Just got bamboozled by Scottish Highers

Up until last year I went to an English school so I'm used to the standard timings you get at GCSE and A Level.

I just came out of the Higher Maths exam, and found out during the exam that the first paper is, bizarrely, 20 minutes shorter and worth 10 less marks. I'd crossed out a significant portion of my working intending to go back to it, and just as I was getting round to it for what I thought were the final 20 minutes, the invigilator told us to put our pens down. I hadn't picked this up once during my revision, because who reads the front of the paper when they're revising.

I've probably lost a significant number of marks because for no apparent reason, the SQA have different lengths for two papers with very similar content. To compound the matter, I need 5 As to get into the uni I want to get into, and I've almost certainly dropped into the B category for Maths, so I either need an A (rather than a B) in at least one of my two Advanced Highers, which are mostly coursework, and my coursework is probably not going to be A standard for at least one of them, or I need some serious luck when it comes time for unis to confirm offers.

To compound it FURTHER, the reason I want to go to this specific uni is because I've been obsessed with a guy who's definitely going there (unconditional) for a couple of years now, and missing out on the possibility of having another chance with him because of being unaware of timings would break my heart.

TLDR: Check the timings for your exam, kids.

Reply 1

NetherLewis

Obviously I don't know if it's the ONLY reason you want to go to this uni but going just for some guy is pretty stupid. The way you describe him is as if he doesn't feel mutually towards you so you're only setup for heartbreak at some point. The problem with obsession is that you paint this idealised picture of what someone is like inside your head but just think what the chances are that they are really as perfect as you imagine them.

Your mistake regarding your exam is something that you'll just have to move on from; I don't think there's much you can do about it.

Reply 2

Rmcewan15

Original post by NetherLewis

I did the maths (ironically) and it shouldn't be totally disastrous but it cuts deep into my margin and definitely puts me at risk.

On the topic of the guy, I get where you're coming from. One of my friends told me the same thing for months and months, until he met a girl. He's gone from total skive to fiercely hard worker to go to the same uni as her, and they've only just started dating, and as friends at that. Sometimes you meet someone and you just have to know.

I definitely have an idealised picture of him in my head, and I'm ok with that. I enjoy the fantasy. That doesn't make the real thing any less amazing. I've talked to him a fair bit, and it's complicated, but he certainly did like me that way at some point. I am terrible at dealing with human beings though so there is a serious chance I screwed it up.

But yeah, it would really suck if I missed out on the possibility of that due to mutual stupidity from me and the SQA. They really need to homogenise this crap with A Level, anybody coming up from England must be so confused. Or better yet, England should adopt the Higher system instead. The actual system is a great way of learning and teaching, but the execution sucks.

Reply 3

Puppo

it's not the SQA's fault u didn't check your exam durations. I didn't know the length of my AH exams this year so I googled it. Try not to worry about it - they mark positively so u will pick up marks and also they only penalise an error once so u will get follow thru marks which should bump u up a bit. Also - it doesn't matter if u crossed out your working - they mark scored out working (providing u didn't then replace it with other answers in which case they mark that (even if it's wrong and your scored out answer was right) unless u have literally blacked it out but I'm sure u haven't done that.