in thinking that DD will get nowhere with these GCSE options...

[PosyPanther]

DD is 13, so, in my opinion still a child, she changes her mind about pretty much everything daily, school shoes, whose her best friend, her favourite colour, you get the picture...

She has just had the first leaflet from school about GCSE option next year and want to pick health and social care (double award)human health and physiology instead of additional science, child development, psychology and sociology. She says she wants to do social work or primary teaching (or win the X factor )

I think she's mad. She's in the top set at school, level 5 across the board at primary school and is working at solid level 7s now. I would much prefer her to take at least two science GCSEs, history and geography instead of psych and sociology and a language with one choice left for whatever she fancies (but I'd prefer a second language or triple science.)

I can't see that having History, geography, french, german, separate science would disadvantage her in applying for ANY degree/career pathway? How do I convince her that some subjects actually are better than others? Her teachers are insisting all GCSEs are equal but I can't see that sociology is as hard as German or Physics? I'm worried she's going to close doors at 13...

lol at 'we would not discriminate against an applicant that had a forensic science degree'

Christ.

Out of sheer nosiness i had a look at UCAS to see which sterling institutions offer Forensic Science degrees.

University of Abertay Dundee

Anglia Ruskin University
Bournemouth University
University of the West of England, Bristol Canterbury Christ Church University University of Central Lancashire
University of Glamorgan, Cardiff and Pontypridd

The University of Gloucestershire
The University of Huddersfield
The University of Kent

Kingston University
London Metropolitan University
Nottingham Trent University
Staffordshire University
Stockport College
Teesside University
Thames Valley University
University of Wolverhampton
University of Worcester

I mean University of Bournemouth! Stockport College!

Joking aside, anyone working for a school sixth form who encourages a student to apply for courses at these pathetic universities and therefore get in debt to the tune of 20 grand ought to be barred from teaching.

The industry is frankly a disgrace.

Hmmm. A lofty list of institutions. Though in the interests of fairness, I mustpoint out that the Uni of Kent is a 60s University - i.e. an institution hat was created as a Uni and not a promoted poly/higher ed college.

The UCAS sight is an interest in itself.

You can spend 3 years studying Crime Scene Science at Teeside. Or Marketing andf Innovation at Essex. Or Peace Studies at Bradford.

Dear me. BTec in Business sounds pretty harmless compared to that lot. At least it's free.

UCAS site. SITE.

I seem to be absorbing stupidity by osmosis.

Oi, Getorf. Essex is My Alma Mater and I'll have you know a damn good 60s Uni. (bit of a red herring that course, I'll agree).

No, I actually know that Essex is a good uni (like Bath and Exeter) - just marketing and innovation as something to study for 3 years made me laugh.

Innovative at what exactly?

Mind you I shouldn't take the piss, I studied aeroplanes for years, lots of people would think that is madness as well.

(but at least I didn't study it at the University of Torquay, she snipes)

Amongst other gems, Napier is currently offering honours (thats 4 years up here!) degrees in Ecotourism, international festival and event management and property development.

do any of those warrant 4 years of study?!

Scotsgirl you WIN.

Ecotourism and International Festival Management!

Just pissed myself laughing, you can spend 3 years on Viking Studies (think isactually a serious subject, as is offered by UCL). Lol, though.

What is more alarming is the choice within that - there is, in fact:
Festival and Event and Hositality Management
Festival and Event and Marketing Management
Festival and event and tourism management
Festival and event management with Entrepreneurship...

I kid you not link

Napier looks a riot. You can study Drug Design and Sport Pewrformance Enhancement!

Imagine spending 3 years studying that. I bet it's great fun. Just a bit of a wakeup call when you graduate and you have to (a) pay and (b) get a job in the read world.

Yeah but with Viking Studies you could offset your costs with all the pillaging.

Bet they've heard that joke a lot.

ah, but, getorf, your forgetting something - we scots don't have to pay tuition fees....so studying Sport performance enhancement for 4 years is free!

I think it's time for her to grow up a bit. She'll resent being pressured into taking subjects she doesn't want to study yet she really would be better off doing some more academic subjects than she's planning on at the moment.

It is important to study things you're interested in and not only study things taht are going to be useful later and she needs to find a balance between 'new, exciting subject' and 'is worth putting up with because it'll help later on'.

She needs to be looking at university prospectuses/websites and at the same for sixth forms to find out what these places are saying nowadays.

The other option to consider, if it is logistically feasible is for her to take one of her favoured subjects via an evening class at a local college or similar, so it becomes an additional choice rather than one that stops her doing something useful.

Shit! Forgot you scots can learn all that shit for free.

Festival Management - classic!

Do you get extra marks for being too wasted to turn up to any lectures?

um isn't that peace studies course at Bradford rather well regarded?

[http://www.brad.ac.uk/peace/bradford/]

or do you automatically assume that a university in an unglamorous Northern town must be worthless?

But go on, have a good sneer. Of course some degree are less academically rigorous than others. But is there really any need to be so unpleasant about it.

I haven't slagged off Bradford. I just trawled through the UCAS site and was entertained at the fact you can study such subjects in depth.

I also took the piss out of Viking Studies at UCL fwiw.

Viking studies made me laugh too! I have actually heard of Peace Studies at Bradford, I think it's slightly specialist although it does sound amusing so I get what Getorf was saying.

However, some of the Napier ones are just plain silly and I'm sorry if you think that's sneering or judgemental but they are.

I think you're right to feel that you need to give her some fairly strong guidance.

You're her Mum, want what's best for her, and have the maturity and experience to guide her decisions.

A shame teachers have said all GCSE's are equal. As I'm sure it can be a very important decision.

Good that your DD is thinking of future careers though. I can see Her ideas reflect those thoughts.

Let her have her one final choice to reflect her interests. eg. Perhaps she could do psychology. I wouldn't push for triple science or two languages if that's not her especial interest or talent. Add. Science and One modern F.L will do very nicely, along with history and geography. With psychology as well she'll be very happy !

Best of luck to you both !

I have absolutely no idea what peace studies entails.

I just had a vision of a load of people sitting in a circle going 'Om'.

Mind you, I would also consider PPP at Oxford to be a complete mad subject to study for 3 years, cannot imagine anything more dull.

Mind you, we all come with out own prejudices, I consider maths, sciences and engineering the only subjects I would personally bother with.

DH and I quite often have the Arts Vs Sciences Degree stand-off! (Me - English Lit and Politics...Him - Statistics and Computer Science.)

HOWEVER! He is now (via work) doing a Masters that requires long essays, analysis, arguments being constructed etc...and he is starting to realise that a rigorous well taught Arts course can be pretty demanding. (And has actually sought my advice!)