The Joy of Tests

I've sat quite a few examinations in my time, and so has Wosog. We both hated studying for them, and we were extremely glad to reach the stage in life where we didn't have to do any more of the bloody things. We thought we could relax, but no. We now have to see the children through their exams!

For most of her secondary school career Gdog worked like a wee dervish. She thought that she wanted to study medicine, and she knew that she needed the maximum number of 'A' passes to get into medical school. At the end of fifth year she decided she didn't want to do medicine, but her previous academic exertions meant that she gained multiple university offers to study psychology. As a result, sixth year at school was really quite a relaxed affair, knowing that her exam results that year "didn't really matter". Unfortunately, this somewhat laid-back attitude has been carried on into her university studies, and it has been complicated by irrational urges (a) to earn some cash, and, worst of all, (b) to have a social life! As her degree exams loom on the horizon, Sog and Wosog, inveterate worriers that they are, feel concerned that she is leaving too much to the last minute.

Gsog, on the other hand, has always been difficult to motivate. He'd like to have big money as an adult---he's just not that keen on actually earning it! If Gsog was on the TV Quiz Mastermind his specialist subjects would be (1) Inline Skating, and (2) Work Avoidance. Sog once admitted that he was a very inefficient studier, and often took multiple "breaks" between bouts of studying. Gsog takes lots of breaks too: he just forgets to come back to work at all! The extent to which Sog and Wosog need to lean on Gsog to try and force him to study makes them both feel that they should get some sort of certificates from the Scottish Qualifying Authority too when/ if Gsog gets his!

Is there a self-help group out there for the parents of teenagers? Maybe we should form one?