Official Year 10 Chat 2023-24

Hello everyone,
My name is Emmanuella from London going into Year 13 this September 2023, but I have made this thread because I have sat GCSEs before - so i promise most of the feelings and worries you have I would've also had during Year 10! but we are here to support and uplift each other during this year of secondary education - you can do this okay?!

here are a few icebreaker questions to introduce yourself:

1) name and where you are from
2) what subjects you are taking at GCSE
3) the grades you are hoping to get in Year 11
4) the latest netflix show/movie you've watched
5) your go-to positive/motivational quote or affirmation

Hiii
My name's Petra, I'm from London, and I'm a Year 10 (2023-24).
For GCSEs, I chose:
Apart from those two, I do:
Aiming for:

Currently watching:
Favourite motivational quote:

How's the year going for everyone so far?
I did my RS PPE (for early entry) on Friday and it went amazingly. I'm not in the clear yet though, because apparently, we're doing paper 2 sometime before Christmas 😭
Btw, is there anyone that's done/is anyone doing GCSE Astronomy? It's fun and all, but since it's such a rare subject opportunity, there isn't that much information on the course and I only have classes once a week on Sundays. Plus, the classes don't feel serious at all because it isn't in an actual school. I don't regret taking up the subject or anything, but I'm kinda worried that won't be able to get the grade I want in the GCSE exam.
Also, I hate health and social care this year. My teacher from last year left for her Ph.D. and the new teacher quit after a month (but that's okay because she was really bad, we did the same lesson every week and she'd say she "didn't remember covering it"). The replacement they got us is worse though, she just stands at the front saying she's going to "observe our behaviour" (bear in mind this is a double lesson and she still expects the class to sit there in silence while she doesn't teach). It's such a high-content subject and the coursework is essay-based so if I don't have notes I'm done for. And I can barely find anything online! Our C1 coursework is coming up and I literally have no idea how the whole thing works, how I'm supposed to structure my writing, and what would make the essay good. If anyone has any info on this at all I'd be so grateful!!
Oh, and is anyone doing DofE? What skills/physical/volunteering are you doing? How are you prepping for the expedition? If you've done it already, is the expedition really difficult? I'm doing my bronze this year and I'm excited.
I feel like I've ranted enough lol.
@emm4nuella Thanks so much for making this thread btw!

how is year 10 going so far (if you have started!)!

Hiii
My name's Petra, I'm from London, and I'm a Year 10 (2023-24).
For GCSEs, I chose:
Apart from those two, I do:
Aiming for:

Currently watching:
Favourite motivational quote:

How's the year going for everyone so far?
I did my RS PPE (for early entry) on Friday and it went amazingly. I'm not in the clear yet though, because apparently, we're doing paper 2 sometime before Christmas 😭
Btw, is there anyone that's done/is anyone doing GCSE Astronomy? It's fun and all, but since it's such a rare subject opportunity, there isn't that much information on the course and I only have classes once a week on Sundays. Plus, the classes don't feel serious at all because it isn't in an actual school. I don't regret taking up the subject or anything, but I'm kinda worried that won't be able to get the grade I want in the GCSE exam.
Also, I hate health and social care this year. My teacher from last year left for her Ph.D. and the new teacher quit after a month (but that's okay because she was really bad, we did the same lesson every week and she'd say she "didn't remember covering it"). The replacement they got us is worse though, she just stands at the front saying she's going to "observe our behaviour" (bear in mind this is a double lesson and she still expects the class to sit there in silence while she doesn't teach). It's such a high-content subject and the coursework is essay-based so if I don't have notes I'm done for. And I can barely find anything online! Our C1 coursework is coming up and I literally have no idea how the whole thing works, how I'm supposed to structure my writing, and what would make the essay good. If anyone has any info on this at all I'd be so grateful!!
Oh, and is anyone doing DofE? What skills/physical/volunteering are you doing? How are you prepping for the expedition? If you've done it already, is the expedition really difficult? I'm doing my bronze this year and I'm excited.
I feel like I've ranted enough lol.
@emm4nuella Thanks so much for making this thread btw!

Hii, I'm doing silver DofE! Hopefully we can catch up later - I haven't started expedition yet (not until april) but we have a training day to prepare in a few months

Omg hiii, that's so cool! I wanna hear everything when you're done with it ^^

i did bronze last year, you can literally just do all of your skills, volunteering etc in school, that's what i did, and imo probs the easiest way to stay on top of things.
if you like to walk the expedition's pretty nice, but if you don't like nature and the sort (e.g. on our expedition it was really muddy and a ton of girls cried??) then maybe it won't be that fun. also depends on weather, and if you're going with friends, its literally not worth it if you're not with friends, so boring, speaking from experience. the navigation's super easy and chill, ik ppl who literally just used snapmaps instead (but don't do that, you'll be disqualified)
in terms of prepping like bringing stuff, be VERY VERY prepared for weather. you're lucky if your expedition is in summer, but during winter/ spring it is HELLISH, the countryside is so much colder and wetter than London. make sure to get extra socks + clothes in case of mud, it really isn't very fun sleeping in muddy clothes and enough layers to stay warm, otherwise you get no sleep the entire night, but in summer it is very pleasant also for your own sanity try to pack light and organised, or your back really hurts and you lose half your **** (i lost my phone)
sorry for rambling, i have an awful tendency to go on tangents, i hope this may? answer your questions

Yep sure thing! A few days ago, I started setting up my dofe account as well for volunteering, skills + physical and it's going good so far

Hiii thank you so much for your reply!! Everything you said seems really helpful so I'll make sure to remember it. I'm pretty lucky because my expedition is gonna be in summer. I don't mind nature, but I'm gonna have to work on my fitness before the expedition. In terms of equipment, is there anything in particular you'd recommend? Also, does it get really hot or uncomfortable at all in the summer? OH AND how does hygiene and sanitation work on the expedition? Literally, no one has explained this to me 😭
I was gonna do everything for the 3 sections in school since I had clubs that fit the requirements pretty well. Unfortunately, my school's understaffed rn so extracurriculars are so inconsistent and unreliable, which is a big problem since I need proper records of my activities.
I'm getting a gym membership and I'll be going with a few of my friends for my physical. For volunteering, I've applied to work at a local charity shop. If that doesn't work out, I'll either hope for the best with the in-school club or maybe help train the year 7 netball team?? As for skills, I'm just gonna continue with my language learning since it's something I enjoy.

i was fine with all the equipment on the list tbh, but in terms of food make sure to pack precooked lunches, but you have to have some sort of cookable? Food for breakfast and dinner, like i had instant noodles every night and i warmed up hot chocolate in the mornings, i'm pretty sure its a requirement?? But don't quote me on it. You might want to get a pillow? Sleeping mat for underneath your sleeping mat is a must unless you don't mind sleeping on lumpy ground
tbh i'm very biased because i hate the cold, but i didn't find it hot and uncomfortable in summer, but i would say definitely wear light clothes, cause you feel kinda gross after walking for like 6 hours straight and maybe a hat? If heat bothers you a lot?
In terms of hygiene and sanitation, i'm not 100% sure which part you mean by this, but i'll answer it to the best of my ability.
At the campsite there are bathrooms and showers(unfortunately there can be a big queue, especially in summer, and they aren't always super cleanly) but if i'm not mistaken bronze expedition is only one night?? So ig you could just shower at home
but while you're on a wlak its in the woods so obv no bathroom facilities, so you either have to wait or you can..... If you're not squeamish, so i guess bring tissues/ wipes? I hope this is what you meant 😭

Hello everyone,
My name is Emmanuella from London going into Year 13 this September 2023, but I have made this thread because I have sat GCSEs before - so i promise most of the feelings and worries you have I would've also had during Year 10! but we are here to support and uplift each other during this year of secondary education - you can do this okay?!

here are a few icebreaker questions to introduce yourself:

1) name and where you are from
2) what subjects you are taking at GCSE
3) the grades you are hoping to get in Year 11
4) the latest netflix show/movie you've watched
5) your go-to positive/motivational quote or affirmation

Hello Year 10s! I dont think I've been on here in a while - how is everyone doing? do you have any general questions about GCSEs? (i am in year 13)

Hi, GCSEs are quite demanding, but I'm able to manage it a lot better now. Do you have any tips on how to juggle all my subjects better and to get all the work I intended to do finished (because sometimes when another exam comes up, I can't allocate my time for another subject at the same time so I end up delaying it).

Thanks

Still doing hw at this time of the eve is not the one. I’m sooooo over geography it’s so boring to me now 🥱
So obviously I come on here to procrastinate a bit and drag it out further

i was fine with all the equipment on the list tbh, but in terms of food make sure to pack precooked lunches, but you have to have some sort of cookable? food for breakfast and dinner, like i had instant noodles every night and i warmed up hot chocolate in the mornings, i'm pretty sure its a requirement?? but don't quote me on it. you might want to get a pillow? sleeping mat for underneath your sleeping mat is a must unless you don't mind sleeping on lumpy ground
tbh i'm very biased because i hate the cold, but i didn't find it hot and uncomfortable in summer, but i would say definitely wear light clothes, cause you feel kinda gross after walking for like 6 hours straight and maybe a hat? if heat bothers you a lot?
in terms of hygiene and sanitation, i'm not 100% sure which part you mean by this, but i'll answer it to the best of my ability.
at the campsite there are bathrooms and showers(unfortunately there can be a big queue, especially in summer, and they aren't always super cleanly) but if i'm not mistaken bronze expedition is only one night?? so ig you could just shower at home
but while you're on a wlak its in the woods so obv no bathroom facilities, so you either have to wait or you can..... if you're not squeamish, so i guess bring tissues/ wipes? i hope this is what you meant 😭

Hey what exam board do you do for geography? I do OCR B and resources for revision are scarce or otherwise not detailed and practically useless