GCSEs 2019

[Eccentric]

Good advice Tinkers. My Dd found that she was burnt out by the last weekend of the mocks and just couldn’t make herself work effectively. I hadn’t thought to have a conversation with her about this. I will Make sure I flag it up for her before she starts GCSE revision.

[loobylou]

Hope everyone's children were happy with their mocks?
Dd is finding it hard to get motivated again after them.

[salsa]

My son will have more mocks after the "February revision break" as the school calls it!
Stressful times...

Salsa

[silverysea]

February Revision Break! Well, that’s what it is, in fact if not official name. Feelings seem to be calm here now, hope it’s not just the calm before the storm. I’m keeping the idea of options for the future in the few conversations that are tolerated with me. Including things like second chances do exist, and one-off exam results not defining your entire being forevermore, though that concept doesn’t seem to be fashionable in the UK at this time. Can anyone advise, btw, is Economics an essay subject? That might look good beside maths and science for I.e. Law type careers?

[Daogroupie]

Economics is an essay subject and highly regarded and very very relevant. I am a big fan. DG

[kenyancowgirl]

February Revision Break! Well, that’s what it is, in fact if not official name. Feelings seem to be calm here now, hope it’s not just the calm before the storm. I’m keeping the idea of options for the future in the few conversations that are tolerated with me. Including things like second chances do exist, and one-off exam results not defining your entire being forevermore, though that concept doesn’t seem to be fashionable in the UK at this time. Can anyone advise, btw, is Economics an essay subject? That might look good beside maths and science for I.e. Law type careers?

It is an essay subject - it is one of those subjects that is growing in popularity but is still not needed at A level to move onto a degree in Economics. It's a none facilitating subject that is now accepted by many universities as a faciliatating subject! The next couple of years I can see the focus of Economics A level changing to reflect whatever is going on with Brexit, which could make it more interesting or a complaete drudge (currently anything to do with Brexit has me putting my fingers in my ears and singing loudly, I'm afraid!)

Another option to consider would be Geography that sits beautifully with Maths and Science and is still classed as an essay subject. Very relevant in todays world too and hugely respected by universities. Geography graduates consistently top the employment rates measure. (Obviously for Law type careers, a very well recognised route is graduate entry conversion, not following a Law degree!)

[silverysea]

I don’t understand Law at all (no connections and foreign). Do people in the UK often do a more general degree first then?

Is Govt and Politics Better than Economics then for aspiring law people? Dd has been advised this?! Law is kind of a departure for her (and the family).

[Tinkers]

I don’t understand Law at all (no connections and foreign). Do people in the UK often do a more general degree first then?

Is Govt and Politics Better than Economics then for aspiring law people? Dd has been advised this?! Law is kind of a departure for her (and the family).

One of our contracts engineers actually did a maths degree followed by the law conversion course. Others in our legal dept have done engineering degrees first before the law conversion.

That been said when I talked to the contracts engineer last, we were talking about my DDs (then future) A level choices, and she did say she thinks that if she had done an essay based A level instead of all maths and sciences, it would have helped no end. When she started her law course she hadnt written an essay in years.

I guess it depends if they have any thoughts about what to do after too.

[mad?]

I don’t understand Law at all (no connections and foreign). Do people in the UK often do a more general degree first then?

Is Govt and Politics Better than Economics then for aspiring law people? Dd has been advised this?! Law is kind of a departure for her (and the family).

You can do a law degree or a different degree and then a conversion (one year).
No specific A levels required but I would suggest if going for a Law degree then a solid essay subject would be useful. I would not think G & P had anything over Economics, but it would depend partly what else she is doing and if she wants to go straight to a law degree of keep broader for a bit.

[silverysea]

She seems very set on doing maths and science, probably physics, and hoping to do a 4th French.