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Original poster

Calling Year 12 parents....

64 replies

Sparklingbrook · 22/11/2014 12:30

DS1 (Year 11) is about to choose his A Level subjects. No idea of any career path but a vague interest in University. Been going round the 6th form open evenings etc.

Any hints and tips or things you wish you had known from this time last year?
Any subjects turn out to be not quite what they thought?

OP posts:
webwiz · 22/11/2014 18:03

Have you seen this OP

www.russellgroup.org/informedchoices-latest.pdf

The bit about what A levels are essential for each university course and which are preferable is quite a helpful starting point.

Littleham · 22/11/2014 17:49

Mocks next week here. Aaargh! Am tied to computer and no fun trips out as a result for me! Hence lots of posts today.

The other thing is...it may be possible to flex the deadline for choosing. Worth asking your sixth form head.

We have asked for dd3 and have been told she can leave the final choice until September. She is being allowed to start with five subjects to see how she likes them / copes with them and will drop the one she likes least by first term. They are only allowing it because they know she can cope & on the proviso it fits with timetable and she drops one.

bigTillyMint · 22/11/2014 17:44

It all varies so much from area to area and school to school - DD has already got predicted grades, but they don't do their mocks till Feb. Most other schools round here seem to do them before Christmas, but they have just done some internal examsConfused And they have to have 4 or 5 preferred subjects on their application forms that are going in now. It all seems such a rush.

SugarPlumTree · 22/11/2014 17:42

I need this thread, it is a nightmare here . She can't decide between current 6th form or local college and that essentially is a choice between A levels and BTEC.

She is short of a 4th subject if she decides to have a shot at A level and can't decide between two BTECs. She wants to look at the College for a second time whereas I want her to take the shadowing a student on a course option to get a better idea of what the courses are like.

Plus her report has just come in and it is not encouraging . Rocking in a corner seems the sensible option currently as far as I can see.

Original poster
Sparklingbrook · 22/11/2014 17:42

We visited a 6th form college last week It was huge and a bit overwhelming. DS1 is lucky to go to a school with a 6th Form, loads of schools in the county don't have them.

He is really going to have to think about all this. He is stuck in to the mocks revision at the moment.

I really hope that the teachers can guide him, but I am thinking the Open Evening may be a bit hectic.

Hi Horsemad 'something in sport' is a start Smile

OP posts:
TalkinPeace · 22/11/2014 17:34

We have 6th form colleges here so BIG departments.

What is his strongest subject?
The one he reads about for pleasure?
The one he might do / linked to a degree

Hang everything around that

Go to the open evening and talk to the staff in THAT department and get them to suggest combinations and options

they will also warn off bad combinations

at our colleges the default is 4 subjects at AS, dropping to 3 at A2
bright kids do 5 and 4
lower ability kids do 3 and 2
then there are the vocational colleges which have a whole range of options

at DDs college they get 5 hours of tuition and expected to do 5 hours of homework / read around per subject per week

Original poster
Sparklingbrook · 22/11/2014 17:28

Oh dear circular this is going to be hard isn't it? The subjects he loves are not going to be ideal as a level choices possibly.

Luckily the Open Evening is Thursday so we have lots of questions.

OP posts:
Horsemad · 22/11/2014 17:26

Just starting out on this road again with DS2...
I agree with choose subjects they love! Makes life much easier I imagine.
It is tricky when they don't have a definite career in mind (DS2 a bit undecided atm: toying with PE teacher/Maths teacher but really wants to do 'something in sport'.

circular · 22/11/2014 17:26

Unusual to do just one science subject, except possibly biology. If he wants to do chemistry but no other sciences, maths, geography or psychology would sit well with it.
Think seriously about any MFL unless multi-lingual, a real flair, or visiting the country and/or amongst native speaks frequently. DD managed to drop from a high A at French GCSE to a U at AS. The step up is huge.

Original poster
Sparklingbrook · 22/11/2014 17:25

Sorry-just re read the blurb. Choices in by 2/2/2015. That's better. Grin

What are these 'elective courses-

Critical Thinking (AS Only)
Extended Project Qualification
General Studies
Science in Society (AS only)

OP posts:
Original poster
Sparklingbrook · 22/11/2014 17:19

Thanks Littleham. Dilemma no.1, he is really good at Chemistry and it's on his list. But no interest in the other 2 sciences at all.

At the moment his best subjects are History, Chemistry and German.

Mocks aren't until December and the A Level choices have to be in before the results are out. Confused

OP posts:
Littleham · 22/11/2014 17:17

Oh and one more thing. If he drops certain subjects it will rule one or two careers out. For example - engineering needs Physics.

bigTillyMint · 22/11/2014 17:16

Watching with interest!

And I second no. 4 - I took Chemistry because I hated my O'level English teacher. Bad mistake!

Littleham · 22/11/2014 17:10

We are in the same position with our dd3 (year 11). She has narrowed A Level choice down to a shortlist of six!! Still deciding.... We have been through this a couple of times with older children and made a few mistakes, so for what it is worth...

  1. Best if he chooses subjects he really loves (otherwise he may founder, as there is a massive step up).
  2. Depending on the school, there may be the odd weak teacher. Avoid at all cost! So my dd2 has one subject which is split into two teaching groups - each group has one strong teacher & one weaker teacher. My dd2 and her best friend have purposely gone into different groups, so that they can swap notes (two lots of notes / two strong teachers).
  3. Keep options open. If he doesn't know which career he wants, he could do a combination. So dd3 may take maths, a language, a science and one other.
  4. NEVER take Chemistry or Physics unless you are a natural (just because of an A* at GCSE). Could also apply to other subjects!

Hope that helps.