33 replies to this topic

[Black.Ghost]

There are a couple of things to look at. Firstly, what are core skills that everyone will need in the future workplace, and what does she enjoy.

I would suggest that ICT is a must, especially in a world that is becoming so dependant upon on computers as ours.

As far as PE is concerned, being good at a sport or two helps but is by no means the key to success. A lot of it is theory.

There seem to be less subjects than used to be the case. We had to do maths, english, double science (still all three but only counts for 2 grades), one language(French), RE. We also had to choose three others. PE was also compulsory but only the physical part. I chose history, IT and Business Studies.

[Black.Ghost]

I choose my subjects based on what teachers I liked, not if I was good at it, but thats mainly because If I did't like the teacher then I would't do the work.

I would say that is completely the wrong reason to choose a subject. Even if you dont like the teacher surely personal pride would make you want to do your best?

[Mini Adam]

I will go against everyone who say's take IT.

I would disagree with this, sorry. I.T has become such a part of the majority of jobs its almost vital to have. I do agree with you that you say what they teach you is useless, however having a GCSE in the subject isn't! It shows you have some I.T skills.

And yes you are right. Art is a fairly easy subject in that there are very little guidelines and even where there are guidelines you can take them in any way you want and 'adjust' them to suit your style of art! However it requires a lot or your time due to all the coursework needed! Also A* = 98% and A = 90% (I think). However this is not as difficlt as it seeems as you can't be right or wrong, they can only mark you on the quality of your work and your documentation. But like I said, take the topics given to you in your own way and it's easy, for example my strength is abstract art and our topc is refelctive surfaces, most people did a pencil drawing of an eye or something however to make the topic work to my strength I did an abstract painting (swirls, squares, different coloured paint used) and then stuck silver foil and little mirrors into the pattern, so it could still be classed as refelctive but worked to my strength!

As previously said, going to the best school in england did really help me pick my ideas as they give you loads of advice on what to pick!

IMO, pick ICT and French

[Mini Adam]

I might as well list my subject choices. I will say it again and again and again because i want to get the point across: going to the best school, and getting the best advice really did help me so please look at my choices and take on what I have said. Thankyou

I will list each subject and say why i took it

Maths: Compulsary, however also very important
English: Compulsary
Triple Science (3 GCSEs instead of one or two): Doing single or double science closes a lot of options for careers. Many jobs require a science, for example architecture = physics and chemistry, medicine = biology and chemistry. Sixthforms, or at least the ones near me, will not let you study a further science without having done either double or triple science at GCSE so triple is a must
French: Having a second language is very helpful! It also means you could have the option of working abroad.
Art: I am looking at architecture so art is a must for me. It also is needed for any job involving graphic work!
Tech: Again would help me as I am looking at architecture. Also good if looking at engineering
Geography: Can be helpful if looking into becoming a scientist (so i was told bi my school). Also, i was told that geography is helpfull for architecture, becasue obviously when desinging a building you have to look at the foundations.
I.C.T: A big YES to deciding if to ict or not. So important in the technoloy advacing world.

Like i keep saying my school turns out the best GCSE results so their advice is usually right!

I hope your daughter does well in her GCSEs!!

Adam

[oli8925]

ive read the first few posts on here but nit the others so havnt seen what other prople have advised.

but im in my last year of sixth form and in my opinion, DEFINITELY DO NOT do any subjects you dont actually like. i made this mistake and im really regretting it! Also id say dont put too much attention on choosing your subjects based on a career if your not too into the subjects it involves. e.g. i forever wanted to be a vet so at gcse did triple science etc and was pretty good at it all. then when it came to a-levels i chose biology, chemistry, physics and maths. as i said i wasnt bad at these at gcse but truely didnt have too much interest in biology and chemistry, and i think you really need that interest at a-level to do well at the subject. biology i dropped after AS and got an awful grade, chemistry im not doing too much better now. luckily im strong at physics and maths so my second love, cars, comes into play and im now heading down the mechanic route, not vet.

i guess for your daughter this rules out french.

IT is a good course to go for and i wish i did it at A-level instead of chem or bio. I did do it at gcse and found it very good and interesting (only didnt carry on because of career choice which is why i say DONT GO BY THAT). ask the school if they know what teachers will be covering the gcse syllabus and ask if your daughter can be taught by someone else. not liking the teacher really ruins the subject!

but i guess out of the subjects she likes shes just got to chose what she really wants to do more than the others. i think doing a particular subject just because at higher levels it can be a bit more attractive to employers is silly when your only 14/15/16!

but this is all just my opinion. i can easily say i really regret choosing biology and chemistry because i wanted to be a vet. i just didnt have enough interest and enjoyment in those individual subjects to be able to work as hard as you have to to get good grades at a-level. if i could chose again id pick the subjects i enjoyed most.

good luck deciding

[89red]

well ladies and gents! what a great bunch you are! thank you so much for your advice, i will pass it on and let you know what she chooses next week.


cheers all



89red

[*Raz*]

shes defo doing , maths , english , triple science, 1/2 rs, 1/2pe, history which leaves two from her favorites of

P.E ......shes grade 2 and competes in national events in trampolining, strong swimmer, does dance classes ( by being high standard at trampoline and swimming how much of an advantage would this be to getting a high result?)

Art ..........enjoys drawing and teacher thinks she has talent


ICT....... is good at ict but hates the teacher


Frence......is good at french but does'nt enjoy it.


is already doing gcse music

How many does she have to do? In my secondary school we HAD to do 13 GCSEs. Obv Maths, English, geog/hist,sciends were compulsory, we also HAD to do R.E. We could do long or short course ICT or BCS. I chose ICT and Im glad I did, I really enjoyed it too!! Had to do languages too!

Subjects she enjoys and that she's good

Although, when you get to GCSEs its on a different level so you might end up not liking what you enjoy in year 9. I thought year 8 & 9 was the best year, it was the easiest, you had settled in well and there were not very many important exams...

I definately think she should do a language, I love french and did well in it, and a language is ALWAYS useful!
Also, ICT is a gooden to do
I did GCSE P.E and was in a high 'set' as I was very sporty too. It isnt all Physical though, there is a lot of theory with it, and biology links in, but I REALLY enjoyed it!

Art-my sister is doing at GCSE level- a LOT of work, but I suppose its a nice change from the 'normal subjects'

She may not like the teacher she has now, but if its anything like my old secondary school you never knew what teacher you were going to get. So she may actually have a new teacher that she really likes. Dont disregard a subject because of the teacher because things may change.


Good luck

[tino]

I choose my subjects based on what teachers I liked, not if I was good at it, but thats mainly because If I did't like the teacher then I would't do the work.

I would say that is completely the wrong reason to choose a subject. Even if you dont like the teacher surely personal pride would make you want to do your best?

I agree with that statement, however my point that I did't make very clear was that its about 100 times harder to do well in that subject if you don't like the teacher. I was good at all subject's at school, one of the lucky few. So it was just a choice of if I could learn from that teacher easily, an If I liked them I put in alot more work than I would if I did't. I could an would of still passed with ease just I would't of done as well as I could of. Its also easier to go to a teacher you like for help than it 
s'nt or atleast thats how I found it. 

Yes I know that sounds like im bragging a bit, an its not meant that way. Thats just how I saw it at GCSE level. It is after all just a stepping stone to the next level, like all things with this life.

An ICT or IT, I changed half way through as it was'nt for me. Im glad I did't as what I learnt at the start was'nt relevant unless I ever end up writing spreadsheets in excel. Or messing around with databases. What I learnt in the subject I changed to History has helped me alot more in life. I would like to think that my portfolio work is alot better because I took this subject.
 

[Mini-Mad-Craig]

Just got home from my options evening thing about 10 Mins ago. Went straight on TMf lol. Anyways ive Ended Up taking NVQ Level 1 Engineering, so that i can get a job at BMW Mini in maidstone, and Also Music. My schools got like the best Music Department in i think its the whole of the UK. So im Hoping to get into Production and composing, which i allready do as im a guitarist in 3 Bands lol. Music and Minis are my Lif, and apparently this is when school gets serious
Craig

[Mini Man Dan]

Like i keep saying my school turns out the best GCSE results so their advice is usually right!

The advice they give you might be right for you but it doesn't mean it will be right for the next person. They will advise you based on your ability and your prefered subjects/strengths, or the subjects they are stronger at teaching and can achieve the best grades in.

[Mini Adam]

Like i keep saying my school turns out the best GCSE results so their advice is usually right!

The advice they give you might be right for you but it doesn't mean it will be right for the next person. They will advise you based on your ability and your prefered subjects/strengths, or the subjects they are stronger at teaching and can achieve the best grades in.

Sorry, what I probably should have said was they give advice in general, for example they say if you want to do .... as a future career we advise you take ....
Then they speak to each individual and like you say find there strengths/weaknesses and talk to us about our career path and advise us on what to take, but they advise us also on subjects which are good to take but not necessarily needed for the career you want, for example French and ICT.

I am afraid I disagree with you when you said they say to take the subjects they get the best grades in because firstly they tell you take the subjects you need for your future not the subjects they want you to take because they know they'll get good grades secondly the take on the best teachers possible and only teachers capable of turning out all A* grades so all subjects are taught to a high standard!

Edited by Mini Adam, 13 March 2008 - 09:45 PM.

[oli8925]

Like i keep saying my school turns out the best GCSE results so their advice is usually right!

The advice they give you might be right for you but it doesn't mean it will be right for the next person. They will advise you based on your ability and your prefered subjects/strengths, or the subjects they are stronger at teaching and can achieve the best grades in.

Sorry, what I probably should have said was they give advice in general, for example they say if you want to do .... as a future career we advise you take ....
Then they speak to each individual and like you say find there strengths/weaknesses and talk to us about our career path and advise us on what to take, but they advise us also on subjects which are good to take but not necessarily needed for the career you want, for example French and ICT.

I am afraid I disagree with you when you said they say to take the subjects they get the best grades in because firstly they tell you take the subjects you need for your future not the subjects they want you to take because they know they'll get good grades secondly the take on the best teachers possible and only teachers capable of turning out all A* grades so all subjects are taught to a high standard!

but you can pretty much work out yourself what subjects will take you to that future career, doesnt mean your good at them. like i said i took chemistry, physics, biology and maths at a-level because i wanted to be a vet. ive been on vet courses for young people and have done well and thoroughly enjoyed it, however when it comes to the subjects that make up a veterinary course, i wasnt good at them at all when it came to really having to learn it because i didnt have the interest in the wider area of that subject, only the parts that i could relate to through the vet side. i go to a grammar school so expecting A grades and high standards etc like your school, but the advice they gave me wasnt right. at the end of the day, the only chance youve got of sticking with that subject through the rest of school, college/sixth form, uni and career, is if you really like and are interested in the subject and it compels you to learn more about it. otherwise youll lose your mind! like i have

i also think a major problem with schools like mine is they have, and give students, the mindset that if you dont go to uni and get stunning grades, your lifes effectively over and your useless and youll never come to anything and be poor for the rest of your life! WRONG! uni is just one of many routes! and uni is not for everyone. if you dont get A's all the time and dont go to uni, YOU ARE NOT STUPID! (sorry this is more a rant against my school) remember, some of the worlds greatest, most respected and influential names were told at school they would never be anything important. prime example - Albert Einstein

[who_loves_the_mini?]

I would suggest to go for Art and PE. You say she is good at these and enjoys them so should get good grades and have fun doing them. I did GCSE and A Level PE and some of it is biology based but you have to be able to perform at sports as well. Its not all about acedemic. I did trampolining for mine ( was at the same standard as your daughter) and I was the only one to do it in my school. Being good at a sport is a great help.

With regards to ICT, if she is good at computers then I think this will be enough. I dont feel you need to have a GCSE in computers to prove you can use them to an employer. I did it as an extra GSCE and felt it was a bit of a waste of time. I wasnt learning what employers want from you, most only want you to be able to word process etc unless you go into the industry.

At the end of the day she is what 13 years old? so tell her to do what she enjoys. She will be doing them for the next 2 years and it sucks to be doing a subject you dont enjoy. She has plenty of time in her school life to start tailoring qualifications to her future job.

[Amy]

As previously said, going to the best school in england did really help me pick my ideas as they give you loads of advice on what to pick!

Sorry to say it, but there is no 'best school'........ There are statistics, but as everyone knows 'statistics' are manipulated to get funding and not much else.

Your school may have a high rate of good exam results, but at hundreds of other schools across the country there are pupils thriving and churning out astounding results, while others at their school don't do as well, giving them a poor overall result 'statistically'....

It has nothing to do with where you go to school. If you want to learn, you will try your best and flourish, wherever you are!

The secondry school I went to, was at one time classed as one of the best, but in recent years has been near the bottom of the 'league tables'. This school has taught countless famous scientists, Doctors, teachers, sportsmen and women and Cambridge and Oxford graduates over the years.

As for options, one of my best friends was a girl called Charlotte. She was interested in sport, but was advised not to take PE as one of her options. She didn't, she took two languages, is now fluent in French and German. When she is travelling with the England cricket team, her language skills come in really handy

Charlie's wiki page:Charlotte Edwards

[B-shaw]

I chose what i enjoyed doing... and what i thought i could do good in.
And the subjects with good teachers lol, always helps.

I never really thought of what work id be going into in year nine as you never know how you will feel after school.
i did Resistant materials (wood work, metal work, plastic etc) as i knew i would come in handy somewhere and it was also 1 of the most enjoyable subjects i did for GCSE.