What do you think of GCSE business studies?

[Creamlegbar]

Is it an easy option? dc wants to take maths, maths with stats, French (doesn't actually but is going to), geog, can't remember the rest but they sound ok.

Is business studies a bit wishy washy? It looks like what I learnt at a start your own business thing I did once, fixed costs etc.

Would he be better doing something more academic? The best thing would probably be Spanish but I think that 2 languages would be pushing it. I know it would.

How do rg universities rate BS?

Am I out of date to think that anything ending in 'studies' is a bit flimsy?

Thanks!

It's waffly. Go for the academic - unis do notice these things.

maybe a little, but not too bad and certainly OK alongside 8 or 9 other strong options as it sounds as if it will be.

A second language would be a very strong option if he could cope with it though. Ds's school is always trying to persuade children to do two modern foreign language GCSEs, they think it makes applications stand out a bit.

My DD (Y9) chose Business Studies over German as she was already opting for History, Geography and French and wanted a bit of light relief. She really enjoys it.

My DS (Y11) also does Business Studies and just got an A in a module which counted for 25% of the overall marks. Most of his clever friends easily achieved A*.

So, yes, you could say it's a bit soft, but personally I think it's a good choice for an interested child.

Having said that, my DD may well have chosen Spanish had it been on offer at her school, which sadly it isn't.

My DS's old form teacher taught business studies and said on the quiet that she wouldn't recommend business studies for academic dcs.

Definitely a YMMV question depending on the school.

DS was warned off GCSE business studies by brothers of his classmates who all said it was soft and waffly. But DD?s school (different school) has a Business and Enterprise specialism, they win awards, have loads of guest speakers and the pupils are always in the local papers for coming up with innovative business ideas ? that?s a whole different ball game. DD only Y7 but I suspect she will want to do Business Studies GCSE.

It's v v easy. DS had to take 12 subjects, so is doing BS as the 12th. He just got A* for the first module with v little work.

I wouldn't want my daughter doing GCSE BS unless as a fun subject, something a bit different from the normal curriculum.

However, don't let that cause you to diss BS after GCSE's. A did BTEC National Diploma in Business Studies instead of A Levels and then went on to use that as a springboard to accountancy where I became a Chartered Accountant a year or so earlier than my peers who did A's and a degree. Not dissing those of course, just saying it is a valid course (or was when I did it) at A level stage.

I;m a TA & support in a GSCE Business Studies class. Its by no means an easy option although the course that our lot are doing has modular multiple choice exams, which may be considered easier than 'traditional' exams. However they also have to do controlled (ie exam conditions) assessments - ie long write ups, in class too.
I think the course is quite varied & interesting & would be of use to anyone thinking of getting into management or a small business

I imagine Whizzz, some of the children might find it quite refreshing study compared to academic subjects. It's the way I felt at college - I was finally learning something that I could actively see could be of use to me.

Obviously, as we mature, we realise the knowledge and skills picked up in academic study do have uses in real life and mould the way we think and analyse, but it's not so easy to see that when you are 14! I imagine they probably can associate the skills with real life in GCSE BS.

Don't get me wrong - there is still a lot of academic stuff in the course. There's a lot of theory - finance, marketing strategies etc. it's not all watching Dragons Den! But yes, suppose it is a change from history, maths etc.
There are a few in the class that I think chose it as an easy option, but now after a year - they realise it's not quite as easy as they thought!

but yes you are right - they can see the link to real life

My DD did BTEC business studies. She got 4 distinctions which was equivalent to 4 A* GCSE's. She is academic and took this as a bit of light relief. She has just started A levels in Maths, Chemisty, Bio and History. I do wonder what uni might think when they look at her GCSE's but she got good grades in the more academic ones aswell.

Yes it is considered unacademic but as others have said, would be all right in an otherwise traditional set of GCSEs. Children need a change and a break.

Depends a bit also on how many your child will be doing I feel, since it seems to me to be increasingly common for schools to have children sitting large numbers of GCSEs. If your son is sitting any more than 9 or 10, then it will be fine if he wants to take it. Children seem to enjoy it.

I did a GCSE Business Studies.. It is considered quite soft, as with most 'Studies' subjects, but it's by no means easy. I did mine with WJEC, I don't know what other exam boards are like, but our coursework was torturous. We had to plan a business and our teacher was SO strict. I spent weeks trying to get my dreary table of money flow forecasts up to a satisfactory standard. A lot of people picked it because it was new and an 'easy option' and they all struggled. The actual content was okay, but quite simple and easy to spout out in the exam, for me at least. I breezed through the actual exam and got an A*, but I wouldn't choose it again. I wish I'd done geography.

As long as he has a decent number of proper GCSEs, then go for it. As long as he has maths, english...etc, universities and employers aren't going to prejudice against him because he did Business instead of Spanish. It's a fun course if you like that kind of thing and like coursework.