Steven Lambert, pupil at JKHS, ponders the GCSE system

Quite possibly the most daunting time in somebody's life. Most definitely the most daunting times for someone when they reach it, nothing before quite reaches the magnitude of how nerve wracking it is. But what is 'it'? 'It' is GCSEs.

Rarely is the challenge of GCSE'S mentioned in this paper, as the writers here have not recently been put through the ordeal. And that is what it is, an ordeal, never have I been so frustrated, or saddened, or even elated than before.

It all really starts in Year 10, when you are first made aware of this GCSE. Truth be told, you have heard of it way before, but this is the first time you care.

You have to choose your GCSE course, not something to take lightly. I fear I made a grand mistake with one lesson, not naming what it was. All through this year, you spent time learning for GCSE's, taking little exams, and realising the grander scale of things. Suddenly you are thrust into exam after exam, getting stressed further and further until breaking point. Only to be, repeatedly told, that it's just a Mock.

Why put you through that for a mock? It is very annoying and rarely gives an indication of how well you're going to do in the real exam. It is a pointless indicator, and a cause of the first GCSE related stress. But the worst is yet to come.

Following Christmas, everything is geared up to the finale. The real thing! Suddenly everything is revision, revision and revision, and we cannot back away from it. Suddenly the most adamant non-reviser is spending all day revising, and it gets very worrying. You count that you have 20 exams, and you just want to crawl into a ball and roll away. Slowly the exams are coming, a few a week, whilst still in school. You have a little rest at the Dinner and Dance, but you know that study leave is upon us so the biggest exams are to come. You have weeks in study leave where it is exam after exam after exam and this is the worst part. Having two exams on one day is horrible, after enduring the morning exam you HAVE to return to school.

But it isn't all bad. I mention that it is very daunting, and it is, but the 20 exams pass very quickly, and after the last exam you have possibly the biggest feeling of elation ever. All you have to remember is that it doesn't last that long, and this is the biggest group of examinations that you will have to do, as once you get to college or university the amount of subjects is drastically reduced.

So remember, it may be difficult, it may be annoying, but, it is worth it. Now all I need are some good results...