Revising six hours every night, tears and panic attacks
WHAT IT TOOK TO PASS THIS YEAR’S TOUGHER GCSEs...
AS A 16-year-old who has just received my GCSE results, I am disappointed by claims the results were manipulated to make sure no one is disadvantaged by this year’s tougher exams (Mail). Pupils did not choose to change the GCSE system; it was a system imposed on us by the Government. Our teachers had to guess at grade boundaries and teach a new syllabus with limited resources. I exceeded my target grades in class, but in the past when it came to exams, I would have palpitations, cry, feel frustrated and have panic attacks because of my fear of failure. I felt I would not only let myself down, but my teachers and parents, too. Thanks to sessions with a counsellor at school, I learned how to tackle my fears before I took my GCSEs. My generation have been called snowflakes who are too delicate and emotional to cope in the real world. Why belittle teenagers and discredit us for the hard work we do? We are not lazy, thick or entitled. The majority of us have goals and are prepared to work hard to achieve them. Too many older people claim that exams were a lot harder in the past, but I would like to see them learn 32 formulas for maths; 42 formulas for science; 80 quotes, 15 poems and seven short stories for English literature; and prepare a portfolio of coursework for art. Would they like to take 25 exams while under pressure to maintain friendships and hobbies and cope with anxiety? In the run-up to my GCSEs, I was revising six hours every night after school. My mum would come into my bedroom in the middle of the night to take a book out of my hand that I had fallen asleep revising. Teenagers work hard, don’t expect everything to be given to them on a plate and deserve a little more respect. I achieved my GCSE grades — including six 9s, the highest grade under the new marking system — through determination and hard work. I have no doubt I deserve them. I hope they will be the first step on my way to A-levels at sixth form college, studying medicine at university and fulfilling my dream of being a GP.
LAURA HODGSON, Bolton.