If anyone's child is considering Art GCSE, a word to the wise.....<bitter experience>

[cyb]

MAKE SURE your child keeps their art book up to date as the term progresses.

That means not only completeing the final pieces for each topic (which my D had done) but also all the research, photographs, reflections and investigations that led them to their final outcome (which my D has not done)

So this half term she has been working from 8.30am until 10pm to fill all the gaps in her bloody Art book

I am trying VERY hard not to say I TOLD YOU SO and I'm choking, frankly

She thinks she's going shopping in Camden market tomorrow

CHINNY RECKON

simply for including CHINNY RECKON in your OP.

And good luck to your DD...

Now there's a good example of a subject that has not been dumbed down.
When I did "O" level art (obviously a very long time ago), all we had to submit was two peices of work; one "composition" which we had a week or so to think about in advance, (but only the final piece went in) and a still-life drawing, which you just did on the day.

So long as you could just about draw, you passed, if you could draw reasonably well, you got an A.

Nowadays, you have to actually THINK about it and do some real work.

I echo that. My DD should get a A or A* but at the moment she is likely to get a B or a C for the same reason. She hates research and just procrastinates. I literally have to sit her at the computer, where I can see the screen. She reckons it will take 8 hours in total - I think 8 hours a day until Monday!

Oh, god- and are you at the 20 hours preparation for the final assessment yet?

Also - if anyone thinks Art is a jolly softy easy frilly GCSE option.IT ISN'T! It is massive and Hard Work.
DD was supposed to be revising all week. She too thinks she is going on a jolly to london town tomorrow. t unless she can produce actual evidence of some work she isn't. slave driver

sigh DD took art as her fun option. Theres been more stress about this than about her blasted physics and chemistry! she looks at her project piece and then facebooks/watches TV/generally procrastnates and doesnt get it done. They she got an extension to finish the work over half term. Has she done anything? No, not picked up her paintbrush.

Oooh I feel your pain. My daughter is doing A level art and quite frankly doesnt sleep, she is also putting her portfolio together for Art Foundation interviews, and having to do projects for said interviews. As well as her other A levels - the amount of work they have to do is unbelievable. She loves it though and has never worked so hard.

Its totally consuming - my advice for anyone looking to do it at A level, never ever stop doing your sketch book or research as its so hard to catch up.

Hope they all do well :)

seeker she's done her timed stuff for assessment at school. But I agree with choccy my Art O level was 2 pieces!

This is full - on, got to keep up with it stuff

pinkbraces she is planning on doing A level Art

I have a horrible susupicion history might repeat itself......

my mate nearly had a nervous breakdown when her dd did gcse art ...she begged her not to do a level

Thing is gg my daughter CAN do it is just bone bloody idle

Wish I'd never bought that bloody laptop

my dd is exactly the same...well all kids are aren't they.

If it's not a computer it'll be something else to distract...what did we do pre internet??

Wow, things have changed since I took art GCSE (first year of GCSEs) I got a B by drawing a few snails (well it was a series of pictures where a sphere turned into a snail shell) Definitely no effort put in. I still have them somewhere. They're crap.

Your DD is bound to get an A* cyb!

My dd spends more time on her bloody art homework than any other subject. Thank God she has decided to drop it next year!

Maybe a mornings art work and IF she gets loads done Cambden in the afternoon?

Carrot & stick?

Confiscate her laptop?

Absolutely agree. A few weekends ago we had a sort of production line going -- DS locating photos and scratty bits of paper, DH trimming them to size, me sticking them in the sodding sketchbook (why that child draws like a dream on any other surface than his artbook I will never know).

Wretched child then moaned about all the writing he still had to do in the gaps around the pictures!

Next child has to pick options next week, so does anyone have equally bitter experiences of music or drama GCSE, as they have to take one art subject and he's doing Art over my dead body?

My D did Drama GCSE as well and found it okay

My niece is also working so hard. She bitterly regrets choosing Art. What about Music? Lots of work too?

Another word to the wise about all those portfolio that will be handed in to the teachers for them to lose assess ... TAKE PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE OF EVERYTHING!

Cyb thanks for the heads up about this. I'll nag keep an eye on dd's work next year.

DD has been in after school for weeks to do the same

I have said nothing, but secretly screaming "I told you so!!!!"

senua, very good point I'd already decided to scan everything on our photocopier but will now also photograph too.

My son did Drama and found it very enjoyable and actually much less of a workload than his other GCSE subjects. He thought of it as his doss subject and he got an A*.

Oh, excellent. That one can stay on the list then. DS2 is not an assiduous type but he is pretty dramatic