scared for yr11

hey guys im in yr10 atm but im going in to yr11 in septemeber and im so scared i want all 9s in my gcses which is something ive been aiming for for a rlly long time but im scared if im not able to achieve them

Reply 1

Coventry University Student Ambassadors

Official Rep

Hello there!

It’s completely normal to feel scared about going into Year 11, especially when you have set yourself high goals. It shows how much you care about your future, and that in itself is something to be proud of.
What will matter most in Year 11 is consistency, not perfection. It’s about showing up every day, doing your best in each lesson, and building small revision habits rather than trying to be perfect all the time.
Year 11 is challenging, but it’s manageable when you break it down. Take each subject one topic at a time, use practice questions, and regularly review what you have learnt so it doesn’t build up right before exams.
It’s also important to allow yourself rest and fun to avoid burnout.
Your hard work will pay off, and the fact that you are already thinking about your goals shows you are on the right track.

You’ve got this!

I hope this helps!

Kind regards,
Reka - Coventry University Student Ambassador

Reply 2

M.Sturniolo.

Original post

by rana.x

Hii

I just finished year 11. Let me tell it is hard. I have tbh. I can't lie and say it's easy. You shouldn't be scared rn. You got to keep calm.

What you should do, well this is my advice.
You have to make a timetable. A revision timetable. That you actually follow. Like for example. After school what are you doing. 1 hour of homework. So 5-6= homework. 6-7 maths revision. Like yk whatever you think works best for you. If you need help on that let me know.
Another thing is making your revision resources now or start of September. You have the summer to make some. Use the summer to your advantage. If you have some already go over them. Check: are they good enough? Do they have key info? You don't wanna memorise irrelevant stuff. So keep to the point.
Also go over past papers. Go over so many. Check what questions come up frequently. Write the answers to those questions on a flashcard, memorise them. So when it comes up again yk what to write.
Do this thru out yr 11. You have to be consistent. Consistency is key. Yk that phrase. It might be cringey but it is right.
You will be able to achieve those 9s if you start during the holidays or early September.
Do revision everyday. When mocks come up, do more of that revision. Test out different strategies of revision. See what works for you.

Not only revise and stuff. But enjoy yr 11. Hangout with your friends. Enjoy your time W your classmates. Do hobbies. Etc. you don't want to feel overwhelmed. Or over worked out. Trust me it doesn't feel good to. You need time for yourself.
It's gonna be great if you do the thing I tell you.

If you have any questions just let me know. If U need anything in general or idk someone to talk to or smth. I'm here, js pm me or whatever you feel like.

Anyways,
Best of luckkk

Reply 3

LancashireRep4

Official Rep

Original post

by rana.x

Hi @rana.x

Starting your GCSEs can be scary, I remember I was super nervous too, however as long as you stay organised, productive and still give yourself time for your own hobbies, you will be fine 😊.

My first recommendations is to regularly recap content from class, this could be through the creation of revision cards, which you can bundle into subjects and topics which will be extremely useful for when exams come around.

My second recommendation is do not feel put down by your grades. You have high aspirations which is excellent but do not let grades throughout the year make you feel down. Tests are super important to identify your weaknesses so you know exactly what to work on.

Most important recommendation is to remain organise. Making a schedule might be ideal and dedicating at least 30 minutes on the week days to look over certain subjects.

Make sure to have at least one day a week of no work, having a break is something I failed to do in my GCSEs and I've now realised how important this is. It really helps your mind relax and reset.

I hope this helps, please feel free to ask me any questions,
-Sophia (University of Central Lancashire)

Reply 4

Mickey Mouse 1

Don’t be scared! Year 11 is so, so fun! Yes, at times it can be a little stressful- but there’s ALWAYS something to stress about in life, whether it’s school related or not. You mentioned you’ve been aiming for 9s for a while, so I’m sure you’re already motivated and putting in loads of effort. Even small bits of work add up over time. If you keep working hard, you can achieve anything you set your mind to! Good luck - I hope you have an amazing year ahead, and don’t forget to take time to relax and enjoy summer!

Reply 5

username7632250

Original post

by rana.x

Hi, being scared for exams is absolutely normal and it just shows that you genuinely do care about your education. If you think about it you have a whole year before your exams which is a really long time to improve your grades. I think i have seen you in another thread and said the same thing - DO NOT PANIC!!!! I sat my gcses this year and was so scared for english lit p1 i almost felt like i was gonna vomit, i panicked so much i messed up one of the questions horribly. Just believe in yourself, work hard and make sure to have fun. Aswell as exams its also the last year with your yr group and friends, make the most of it 😁!

Reply 6

Macclesfield

Original post

by rana.x

I wouldn't be too fearful - It generally feels like Year 10, but just with a different number. So long as you do all your revision, you will be fine!!

One thing I do want to bring up though is your aspiration for all 9's; I don't mean to be rude, or make you more scared than you already are, but you should understand that this is a very ambitious goal, which is very hard to achieve. It is certainly possible to do! But it is also certainly very tough. You should be revising every day for around an hour, consistently. With this goal, you can't neglect ANY subjects, and you need to be very disciplined in your approach to revision. There's no "I don't want to", and there's no "I'll do this subject tomorrow". You do what you're meant to do, and ideally a bit more.

It should also be noted, out of the 553k students who took 7 or more GCSE's this year, 1270 got all 9's. This is 0.2%, and you are competing for a spot in this statistic. This is an immense challenge, and while certainly possible, you need to acknowledge the fact that there's still the possibility you don't get all 9's, similar to 99.8% of the population. I don't want to scare you with this information, or make you feel worse - I want you to think about shifting your goal from getting all 9's to generally getting as high of a grade as possible in your circumstance. If you get all 9's, great! If you don't, great! Because if you're considering this possibility, it's very likely you're already getting very high scores, and so whatever you get will be a good score. Don't beat yourself up if you don't get all 9's, because this is an extremely high bar.

It's of my personal opinion that a 9 is an 8 with an exclamation mark. Nobody really cares which one you get from a practical perspective, and people (Not institutions, people!!) only care about the 9 because of the name and the advertising. Sixth forms certainly don't care. Universities care even less. Someone with all 8's will get the same opportunities as someone with all 9's. Again, getting all 9's is absolutely possible, and you can do it!! But I want you to keep in mind that if you don't, you will be the same person a month later.

The hope of getting all 9's is a hope that serves no real "function" except to be able to say that you did it, and so I wouldn't worry with whether you get it or not. Do the best you can in the exam, and don't worry too hard about the result so long as you know you passed everything strongly. You will be fine. Good luck in your endeavours.

And sidenote, remember to answer every question. Even if you never covered it in class. Even if you have no idea what it means. If you can't answer something confidently because you don't have the knowledge, answer it confidently regardless.

Reply 7

rana.x

Original post

by Macclesfield

I wouldn't be too fearful - It generally feels like Year 10, but just with a different number. So long as you do all your revision, you will be fine!!
One thing I do want to bring up though is your aspiration for all 9's; I don't mean to be rude, or make you more scared than you already are, but you should understand that this is a very ambitious goal, which is very hard to achieve. It is certainly possible to do! But it is also certainly very tough. You should be revising every day for around an hour, consistently. With this goal, you can't neglect ANY subjects, and you need to be very disciplined in your approach to revision. There's no "I don't want to", and there's no "I'll do this subject tomorrow". You do what you're meant to do, and ideally a bit more.
It should also be noted, out of the 553k students who took 7 or more GCSE's this year, 1270 got all 9's. This is 0.2%, and you are competing for a spot in this statistic. This is an immense challenge, and while certainly possible, you need to acknowledge the fact that there's still the possibility you don't get all 9's, similar to 99.8% of the population. I don't want to scare you with this information, or make you feel worse - I want you to think about shifting your goal from getting all 9's to generally getting as high of a grade as possible in your circumstance. If you get all 9's, great! If you don't, great! Because if you're considering this possibility, it's very likely you're already getting very high scores, and so whatever you get will be a good score. Don't beat yourself up if you don't get all 9's, because this is an extremely high bar.
It's of my personal opinion that a 9 is an 8 with an exclamation mark. Nobody really cares which one you get from a practical perspective, and people (Not institutions, people!!) only care about the 9 because of the name and the advertising. Sixth forms certainly don't care. Universities care even less. Someone with all 8's will get the same opportunities as someone with all 9's. Again, getting all 9's is absolutely possible, and you can do it!! But I want you to keep in mind that if you don't, you will be the same person a month later.
The hope of getting all 9's is a hope that serves no real "function" except to be able to say that you did it, and so I wouldn't worry with whether you get it or not. Do the best you can in the exam, and don't worry too hard about the result so long as you know you passed everything strongly. You will be fine. Good luck in your endeavours.
And sidenote, remember to answer every question. Even if you never covered it in class. Even if you have no idea what it means. If you can't answer something confidently because you don't have the knowledge, answer it confidently regardless.

Thank you so much this is so helpful

Reply 8

username7740093

Hi! I was nervous for year 11 as exams always stressed me out and I felt like I would really struggle but it turned out to be my favourite year! My advice would be to try not to overwork yourself, I’m sure you are already so smart if you’re aiming for all 9s. But also don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Being able to get 6, 7 and 8s is just as amazing. Good luck!