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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

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Original poster

Wrong choices at A level!! HELP!!!!

26 replies

bossboggle · 25/09/2012 16:11

DS takes 4 subjects at A level, first year. Is managing with most but realises he has made wrong choice in one!! Advice please . Did anyone else's DC do this and what happened? Should he change or what??

OP posts:

mumblechum1 · 25/09/2012 16:14

DS did this with Chemistry - he got A at GCSE but found it very hard at AS. After a few months and £££ with a tutor he decided to drop it unofficially,ie he went and sat in teh exam hall but didn't really answer any but the most obvious questions.

The school wouldn't let him drop it or change it (at the end Sept) and it was obvious that he was wasting his time so just wrote it off.

Whiteshoes · 25/09/2012 16:20

Well, I'm super old, so may be a useless example here, but I swapped after a few weeks when I realized I'd made a bad call. It's not even october yet! I think changing would be fine. Could he discuss with teacher of old and new subject? Worked for me. Can't see any harm trying anyway.

junglebums · 25/09/2012 16:20

It's far better to drop the subject if he will be applying for university as all grades need to be recorded on UCAS forms, including U grades.
It's often better to concentrate on 3 good A level grades, depending on whether the university requires points or actual grades.

Miltonia · 25/09/2012 16:21

He should change immediately and work hard over the next few weeks to catch up. I would email the HOY today and outline the reasons for the change and what he wants to do instead.

The HOY will look at timetable issues and will look to see if DS is qualified and suitable for the alternate course.

Don't delay as every lesson he misses of the new course makes it harder on him.

Numberlock · 25/09/2012 16:22

Wrong choice that he is finding it harder than he thought or wrong choice that it will limit his options in future?

ajandjjmum · 25/09/2012 16:29

I would have thought it would be possible to change now, as it's so early in the term.

junglebums - the DC didn't have to include their AS grades on their UCAS application, as they hadn't been 'cashed in' at that point. This was following the advice of their school, although I have heard other people say that they've been told the information has to be given on the UCAS application.

Moominmammacat · 25/09/2012 16:38

I swapped after a whole term from economics to German. It was hard catching up but I managed. My DS has just swapped RE for economics. I'd do it asap and don't see a problem if he's happy to work to catch up.

noblegiraffe · 25/09/2012 16:47

At my school enrolment isn't confirmed on courses for another couple of days yet, he should ask to swap ASAP

BizarreLoveTriangle · 25/09/2012 17:30

Dd1 managed to swap AS Music for French in the third week of term last year. She had A* GCSE French so they said they thought she'd be able to catch up. If she had had a B they wouldn't have let her change. But contact the school as soon as possible because each lesson is more work he'll have to do to catch up.

Quiteoldmother · 25/09/2012 17:38

Suggest DS talks to relevant subject teacher and personal tutor at school/college asap - becomes very difficult to change after more than 2-3 weeks because of the catch up in the new subject. Better to change subject than just to drop one at this stage.

MammaBrussels · 25/09/2012 17:45

Ask to see the head of sixth form ASAP. Check the other options in that option block - is there anything else he wants to do? He'll have to work hard to catch up but should be able to manage it.

Merrylegs · 25/09/2012 17:51

Yy he should change if he wants.

Do it now.

DS did just that at about this far into the term - swapped from something he thought he 'ought' to be doing as he got a good mark at GCSE, to something he really wanted to do.

He got an A* in the subject he swapped to and his tutors said it showed presence of mind and strength of character to change. So good result all round!

racingheart · 25/09/2012 17:54

Change now. Not too late at all. he can catch up at half term in whatever subject he switches to.

littlebluechair · 25/09/2012 17:55

I did this and switched, I did it after about half a term I think. I was limited to what was timetabled in same slot. Turned out the one I 'had to' choose was my favourite!

schoolchauffeur · 25/09/2012 18:02

My DD did this last year in week 4 of term- moved from art to french and got an A in her AS- had to catch up with the whole of the first topic in half term and sit a test on it, but she really wanted to do it so she managed. Now it is her favourite subject!
But do it ASAP before it just becomes too hard to swap.

glaurung · 25/09/2012 19:03

dd swapped a subject last week and is much happier for it. Talk to the school asap tomorrow to see what the options are.

Skelacia · 26/09/2012 10:55

There's a funding cut off in October, just before the half term. So long as he switches to the new course by then the school can claim the full year funding for that and have no issues with the dropped course. And they'd rather he switched to a course he will complete as withdrawals from courses after this date will affect next years funding for the school!

DogsCock · 27/09/2012 16:45

swap and swap now, he will be miserable otherwise.

Lindor · 27/09/2012 16:54

Ds just started 6th form college this month. In week 2 he realised he'd made a mistake with one subject (maths) and had to book a meeting with a college counsellor, and subsequently was allowed to drop it. He's supposed to be organising another meeting to pick up another As subject, but hasn't got round to that yet...

At his college it seems you have to be sorted by half term - maybe that's when the exam entries for AS are done?

Good luck

DogsCock · 27/09/2012 17:01

Lindor - that is interesting. What did your DS think of the maths. My ds thinks it is the hardest of all his A level choices. The one he really wants though, but it is certainly not going to be plain sailing. I took one look at the book and nearly passed out!

SecretSquirrels · 27/09/2012 17:13

DS1 just started 6th form and from day one they were all told the first 6 weeks were crucial and anyone struggling could change in that time. He says a few have dropped out of Chemistry.

Lindor · 27/09/2012 17:21

Re As maths, Dogscock, my DS found it really tough and felt everyone in his class was way ahead of him. He had a duff teacher for GCSE and they didn't even cover the whole syllabus, but managed to get a B. Before he dropped AS maths, he checked online if he needed maths for the degree courses he's interested in, and found that he didn't, even for Russell Group.

He's much happier now and enjoying college.

DogsCock · 27/09/2012 17:32

Oh similar situation here. DS just started AS maths, he showed me they do maths stuff one day and another its maths mechanics or something. Looked complete gobbledegook to me! He is finding it tough but persevering at present. They choose 4 A levels and drop one after AS so I will get him to check his uni stuff and see how vital it is and if it is a complete nightmare then he could drop it next year.

schoolchauffeur · 27/09/2012 18:35

Don't despair too early on the Maths- it is a massive jump up from GCSE. My DD found it a nightmare for the first few weeks and then she suddenly got into it. She is now in her A2 year and again the new modules are tough too- it is a bit of a mindset thing that it is not like getting 10 questions to do and you can rattle them off quickly, but you have to really think, do a few trial and error things etc. and part of the skill is in working out what to do. She found the first topic this term really tough, but they have now moved on to something new and she can do this one easily whereas other people in the class could do the first topic but not this one!!

DogsCock · 27/09/2012 18:41

thanks schoolchauffeur.

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