Help DD's option choices have to be in tomorrow and getting nowhere fast

[wangle99]

I think I need an impartial opinion as we are going round in circles and DD and I are getting more stressed by the moment!

DD's current career choices are psychologist/psychiatrist or designer of some sort (interior is the current choice).

She has 3 option choices

She has to do music (she has a music scholarship)
She wants to do a language (has chosen French as she is relatively fluent already - is a language a good choice?)

Which leaves one;

Art or
Psychology

I haven't done university myself so have no idea whether GCSE's subjects are taken into account (or just the grades).

Come on mumsnetters help please!!!

If she wants to be a psychiatrist, she needs to read Medecine at university - which means that she needs maths/chemistry/biology (I think) at A level.

If she wants to be a Psychologist, she also needs science A-levels.

If she wants to be an Interior Designer, she needs to do Art A-level, and Maths/Physics would do her no harm.

Are you posting about GCSEs or A-levels?

For psychology I thought you needed maths (statistical rather than pure) and a science? What do her teachers say?

Yes the actual subjects at GCSE are taken into account, very much so. She should do as many traditional type "hard" subjects as she can for GCSE. She can always explore "soft" topics later (at any time in life).
French isn't necessarily "soft", but it isn't that relevant to psychology, either.
But I'm with Bonsoir, confused about whether you meant A-levels or GCSEs.

I'm posting about GCSE's now. It's a long time since I took mine however your information regarding what is needed at Uni is fab also as I don't have a clue.

Does her GCSE choices influence what she should take at A-level? Obviously all the core subjects she has to take - maths, english etc

Psychology GCSE not really worth the paper it is written on. Save this for AS Level at the earliest.

Music
French - excellent choices

Plus Art.

Ideal, sensible option group; v uni-friendly.

Art or Psych, are they the only 2 choices? I would try and fit in a more traditional subject- one of the sciences.

French is good.

If she is off to Uni soon, then A levels are what counts and GCSEs not so much, however good grades here make it easier to access A levels.

Consider what kind of learner is she, the rote learning of hard facts in Medicine is hard work and long hours, where as an Art Degree would be more kinaesthetic and creative, and hard work too, but more flexible.

Could you please write a complete list of all the subjects you deem "obvious/core" and a list of the options?

I disagree about French for psychology - bilingualism/biculturalism is like gold dust for challenging your assumptions about human behaviour!

Apologies it never occurred to me people would be taking A-level choices at the moment!!! I'm in full GCSE mode lol

DD will also be taking all the core sciences, maths, english lit and lang (can't remember off the top of my head what else is included in core), they are trying to make ICT a core subject as apparently universities like this?

She doesn't choose the core ones which is why I didn't mention them, she has three spaces to fill with what she wants.

She has just informed me its psychologist she wants not psychiatrist (silly mother lol) is that medicine also?

Wangle99 - do you realise how difficult it is for other people to understand your questions if you do not give explicit information? Just because your DD doesn't get to choose her "core" GCSEs doesn't mean the list isn't relevant to her option choices.

Core (have to take)

Maths
English Literature
English Language
Biology
Chemistry
Physics

Choices
Music (Has to no choice in this due to scholarship)
French
German
PE
ICT (school trying to make this core)
Psychology (DD wants to based on current career choice)
Geography
History
RE
Art 3d
Art 2d (this is one DD wants)

Think that is it, DD appears to have lost the form now as well. Note to self be more organised.

Thank you this is really helping!

There is a thread about subjects which are the choice of death for a career - and I'm sure it says that Psychology won't help you become a Psychologist! Is she doing Triple Science? If so, she's going to be knackered (my own bright little thing is in Y10 and is on her knees). I would advise Art. It will give her three periods a week for rest and recuperation. I am not satin Art is easy - I couldn't do it - but it will be a time for her to express herself and be quiet.

Dd takes Health and Social Care for this very reason. She wants to be a Midwife but knows that this isn't directly linked. Her teachers are already telling her this. But all her other topics are quite academic and she H&S is a bit of a break for her.

Good luck!

I am not saying is what I meant to say - not I am not satin. Blessed iPod and it's so called predictive text.

So your DD has:

6 core GCSEs

English Literature
English Language
Maths
Biology
Chemistry
Physics

Which are science-heavy.

1 obligatory optional GCSE:

Music

So she has 7 non-optional GCSEs.

How many does she want (or have) to take in total?

History or Art, would be my advice not Psych.

bonsoir Psych really is not a good GCSE to be doing, especially as university places are very competitive.

I haven't recommended psychology GCSE!

As a teacher I am guessing her GCSEs look like this:-

English Lang
English Lit
Maths
Science (possibly triple Sciences or a Balanced Science worth 2 - triple would be better if she is thinking of psych-type career)
ICT

Plus

French
Music
and

Art/Pyschology. I'd suggest Art of those 2.

Just one thought - no History/Geog there - she won't be awarded an English Bacc. Might not be an issue for her personally (seems to be targetting the school rather than the student) but some Unis might be looking for this in 4 years time.

I agree that Psychology GCSE is perceived as a bit woolly, but if that's where she wants to go in the future it will at least give her a better idea of whether it suits her. Art GCSE is bloody hard - how talented at Art is she? I'd say out of all my DD's GCSEs, Art was the one she spent the most time on - very little natural talent in her case, and so a lot of hard work.

sorry bonsoir you did not, I read it wrong

If she's really interested in Psychology then she should take it - but I don't think it's 'bankable'.

Can she still do Psych A-level if she doesn't do GCSE? I don't agree that A-level Psych is of no use for Uni entrance. I don't think it's obligatory by any means, but my cousin has offers from all her university choices and her A-levels are history, biology and psychology. And the unis include Warwick and Manchester. It would be a good way for her to see if she does actually like studying Psychology before dedicating a degree to it.

I'd still recommend Art or History over Pysch at GCSE. AS Level is the time to explore this avenue IMO. Keep your GCSEs traditional if you want the option of a good Uni.

History and a MFL are incredibly useful whatever you choose to do later.

Music GCSE is surprisingly academic (and equiv to theory Grade 5 so quite demanding musically too). Not really regarded as a creative subject.