A level choices dilema

[newtothis15]

My DS likes Maths
Physics

He is not sure if to do FM and what 4th subject A level

@Mielikki Ah. So the old MN luxury to ignore what employers want! He was an employer. It matters. People who let the company down due to poor English are not the best employee they could be. As a successful business owner employing many engineers down the years, I can assure you the views of employers do matter. It’s one reason why grads cannot get jobs.

It’s my observation of both UGs and PGs that an essay subject helps a lot when it comes to writing a dissertation or even writing up a group project.

Also, many jobs in STEM now seem to require writing samples during the interview process. I think they are looking for both clarity and reasonably sophisticated writing. Essay subjects to the rescue again!

Yes, interestingly Economics A level s not pedagogically necessary for Economics and Computer Science A level is not necessary for Computer Science (in general; there are exceptions). Arguably FM is more important for getting off to a strong start in both.

@poetryandwine When looking for engineers in a market where there’s not enough to go round, good English skills were assessed but not so easy to find. Mathsy people really can think it does not matter.

I agree STEM students can downplay the importance of writing skills, @TizerorFizz

I was quite dismayed a while back. I had a tutee who was a very stylish dresser (unusual for UGs in our field) and excellent at both verbal and written communication. But they completely failed to engage with the course. TBF there was some SEND, but they were also one of the very rare students I’ve known, with or without SEND, whom I felt to be milking the system.

After a restart and some forgiveness they scraped a 2.2 but with very little deep subject knowledge or demonstration of teamwork, transferable skills, etc. Just that great communicative style. And promptly landed a technical job with one of the Big Four consulting firms! They won out over some of our top students - in both technical and all round terms - and of course many others.

EPQ can be a helpful option for STEM-only A-level students, to develop/demonstrate writing skills. They can do a topic linked to their A-levels so the content interests them.

@poetryandwine Style over substance! I’m surprised a 2:2 got them over the starting line.

DH has literally just retired and one of the other aspects the MD and others are now grappling with is the lack of entrepreneurial ambition in younger grads and even senior ones. A mid size consultancy needs to get work. Not everyone can sit back and be fed work. Knowing the value of the work and pricing is now very difficult for people to grasp. There doesn’t seem to be all round ability any more.

Well TBF @TizerorFizz this YP knew how to talk the talk. Accomplishments aside, they spoke as if extremely ambitious and hungry for success.

Most of the more accomplished students present as being more mellow. I don’t think they are necessarily less hungry but I have the sense that they regard revealing the ambition to be in bad taste. I have always thought it was rather attractive. Not exhibiting the ability to go after work is obviously problematic. Is there a link?

In some ways British HE is going too far, verbally, the other way. Eg visiting a certain city I sometimes walk past a building site on a perfectly fine post 1992 university campus - I know some happy alumni and admire a couple of the academics. It is middle to lower ranked within the UK in most programmes with a few patches of excellence, all fine.

But the posters lining the site are emblazoned with Our Aim, which is ‘To become the World’s Leading Applied University by 2035’.

Do I find this impressive? No. I think, ‘good luck with MIT.’ My tutee was showing the same values as this sign. I think you are talking about the need for something more solid. I worry that people are losing the ability to make the distinction

@poetryandwine Well slogans and especially short 3 word slogans rule! That one has too many words to be punchy! Who is it addressing? Hopefully students are a sceptical bunch.

When students come with all science A levels, I do think compulsory English modules should be included. I think the USA courses start from a broader base and we could learn something about breadth of skills.