The Student Room Group

For the students that will be in year 11 this september?

How do you feel about the new change in the specification and entering year 11 where there's too much stress and revision to do? :erm:

To be honest am scared!
And to make it worse I have most of my teachers leaving and I don't know if my new teachers will be good enough
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(edited 7 years ago)
I am, but I see no reason for you to be stressed. GCSEs are a while away yet. As for the change in spec, English seems almost identical, bar a lack of coursework, and you don't get a copy of the Anthology and Maths is just a bit harder. No major changes, except older friends and family will look confused at your results :P I'm going to look over the Year 9/10 Science modules a bit (since I got meh mock grades) [C1/2, B1/2, P1/2].

Don't be scared about GCSEs, I'm sure the stress will subside shortly :biggrin: As I said, you have a long time to prepare. Just look over last year's work a bit, and overall relax. (unless you're a maverick like me, then you'll be getting ahead on Year 11 work :^))

Keep calm and you'll do great :biggrin:
Reply 2
My only concern is for the new maths GCSE as there are no past papers :angry:. I think I can cope with English Language and Literature as long as I put the hours in. :h: I think I'll try and get ahead with some work (for B1/B2/B3/C1/C2/P1/P2, Maths, Further Maths, English Language, English Literature) to ensure that I am not so worried come September

Spoiler

(edited 7 years ago)
Reply 3
i just finished year 11 and here are some tips (either things i wish i did or things I'm happy i did)\
1. REVISEEEE FOR MOCKS AND ONWARDS
2. try and get most of your notes done for mocks, that way you can spend most of the next few months learning the content.
3. personally i found that the best revision techniques were writing notes and then making little flash cards on each topic to test yourself - as weird as this sounds i also stuck keywords around my room (mirror and bathroom)
4. i did so bad on my mocks and everyone kept telling me that id to bad in the real thing- NONE OF YOUR PREVIOUS TESTS MATTER- DONT LISTEN TO WHAT OTHER PEOPLE SAY!!!
5. as much as your teachers annoy you remember that they WILL help you, and what i found useful was while study periods i used to go and see my teachers and ask fro extra help.
6. don't worry if you don't know what study technique works best for you, you've got time towards the beginning of the year to figure it out :smile:
7. make sure you take breaks whether thats being with friends, family, pets or just watching a good movie or reading a good book
8. don't overwhelm yourself (like i did)
9. as crazy as this sounds, though-out my exam period i constantly felt guilty for not revising sooner etc, please don't do this, and if you ever feel like this, just know that at this point in time, theres nothing that can be done to go back in time YOU'VE GOT THIS!!!!
10. as much as you might hate the subject, you have to do it, so try find the positives to each subject (EVEN MATHS....only joking :smile:
11. sometimes people around you will act like they're just being mean and that they don't understand you (parents are teachers i mean you) but theyreo only trying to help

This is all i can think of for now :smile:
BEST OF LUCK EVERYONE YOULL DO GREAT!! I BELIEVE IN YOU!!!!!!!!!

if anyone wants to talk about any of this feel free, I'm more than happy to help <3
and i hope this helped you ofc x
Reply 4
Original post by umar39
My only concern is for the new maths GCSE as there are no past papers :angry:. I think I can cope with English Language and Literature as long as I put the hours in. :h: I think I'll try and get ahead with some work (for B1/B2/B3/C1/C2/P1/P2, Maths, Further Maths, English Language, English Literature) to ensure that I am not so worried come September

Spoiler



Yeah it will also give me the motivation to work harder:colondollar:

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Reply 5
I'm stressed because we have 3 maths exams instead of 2, so I'm just nervous about how much more I'll actually have to do!
Original post by AP666
I'm stressed because we have 3 maths exams instead of 2, so I'm just nervous about how much more I'll actually have to do!


Meh, it's just more spread out, not a massive amount of new content.
Reply 7
Original post by _gcx
Meh, it's just more spread out, not a massive amount of new content.


Well then you must be smart to be saying that:erm:

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Reply 8
Original post by fey679
i just finished year 11 and here are some tips (either things i wish i did or things I'm happy i did)\
1. REVISEEEE FOR MOCKS AND ONWARDS
2. try and get most of your notes done for mocks, that way you can spend most of the next few months learning the content.
3. personally i found that the best revision techniques were writing notes and then making little flash cards on each topic to test yourself - as weird as this sounds i also stuck keywords around my room (mirror and bathroom)
4. i did so bad on my mocks and everyone kept telling me that id to bad in the real thing- NONE OF YOUR PREVIOUS TESTS MATTER- DONT LISTEN TO WHAT OTHER PEOPLE SAY!!!
5. as much as your teachers annoy you remember that they WILL help you, and what i found useful was while study periods i used to go and see my teachers and ask fro extra help.
6. don't worry if you don't know what study technique works best for you, you've got time towards the beginning of the year to figure it out :smile:
7. make sure you take breaks whether thats being with friends, family, pets or just watching a good movie or reading a good book
8. don't overwhelm yourself (like i did)
9. as crazy as this sounds, though-out my exam period i constantly felt guilty for not revising sooner etc, please don't do this, and if you ever feel like this, just know that at this point in time, theres nothing that can be done to go back in time YOU'VE GOT THIS!!!!
10. as much as you might hate the subject, you have to do it, so try find the positives to each subject (EVEN MATHS....only joking :smile:
11. sometimes people around you will act like they're just being mean and that they don't understand you (parents are teachers i mean you) but theyreo only trying to help

This is all i can think of for now :smile:
BEST OF LUCK EVERYONE YOULL DO GREAT!! I BELIEVE IN YOU!!!!!!!!!

if anyone wants to talk about any of this feel free, I'm more than happy to help <3
and i hope this helped you ofc x


Thank you so much for that information

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Original post by Naomeyz_01
How do you feel about the new change in the specification and entering year 11 where there's too much stress and revision to do? :erm:

To be honest am scared!
And to make it worse I have most of my teachers leaving and I don't know if my new teachers will be good enough
Posted from TSR Mobile


I really don't know how I feel to be completely honest: English is probably the worst case scenario at the moment due to all the memoery work, and there's no coursework to fall behind on. At the moment, for this term, the most stressful part was the speaking exam.
I am worried about the new English and maths GCSEs too! Maths I struggle enough with to begin with, so the new harder exams are not in my favour at all. As for English, it's pretty annoying that we don't get a copy of the text in the exam anymore- it makes it more of a memory test than a test of our analysis skills, but I guess we're all in the same boat so our grades should reflect that. Year eleven feels scary to me because inside I still feel about twelve inside haha. On the plus side, at least once the next year is out of the way I will hopefully never have to study maths again. :smile:
Reply 11
English literature I kind of feel dumb in that subject because I got level 2 in year 10 mock.
Original post by Fnt1klo
English literature I kind of feel dumb in that subject because I got level 2 in year 10 mock.


Loooooool omg I got level 2 as well I fully hate this new specification
I feel like all the advice am given from my teachers goes into one ear and gets out from the other!
Its complicated
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Reply 13
Original post by Naomeyz_01
Loooooool omg I got level 2 as well I fully hate this new specification
I feel like all the advice am given from my teachers goes into one ear and gets out from the other!
Its complicated
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Which board are you doing? I am doing Wjec English language is pretty good but literature it's terrible.
Original post by Fnt1klo
Which board are you doing? I am doing Wjec English language is pretty good but literature it's terrible.


Aqa
Reply 15
Original post by Naomeyz_01
Thank you so much for that information

Posted from TSR Mobile


anytime :smile:
Ah great to know im not the only one freaking out aha.
I did my mocks and did absolute sh*t in them, all of them i failed haha. But the thing i must remember (AND SO MUST YOU) is that, the mocks do NOT count towards anything. They are only to give you an idea as to what it will be like. If anything, they have shown me the places i need to work harder in and i am taking it all on board.

The worst for me is probably computing science. Im cr*ap at it. Dont even know why i took it. Not really expecting any more than a D same with German tbh. History is going to be okay. If i put in a lot of effort in my coursework then i should do fine in the exam. It's just remembering everything ugh. English will be fine i think. I can remember most of Romeo and Juliet and A Christmas Carol. Poems will e great because i love them tbh.

However i hate the new grading system with 9 - 1 or whatever it is, for maths and English. What even is the point of it?

What i think im going to do is just make notes this holiday and get as much help as i can when i get back to school. I think if i put a lot of effort in, i will do okay. :smile:

If anyone needs any help, or advice, message me and i will try my best :redface:
Original post by fey679
i just finished year 11 and here are some tips (either things i wish i did or things I'm happy i did)\
1. REVISEEEE FOR MOCKS AND ONWARDS
2. try and get most of your notes done for mocks, that way you can spend most of the next few months learning the content.
3. personally i found that the best revision techniques were writing notes and then making little flash cards on each topic to test yourself - as weird as this sounds i also stuck keywords around my room (mirror and bathroom)
4. i did so bad on my mocks and everyone kept telling me that id to bad in the real thing- NONE OF YOUR PREVIOUS TESTS MATTER- DONT LISTEN TO WHAT OTHER PEOPLE SAY!!!
5. as much as your teachers annoy you remember that they WILL help you, and what i found useful was while study periods i used to go and see my teachers and ask fro extra help.
6. don't worry if you don't know what study technique works best for you, you've got time towards the beginning of the year to figure it out :smile:
7. make sure you take breaks whether thats being with friends, family, pets or just watching a good movie or reading a good book
8. don't overwhelm yourself (like i did)
9. as crazy as this sounds, though-out my exam period i constantly felt guilty for not revising sooner etc, please don't do this, and if you ever feel like this, just know that at this point in time, theres nothing that can be done to go back in time YOU'VE GOT THIS!!!!
10. as much as you might hate the subject, you have to do it, so try find the positives to each subject (EVEN MATHS....only joking :smile:
11. sometimes people around you will act like they're just being mean and that they don't understand you (parents are teachers i mean you) but theyreo only trying to help

This is all i can think of for now :smile:
BEST OF LUCK EVERYONE YOULL DO GREAT!! I BELIEVE IN YOU!!!!!!!!!

if anyone wants to talk about any of this feel free, I'm more than happy to help <3
and i hope this helped you ofc x


Best information thank you!🙂 I'm going into year11 Sept 2016


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Reply 18
Original post by umar39
My only concern is for the new maths GCSE as there are no past papers :angry:. I think I can cope with English Language and Literature as long as I put the hours in. :h: I think I'll try and get ahead with some work (for B1/B2/B3/C1/C2/P1/P2, Maths, Further Maths, English Language, English Literature) to ensure that I am not so worried come September

Spoiler



Depending on what exam board you're on for English and maths (I'm with AQA for both subjects), every exam board *should* have some specimen papers at the ready for you. They're essentially past papers but are called 'specimen' if a new qualification has recently rolled in. Have a look at your exam board's website and you should see them.

FLM3026
I got a grade 5, but I had a really bad headache that day, and my teacher said I was working on at least at 6, and I could easily get a 9. Hopefully, hard work will pay off...

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