General studies GCSE

[Earlgreyandcake]

My son has been offered the chance to take this after school as an extra gcse. He is already doing ten - all academic subjects. He is reluctant to turn it down as he feels his friends will then have an extra subject but I'm not sure if it is worth the extra work when he is stressed already. Any thought?

Not worth it at all! Most schools have stopped doing this sort of thing.

Do you know how much work is involved? School claim only 6 after school sessions a term. I'm concerned that as he is predicted mainly A's and 8/9 s that a poor performance in general studies would look bad

It's a pointless subject, and not an ebacc subject. Given that the new GCSEs are supposed to be harder I wouldn't bother. Just let him concentrate on the important ones to gain better grades.

Would 11 subjects look better than 10. He is hoping for a Russell group uni

No, 10 really is fine.

At ds's academically selective private they go for quality over quantity. Most do 9 GCSEs with just a select few (top set maths who do further maths or people who choose after school drama) doing 10.

Isnt General Studies one of the GCSE's the government are getting rid of?

Not worth the paper it's written on OP.
I have a general studies A Level (part of a school drive to ensure everybody did at least 4 A levels....) I don't even put it on my cv!
As PP have said it'll be scrapped soon, it's purely so the school will look good in the immediate future.
As an aside though, if your son is predicted top grades he will sail through a general studies qualification!

He's currently in year 11. Has been given an old paper to complete but little guidance as to what they are looking for. He is bright but finding year 11 a little overwhelming with mocks looming and the after school general studies clashes with other after school revision sessions

10 is enough. I didnt know there was a GCSE general studies - the A level is often (not always)excluded from being part of a uni offer, so I cant imagine the gcse is either here nor there. It sounds as though his time would be better spent on the 10 proper other gcses.

As I thought General Studies is one of the so called 'soft subjects' that the government has not approved under the new GCSE's & will be scrapped after June 2018.

On one hand I think he's bright and so would be an easy good grade but it's another after school commitment- he has something on every night after school. He also is worried as the brighter students are all doing it. I'm just not convinced the extra stress is worth it for an almost worthless qualification. He doesn't know either. Decide for us mumsnet!

Given that everyone who has replied so far has said it is a pointless waste of time and you don't need more than 10 GCSEs for university, what else do you need to hear?

It is a worthless qualification.

Definitely not worth it. Far better to do effective revision for other subjects.

No way, what on earth are the school thinking? At least if you're going to offer extra make it something useful or interesting like further maths or astronomy.

Pointless, 100% pointless waste of time.
My DS's school offer a choice of Critical Thinking, Latin or Classics as an after school option, he is too young right now but is looking toward Classics. If he was offered GS I would try very hard to dissuade him.

I think general studies (I didn't know you could do it at GCSE) is discounted by almost every institution and he would be better focusing his time and energy on other subjects, especially if he is finding this year stressful.

Not worth it.

I got 15 GCSEs and they wanted me to do GS as well. Wasn't worth it even if I had less than that - my mother told them to buggar off and I'd done enough work. He's better focusing on the important GCSEs to get the highest grade possible in those rather than studying for something extra that won't effect him getting onto A level courses.

Nope! Absolutely useless. Don't waste time on it. He'll be better served seeing some friends or coming home and relaxing so he has mental energy to work hard in his other subjects instead of staying late at school. If you want something to put on the CV or university application, he could do an extra curricular instead. General Studies is a waste of time.

My DD college made the brighter students do General Studies A level - it didn't count towards any of her uni offers and she is at a Russel group uni - not worth the extra work in my opinion

10 Adademic subjects is just fine. No-one wants 11. No-one - not even Oxford and Cambridge. Getting top grades in what he is doing is a far better use of his time.

Thank you - will advise him to leave it. Year 11 seems pressured enough!

best wishes to him for his gcses!

No point at GCSE. At A level I found it useful as I dropped a grade from my offer and when I was on the phone to the university my excellent General Studies result was helpful in proving my case that the dropped grade (due to one paper) was a blip.
But then we didn't have lessons for it. We sat the mock then if we needed help on a paper we got it. I've never know a school that did the GCSE.

I did the a-level many years ago. Any decent university course disregards it. No specific teaching is required, I got an A despite writing what I felt at the time was a pile of toss.

10 is definitely enough. At DSs school they do 8 (or 9 if doing triple science).

I went to a grammar school and we did 8 (or 9 if people were good enough at Maths to do it a year early and then do additional maths).

General studies is a bit of a waste of time.