S3 Choices thread

[Groovee]

So Ds is coming towards the choices for S3. Dd did it in S1 before the school so it's all change.

At ds' school, they made their choices at the end of S2, which is why they are able to 8 Nat 5s. (He's in S4 now and did his prelims before Christmas)

Does your ds know what subjects he wants to take?

I was just at the Parent's evening about the process for the S3 choices at DS' school. DS has until the beginning of March to decide but he says he already knows what he wants to take.

It's all very confusing. Only just got my head round standard grades with DDS 1 and 2, and now Ds has things called NTs or somesuch. Seriously, I haven't a bloody clue what he's doing or why!!!

He knows he has to do English, Maths and French. He's liking the idea of modern studies, music or art, CDT or whatever it's called now. And he has an enrichment column. He's not sure what science yet.

I suspect he would look to do an apprenticeship in tools as he loves woodwork etc and he's a handy wee plumber to his dad.

Pretty bird this is the choices for s3/4.

Our lot only do 6 and Dd who is high A's says that is enough. She'll sit her nationals this year as they had hoped they could do early presentation. She's also doing a 2 year higher.

Demented a friend says the Nat5's are equivalent to credit level standard grades. Nat 4's are internally assessed. While Nat5's are sent away to be externally done.

Dd received a level 4 in French but none of us knew what it meant.

It's the only thing I don't like about CfE: the variation in the way it's been implemented and therefore the range in number of Nat 5s that pupils are allowed to do

Ds seems to be coping fine with doing 8 - but he's bright and self-motivated so just gets on with it.

He did tell me yesterday though the he hates loves me - he's found himself reflexively correcting friends who say to him, "I done good" in their Prelims . I told him to blame his English teacher granny who was the one who inculcated good grammar into me .

He also has a very good very intense English teacher who I am sure is equally pernickety.

He's doing English, Maths, Chemistry, Physics, French, Geography, PE and Computing Science. He plans to do English because he knows he's not allowed to drop it, Maths, Physics, Chemistry and Geography for Highers.

DS told me this morning that he's choosing: English, Maths, Mandarin (all required), Engineering Science, Chemistry, Physics, Graphic Communication and Philosophy. He'll also have an enrichment choice, but they aren't up yet.

I think he'll end up down some engineering route in the future. He doesn't really like Mandarin though - doesn't like any MFL and is a bit gutted that he can't swap with Latin instead (loves Latin, funny boy )

We are just about to do DS2's N5 selections but he is in S3 moving to S4. They don't narrow down from S2 to S3. He wants to do Modern Studies, History, Business Admin, Physics and Chemistry as well as his Maths and English. We are just waiting on the final choice forms but that combination has been possible for the last couple of years. DS1 is to choose his Highers next Month as he is in S4 moving to S5.

Agree it is confusing. My eldest did standard grades. My middle didn't select subjects for examination until end of S3 and maximum number of national 5s was 6. Now my youngest will select in March of S2 and will sit 8 nationals with no option to drop subjects selected for S3. There is just 5 school years between them!

DS1 was easy. He had chosen his subjects by end of S1. DS2 was a nightmare. He hates school and only picked one subject willingly. Ended up choosing based on subjects he hated least. DD is the opposite. She likes everything and will struggle to cut down. Waiting to see what option combinations are possible. My DS2 couldn't do Geography and Modern Studies because of his Science options. I think my DD will want to do 2 social sciences and 2 sciences plus art (maths, english and MFL are compulsory) but I wonder if they will try and persuade her to take a technology.

DS has already changed his mind and is dropping Graphic Communication for Computer Science. This would have been his first choice but he hadn't read the columns properly!

Think he's sorted now other than the enrichment options.

DS2s options aren't great - he doesn't seem too bothered as long as he can do History and Modern Studies which he can. He has one column that only offers Art, PE, Physics or French. As he doesn't want to do art or PE and he has another column that on has science in it, he really has to choose French. He'd rather do Spanish and can choose that in another column but he doesn't want two languages - he'd even rather do German but it's not an option at all which makes me wonder why they have spent have 3rd year doing it...

When he wipes out what he doesn't want then he is left with:

English - compulsory
Maths - compulsory
History
Modern Studies
A science
French
and probably Business Admin as there isn't much left in that column either except Spanish but he doesn't want two languages and he doesn't want two sciences either so doesn't want to choose Physics in the short column either.

So basically he has 2 subjects compulsory, 2 he wants and 3 he's choosing by default. He wanted to do Politics which isn't an option either.

He's not moaning though - he's just getting on with it.

I've asked him to consider what Highers he'd like and take it from there. We could do with seeing DS1s 5th year Highers option form prior to him having to submit this one but that won't happen.

Good idea about checking the HIghers options. Modern Studies and History aren't possible at Higher in the same year at my DCs school.

There is no way that we would stop him from doing History and Modern Studies at Nat 5 though. He is very bright but not particularly motivated except for when it comes to those and Politics and we've seen him really mature and become so engaged in school and with the world. He's become such a lovely young man and I think he needs to be encouraged in his interests as much as possible.

Ds is struggling with the science column. Biology is ruled out but he is struggling with chemistry or Physics. Not sure what to advise him as I hated both and did biology and so did dd. Dh did chemistry.

DS2s friend was struggling with chemistry/physics and biology. School suggested he do general Science (a bit of everything). However it is only offered at National 4 level at my DCs school. His friend has enjoyed it and has done well. He's actually decided to take physics at National 5 in S5.

My DS2 who did all 3 sciences in S3 before dropping physics in S4 (they have to drop 2 subjects) and is strong in sciences says that Biology is the easiest as long as you have a good memory, followed by Physics if your maths is good then Chemistry. If your DS doesn't need a science for career purposes then I'd choose the one he likes best/is best at.

I've got dd1 in s4 who has just finished her prelims, she's doing English, maths, Ghaidlig, French, history, art, physics and Design& Manufacture. She's very very artistic and planning on English, Ghaidlig, History, Art and Graphic Design higher.

Ds is in s2 about to choose - English, Maths and Ghaidlig are compulsory (they go to Gaelic school) and he's planning on choosing Art, IT, Geography, Physics and Chemistry.

They all do Nat4 Sports Leadership in PE

DD2 (s1) is going to be trickier I think but I'll leave that until next year - though she's musical and sitting Nat5 music in S2.

Groovee, I did Chemistry under the old O'grade and Higher and ended up with 2 o'grades :o I found it fairly easy to understand but hard to remember - there is a lot that you just have to remember in terms of what needs to be added to what for x to happen. I did Biology as a crash O'grade and it was a breeze, did the exam and left within the first 20 minutes and got an A. DS1 has just got an A in his Nat 5 prelim for Physics but he is very good at maths and technological stuff (also got an A for Maths and Engineering science) so he finds it straightforward. DS2 has just chosen Chemistry as his science for Nat 5 as he has had a bit of a wobble with his maths. Science teacher said he could choose any as he seems to manage Physics ok. I think his wobble in Maths is more to do with his teacher than actually a reflection of his own ability.

Science teacher said that just to pick the one you enjoy most as in terms of Uni applications it doesn't matter what science you have even if you choose a Science type degree. DS2 isn't likely to do that regardless, but she did say that not doing Chemistry for example wouldn't stop you from doing Chemical Engineering which I was a bit surprised at.

DS2 finalised his choices at English, Maths, History, Modern Studies, Business Admin, Chemistry and French.

DS1 had to do the first draft of his Highers options and is thinking of doing Maths, Physics, Engineering science, Computing Science and Graph Comm. he is hoping to go straight in at Higher for Graph Comm on the basis of his Computing Science and Art results. He wanted to do Graph Comm at Nat 5 but the timetable wouldn't accommodate it, they said at the time that they would be happy to take him straight in at Higher so I hope they honour that.

In the end he went for chemistry.

Now to do Dd's higher choices

Dd's went in last week.
R.E
History
Biology
Chemistry

Dd2 has gone for;

English
Maths
History
Spanish
Music
Biology
Chemistry
Physics

All exactly the same as dd1 (17) did apart from German which was dropped by the school in favour of Spanish.

Our DD2 has French, Art and Graph Comm in place of Spanish, Music and Biology. Compulsory tech and no option to do 3 sciences for our lot, although many do straight higher Biology later. (exactly the same as DD1 last year which is her only misgiving)

If your DCs have any ambition of a science or medical degree, I'd ignore the science teacher's advice and opt for chemistry or physics.

So much of biology is chemistry or physics based, that it's possible to study a biological science but not so easy with anything else. University admission requirements usually reflect this.

We've had one big change. The school has agreed that DS can switch from Mandarin to Spanish- effective from last week. DS is now 1.5 years behind the rest of class so we're doing crash Spanish at home.

Dis should have got his choices booklet yesterday but he was off ill. He's already decided what Highers he's doing anyway: a very conservative choice of English, Maths, Geography, Physics and Chemistry.

He's having second thoughts about what he wants to do at Uni though - had been Geography for ages and now he's wondering about a Physics related subject. I've told him that that's the joy of Scottish Unis: he could do Physics, Chemistry and Geography in 1st year and them decide which subjects he wants to continue to Honours.

Higher biology, and higher drama are in the same column. School are asking their shared campus school to see if she can do biology through there.