School question - advanced higher statistics

[aurea]

My son is trying to pick subject options for next year and he has not been allocated his first choices.

Does anyone have experience of the advanced higher statistics course - specifically studying it independently possibly with an hour's session a week with another school.

My son loves maths and it's his strongest subject (high A in higher maths prelim) and he'll also do anything to avoid taking higher English!!!

Yes, both my sons did AH stats. It's, as you know, mostly self taught which is a great education in itself. Run by the maths department. I think it's gaining in popularity too, especially with data & stats so prominent in the media.

When my eldest boy did it it was officially lead by a teacher in a neighbouring school but to my knowledge, he never physically went to that school. My younger boy is doing it this year, all remotely. He assures me he is keeping track with it all but who knows?!

Thanks Lizzie

That's great to know. I think it will be a bit of a struggle to convince the school as they want him to do higher English instead.

As a matter of interest, what and where are your DCs studying/hoping to study at uni?

Also, did they both take higher English?

Thanks

They did both achieve higher English in S5.

I'd heard it's not so crucial when going on to STEM but to me I felt it was a necessary subject to get.

They've gone on/going on to study actuarial maths & chemistry at uni.

Can't comment on the Stats exam, but wanted to say that my DS didn't do higher English, he got an A at nat5 though so was perfectly capable.

I know that not having it could be a problem if you want to teach, that is never going to apply to DS1 though.

He has just finished 3rd year of a masters in computer science and has distinctions so far. I think he has scored over 90% in everything he's done. He got 4 unconditional offers for Uni.

It's worth looking at his potential course options to see if English is a requirement, also think about jobs and look at some graduate jobs that he would be aiming for and see what the requirements are and then decide.

Thanks Lizzie!

That's great Wax. Where did he apply as my DC also wants to do computer science?

He applied to Glasgow, Edinburgh, Strathclyde, Heriot Watt and Dundee.

He got unconditional from everyone except Edinburgh. He chose Strathclyde as he preferred the course and the atmosphere. He initially started on the Software engineering degree but they are pretty flexible about switching between that and the computer science and can also opt to do the Masters if they get decent marks. They can still opt to swap back if they change their mind again.

aurea your DC might also want to look at degree apprenticeships in software engineering. You apply through the employer but they are linked to a university to study for the degree.

JP Morgan & Morgan Stanley offer degree apprenticeships at Strathclyde.

Barclays & BBC offer ones at Glasgow.

There are lots of other employers as well.

Good idea celtie. DS wouldn't do that as he is too shy and anxious. I suspect he will still be in his bedroom with a top class degree when he finishes.

Thanks all!

The apprenticeship idea is interesting. He's actually in S4 and taking two highers early as well as his Nat 5s so I don't think he has even thought about the dreaded 'J' word! (job). His AH stats would be taken in S5 along with his other highers, of which he does not want to include English.

I will pass these suggestions on.

ATM, he's really keen on St As for CS but I know they are very selective and unpredictable with their offers.

Thanks again

Waxon
As you know that's Dd's bf too, he has her, one friend from school and one friend from Uni, he doesn't socialise with me really when I go there and wouldn't dream of coming here!
He's finally agreed to go to The Hydro to a gig with her when it's possible, it's only taken her 4 years of asking, brilliantly academic though.
Anyway, sorry to go off topic

Yes Brill, keep wondering where I've gone wrong but DS2 is living away from home, steady girlfriend etc etc so maybe it's not just us. There were signs of improvement in that brief few weeks of relative freedom at the end of the summer but that 3 week lock down that started last September scuppered that.

Hopefully they'll find their tribe and he seems happy enough, doesn't try to stop Dd socialising either pre-covid and will go out and about just the two of them or in their small group of 5 in normal times.
Its just so different from me at that age I suppose, but then I dropped out of Uni, went travelling and came home pregnant sooooooo...
Maybe he has it right!

That was an adventure. I went straight to work after leaving after 5th year and still working nearly 38 years later.

It's me, wax, by the way, trying to resolve a name change glitch.

Well I wouldn't advise it, but Dd will be 20 this year and no regrets!
She's looking to apply for Uni and start next year, she has another year of college yet, she'll do 3 years though, not 5 as her Bf and your DS1 are.

Sounds like she is doing fabulous Brillo, she has come a long way, no wonder you are proud!

Oh, she still has her moments, but I'm sure they all do I hope
Although only Dd could publicly post a photo of her pet snake on a train, when he was being taken to the Vets.
Once we knew he'd be ok we had to laugh, he had a respiratory infection.
Well of course he did, given the two of us have brittle asthma.
Even the pets are joining in!

DS did AH statistics last year and is now studying Maths and Statistics at Edinburgh. He says it would be completely doable- a bit of extra work if self teaching most of it but it’s not too hard as an intro course. He loved it- wants to focus on the statistics part of his degree once he’s through the required calculus etc.

@WickedGoodDoge how did he self teach it? Is there course books, I can't see any.

Apologies, I didn’t mean that he had self taught, though reading back it sounds as though I was saying exactly that! Rather that that he thinks it would be completely doable to self teach plus an hour a week at another school. I’ll ask him what course materials his school used.

ah ok, was wondering if this is something students could do themselves with little school support. ds is taking AH Maths next year and might have been interested in this.

Lovely to see you all reacquainting on this thread. 😀

Quick update - I don't think he will be able to study AH stats this coming year. There are no local schools offering the subject and he would need someone to assist and mark the prelim as well as guide him as there are no course textbooks AFAIK. Also, if lockdown recurred (god forbid) he'd have no evidence if he's not working in a class environment. There's a chance, however, his school can put something in place for the following year (S6).

So higher English it is......