Choosing GCSE's (for my daughter)

[summerdays]

I'm growing old, its now time for my eldest to choose her GCSE's. Most are chosen for her (Maths, Eng, Eng Lit, Double Science, German, 1/2 RE and 1/2 Citizenship!!!) but she has to choose 3. Now the possibilities that she is considering are:

Art
DT - Textiles
Photography
History

Have any of the younger CC'ers any comment on those subjects... for example I've been trying to find out what you cover in a photography GCSE (does she need a camera - we have digital ones but not SLR). She is good at art, and has enjoyed history this year. Would it be difficult having 3 practical subjects such as the Art/DT/Photography all needing presumably course work submitted as you go along?

 

[Eat MY Dust]

I'd say let her choose whatever she wants. My parents "chose" for me and I've resented it ever since.

 

[wafflycat]

I'd say let her choose whatever she wants. My parents "chose" for me and I've resented it ever since.

+1

Guide their choice, by all means, but make sure they know that whatever they choose, you'll support them in that choice.

 

[trj977]

I'd say let her choose whatever she wants. My parents "chose" for me and I've resented it ever since.

+1

 

[summerdays]

Its more that she can't make up her mind (I did list the ones SHE is considering) and I'm trying to find out some information to help her with the decision. We have a parents evening next week but she is a bright student that most subject teachers will probably say - choose my subject (French teacher has already said as much on the report form). I'm after a bit of information about what the courses might be like.

She will put all those subjects down anyway as she has to list back up choices

 

[wafflycat]

Your daughter's palce of study should have full details of exactly what is expected on each course. Failing that - if you know the exam board the school uses for the subject, a swift Google should bring up details of the curriculum of each.

Indeed, I'd say that no matter what the school says will be covered, check with the examination body details. Why? One of the subjects WCMnr chose to do at AS-level, turned out to be utterly different to what we had been told and something that was promised was denied.

 

[Globalti]

NOT photography - this sems to be offered as an easy subject and all my nieces and nephews are doing it yet none of them has any talent at all or even an eye for composition. They are all embarassingly bad photographers.

I have always regretted dropping history because it was so badly taught but now I realise that it's an important subject.

Can't she do something interesting like psychology?

 

[summerdays]

It's specialism is in the arts so there are a lot more art subjects so the nearest would be sociology. I've seen some of the photography produced there (obviously the best) and it was good - far better than anything I could produce. Do you know of what sort of projects they had to do for their course?

 

[HelenD123]

What does she want to do after school? Surely that will have a bearing on what she chooses. Also, something like photography would be easier to study as an evening class later on but history wouldn't. I would be cautious about studying three practical arty subjects unless that's where her career path lies. Purely my take on it though as I'm out of touch with these things.

EDIT: Just seen your bit about the school's specialism being arts so I guess the choice of other subjects is limited.

 

[summerdays]

What do half the children at her age want to do.. something to do with TV!!! No idea specifically. Then again at her age when I chose my O-levels I chose 3 sciences because I wanted to become a pharmacist - changed my mind within 6 months but don't regret my O-level choices. Its hard to know what you do want to do at that stage.

 

[Tim Bennet.]

See if you can stimulate her interest in opting for history. The others are quite vocational, but history underpins so much else. It can give context to many of the topics she we cover in those subjects already chosen.

(This is from a bloke still smarting from the chastisement dished out by Arch for subscribing to the popular misunderstanding of King Canute. Don't let it happen to your daughter!)

 

[HelenD123]

What do half the children at her age want to do.. something to do with TV!!! No idea specifically. Then again at her age when I chose my O-levels I chose 3 sciences because I wanted to become a pharmacist - changed my mind within 6 months but don't regret my O-level choices. Its hard to know what you do want to do at that stage.

That's why I'd be nervous about taking three arty subjects. It limits your options later on. If she has any plans to go to university some of them are openly frowning on the taking of so-called 'soft' subjects.

I'm sure I read somewhere that having a degree in media studies was actually a handicap in getting a job in TV. Having an academic background in something else was preferred.

 

[marinyork]

I'd say do whatever she wants for the reasons stated above. The syllabus is the best place to check as Wafflycat said, there are so few exam boards thesedays it's not so hard to do so. Really one aspect is working out the pool of teachers you're likely to get in your subject, it won't necessarily be the ones you got in lower school.

A cousin did DT Textiles and it was useful for her but she went on to do A-levels and a degree in it which she's just finished. The course I was most impressed with in the DT line was Resistant Materials. My sister did Food Technology and it was a bit of a joke imho. As for 3 arts subjects, I say bring it on if that's what she wants. I did 4 artsy subjects at GCSE, as did one of my friends and we both did 100% science A-levels.

As for limiting her options, this is a load of old cobblers. As she's bright it won't limit her at all. Many schools don't offer so many fancy GCSEs and then people walk along to college and say can I do an A-level in it and get signed up. As for university they couldn't give a monkeys about GCSEs on 99% of courses, that's just a myth propagated by teachers. They are however very bothered about A-levels. Unfortunately in the last few years some colleges but particularly sixth forms have started placing artificial restrictions on A-level subjects saying you can't do x,y,z unless you have an A or B in such and such. One has to unfortunately play along so think about this before .

 

[mr Mag00]

We suggested to our son do something you are interested in, at each exam level that is what is important. personally i dont think you should be looking for career paths at that age. exam resulsts show aptitude to learning a dn an ability to recall and study. encouragement to enjoy is more important imo.

 

[Fnaar]

My parents let me choose... (they both left sch at 14, and didn't really engage with the process)... and ..er... I made some duff choices. So, advise, without being a helicopter parent, would be my advice, fwiw