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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to ask your advice on yr9 gcse options

28 replies

sausagecat · 26/01/2013 18:24

DS has to choose his options. I am a LP and do not have anyone to discuss this with. Want to do my best/give the right guidance etc. He wants to do a degree in engineering and I don't have the experience to advise him.

He has 5 options and he wants to take Double Science, Geography, Latin and Systems. He's not sure whether to take geology or arts (he wants to do the easiest for the highest mark) Hmm. The school recommend choosing at least 1 arts subject, so if he didn't pick art he would not be taking any arts subjects at all.

Also I think he may be better taking Stats and additional maths instead of systems but he is adamant he wants to do systems as he really enjoys it. Unable to do both as it clashes on the timetable. I'm thinking the stats will be more useful as he will need to do Maths at 'A" level.

Is it best to just let him decide and get on with it or I am BU to try and influence him? First post btw.

OP posts:
riskit4abiskit · 26/01/2013 18:41

Hi. I'm a teacher. I advise those who do have an idea of their future career to look at the UNI or COLLEGE course for it before choosing options, so you can track it back IYSWI . Talk to a college and uni and ask their opinions?

nextphase · 26/01/2013 18:42

What type of engineering? Lots of them do detailed drawings (civil, mechanical etc), so Art might not be such an unusual choice. Would have through Geog, as a humanity might be enough of an art if he wants to do it tho.

I seem to remember art taking up ALOT of time.

Any chance of triple or separate sciences????

If he is good at maths, I doubt additional maths at GCSE will help A'Level - if its a weakness tho, it might be worth it.

No ideas what systems is!

nokidshere · 26/01/2013 18:44

Look forward to the replies - we have our options evening next week but until then I have no idea what the choices are!

5madthings · 26/01/2013 18:48

Same situation here but myds1 has 8 compulsory GCSE s two English, maths, three science, citizenship studies, and an IT btec type thing. He can then choose a further three GCSE's.

We have a meeting on Tues eve at the school.

headlesslambrini · 26/01/2013 19:00

try this website basically for engineering the uni's will be looking for maths and physics at A Level. If he can do separate sciences then go for that, as it is usually preferred but not essential. As someone else said Art can be useful as well. I have DS's options evening next week as well but unlucky for him I'm a careers adviser so already know exactly what he is choosing Grin

Original poster
sausagecat · 26/01/2013 19:01

Thanks for the input.

He said systems is 'making robots and things like that'. He said he really likes this. He was thinking the same thing - about arts taking a lot of time and I think this is putting him off.

Unfortunately they only offer double science at his school. I think the school got better results with double science than triple and they don't offer separate.

I will talk to the college. From my research so far - he definitely needs to do 'A' level maths and physics. Doesn't appear any particular GCSEs required as long as good grades in Maths, English and Sciences.

The stats and additional maths is aimed and supportive of those who may choose to do maths at 'A' level. DS thinks he will be fine without it.

Am leaning towards letting him get on with it.

OP posts:
Original poster
sausagecat · 26/01/2013 19:06

Smile headless

DS said he is going to work for NASA Hmm.

OP posts:
lljkk · 26/01/2013 19:15

Everyone says Art is huge amount of course work (that and cookery, DS wants to do both!!).

Check this thread out, looks helpful(?!)

There are so many types of engineering, though, not all involve University degrees. It could help if you knew which engineering area he wanted to go into.

Statistics is NOT about learning maths, not really,it's about learning probability functions and rules. Stats are useful for some types of engineering, but then so is DT, or "Systems and control" which I think is what you mean by Systems.

TheBigJessie · 26/01/2013 19:27

Art- I didn't take it, but everyone I know who took it regretted it, due to the huge workload! Even those passionate about Art hated it because, "I have to skimp on the art itself, in order to have enough time to write about it. I took this because I thought it would be easy and fun!"

Original poster
sausagecat · 26/01/2013 19:41

Looks like geology then instead of art - due to the workload.
He's thinking of mechanical engineering so far. It will be a 4yr course. I'm not even going to think about the fees and costs, eek.

OP posts:
socharlotte · 26/01/2013 19:42

I'd do systems.He can use the things he makes as something to write on his Personal statement
Art has no relevance to engineering that I can see!!

FelicityWasCold · 26/01/2013 19:45

I'd be wary of 'systems'. What does this mean?

Is it recognised by anyone?

FelicityWasCold · 26/01/2013 19:46

Ah just googled it, do you mean DT:systems and control?

If so, yes do that, very good for engineering I'd have thought.

Original poster
sausagecat · 26/01/2013 19:51

Yes thats it, systems and control. Don't remember it in my day.
Shame he can't take systems and the stats and additional maths as well. Oh well.

OP posts:
lljkk · 26/01/2013 19:57

Systems & Control or DT would be better than stats for mechanical engineering, I suspect. Something to google. The thing is the stats can always be picked up later, but DT just builds up and up as a skillset.

*DT is another heavy workload one, but it's so jolly useful if you're engineering-minded that he won't mind.

TheBigJessie · 26/01/2013 20:00

I should, however, clarify that the above was mainly for A Level Art. GCSE is presumably easier, otherwise A level wouldn't have been such an awful shock!

Do you know what modules he would have to take locally for A level Maths? My college only taught Statistics 1 and it was quite manageable without GCSE stats. Otherwise I wouldn't have got an A for that specific module! (I really wanted to do more stats than that because I found it so easy!) I imagine Statistics 2, if offered/required, leads on from S1 nicely. ?

Mind you, it's "shake-ups" all over the place at the moment, so A levels will be completely different in 4 years time. Trying to decide on the basis of today's information is probably pointless.

But if I ended up as a year 9, right now, in some kind of weird body-swap extravaganza, I'd choose systems over basic stats. Esp if I was looking at engineering.

BoneyBackJefferson · 26/01/2013 20:02

If he wants an easy option DO NOT take art.

TheBigJessie · 26/01/2013 20:16

Three students left, maybe? Per LEA!

Original poster
sausagecat · 26/01/2013 20:22

Increasingly looking like no art then. For 'A' level maths it will be AS/A2 maths:pure and mechanics. Like you said bigjessie it may all change in a couple of years! Imagine if we all warped back to year 9 - what would we choose? Would we take different paths? Anyway I digress.

OP posts:
TheBigJessie · 26/01/2013 20:26

If it stays as it is, then he won't even have any tiny advantage from GCSE stats in A level Maths, then. (Hope he likes Mechanics. I did not!)

Annunziata · 26/01/2013 20:26

Hi! I have 2 DC doing engineering currently and one hoping for an offer soon. I'm in Scotland so things are slightly different (the two oldest are on five year degree courses) and from what I can gather, he'd definitely need maths and physics.

FredFredGeorge · 26/01/2013 20:27

It's much more important to do a course he enjoys than a course that may (or may not) be relevant to what he wants to do in a few years time.

PolterGoose · 26/01/2013 21:28

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

spg1983 · 26/01/2013 22:55

My DH is a head of maths and puts his pupils in for additional maths and stats at GCSE as well as a normal maths GCSE and the majority of C+ students get at least the same grade for add maths and stats as they do for maths without any extra tuition.

May just be worth getting your son to ask for some practice papers for add maths and stats in yr 11 and asking to be entered for them as well as normal maths - that way he'd still get the qualifications and also get to do the options he wants.

happilyconfused · 26/01/2013 22:56

For engineering you need maths with mechanics not maths and and stats. Systems should help develop his engineering interest ESP if he only doing double science. Make sure that the sixth form he eventually goes to does the mechanics unit - no problem if he does maths and further maths though at a level