Kenya and Uganda. Or, to make things simpler, it's the home of The Lion King, Serengeti, Mt. Kilimanjaro, Me, and the world's most outrageous electricity cuts 
It's annoying, though, because when my dear cousins (from England, from US, from Kenya, etc) come over here for holidays, they have summer and I have school. We literally have a week or so only during which our holidays overlap!
I doubt they will. It's 'only' a class test, and besides, we don't do relative grade thresholds and stuff here. Your mark is judged as your mark, end of story. Thank God CIE doesn't think that way! And our Maths teacher kept scaring us today; we haven't gotten our papers back but we were discussing the questions, and he kept announcing, "Nobody has gotten this question right!" At the end of the class he told us he was kidding, but still. It was scary!
You have a very widespead family! Were you born in Tanzania then? I think the furthest away member of my family lives in Somerset, which is only 3 or so hours from where I live; no exotic family trips here!
Eeep, that's harsh. We have teachers like that: the ones that are so sarcastic or are good at teasing you whilst keeping a straight face. I can never figure out if they are being serious or not, so I just try to be quiet when they're in a funny mood.
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Re: Year 10 2012/13Because our government guzzles so much cash that they couldn't pay for a fuel/coal/gas/whatever electricity supply 30 years ago, so we made the Mtera Dam (which in hindsight is good, what with all the green issues with electricity) (that sentence made no sense, I realise). The only problem with hydroelectric power is that when you live on the Equator, you kind off don't get too much rain(Original post by Lainathiel)
Ahh, awesome! How come your electricity supply is so dodgy?
You have a very widespead family! Were you born in Tanzania then? I think the furthest away member of my family lives in Somerset, which is only 3 or so hours from where I live; no exotic family trips here!
Eeep, that's harsh. We have teachers like that: the ones that are so sarcastic or are good at teasing you whilst keeping a straight face. I can never figure out if they are being serious or not, so I just try to be quiet when they're in a funny mood.
The other problem is that our Government is a huge cash-guzzler (we receive the MOST aid in Africa, we have diamonds, gold, uranium, bananas, tanzanites, and we're the second most popular tourist destination in Africa, yet we're also one of the most poor countries.
As a result, we get 'rationing' in the hot months (November to February) where the cut off electricity for 10 hours each day, at least, and random cuts throughout the rest of the year, and complete failure when it begins to rain. Which makes no sense, but still. That's how they work!
I was born while my parents were on holiday in Kenya
I was a little too early! Most people move out after they get married, usually because (my parents' generation) the girls married guys abroad, or, recently, they study abroad and get married there. That's just the 'regular' part of my family
We have tons more... I think the only countries in which we don't have relatives are the EU ones. I don't second cousin's uncle who's French, sadly
But Indian/African families tend to keep in touch with their most extended members, so that could contribute too!
You sure don't seem so(Original post by shadab786ahmed)
You'd pronounce it cri-(soft z ish)-un
don't worry I'm incompetent in it too
And that sounds so cool. Crizzun. Crizzzzzun
Now I feel like learning Welsh!
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I am(Original post by KythingToWrite)
You sure don't seem so
And that sounds so cool. Crizzun. Crizzzzzun
Now I feel like learning Welsh!
I more competent with French
lol, it's hard to describe the sounds dd and ll make...
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Re: Year 10 2012/13This sounds similar to the things we studied in Geography last year: why lesser developed, poorer countries seem to have the best exporting businesses and tourist industries. I won't start on my views on this subject; I wrote a seven or so page essay for an assessment about why I thought it was ridiculous that the ordinary people in countries such as yours work so incredibly hard yet don't get paid nearly as high as they should do, or get the services that we - Brits or Americans, for example - take for granted. Oh dear, I've started off again.(Original post by KythingToWrite)
Because our government guzzles so much cash that they couldn't pay for a fuel/coal/gas/whatever electricity supply 30 years ago, so we made the Mtera Dam (which in hindsight is good, what with all the green issues with electricity) (that sentence made no sense, I realise). The only problem with hydroelectric power is that when you live on the Equator, you kind off don't get too much rain
The other problem is that our Government is a huge cash-guzzler (we receive the MOST aid in Africa, we have diamonds, gold, uranium, bananas, tanzanites, and we're the second most popular tourist destination in Africa, yet we're also one of the most poor countries.
As a result, we get 'rationing' in the hot months (November to February) where the cut off electricity for 10 hours each day, at least, and random cuts throughout the rest of the year, and complete failure when it begins to rain. Which makes no sense, but still. That's how they work!
I was born while my parents were on holiday in Kenya
I was a little too early! Most people move out after they get married, usually because (my parents' generation) the girls married guys abroad, or, recently, they study abroad and get married there. That's just the 'regular' part of my family
We have tons more... I think the only countries in which we don't have relatives are the EU ones. I don't second cousin's uncle who's French, sadly
But Indian/African families tend to keep in touch with their most extended members, so that could contribute too!

Wow, that's impressive! So, you're planning to study over here too then; do many people choose to study over here, or in other countries? Not many people I know go to foreign universities; I think it's getting a bit more common for people to go American universities, actually, but the majority of the people I know stay in the UK. Also, what is your schooling system like; do you have similar years and things to us? That may sound a bit weird but I have a friend in Australia, and once we were discussing our education systems; when we compared them, we kept getting really confused about the differing terminology and things.
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Sweet! I'm also starting Yr10 in September.(Original post by DazedDreamer)
Hi! I'm also going into year 10. I'm excited about it yet really nervous at the same time!
I'm doing:
Spanish
Geography
Art & Design
Short Course Latin
As well as (compulsory) English Lit + Lang, Maths (a year early), RS, and Triple Science.
Im worried I won't be able to keep up with my school work and extra curriculars, and my art - apparently its a lot of work! But I just want to start so I can get it over with!
We chose completely different subject ~ ^_^
That is the exact reason as to why I did not choose Art. I enjoy drawing and creating my own art piece, but doing as a subject.. I'm not too sure. Many people say that it is extremely time consuming, however it's worth it because you can then easily get an A or even A*.
Don't think about starting Yr10 too much. Just think like this - Yr10 and 11 is exactly the same as the previous years, only difference is that you get a qualification at the end of the two years. Don't worry too much and enjoy your holiday
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Be glad you didn't choose Art, it is extremely time consuming and in my opinion, not the easiest of subjects to get an A or A* in. Ability is one of the least important factors, it isn't taken into account as much as it should be(Original post by lubsjk)
Sweet! I'm also starting Yr10 in September.
We chose completely different subject ~ ^_^
That is the exact reason as to why I did not choose Art. I enjoy drawing and creating my own art piece, but doing as a subject.. I'm not too sure. Many people say that it is extremely time consuming, however it's worth it because you can then easily get an A or even A*.
Don't think about starting Yr10 too much. Just think like this - Yr10 and 11 is exactly the same as the previous years, only difference is that you get a qualification at the end of the two years. Don't worry too much and enjoy your holiday
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I'm glad I didn't choose it. I dislike the art teachers. The best one has retired so.. Besides, I prefer music(Original post by Lucy96)
Be glad you didn't choose Art, it is extremely time consuming and in my opinion, not the easiest of subjects to get an A or A* in. Ability is one of the least important factors, it isn't taken into account as much as it should be

I guess I was wrong there ^ Quite a few people had told me that its extremely time consuming, yet somewhat easy.
I am assuming that you chose the subject. Did you enjoy it ~ ? -
Art is relatively time consuming but not easy... It's 97% for an A* so I don't think that's easy(Original post by lubsjk)
I'm glad I didn't choose it. I dislike the art teachers. The best one has retired so.. Besides, I prefer music
I guess I was wrong there ^ Quite a few people had told me that its extremely time consuming, yet somewhat easy.
I am assuming that you chose the subject. Did you enjoy it ~ ?
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Yeah the Art teachers at my school were really picky, and clearly insulted the work of students who had more talent than them. Aww good(Original post by lubsjk)
I'm glad I didn't choose it. I dislike the art teachers. The best one has retired so.. Besides, I prefer music
I guess I was wrong there ^ Quite a few people had told me that its extremely time consuming, yet somewhat easy.
I am assuming that you chose the subject. Did you enjoy it ~ ?
And well I suppose it isn't a difficult subject, but when it comes to achieving a high grade, it is. I enjoyed it a lot in year 10 and the start of year 11. It was nice to just draw in lessons. But once it got to the exam period at the end of year 11, I had no time for it and it was the subject I least cared about.
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97%? K that's deadly.(Original post by shadab786ahmed)
Art is relatively time consuming but not easy... It's 97% for an A* so I don't think that's easy
But the good thing about Art is that there's no right or wrong answer. I would hate to have to constantly draw though >< I like drawing, but not that much lol -
The teachers at my school aren't That bad o.o It must suck to have a teacher who insults you simply because of your talent.(Original post by Lucy96)
Yeah the Art teachers at my school were really picky, and clearly insulted the work of students who had more talent than them. Aww good
And well I suppose it isn't a difficult subject, but when it comes to achieving a high grade, it is. I enjoyed it a lot in year 10 and the start of year 11. It was nice to just draw in lessons. But once it got to the exam period at the end of year 11, I had no time for it and it was the subject I least cared about.
Oh so it got in the way of other subjects during the exam period?
Luckily I was brought up speaking Mandarin.

It's hard. We had a Maths test today and (even though I knew everything!) I couldn't finish in time. Nobody could, really. It was very unfair timing

depending on your focus, a varying degree of strength... From the breeze
The other problem is that our Government is a huge cash-guzzler (we receive the MOST aid in Africa, we have diamonds, gold, uranium, bananas, tanzanites, and we're the second most popular tourist destination in Africa, yet we're also one of the most poor countries.