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i'm so stressed about gcses

i just really need to let it out i'm so sorry
i have my gcse's in exactly two months from now and currently my head is spinning. i have such high expectations and i'm terrified
i chose to do music gcse, and our deadlines are coming up soon, however, for my coursework, i have to do two compositions, an appraisal, which is an essay (and i have no idea what to write), and two performances. i have not completed any of this because my teacher isn't telling us what to do and isnt giving me much help and i'm quite lost. on top of everything, revision, other coursework, etc, i'm in such stress, which, one year ago, i told myself i wouldn't become so stressed this year. i want to drop music, because i'm probably going to get a low grade anyways, but my exam officer won't let anyone drop their subjects
i also do latin as an extra gcse, and i've been doing this for one year. i have a class once a week during term times and we have to learn about the roman history aspect. i don't know how to revise for history (i do geog, and it's completely different) and so i don't know where to begin and how to revise it (it's long pages of text and idk what to revise?!?!?!)
i also have to do my geog coursework and it's so long and probably 80% of people are in the same position as me right now but i don't know what to do and i can't focus on revision and it's making me even more !!! that i cannot concentrate and sigh i just want good grades why is year 11 so hard
sorry for rambling i just needed to let it out ugh

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Start to break it down a bit. One thing you can try is setting yourself 3-5 important (but achievable) tasks per day, do it before you go to bed at night for the day ahead. It keeps your attention focused in the right places, and reaching goals / targets is good for motivation.

In terms of stress, make sure you're getting some regular exercise and maybe try mindfulness / mediation. Don't put too much pressure on yourself you still have ages before exams.
Just remember that GCSE's aren't that important.
Your GCSEs don't matter a jot. Some people end up doing **** on them and then get into top unis, then some people do great on them and end up at Plymouth.
Reply 4
Original post by dean01234
Start to break it down a bit. One thing you can try is setting yourself 3-5 important (but achievable) tasks per day, do it before you go to bed at night for the day ahead. It keeps your attention focused in the right places, and reaching goals / targets is good for motivation.

In terms of stress, make sure you're getting some regular exercise and maybe try mindfulness / mediation. Don't put too much pressure on yourself you still have ages before exams.


thank you! i'll try that out :smile:
I can relate to you a lot! I did music gcse and now do it alevel and completely understand how difficult it is as it requires so much of your time and all these different skills which some people are amazing at and some people are not. The best thing to do is to nag nag nag your teacher for help if you are struggling with composition because they can be very useful in knowing what is needed. For set works it's literally a memory test as it is with history gcse- cue cards and colours worked with me. Just listen to your set works as much as possible and related genres/artists and you'll be absolutely fine! Honestly just prioritise your time into what you need to work on most. Make sure you're eating well etc etc and try to have a balance between revision and recreation. GCSEs are literally just a memory test but teach you how to organise and divide your time between different subjects, so they are important in preparing you for A-level in that respect. As long as you do little bits of revision but often and do practice papers, you'll be absolutely fine! :smile:
Reply 6
Original post by Anonymous
i just really need to let it out i'm so sorry
i have my gcse's in exactly two months from now and currently my head is spinning. i have such high expectations and i'm terrified
i chose to do music gcse, and our deadlines are coming up soon, however, for my coursework, i have to do two compositions, an appraisal, which is an essay (and i have no idea what to write), and two performances. i have not completed any of this because my teacher isn't telling us what to do and isnt giving me much help and i'm quite lost. on top of everything, revision, other coursework, etc, i'm in such stress, which, one year ago, i told myself i wouldn't become so stressed this year. i want to drop music, because i'm probably going to get a low grade anyways, but my exam officer won't let anyone drop their subjects
i also do latin as an extra gcse, and i've been doing this for one year. i have a class once a week during term times and we have to learn about the roman history aspect. i don't know how to revise for history (i do geog, and it's completely different) and so i don't know where to begin and how to revise it (it's long pages of text and idk what to revise?!?!?!)
i also have to do my geog coursework and it's so long and probably 80% of people are in the same position as me right now but i don't know what to do and i can't focus on revision and it's making me even more !!! that i cannot concentrate and sigh i just want good grades why is year 11 so hard
sorry for rambling i just needed to let it out ugh


It's ok calm down, I'm currently in A level and i was in the same position as you last year. My advice for you would be do your best, the result is not up to you its up to the examiners. Also, your GCSE's are really not that important because for university, they look at the average of your whole school. Therefore, do not worry and if you are stressed now, try A level :smile:
....GCSE's are piss easy. And they barely matter. Just make sure you pass English and maths.
Reply 8
Original post by Nameless Ghoul
Your GCSEs don't matter a jot. Some people end up doing **** on them and then get into top unis, then some people do great on them and end up at Plymouth.


On the contrary, although they didn't matter so far, since AS exams are now gone, there is going to be more emphasis on GCSEs when it comes to uni applications. And for courses like Med, even with good AS grades, people get rejected because of average GCSEs.
Original post by ms98
On the contrary, although they didn't matter so far, since AS exams are now gone, there is going to be more emphasis on GCSEs when it comes to uni applications. And for courses like Med, even with good AS grades, people get rejected because of average GCSEs.


Why would anyone want to do med? That's like a last resort.
Reply 10
Original post by AccountingBabe
Why would anyone want to do med? That's like a last resort.


By med I meant Medicine, though I would hate to do it, I know LOADs of people applying, and by no means are you gonna get into med if you can't get into anything else, it's an absolute nightmare of an application.
Original post by super_hannah
I can relate to you a lot! I did music gcse and now do it alevel and completely understand how difficult it is as it requires so much of your time and all these different skills which some people are amazing at and some people are not. The best thing to do is to nag nag nag your teacher for help if you are struggling with composition because they can be very useful in knowing what is needed. For set works it's literally a memory test as it is with history gcse- cue cards and colours worked with me. Just listen to your set works as much as possible and related genres/artists and you'll be absolutely fine! Honestly just prioritise your time into what you need to work on most. Make sure you're eating well etc etc and try to have a balance between revision and recreation. GCSEs are literally just a memory test but teach you how to organise and divide your time between different subjects, so they are important in preparing you for A-level in that respect. As long as you do little bits of revision but often and do practice papers, you'll be absolutely fine! :smile:


ahh thank you so much, though i talked to my teachers and they allowed me to quit music and i feel so much better :smile: but thank you, this was great advice, i'll try out the cue cards :smile:
As long as you get Maths and English you can do anything :smile: I am at UNI with Maths and English and a few other pointless GCSE's such as Food Tech. I even failed science GCSE.
Original post by ms98
On the contrary, although they didn't matter so far, since AS exams are now gone, there is going to be more emphasis on GCSEs when it comes to uni applications. And for courses like Med, even with good AS grades, people get rejected because of average GCSEs.


Conjecture. They don't matter and there are med schools which specifically don't look at GCSE performance.
Original post by davinaxo
It's ok calm down, I'm currently in A level and i was in the same position as you last year. My advice for you would be do your best, the result is not up to you its up to the examiners. Also, your GCSE's are really not that important because for university, they look at the average of your whole school. Therefore, do not worry and if you are stressed now, try A level :smile:


ah thank you!! yeh aha i'm not really sure what a-level has in store just yet but apparently there's a big workload
Reply 15
It is stressful because if you want to go to a good uni u need the grades and getting them isn't easy in A level.
update: ((idk how to edit)) i decided to quit music and my teachers were surprisingly supportive of me, and now i feel so much happier :smile:
Original post by AccountingBabe
....GCSE's are piss easy. And they barely matter. Just make sure you pass English and maths.


yeh... aha as corny as it sounds, i do want to apply to oxford uni and i heard they focus on your gcse grades
I'm in the same boat

I understand the significance of GCSE's - and that they don't have much importance beyond getting into sixth form, but the fact my family / friends think I will get straight A*'s and that I KNOW I can get straight A*s makes me anxious that I won't be meeting my own expectations as well as theirs (although my family wouldn't be disappointed if I didn't get straight A*'s - they're not like that - but it's just the fact I've got the name in my friend group and in my family as the 'clever one' I feel like I have a lot to live up to)
Original post by urbanlocations
As long as you get Maths and English you can do anything :smile: I am at UNI with Maths and English and a few other pointless GCSE's such as Food Tech. I even failed science GCSE.


aha thank you! that's interesting :smile:

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