Yr 9 Options - which design subject??

[HesMyLobster]

I know we have until January to finalise options, but DD likes to be organised!
She already pretty much knows what she'd like to do and has decided on most subjects. The only one she can't make up her mind about is design.
I think the problem stems from the fact that she'd prefer not to do a design subject for GCSE at all. However the school she is going to say all students must do one.
She hopes to study Law eventually, and the subjects she has chosen are History, French and Drama ( as well as English, Maths and Triple science). She was hoping that she'd be able to take drama instead of design, leaving her a space for a second MFL, but unfortunately that's not the case.

She has to choose between:
Art
Electronics
Resistant materials
Graphics
Food tech
Textiles
Engineering

At the moment she's leaning towards Food Tech or Textiles, but I've recently heard horror stories rumours about the workload for these subjects. As she is taking drama, which we know will be fairly time consuming - rehearsals etc out of school hours, I'm thinking of advising her to choose the design option which has the lightest workload.

Does anybody have any experience of these subjects? Which would you advise?

[Rosencrantz]

You're overthinking this. Choose the one she enjoys the most.

[NoComet]

Absolutely do the one you enjoy. DD does Art and it hasn't been the nightmare people say it is because she enjoys it and does bits on and off all the time.

Food tech is more likely to be a lot of work for you rather than DD , personally I'd have thought that cooking, nutrition and food hygiene are so much common sense it would drive a bright DC nuts. Cookery theory lessons are already boring DD2 in Y8

[NoComet]

Dram is ok if you can learn lines and your group turn up for rehearsals.

Again it really helps if you really enjoy it and get involved in the plays you go and see. You have to write about them in the final exam.

DD1 does the usual, plus Geography, Music, Art and Drama.

The last two as I say she likes, music is hard work and I don't think she'd recommend Geography. Loads of learning type examples instead of just the science behind volcanoes etc.

She didn't want to do the holocaust for a third time and MFL plus dyslexia is not good.

[JGBMum]

Graphics is very computer based, and my DS didn't find if too time consuming.
Ds2 did resistant materials, more hands on, and he enjoyed it, but he spent a lot of home on it.
From listening to DCs friends, textiles, graphics and res mat have a peak around February/March of Y11 when the projects needed to be handed in. Then you can relax a bit, and have the rest of the tech lessons to focus on and revise for the summer theory exam.

[SanityClause]

DD did GCSE Drama in one year, with two hours every Saturday, outside school. Apart from going to see a play, and obviously written homework, that was the total time commitment.

Is Drama really such a time commitment?

[AtiaoftheJulii]

My dd1 did GCSE Drama (has just started y12 doing AS Drama) and it really wasn't much extra time at all. Two or three theatre trips, but no extra rehearsals until the fortnight or so before their performance because that was all done in lessons.

She spends a lot more time with her out of school youth theatre :-)

She also did Product Design - like JGB says, January and February were busy getting the project finished, but then the stress was over and it was just lots of revision for the exam.

Do whichever she likes best :-)

[AtiaoftheJulii]

Dd2 (y11) is doing Textiles, and so far it hasn't been too time-consuming.

[HmmAnOxfordComma]

I would have thought that a second language would be the most useful to her if she wants to pursue law, and they're also very easy if you're that way inclined - and leaves you the option to take one of them to A level (whereas if you only take one for GCSE you're stuck with it for A level as a language option). So is drama really that important to her that she would forego her second language?

If she really can't have a more academic option such as a language, geography or RS, I would tell her to choose the one she likes the best, as she'll find it less work.

[BlackMogul]

Completely stupid of the school not to allow a second language. I would let let do what she wants in these subjects as they will mostly all time regarding producing work and are not what she wants to do anyway. No one is likely to care much down the line. This policy would be an utter disgrace for a linguist. No wonder language graduate numbers are falling.

[bigTillyMint]

Is it DT textiles or art textiles? DD does art textiles (fashion/fabric design stuff really), and it is very time-consuming, although it looks very interesting!