This poem is probably the worst thing I've written for a while - but I really needed to vent! Just a shout out to all those with exams underway: Exam results are not an accurate representation of how intelligent you are. If you crash and burn in your exams it does not mean you are any less intelligent than that kid who got straight A*'s across the board. Don't let it dishearten you, don't even think for a second that you didn't do well because you were lacking in the intelligence to do well. Exams at this stage (I'm talking GCSE here) are simply a memory test, which require little to no analytic skill. Don't you dare let anyone tell you you're 'stupid' or anything like that based on how well or badly you've done in these exams. /rant
Tell me miss, how I’m supposed to remember,
‘Hooks Law’ that I glanced at once, in September?
Excuse me sir, how am I meant to recall,
A titration equation I learnt in the fall?
Oh mister please answer, though I tried to revise,
What represents violence in Lord of the Flies?
I’m not a stupid girl - I know this for fact,
But I can’t quite remember why light rays diffract.
.
After two years of working towards these GCSE’s
You’d think that I’d have every chance to succeed.
But it doesn’t test intellect, the system is flawed;
It’s just memorising the words from the board.
Regurgitation of words onto paper, that’s it;
But to memorising, revising – you have to commit.
.
Now I’m half way through, and have a week away.
And I can’t advise much, but this I will say:
For all of you with exams this June.
You'll do brilliantly and it will be over soon.
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Lol, this is some great pre-exam ranting; I'd always just call my friends and we'd yell and wail together
Although, I don't know how different GCSEs are from IGCSEs, I think I went far enough without memorizing. So you needn't be too hard on yourself for that ^_^
GCSE's and IGCSE's are essentially the same. IGCSE is just a board, like AQA and Edexcel are (or so I've been told) - I think they were deemed to be harder a few years back but now they're very much the same as any other exam board.
Isn't it just the international version of GCs?
I'm not entirely sure. I think it used to be, but their initial intention/meaning has been lost - as far as I'm aware.
Hmm, possible. Anyhow, life works without memorizing, don't worry. I'd have never passed if the case were otherwise
That's comforting, thank you
GREAT poem! I respect any poet who can pull off rhyme and reason simultaneously - ie it had a musical tone to it and still made sense in it's progression. The only two lines I stumbled over were these:
Note the bold.
Here's my recommended edit: "But to memorise and revise, you have to commit."
Otherwise, perfect! Well done.
I've heard a lot of bad things about the GCSE's, and I must say that your poem speaks to basically everyone with any sort of huge, life-changing exams in their future.
Me, myself, I still have six final exams to study for this fall and next spring, and your words speak the truth. Most of the school systems are based upon simply learning everything by heart. As someone who is very bad at memorizing things, I feel your pain.
I enjoyed your poem, to the most part for the rhymes, I would enjoy hearing someone sing this (in the most angsty way possible).
Keep up the good work!
Good luck in your exams, and thank you for your review. Hehe I'd like to hear that as well!
I really like this because it's spot on and it's super cute! Nice meter, too! I could never pull it off (and though I've never heard of the GCSE's, I've taken horrifying standardized tests before, so I feel ya, friend)!
Thank you!
So if the test is asking questions about hooks law, light refraction and the lord of the flies then it is really only attempting to test your knowledge. So this notion that the "system is flawed" doesn't make much sense. I'm guessing the test is in place to hold school's accountable for how well they teach, not to test how well you can retain information in an allotted time. It's just logically inconsistent because you make the claim for people to understand that but say the system is broken because of it. It's like twisting what the system was really suppose to do just to say it is wrong.
Really, it comes out as a poor attitude. Almost like the definition of denial pertaining to low self confidence. You say 'how am I suppose to remember something in the fall," well, you should because the goal in education is to make the lesson's stick. It's called long term memory and people who fail these test might have some trouble with long term memory because they rush, don't learn correctly ect. Some say it's the school system and others say it's laziness. I personally, believe there is too many classes rushing through subjects that's causing this but it's arguable.
I think this would be much better as an article. You restrict yourself in poetry and you are trying really hard to make it fit when it just doesn't. You need some explanation, clarity, facts, and some good logical arguments for it to be responsive.
Anyways, you can do better then this. I wouldn't settle at mediocre, I know there is some talent somewhere, lets pull it out and make something of this?
Thank you for your review - I agree with the point you make about this being better as an article, it was originally intended to be so but I've only really published poetry and short stories on here so I was a bit dubious about treading in those waters.
However I disagree with some of your other points. The test is not in place to see how well the teacher can teach, it is supposed to test 'your intelligence' although my poem is claiming that it isn't really at all. As for poor attitude, I know plenty of people who have spent hours upon hours revising, yet completely crashing because it still won't stick, however give them an essay to write where they could expand their mind and wow you would see a different result. I find that these exams are vastly unfair, don't even get me started on people who have photographic memories or those who are deemed worthy to receive 'extra time' on their exams.
The system is flawed because it simply doesn't do what it says it does, and makes people feel like they aren't capable or intelligent when in fact they are. The intention of these exams is to give universities and accurate representation of how well a pupil has done in the subject, but it isn't really testing how well you know a subject, there is little to none applied knowledge whatsoever. That is what frustrates me the most.
You're right. I have have done better than this, and I might write an article in the near future. Thanks again for your review.
It gets easier post gcse if you're intending to do further study; there is more to revise but in a more concentrate way and you don't need to spread yourself as thin
Hey Retro, that's a relief. I don't think I could handle another two years of it if I'm honest - I don't mind the act of revising but the content is so bland and there's little room for any expansion or opinion. I've heard it gets a little better at A level and beyond so that glimmer of hope is keeping me going.
Yeah a levels were fun, they're a lot harder but easier in terms of preparation and then uni is a different ball game all together!
Phew, that's good to know.
Hey! Alvarin here to
Random, unnecessary though:
rantreview.As a future teacher, I have to say that I'm quite happy that I'll work in Sweden. I don't understand how anyone could have possibly thought that it was a good idea to put all the tests at the end of the school year, and to device the tests like that. A student should be graded based on what they deliver throughout the whole year (formative assessment rather than summative assessment), how they develop and how well they understand the information they're given. Besides, putting all the tests at the same time at the end of the school year is a sure way make certain that no one has time to study properly for anything (unless the person focuses on one or two things). It makes me wonder how the results would be if the students were given the same exams a month or two later. Personally, I would have forgotten everything, because cramming information into your head without even knowing how it can be used is pointless. If you don't know how to use it, you'll forget it.
Anyway, enough with the rant xD I liked the poem. It flows really well thanks to the rhymes, and I have to say that I'm impressed, because the art of rhyming and having it make sense is a mystery to me. Unfortunately I can't really find anything helpful to say, since I didn't find anything that bothered me or that I thought needed to be changed. So yeah, that's it. Great job, keep writing
Spoiler
Out of old habit I counted the couplets, and since you've ordered into a nice 4, 3, 2 here, I think you could've possibly added another verse with just two lines. It's kind of unnecessary, but my OCD would love to be able to count down to zero xD
Ah yes! I've heard that the education system in Sweden is about a million times better than in England. You're completely right about forgetting information that you can't apply, it's something I seriously struggle with - however I have a friend with a photographic memory so of course she absolutely loves school education! (I'm sure she'll have a serious shock when she gets to university though). Thank you for your review, I'm glad you liked my poem! As for adding another verse, I might do! I didn't even realise that the stanzas were set out that way until you mentioned it... just goes to show how angry I was when I wrote this, hehe.
Hi Crimsona, it's Sherri! I really love this piece, mostly because almost all end-of-the-year and evaluation tests are like this. They rely completely on the ability to memorize equations and definitions, not on your understanding of the material.
I actually only have a few things to note here--this first one is pretty minor, so you probably don't have to worry about it. In the two lines : "But it doesn’t test intellect, the system is flawed; It’s just memorising the words from the board." "flawed" and "board" don't really rhyme (not how I pronounce it anyways) which kind of throws off the balance. Also, in the same two lines, "memorising" is supposed to be "memorizing".
Like I said, I couldn't find many things wrong with this, and loved the idea!I also wanted to note how much I loved the couplet-style rhyming; I've noticed that very few people choose to write their poetry with rhyme schemes, and like to find poems that do rhyme. It's refreshing to me, in a way. Awesome job!
Thank you for your review - I don't know where you come from or what your accent is, but I have an English accent so the two words rhyme like a perfect rhyme, that's very interesting that they don't for you though! Also, in England it is with an 's' rather than a 'z'. Thanks again for your review!
Interesting... I had no idea on both the accent (for some reason I wasn't thinking about different ways to pronounce it) and the different spelling. Learn something new every day, huh? Sorry about that, and thanks!
Boo Michael Gove!
That is all.
Don't even get me started on that man... he is the epitome of all things evil.
You can buy note books called all I know about teaching by michal gove. Blank all the way through.
That's amazing, I'll have to get myself one of those!