Options thread

[loobylou]

My dd was the only person in the top Maths set not to take it for A level!

As your dd is doing all the same GCSE's as my dd it is interesting to hear they have made that same decision.

Economics at GCSE is a fantastic subject and both my dds would have done it if they could fit it in.

It is very well taught at DAO and has led to students ending up doing PPE at University.

Dd2 felt those in her Geography A level who had done Economics GCSE were at a real advantage. DG

Thank you, that's very good to know since he is doing both! Ds is keen on the concept of PPE but since he is still wedded to the idea of studying in Europe he might be limited as they expect Maths A level.

[Ell M]

Hi,
My DS is considering taking Engineering as a GCSE. Does it involve lots of drawing? He is not very creative and his drawings skills are not brilliant. I'm afraid that this might be a set back.

[Tinkers]

I don’t know anything any the gcse engineering, but suspect if there’s any ‘drawing’ most of it will be CAD rather than pencil/paper.

(I’m an engineer and was useless at art, but loved technical drawing, so it’s likely he will be fine regardless of whether it’s on paper or PC)

[Ell M]

Thank you Tinkers.. that's reassuring.

[Flash]

We went through this a couple of years ago. I can tell you that Music has been the bane of may daughter’s life. She absolutely hates it. She is a talented and diploma level musician but is struggling with the composition and she absolutely abhors the ridiculous nature of the music history stuff. She says “ I used to like the Beatles, now I can’t stand them”. Apparently absolutely everyone else hates music and Art too with teachers doing things like tearing up work, making students take pieces of work to bits and then start again. Many students have been in tears. I definitely wouldn’t recommend taking more than one creative. There is a lot of work involved. My daughter spends an half an hour before school every day, every spare lunch hour and 2 or 3 hour long evening slots in the composition suite at school on her composition and it still gets chucked back as not good enough. And that is coming from someone who is an amazing musician. Goodness only knows what it must be like for those that are not already so informed when they start the course.
Of the creatives Dance, Drama, Computing and food tech seem to be enjoyed by most.
My daughter says generally everyone likes all of the other subjects.

DD is year 11 and her absolute favourite subjects have been Music and Art. She's loved the composing and performance part of music. She hasn't enjoyed computing so much though

[piggys]

They can study what they want.

They have plenty of room for options.

If anyone is getting in the way it is the parents steering them away from "non" academic subjects.

Both my dds chose their GCSEs, A Levels, EPQ subject and degree courses and Universities just as I did at their age.

But now some parents do not allow that.

"I can't believe you let your daughter not do A level Maths when she was in the top set for GCSE."

"I can't believe you let both your daughters do A level Music. It is not really a subject is it?"

"You are not really going to let your daughter study Music at University? She won't get a good job with a Music degree."

"Why didn't you make your daughter do Maths?"

All the above were actually said to my face by other parents at the school.

One of my daughter's friends from another school is studying Medicine at University and hating it but her parents won't let her move to Music which she really wants to do. DG

Yep, I believe you. There are plenty of parents like that on this board - you know, the ones who are scornful of anything creative, dismissive of languages and humanities / essay based subjects and only regard science and maths as 'acceptable'. Don't expect your dc to thank you in the end. How did you answer the question DG? I hope you said something along the lines of 'because I actually love my child and want them to be happy'. I would have said something along those lines (except far more strongly worded ).

I too allowed my ddd1 to choose her GCSEs an A levels, and my dd2 is in the process of selecting options atm. So far it's German, RS, Dance, Food Tech and either Hist or Geog. I would never dream of forcing my child to do a subject.

My dd2 is at HBS and she knows a fair few girls who were bullied into the sciences and maths route by helicoptering pushy parents. The school tried hard to encourage the girls to look broadly at the range of subjects on offer but parental pressure tends to win out. And then parents complain when the school is forced to drop certain A level subjects because so few girls are picking them.

[Tinkers]

I’ve done too many careers fairs where I talked to students who are being ‘encouraged’ to do something.

When I’ve asked them if they are interested in engineering, I can usually tell by the look on their faces I’m going to get one of two answers.

1 yes, but my parents want me to do xxxxxx (it’s nearly always medicine).
2 well my parents think I should.

I’m never quite sure what to say for the first one, except hopefully talk enough about engineering to confirm their interest in it or otherwise. If they are really interested then hopefully they can talk their parents around.

For 2, I still talk to them about engineering (until I see the eyes glaze over) but then tell them not to do engineering unless it’s what they really want to do, and that they don’t actually have to work as an engineer when they graduate.

I’ve seen enough of those faces to not push DD to do subjects she doesn’t like etc.

[skipsmash]

My ds, year 8, has been advised to do French AND German GCSE. He does not seem to be doing particularly well at them, he hates doing any homework - but he does well in tests (I can't help wondering if they're peer marked).

He is working at the same grades on both, only P8. He enjoys the basic conversations he can have with me in very simple French and finds German vocab relatively easy to learn. I have to nag him to do it though.

I just don't think it's a good idea to do two languages. I can imagine him getting confused in speaking exams and mixing the two. How useful are two languages?

He had been planning to do DT but for those dc doing triple science, they do a GCSE in two years. He wants to do GCSE Engineering (I didn't know there was an Engineering GCSE!)

My questions are: do you think it is worth doing two languages? He is very good at science and maths, so I'm very surprised teachers have recommended he do both languages.

Also, does dt differ from engineering much?

I don't want three years nagging him to learn vocab. He wants to do two languages though, and it is his decision.

[helen0209]

Skipsmash, there’s no reason why your DC should get confused with the 2 languages if he’s a good linguist. What career path does you DC want to take? If there is a need for a language, he enjoys it and is reasonably good at it then do both.

See how he feels during Y9 as the content of lessons will change from the vocab side of it to more structured sentence orders and it will get harder. I was always fine with the vocab, but the grammar was another thing altogether

In terms of engineering and DT, your school’s website should give detailed information about each course which will help you see the differences. HGS doesn’t do engineering, but for DT it says that they study the core technical, designing and making principles including design processes, materials techniques and equipment. They need to be competent in the use of CAD and CAM to develop their products. Also demonstrate mathmatical and scientific knowledge and understanding in relation to design and technology.

May be worth checking levels of coursework versus exam?

[silverysea]

Who is giving the advice? (For example to take 2 languages, etc.) Why? is always my question, in my head.

I am not a tiger parent at all and have even been told off by dds for not forcing them to do stuff, and trying to maintain some sort of life perspective and balance, though people outside our immediate family think all the extracurricular activities and studies dds did and do emanate from me.

I don’t “allow” them to do or not do anything, within the bounds of decency and my resources. I discuss with them, and research, on their behalf.

DH and I are in the position now of trying to moderate dd2’s Y11 decisions and determination to go down the high pressure professions route, so very much admired by her friends (parents!), including doing and continuing in subjects that have not been enjoyable or come naturally to her. At least to have alternatives and a safety net in place. This was not done well by us, I admit, in that she perceives we doubt her.

But in a way that is making her more determined! We have been brought up in the “talent/ability is inborn” mindset, but the other mindset, that you make the most of your own opportunities with hard work, is now in vogue. I think the new mindset is probably better, and that she is going to prove us wrong. We don’t want her to break her heart and brand herself a failure.

I just hope this focus on certain attributes to the exclusion of all else, is worth it, in the future world of work.