G.C.S.E's

[DaVeyWaVey]

and well done Dave you must be good at french lol im useless

The French coursework is quite easy to be honest if you have a good memory and can remember things really well. They just give you a sheet of paper will all the information on to do the coursework. You then write that information out into sentences to make 100 words approx and then you have to learn it, and then just write it all out again lol.

So do you have to do an essay, remember it, and write it out in an exam?

My German Coursework last year was about 5 different essays, which we wrote at home, and handed in. It was pretty hard, but my teacher was well alright, so it was fine, because (although he was a pervert) he would help you a lot with sentence structure etc. They were all about 500 words, so quite short too.

Yep you've got it Abi, we had to write 90-130 words really, and then remember it and write it all out in exam conditions.

So for your German coursework last year, did you have to not remember it and write it all out again?

[Abigail]

and well done Dave you must be good at french lol im useless

The French coursework is quite easy to be honest if you have a good memory and can remember things really well. They just give you a sheet of paper will all the information on to do the coursework. You then write that information out into sentences to make 100 words approx and then you have to learn it, and then just write it all out again lol.

So do you have to do an essay, remember it, and write it out in an exam?

My German Coursework last year was about 5 different essays, which we wrote at home, and handed in. It was pretty hard, but my teacher was well alright, so it was fine, because (although he was a pervert) he would help you a lot with sentence structure etc. They were all about 500 words, so quite short too.

When I did German coursework last year we got given text books and sheets with phrases written on them. Basically, all we had to do was put the phrases into sentences and tweak them a bit so it didn't look like we'd copied.
We did controlled coursework which was a piece of coursework or oral work learned before hand then we wrote it out under exam conditions.

[Abi]

and well done Dave you must be good at french lol im useless

The French coursework is quite easy to be honest if you have a good memory and can remember things really well. They just give you a sheet of paper will all the information on to do the coursework. You then write that information out into sentences to make 100 words approx and then you have to learn it, and then just write it all out again lol.

So do you have to do an essay, remember it, and write it out in an exam?

My German Coursework last year was about 5 different essays, which we wrote at home, and handed in. It was pretty hard, but my teacher was well alright, so it was fine, because (although he was a pervert) he would help you a lot with sentence structure etc. They were all about 500 words, so quite short too.

Yep you've got it Abi, we had to write 90-130 words really, and then remember it and write it all out in exam conditions.

So for your German coursework last year, did you have to not remember it and write it all out again?

Oh right. Thats pretty short though, its only about a paragraph, right?

We were just given a topic, and we had to plan and write an essay on it, that was about 500 words. Then we just handed it in, and the best 3 markss were submitted. I think we had topics like The Enviroment, German Education System and stuff like that. They were all things that related to Germany

[DaVeyWaVey]

and well done Dave you must be good at french lol im useless

The French coursework is quite easy to be honest if you have a good memory and can remember things really well. They just give you a sheet of paper will all the information on to do the coursework. You then write that information out into sentences to make 100 words approx and then you have to learn it, and then just write it all out again lol.

So do you have to do an essay, remember it, and write it out in an exam?

My German Coursework last year was about 5 different essays, which we wrote at home, and handed in. It was pretty hard, but my teacher was well alright, so it was fine, because (although he was a pervert) he would help you a lot with sentence structure etc. They were all about 500 words, so quite short too.

Yep you've got it Abi, we had to write 90-130 words really, and then remember it and write it all out in exam conditions.

So for your German coursework last year, did you have to not remember it and write it all out again?

Oh right. Thats pretty short though, its only about a paragraph, right?

We were just given a topic, and we had to plan and write an essay on it, that was about 500 words. Then we just handed it in, and the best 3 markss were submitted. I think we had topics like The Enviroment, German Education System and stuff like that. They were all things that related to Germany

Yep it's around about a paragraph or a bit more and that's all i had to remember. Your German coursework sounded a lot more challenging and fun.

[Abigail]

Yeah, I wish I was a year older. It would save me the hassle of controlled coursework on top of the not choosing your own resits. Also half of the english teachers are making us do all the coursework in class, and mine just happens to be one of them. I've missed an A by a few marks 3 times now and I just wish I could be given the opportunity to concentrate and see what I can get when the class isn't in my ear the whole time.

I was allowed to choose when i could resit, but unless you failed, they would still stop you doing it. If you got a D, then they'd give you the chance of re-sitting to get a C, and if you failed completly, then they'd let you, but if you got a B, or C, they wouldn't let you. After all, they just want you to pass, and anything over a C is that. So even if you were in the year above, i really doubt they'd let you resit, if you got a B. Theres no point, its just a waste of time for them.

Our school only lets you resit if you fall well below your target i.e. almost a grade below your target grade. If your only a few marks off your target grade we weren't allowed to resit because it's pointless. You can most likely make up the extra marks on your next paper. Plus the school has to pay for the resits (although for our science modules we had to pay £2 per module to resit.)

We were always the ones to decide if we wanted to resit. If we said no then the teachers respected that and didn't enter us but they always gave us their opinion on what to do.


To be honest, the physics module papers aren't that bad. It's just remembering key facts. At least they're multiple choice so you have a 1 in 4 of getting it right. Generally, if there are two answers that are similar they're the two the examiners want you to look at. Forget the other two and just take your pick of the similar ones if you don't know.

I think if your teacher specialises in chemistry or biology then you will do ok in those modules. If you don't have a physics teacher you're slightly screwed. So many biologists and chemists have very limited knowledge and grasp of physical concepts that they don't really know how to explain physics properly, hence why lots of people don't like it. Get a physics teacher and your lessons will be brill

[samantha nixon]

you dont think the physics is that bad i think physics is the worst one
and i wont mind if i have to pay to resit them

also this isnt exactly GCSE stuff but hey i thought id ask anyway, well i have been looking at things on the internet and what stuff you need for jobs and a lot of the jobs i wanna do need science so if you obviously go uni beforehand if you go college and you do the science will it matter if i do crap in my scinece GCSE but ok at college
i hope that makes sense

[Abigail]

you dont think the physics is that bad i think physics is the worst one
and i wont mind if i have to pay to resit them

also this isnt exactly GCSE stuff but hey i thought id ask anyway, well i have been looking at things on the internet and what stuff you need for jobs and a lot of the jobs i wanna do need science so if you obviously go uni beforehand if you go college and you do the science will it matter if i do crap in my scinece GCSE but ok at college
i hope that makes sense

Not quite sure if you mean doing science at college or not.
If you need to do science at college there will be conditions attatched to it (most likely) like a minimum of a grade C.
If you fail your science completly you can alwayd redo it at college but I don't think you'll be able to do a seperate A-level science at the same time.
Another option is doing a foundation/acess science course at uni before you start your degree.
What do you want to do at uni?

[Kim]

Now I'm worrying. Bang goes worrying about being told by the teacher we have to do English Coursework in class even though the exam board doesn't say that, Physics is my worst one. I got 7's in Biology and Chemistry units at KS3 but never in Physics. The highest was 6.8 on something that isn't even a GCSE unit. My mate was telling me about Physics and it made absolutely no sense. I need a miracle, because my Biology teacher is useless at Biology, so he well definitely be at Physics, considering what you said. Double Physics tomorrow, oh no.

On the bright side I don't want an A level or degree in Science, but I want an A at GCSE in it.

I wouldn't mind if I had to pay either, Sammie. It would take the pressure off a lot, and it's not like I wouldn't bother trying the first time around.

[Abigail]

Now I'm worrying. Bang goes worrying about being told by the teacher we have to do English Coursework in class even though the exam board doesn't say that, Physics is my worst one. I got 7's in Biology and Chemistry units at KS3 but never in Physics. The highest was 6.8 on something that isn't even a GCSE unit. My mate was telling me about Physics and it made absolutely no sense. I need a miracle, because my Biology teacher is useless at Biology, so he well definitely be at Physics, considering what you said. Double Physics tomorrow, oh no.

On the bright side I don't want an A level or degree in Science, but I want an A at GCSE in it.

I wouldn't mind if I had to pay either, Sammie. It would take the pressure off a lot, and it's not like I wouldn't bother trying the first time around.

RE english coursework: are you doing it all in class, writing it out and then writing it up in neat? We wrote most of ours in class but some of it we had to do for homework, like a page or something. Then we had to type/write it up at home. Do you not find it easier to do it all in class, given that the teacher is there to help? If you have trouble concentrating with people talking why not ask to be moved to the front or somewhere quiet? In my experience people at the front don't really talk much as they get told off.

I've got triple physics tomorrow but we're doing the most ridiculous coursework ever and we're not allowed to help each other

I didn't find GCSE science much harder than KS3 science. There were a few harder concepts like how a photocopier works (why do we need to know?!) and the fractionating tower for oil. I don't know or understand either of those to this day.

Physics... either you're comfortable with it or you're not. It's a difficult subject, makes it easier if they gave you a formula sheet in the exam (do they do that now? We never got one.) It can get incredibly boring at GCSE but A-level is much better although it is harder.

With all the sciences there is a HUGE leap from GCSE to A-level. There is such a big hole and you have to do a lot of background reading to understand some of the things.

[Abbie]

I got my result back today for my French coursework. My overall grade for my French coursework is an A*, my mark was 85/90. I'm chuffed!

wow!!! Same as me, I mean about the a* not exactly sure about the marks I got.
I have my speaking exam now about 6 weeks now and im soooo nervous