GCSEs 2018 (14): the aftermath

[mmzz]

Following on from www.mumsnet.com/Talk/secondary/3275972-GCSEs-2018-13-Untwisting-our-knickers-lucky-for-some

Mine is mostly around in the house but hasn't exactly lifted a finger! I did point out that the least I expect when I get home from work is for rubbish to be put in the bin/recycling! He did look a bit shamefaced so we'll see what happens today.

Cambridge Open Day today. So very different from Oxford! Lots of 'herding' of groups, very little personal input so far. And no free coffee anywhere!!

Talked to an economics graduate who told us that double maths at A level is pretty much needed here, and it would be looked on unfavourably if your school offered it but you didn't take it. Sounds very maths-heavy course here and lots of grads going into further academia. So that's DS put off Cambridge (which is good news because we would prefer he moved away from his home town!)

Two of the other DC who are doing Economics A level at DS's current school only did foundation maths GCSE. That made me think it mustn't be very maths heavy, but then reading Terf's post about Cambridge, I'm back to thinking that Economics must be maths heavy after all. So, why would it be suitable for someone who was only able to do foundation Maths GCSE?

And what does that imply about the pace of the lessons if DS decides to stay on?

DD2's boyfriend taught Economics at Oxford and now at one of the big old Cambridge colleges and has always emphasized just how maths heavy the course is at Cambridge. FM pretty much an unwritten requirement for his college at any rate. The bits of paper he left around the house with complicated maths stuff on and no words suggests maths is the language of choice.

mmzz personally I would be more concerned with the schools A level results, if they are good then you don't have anything to worry about - plus I'm sure there will be more than one class so some streaming may go on, also on results day people re-assess their choices and likewise people change A levels or drop out if it turns out its not for them. Plus not everyone is Oxbridge or RG bound

DD was firmly told that all chores privileges ended on 30 June. I have talked her through how to use the washing machine (for the umpteenth time) from work this morning and she actually stayed at home until it had finished to hang it all out. Tonight we shall move onto "switching the dishwasher on".

Taster day at 1st choice tomorrow.

I think you may be being swayed by your school's obsession with really high grades for maths mmzz! A level economics isn't very maths heavy at all, or else it would be maths-lite, not evonomics! You need to be comfortable manipulating figures & bunging numbers into equations and calculating percentages. It's a really enjoyable subject at A level, because it talks about the real world and explains how things like monopolies, pricing, inflation & the balance of trade work. You only really need A level maths to do economics at degree level. Only around 50% of 18 year olds go to university full stop, let alone go to Oxbridge, so A levels are accessible to a lot more than the high flyers. A grade 5 at maths is still a good grade, even if it is "just" at foundation level.

Our first choice prospectus says: you will need to have a good understanding of basic maths. You will need to learn some equations, make simple calculations such as % changes and interpret statistical data. However, if you wish to read economics at university, we strongly recommend that you also chose to study A level maths as there is a very high maths content in most Economics degree courses.

Good post sticker Important to keep some perspective on the wider world while our DC get more sucked in to their own little bubbles!
DS has been quite surprised by students saying A level Econ isn't a requirement for a degree funny how when I mentioned it months ago he dismissed me as a deluded old woman I did Econ A level and actually found it dreadfully tedious!

It's something I teach to students taking their professional exams. We effectively do the whole A level in around 4 days of teaching and I love it. Therefore DD (who fancies doing PPE) has grudgingly done it during her taster day at 2nd choice college, but is refusing to even consider it at 1st choice college. At the moment I'm persuading her to stick with maths, but even that could be in doubt if they will only let her take 3 subjects, as she desperately wants to take history, politics & Eng Language as well.

My DN is one of the 50% of DC who left school without a single GCSE to his name at A-C! We do get grade obsessed and forget that grade 5s and foundation papers are what a huge number of students get and they still open up A level choices. A lot of DC take A levels with no intention of going to university, so they are designed to give you entry to jobs, apprenticeships and maybe just to try something new. Even the "lower" grades at A level can still give access to lot of university courses,

Ha! I got DDE and my husband got AAB, we both went to uni to do 'respected' courses which would lead to almost certain jobs....and we both dropped out after one year because it just wasn't what we wanted. We still don't have degrees, but have had careers in what we enjoy. Way more pressure in the late 80s for girls to "have it all" and I felt like I was on a treadmill that I couldn't get off (I was also at a private school with an ambitious pushy mother!) Absolutely don't want my kids to feel the same

double maths at A level is pretty much needed here, and it would be looked on unfavourably if your school offered it but you didn't take it

Pretty much what the Physics department at Oxford said about their course.

I've promised DS2 that I'll take him to the Summer Science Exhibition at the Royal Society: an "exciting annual showcase of cutting edge UK science."
I think we'll go tomorrow in an attempt to avoid the crowds.

That does seem bizarre for Economics at Cambridge, because so many colleges refuse to let you take 4 A levels now and taking two humanities makes far more sense than two maths papers if you can only take 3. I shall keep very quiet until after DD has confirmed her choices, then breathe a sigh of relief that she has safely ruled out Cambridge.

Cambridge is a very Maths-orientated University. We went to their event about choosing A-levels and they were strongly recommending taking A-level Maths even if you were considering applying for arts or social sciences subjects. When I studied there, the heavy Maths content of all the science and engineering courses was well known and those who actually studied Maths as a stand alone subject definitely operated on a different intellectual plane from the rest of us!

Which is a round about way of saying that just because you need double Maths for Cambridge Economics, that doesn't mean that you need such a high level of maths for Economics elsewhere.

Anything which helps rule out Oxbridge applications is great in our book! DBIL2 went to both (1st at Peterhouse, masters at Durham, another at Oxford and currently continuing in academia in London.) DBIL1 similarly gifted (he's a professor) but he went to "normal" universities, along with the rest of us. I would far rather DD was in a less pressurised environment, had the chance to live in grotty accommodation and work her way through university, but have fun as we all did, rather than come out laden with self esteem/perfectionist issues like her uncle. The environment suits some, but not others.

Of course, as soon as DD realises that we are actively encouraging her NOT to consider them, she naturally will!

Just for the record, my first and second year accommodation at Cambridge was really grotty . I could possibly be accurately accused of self-esteem/perfectionist issues though.

I was a bit horrified by the 'behind the scenes' at Kings - the interiors were like some aging Youth Hostel with grotty white stained ceiling tiles and nasty mdf doors. No wonder they only let the tourists see the chapel and dining hall! Selwyn on the other hand is absolutely lovely, and not like being in a zoo either as tourists never venture that far DS is relieved that the choice between O and C was so easy...now he just has to look at the other 10 or so unis on his list!!

If we're playing top trumps, I had a bedroom tacked onto the back of our digs which was built into the side of a hill. It was so damp that our landlady lent us a dehumidifier for the entire year. I used it as an excuse to effectively move into DH's room in the flat!

I wasn't being disrespectful. It simply wouldn't suit DD and there's enough pressure at a level already to get good enough grades without even more.

Agree some uni economics course s v maths heavy, some are more humanities like, some are somewhere in the middle - which is why you need to choose a uni based on course ie narrow them down to the type of course you like and have likely grades for then you can go the do I like the town and accommodation etc

Or if you know what sort of course you like now then check the entry requirements before firming a levels

DS has slightly redeemed himself - on seeing that I was really busy with work and so he wasn't about to get fed anytime soon he volunteered to make tea and rustled up a really nice spag bol I'm now hoping all the compliments he received and the look on DD's face might ignite a bit of sibling rivalry on the culinery front and more meals will be made by the pair of them..........wishful thinking I know

Well done Bluebell DS for volunteering to cook! DD really enjoys cooking, and usually makes dinner once or twice a week to unwind. DS (just finished A levels) is now expected to cook a couple of times a week to contribute to the family, but also to increase his repertoire for university. He makes a mean chilli, but not a lot else at the moment!!

Stickerrocks I honestly think you may be doing your DD a disservice by generalising from her particular uncle's example/ experience. Certainly at Oxford there's grotty accommodation galore as well as beautiful stuff and the idea that you need to be a perfectionist who can't have fun is just simply wrong - plenty of fun loving non perfectionists get Firsts too (obviously plenty get 2.1s or lower as well). It's a shame to stereotype and miss a chance if she's able enough to go there; at least don't rule it our on the grounds of a single BIL.