GCSEs 2019 support thread 4

[TacoLover]

The last one is almost full!

No, you're not :)

Ds1 was sure of a levels til last week. Now considering a different 3rd one.

No idea what he wants to do.

It's great to see all the different combinations for A levels.

My ds is hoping to do French, Chemistry, Biology and Core maths but doesn't really know what he would like to do later...but hopefully these will give him lots of options.

Lots of your DC doing 4!

No idea here too!! Taking 4 A levels but still wondering what they are applicable to😬

Phew! I was worried as my Dd says she won’t know till results day which a levels she wants to do!!

Am I the only parent who’s dd doesn’t know what career she wants to do??

No idea at all here. I'm fine with her just doing what she enjoys, but I think it does make it difficult having nothing in particular to aim for.

Had a bit of a day with DD yesterday as she had decided she has failed maths and biology. Lots of tears. Just hoping that this weeks maths paper is more doable. I know there are only three left to do but that feels like a lot still!

Good thing is that this is the last weekend of revision.

Wish the bloody weather would buck up too!

I am another parent of a child who has no idea what they want to do and is also changing her mind about A level choices.

DD had to fix her ALevel choices back in Feb. Recently they also had to choose their extras, they can choose things like Italian, Astronomy, Photography and either take a GCSE or just do them for fun. All fixed though already for next year. I presume for time tabling.

DD2 not visiting any Unis yet. Oxbridge clash with her end of year stuff anyway. We plan to visit Oxford early next term with DD1 who has already graduated. Happy for them to go alone, think DD1 will enjoy taking DD2, a sisterly bonding trip, and of course DD1 knows her way around.

My daughter has no idea what she wants to do career wise so has decided to study the International Baccalaureate. Higher level maths, physics & chemistry, standard level Spanish, global politics and english.

MIne also keeps wavering about 3rd A level. He is definitely doing maths and compsci (assuming he gets the grades) and has swung about between English and Philosophy for the third.

He panics at essays, though so I think neither of those are a good idea. He's now wondering about psychology or politics, but I assume politics is also all essays. We think psychology is a bit more sciency?

Marmite I hope she’s ok 3 will soon be over then a lovely long summer to look forward to. Health & happiness is so much more important in my opinion & whats dome can’t be changed, keep her focus on the next ones.
Dd said last week she’s not sure she stilll wants to go to uni, she’s managed her exams well but it’s been a long slog & she knows A levels is 2 years of working hard, I hope she’ll feel differently about it after a long break, but it will be up to her when the time comes.

Sorry for the crap punctuation

A levels were a much bigger deal than gcses for her older sister so im expecting the same. 3 A levels, an epq, driving lessons and a bit of sport will be plenty. I'd love her to get a job but she will have Saturday school and she sings in the school choir so no time.

This summer will be spent reading for English and classics, the odyssey, the pat barker version, handmaids tale and nights at the circus by Angela carter for a start. She's a very quiet sheltered child so that selection should give her plenty to think about!

DD has no idea what she wants to do career wise yet, she has thought about being a drama teacher and doing something in IT possibly relating to cybersecurity - very different paths! She is doing Drama and Theatre Studies, Computer Science, and Maths at A Level and a Level 2 in Latin as an extra.

Ds though aqa language was ok but was thrown by the celebrity question. I've made it a point to never watch or discuss reality tv so he was a bit clueless but managed to cobble something together. The problem his school have is that most students wrote an article instead of a letter because they found the wording of the question confusing. It was supposed to be a letter to an editor of a newspaper... and lots of kids wrote an article.

Ds said he loved the aqa biology but I'm a bit worried he said he finished it in an hour!

His a level choices are down as history, RS, English lit. But he keeps changing his mind. He now wants to do RS because he loved the gcse, maths and physics. Has anyone's dc done the maths a level this year? I've heard it's a horrendous topic to study at a level? Ds really wants to study theology but is worried it won't lead to a job and be deemed a useless degree.

Last 4 exams this week. I'll be glad it's over . I've had really bad anxiety the last few months and thought it was work/ menopause related. Now I'm thinking maybe it's the stress of keeping everything together this year.

To everyone's kids who are having a tough time I offer my sympathy. It is such a difficult time and I'm amazed at the strength they've shown getting through. To think some of them are still 15 when they sit exams! Good luck for next week.

Thanks ready!

At least it had confirmed that A levels aren't for her and she is going to be much happier doing a BTEC. I agree that good mental health is so important. Trying to keep her positive is definitely affecting my mental health!

I'm another one whose ds has no idea re a levels or degree. It seems to change in a daily basis. This week he's also said of he does really well he's like to go to any amazing uni like oxford. Last week he said he would probably go to uni whilst living at home up north.

Lots of your DC doing 4!

Locally, both DD's options start on 4, expecting everyone to end up on 3 (though obviously some do continue with 4, and exceptionally some do start on 5, usually because of Further Maths). One offers AS levels at the end of Y12, the other relies on internal exams.

One starts everyone on EPQ, the other offers it as one of a range of 'extra' options. DS will emerge from one of DD's options with 3, no EPQ but a LOT of music qualifications / experience, and his friends will end up with everything from 3, no EPQ to 4+EPQ

Fibbke - Snap. DD has got reading to do too. Handmaids Tale and Frankenstein. Going to get her to watch Handmaids on TV too, and probably that version of Frankenstein by Kenneth Branagh. She also has a huge list of Classics stuff inc. Song of Achilles and Circe by Madeleine Miller, and as many of the "Classics" as she can handle!

Powergower DD1 did Maths, although 6 years ago. She found it tough. She was very good at Maths prior to ALevel, got near 100% at GCSE and the FSMQ, but didn't do further maths. At ALevel she completely crashed out of one of the one papers, although thankfully she had done well enough in the others for an A overall. Needless to say, she wished she hadn't done it. Her take was that it was much more suited to Further Maths people, rather than "just good at maths" people.

Sour, no, not theory, just Grade 8s in 2 instruments, both taken in Y12. He's a jazz musician, so the extras are things like composition, arrangements, creating and leading bands, doing junior conservatoire jazz course and county music ensembles etc etc. He submitted a request to drop his EPQ in mid Y12, which contained all these things, and was granted permission.

Entry to conservatoire is ALL about the auditions, not about qualifications at all. You could have a diploma and not get in, or no exams at all and get in - it is all about the audition on the day.

I wish my DD was interested in stuff she'd do over the holidays, here it will be working to get money to spend on clothes, parties, and faffing around on Instagram . I've tried lots of things to encourage her but nothing seems to stick. At least she likes her job and won't be after money from me!