What do Computer Science an Music GCSE students look like?

[GoodyGoodyGumdrops]

Dd has Options Evening coming up. She's a middle-of-the-top-set student. She has four options to choose. She is considering Computer Science and Music.

Dh and I have a concern that she is 'following' her big brother. It's really difficult to know whether she is actually choosing for herself, or from his example (she has form for this).

We also can't quite get past our own preconceptions. Ds is a total, classic geek. His desk looks like Mission Control, with all sorts of tech that he has bought himself. He learns programming languages for fun, ditto composing and technically manipulating music. So to us, that is what a Computer Science and Music GCSE student looks like.

Dd is nothing like him at all!

Really don't know how best to support and guide her.

DD is doing GCSE music and very passionate about music as a whole, ie wants to perform or teach music for a job. She's just a normal happy, untidy teenager with lots of friends. She seems to know who she is and her own style.

At DD's school if you want to take music, you're also expected to join lunchtime or after school music clubs, as well as taking part in music concerts - they want real commitment. She also doing art as well - yes, it does take a fair amount of time but she knew that at the start and has easily fitted in the work along with 10 other GCSEs.

Make sure she has a good chat with teachers at options evening about anything she's considering - that may confirm her choices or help her choose other options.

DD took Computer Sciences for GCSE last year. She loved the class, yet showed no interest in programming or anything like it outside of school. I think what she really enjoyed what the challenge of solving problems. She excels in Maths and I think there is a link between the two (or so said the Computer Sciences and Maths teachers she's had over the two years).

She was indeed the only girl in the class, but that didn't bother her at all. She is just a very normal teenage girl, enjoys both boys and girls company, is quite trendy, loves playing sports and supports a football team and will know about the Premiership than most boys! She listens to pop music, enjoys TV shows, and is constantly on her phone texting her friends.

She got an A at GCSE, and although I think there were a few others, there were many fewer than predicted and it was supposedly quite hard. She'd been predicted an A*.

She doesn't play any music instruments.

Strangely, I always assumed her brother would follow suit as he always claimed that he really enjoyed the little computer science he did, found it easy and got very good marks, and it was almost a given that he would take it at GCSE, but last week he announced that he didn't want to take it as he actually didn't enjoy it. Quite surprise, so will have a discussion with his teacher, but I think he's made up his mind and I'm fine with the other options he's chosen.