Wait Until You Get Into The Real World.

[webbo3]

\\http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5828077/Pupils-reduced-tears-tough-new-GCSE-level-papers.html

If they cant cope with exams how will they cope with job hunting and the pressures of the work place, what do they expect, the exams to be made easier for them.

\\YouTube star sobs after biology exams //

Maybe if she studied instead of dreaming about being famous like the non famous youtube stars she might be ok.

[sherrardk]

Webbo - thanks, only two exams left over the next week so not too much pressure. I think it's better for him as he is not planning on going to uni so doesn't need to achieve certain grades, just needs to do his best

[tonyav]

he's not picky and he's not afraid of grafting.

That should stand him in good stead for when he joins ( fingers crossed for him ) the army, sherr.

[webbo3]

Brilliant, my son worked for poundland for a while, stacking shelves, very unsociable hours, its all experience and every little helps.

[sherrardk]

He's also waiting to join the Army Reserves to get experience of army life and to mix with people from different walks of life (he's been quite sheltered because we live in a village, he went to a rural school and he's not 18 yet so not be clubbing or to too many pubs).

[tonyav]

At what age can he join the army reserves, sherr ?.

[webbo3]

the army reserves, brilliant, discipline and routine, the kind of things most employers look for, good luck to him.

[sherrardk]

He can apply at 17 3/4 which he has done and he's been for a chat with a Warrant Officer, they are looking at August but they seemed to be a bit hazy, maybe it's the first slot after his 18th birthday (my husband is not impressed with them - he's ex-army).

[Togo]

Sherrardk
//he's not picky and he's not afraid of grafting.//

Youngsters like your son are the future of our nation. I have also read the posts after the one I sampled, and respect him already. He is obviously a well rounded young man already and you should be rightly roud of him. They all expect to be the next big thing nowadays, having done jack. The ones who have productive and worthy lives go unnoticed. Until the losers start their sniping and backbiting.
Well done you too.

[tonyav]

Well I hope he get's his slot asap, sherr.

[webbo3]

And that ↑↑↑↑ is the best answer

[webbo3]

Sorry tonyav, your answer when I was posting.

[sherrardk]

Gosh Togo, you'll make me blush :) but thank you, he is a nice lad.

[webbo3]

Thats why it deserved the best answer.

[jim360]

I don't think there's any link between exams and the real world, so stressing over exams doesn't necessarily say anything about how you'll cope with a job at all. It's a highly-focused period of a couple of hours which (even with resits) your studies up until then have focused on getting right "or else". My impression, from talking with my parents, is that the attitude towards exams has changed markedly since their childhood, where exams were obviously still important but also seemed to be rather incidental. One took them alongside one's education, rather than as a necessary result of it.

That's a change in attitude that is hardly the fault of the children, and it's hardly surprising that some are stressed out over life-defining high-intensity exams. I dare say it doesn't help that, no matter how well they do, it's difficult to escape the criticism that they're "easier than back in my day", thus belittling any achievements anyway.

[Togo]

Ta Webbo. "The Kids Are Alright" you know. Just being let down by our establishment wonks in the name of diversity and pc blocks. My heart soars when I meet, or hear of one, that can rise above the gits who would spoil their lives to prove a twisted point.

Sherrardk says he hasn't done the pub or club big time yet. Best if she doesn't know when then. Now that did worry me.

[Jackdaw33]

//JD, was/is there much call for Latin and Greek in your employment\\

It is not the content but the discipline, and that has done me in very good stead.

[Cloverjo]

If these tough new GCSEs have just come in and students haven't been able to practise past papers of the same difficulty then no wonder they're in tears.
It's horrible to get into an exam and find you don't recognise anything on the paper.

[Mamyalynne]

Well done to your Son Sherr, he's a credit to both you and his school, he'll go far.

Glad to say there are lots like him and yes, they do make us proud.

[Caran]

My 12 year old granddaughter has been taking GCSE exams.

[Old_Geezer]

It is arguably difficult to compare exams from different eras as one is taught different things so folk may do well on one and not get started on another; but that stated, any time the media or whoever has compared exam papers the recent ones seem rather superficial compared to the depth of knowledge required in the past. Consequently I find it difficult to have much sympathy with those who moan about today's exams. I suspect they probably aren't revising properly. In addition aren't today's exams only part of the pass/fail criteria ? In the past the exam was all; the chance to prove you had learnt rather than simply put work in at the time and not taken much in.