GCSE exams and diabetes

[Polska_Gurom]

I have exams in like a month, wondering if there's anything I need to know/prepare for in advance. Revision has been pretty hard with everything going on, and I don't want to fail. Any experiences/stories/tips would be greatly appreciated.

 

[grantg]

best wishes with your exams.

You should ask for 'access arrangements' if not done so already, eg allowed some jellybabies something to drink or some other fast acting glucose beside you. You should also be allowed your monitoring equipment to check if low. If you monitor with mobile phone that maybe an issue should optimally apply for arrangements with the testing body couple of months in advance. Fingerprick test should be fine.

If you feel going low, your entled to to have a break, which will be supervised that way treating a potential hypo shouldn't interfere with the time.

Best piece of advice is to not panic, if a student is ill special considerations can be made. where alternative grading process can be done if fit within the critera.

Regards study advice, bbc bitsize exam body (eg if you live in scotland would be the SQA) have a lot of past papers online with marking instructions which clearly shows how points are awarded. example of marking ie: maths even if you get the answer wrong you can be given points for working out If you see a question which you can't think of an answer fairly quickly, move onto the next question then go back and try finish any skipped questions, sometimes going back to questions later some info maybe can come back to you

Good luck

 

[SimonP78]

Best to make whatever you eat as quiet as possible to avoid disturbing other students too - I used to have emergency chocolate bars (which I know is not ideal, but this was a long time ago and I'd never really considered that fat might slow absorption) which I'd open pre-exam and sit on the desk so I could eat some as needed without putting it off as I didn't want to rummage/disturb people (and with low blood sugar it's quite easy to feel you should put things off!)

Given what I now know I'd probably still have some chocolate for slightly slower release, but also have something like Skittles to quickly head off or treat hypos as going hypo in an exam is annoying due to time it takes to get back up and running.

There was no allowance made for this (or at least none I knew of) in the dim and distant past when I did my GCSEs/A-Levels/Uni exams, so trying to avoid it as much as possible was the name of the game. I'd also eat a snack (uncovered, as this was pre-MDI) before the exam. I would invariable run low when doing exams do would need the extra food. I would almost never actually check BG with a finger prick simply because it made too much noise, though I did do it once or twice while at uni. Otherwise I just went by feel, and erred on the side of eating if in doubt and fixing any problems after the exam was over.

I imagine a CGM would make it much easier, though I'd certainly need to check how to make mine noticeable but not noisy before I tried sitting another exam!

There are also some posts from people taking exams on the Diabetes.org forums too: https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards

 

[Polska_Gurom]

Best to make whatever you eat as quiet as possible to avoid disturbing other students too - I used to have emergency chocolate bars (which I know is not ideal, but this was a long time ago and I'd never really considered that fat might slow absorption) which I'd open pre-exam and sit on the desk so I could eat some as needed without putting it off as I didn't want to rummage/disturb people (and with low blood sugar it's quite easy to feel you should put things off!)

Given what I now know I'd probably still have some chocolate for slightly slower release, but also have something like Skittles to quickly head off or treat hypos as going hypo in an exam is annoying due to time it takes to get back up and running.

There was no allowance made for this (or at least none I knew of) in the dim and distant past when I did my GCSEs/A-Levels/Uni exams, so trying to avoid it as much as possible was the name of the game. I'd also eat a snack (uncovered, as this was pre-MDI) before the exam. I would invariable run low when doing exams do would need the extra food. I would almost never actually check BG with a finger prick simply because it made too much noise, though I did do it once or twice while at uni. Otherwise I just went by feel, and erred on the side of eating if in doubt and fixing any problems after the exam was over.

I imagine a CGM would make it much easier, though I'd certainly need to check how to make mine noticeable but not noisy before I tried sitting another exam!

There are also some posts from people taking exams on the Diabetes.org forums too: https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards

Thanks for the anecdote,
I hope you know that the world has changed a lot since then, and schools are more accepting and helpful. I'm just happy technology has advanced so much, and I'm sorry your school wasn't like that.

 

[Pipp]

I have exams in like a month, wondering if there's anything I need to know/prepare for in advance. Revision has been pretty hard with everything going on, and I don't want to fail. Any experiences/stories/tips would be greatly appreciated.

I am just an oldie with T2 for past 20 years. I do have experience of setting exams, invigilating exams, supporting students with various health conditions through their exam seasons, and getting concessions they need to ‘level the playing field’.

First thing I suggest, if you haven’t already done so, is that you get in touch with your school / college exams officer. Take details from your health care provider about medication and proof of your T1 diabetes, in the form of a letter, for example. These are needed for your statement of needs for the duration of the examinations. These access concessions should be tailored to your individual needs, and can include: supervised rest breaks to enable you to monitor your blood glucose levels, take nutrition and medication; The clock should be stopped, or possibly you will be given extra time. It may even be possible, if deemed necessary, for you to be given a grade based on your previous exam predicted grades.

Of course, revision could be difficult, especially if you are newly diagnosed and still a novice at managing the emotional as well as physical effects of this. What I would say to anyone about to start GCSE exams is that despite what you might have been told, life will go on even if you don’t get good grades. There are so many routes to decent careers. Don’t lose sleep over this phase in your education. Best of luck for your success.

 

[SimonP78]

Thanks for the anecdote,
I hope you know that the world has changed a lot since then, and schools are more accepting and helpful. I'm just happy technology has advanced so much, and I'm sorry your school wasn't like that.

Yes, I am aware that things have changed, don't worry .

I don't think it's necessarily a question of acceptance or schools being helpful: if I needed food I ate it, no-one tends to argue, there's also not really much help one should need during an exam, though I do think some practice under similar conditions is not a bad thing (especially if newly diagnosed) to work out how to dose/eat/judge hypo onset under the kinds of (stress/duration) conditions which will occur for the exams that count.

What I would like to convey more generally is that it wasn't an insurmountable problem and that I don't think it should really cause undue concern with a sensible approach.

Very best of luck with your exams!

 

[Polska_Gurom]

Update:
I had my first exam of this month (speaking, exam for welsh) and it went amazing! I don't know why I was so worried it wasn't that complicated with all my diabetes stuff, but to be fair it wasn't in an exam hall just a small room. So yeah bit of positivity to counteract all my whining

 

[grantg]

Update:
I had my first exam of this month (speaking, exam for welsh) and it went amazing! I don't know why I was so worried it wasn't that complicated with all my diabetes stuff, but to be fair it wasn't in an exam hall just a small room. So yeah bit of positivity to counteract all my whining

falch ei fod wedi mynd yn dda dymuniadau gorau
(translation: glad it went well best wishes)

hopefully google didn't butcher it too much

 

[Polska_Gurom]

falch ei fod wedi mynd yn dda dymuniadau gorau
(translation: glad it went well best wishes)

hopefully google didn't butcher it too much

Diolch yn fawr
Latha math a charaid

 

[grantg]

your welcome

 

[Melgar]

Update:
I had my first exam of this month (speaking, exam for welsh) and it went amazing! I don't know why I was so worried it wasn't that complicated with all my diabetes stuff, but to be fair it wasn't in an exam hall just a small room. So yeah bit of positivity to counteract all my whining

My family live in Gwynedd. I will not embarrass myself with my poor Welsh language skills @Polska_Gurom . I'm glad to hear your Welsh exams went well. You have a lot on your plate with a new T1 diagnosis, so da iawn ti ! ( well done )

 

[Polska_Gurom]

My family live in Gwynedd. I will not embarrass myself with my poor Welsh language skills @Polska_Gurom . I'm glad to hear your Welsh exams went well. You have a lot on your plate with a new T1 diagnosis, so da iawn ti ! ( well done )

That's very cool! Although I'll have you know there are some differences between north and south welsh, and we southerners think that northern people sound silly, like the scousers of Wales lol

 

[Melgar]

That's very cool! Although I'll have you know there are some differences between north and south welsh, and we southerners think that northern people sound silly, like the scousers of Wales lol

Yes there is lol. I do find it a friendly ribbing of you hwntws folk but we all sing Dafydd Iwan's Yma o Hyd.
Okay I'm derailing your thread @Polska_Gurom so I shall bow out
Edit I did insert a Welsh flag in there but it didn't show.

 

[Polska_Gurom]

Yes there is lol. I do find it a friendly ribbing of you hwntws folk but we all sing Dafydd Iwan's Yma o Hyd.
Okay I'm derailing your thread @Polska_Gurom so I shall bow out
Edit I did insert a Welsh flag in there but it didn't show.

Nah it's fine, I don't really care about the off topic rules. Talk about whatever the hell you want in my thread. I always love to discuss this beautiful country

 

[Antje77]

Nah it's fine, I don't really care about the off topic rules. Talk about whatever the hell you want in my thread. I always love to discuss this beautiful country

You sound like me (except for Wales or Welsh, I never visited, let alone try to speak or write it), just about all threads I've started on this forum have derailed, sometimes in a ridiculous way, and I usually love it. Here's what I said in a rather wild thread started by me in 2021, and not much has changed since: https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/goat-ate-metformin.183796/post-2433288

 

[Polska_Gurom]

You sound like me (except for Wales or Welsh, I never visited, let alone try to speak or write it), just about all threads I've started on this forum have derailed, sometimes in a ridiculous way, and I usually love it. Here's what I said in a rather wild thread started by me in 2021, and not much has changed since: https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/goat-ate-metformin.183796/post-2433288

Humans never change
Also, I notice you're from Friesland. In a way Wales is similar to Friesland in the way that we both have our own distinct cultures and languages within a greater country (for me the UK, for you the Netherlands.) I'm not sure what the independence and feelings for the host nation are for you guys, but here we have a sense of pride and want for independence (not everyone ofc). So I have two countries, Poland my blood and Wales my home which are very patriotic.
Btw I really love the Frisian language, I find it cool how close it is to english, practically old english. You know we might be able to understand eachother lol.

 

[Antje77]

Btw I really love the Frisian language, I find it cool how close it is to english, practically old english. You know we might be able to understand eachother lol.

I doubt we'll understand eachother between Frisian and Welsh, but I agree it's very interesting how Frisian is closer to English than Dutch!
I'm also surprised that someone on here even knows that Friesland has its own language.

I'm not sure what the independence and feelings for the host nation are for you guys, but here we have a sense of pride and want for independence (not everyone ofc). So I have two countries, Poland my blood and Wales my home which are very patriotic.

Frisians are more patriotic on their own province than most parts of the Netherlands, but there is no want for independence except tongue in cheek. It's never been independent in its current form, unless you go back to the early middle ages, long before the Netherlands even existed.

I'm just a wannabe though, I grew up in Amsterdam, and although I read and understand Friesian just fine, I've only been known to attempt to speak it when very drunk. Thankfully no one remembers. I just don't have enough active vocabulary for speaking and writing. I'm pretty sure I'd beat 75% of the Friesians in a spelling/grammar test though, this is very much a blue collar province.

In the part of Friesland where I live they speak their own dialect (Bildts), which is very different from formal Frisian, and before I lived in Harlingen where they speak Stadsfries (city Frisian, spoken in Harlingen and Leeuwarden). Which is much closer to Dutch but with its own grammar rules and a lot of different words.
So I haven't really lived anywhere where it was natural to learn to speak Frisian.

 

[Polska_Gurom]

I doubt we'll understand eachother between Frisian and Welsh, but I agree it's very interesting how Frisian is closer to English than Dutch!
I'm also surprised that someone on here even knows that Friesland has its own language.

Frisians are more patriotic on their own province than most parts of the Netherlands, but there is no want for independence except tongue in cheek. It's never been independent in its current form, unless you go back to the early middle ages, long before the Netherlands even existed.

I'm just a wannabe though, I grew up in Amsterdam, and although I read and understand Friesian just fine, I've only been known to attempt to speak it when very drunk. Thankfully no one remembers. I just don't have enough active vocabulary for speaking and writing. I'm pretty sure I'd beat 75% of the Friesians in a spelling/grammar test though, this is very much a blue collar province.

In the part of Friesland where I live they speak their own dialect (Bildts), which is very different from formal Frisian, and before I lived in Harlingen where they speak Stadsfries (city Frisian, spoken in Harlingen and Leeuwarden). Which is much closer to Dutch but with its own grammar rules and a lot of different words.
So I haven't really lived anywhere where it was natural to learn to speak Frisian.

I meant english and friesian not welsh lol. But yeah I know because i watched a few youtube videos and it's just a very interesting story and language.

 

[Pipp]

Hi @Polska_Gurom . Hope the revision is going well?
Though I guess school holidays should allow for some recreation, too. I don’t know what your plans are after GCSEs, but wonder if you might find this website a useful source of information?

University Toolkit: Planning and preparing for university | Breakthrough T1D UK

Our toolkit gives you loads of information and tips on managing your type 1 diabetes when moving away to university.

breakthrought1d.org.uk

I know you may just be focussed on the immediate examinations, and within a few weeks you have the long summer break, with the anxious wait for results, but no harm in thinking, and planning ahead.

 

[AkshayaTN]

best wishes with your exams.

You should ask for 'access arrangements' if not done so already, eg allowed some jellybabies something to drink or some other fast acting glucose beside you. You should also be allowed your monitoring equipment to check if low. If you monitor with mobile phone that maybe an issue should optimally apply for arrangements with the testing body couple of months in advance. Fingerprick test should be fine.

If you feel going low, your entled to to have a break, which will be supervised that way treating a potential hypo shouldn't interfere with the time.

Best piece of advice is to not panic, if a student is ill special considerations can be made. where alternative grading process can be done if fit within the critera.

Regards study advice, bbc bitsize exam body (eg if you live in scotland would be the SQA) have a lot of past papers online with marking instructions which clearly shows how points are awarded. example of marking ie: maths even if you get the answer wrong you can be given points for working out If you see a question which you can't think of an answer fairly quickly, move onto the next question then go back and try finish any skipped questions, sometimes going back to questions later some info maybe can come back to you

Good luck

Completely agree. Have multiple friends who have done the same, al having Type 1. They will understand. You can do this!