GCSE Options dilemma - Art vs Tech Resistant Materials ?

[orangetulip]

Tough decision here... DS can not decide between these two.

Art would be good as he's naturally good at it, however we have heard it takes a lot of time, and being a perfectionist at this sort of thing, we worry he'd spend hours on it to detriment of other subjects.

RM he would also enjoy as creative / practical / likes putting things together etc. Have heard from one source that it takes less time as constrained by use of classroom, however school says it's just as time consuming as Art.

I believe both Art and RM are Edexcel, and both have controlled assessments rather than coursework.

Do anyone have any pros / cons of each ? How much time do they each take ? Which is better to keep options open for possible creative type of career ? etc

Thanks all for any info

It really depends on the career! Art is good for an Architect (in fact essential for some courses as you need a portfolio) and RM is better for most engineering courses but not vital. Obviously Art is better for Art courses. The time they take is not really a consideration as they are both fairly time consuming, but then all art/technology subjects fall into this category. I would take the one he is going to get the best mark in and enjoys as neither are needed for many careers. A levels are far more important, so would he take either of these beyond GCSE? I would not rule out a subject a child is good at due to poor time management. They can improve on that!

Thanks MillyMolly - it's interesting you confirm they are both time consuming. He hasn't a clue what to do for A levels, let alone a career.. so I guess it's just what he enjoys most and keeps the options open. I could see him ending up doing something creative as he has always been that way inclined. Good point about not ruling out a subject just because of time management - he is getting a lot better at this, so there is hope !

My DD's school have told her to allow two hours a week if she chooses an art subject, in reality I think it's going to be more like four hours a week. The art department stays open at lunchtime for them to do work, so this will be good - worth checking if she DS's school do this or something similar. It's also worth checking on the sixth form's requirements (if there is one at his school). They have to have a GCSE grade B pass to be able to do any art subject (including photography) in sixth form. Is he the sort that will spend time on his homework - my DD will so I know she'll put in whatever she can. I know some just do the minimum though.

My younger DD did both Art and Drama GCSE and two art subjects are fairly time consuming. There are also pressure points with regard to finishing work and it is not necessarily a weekly x number of hours. She did astoundingly well at Drama, but Art was only a very disappointing B. She changed school in the 6th form and did photography (A*) and Art (A). She had a useless teacher for her art GCSE and I would take the quality of teaching into account too. Her A level teachers were outstanding! She also realised that the girls at her new school had been taught a lot of art techniques at GCSE whereas my DD had experimented (or wasted a lot of time!) to no good effect.

Thank both... decision made.. Art it is ! Taking all factors into consideration - time, enjoyment, teachers, access to facilities etc etc. It seems the right choice for him, and I think any extra hours will be regarded as a hobby , sort of.