Computer science GCSE

[CinnamonStar]

Anyone’s DC do/did computer science GCSE and can offer insights?

Dd’s school starts GCSE option process in November, and their computing teacher gave them a bit of a “sales talk” last lesson about them all considering computer science gcse or IT BTEC.
He took dd and a few other girls aside afterwards and said not many girls take the gcse, so he wanted to tell them he thinks they in particular would be really good at it and really enjoy it, etc.

Dd came home all inspired but also unsure.

She enjoys computing, and is very good at maths too, but I wouldn’t say she is passionate about them.
Is it enough to have a good aptitude and be hard-working, or is this a subject more akin to art, PE, music etc where really it needs to be your hobby outside school too?
Is everyone else going to be designing apps or building their own robots in their spare time?
And if you’re not really into that sort of thing, does that mean this isn’t the wisest choice?

Thank you.
It’s hard to imagine her carrying it on to A Level or beyond, but I suppose it is possible, teenagers can change a lot.

Hopefully the teachers at school will give more clarity too.

Good to know if she does choose it she can likely do well.

We have had a look at some careers websites and quizzes, and they have suggested some technical/computer based roles. But she’s only 13, I think it just feels too far away for her (though she is definite about which careers she doesn’t want!)

If she is into film and animation, programming and technical IT skills could be really useful.

It would broaden out her other choices as well.

I wouldn't push it if she is more keen on another option, but equally there's no real benefit to e.g. doing triple science for the sake of it.

@Postapocalypticcowgirl the thing is GCSEs and A levels don't teach you the stuff you want to know to do those careers.

BTech, apprenticeship and degree level - undergraduate and postgraduate - may do depending if you chose the right course.

I've had friends leave courses because they were too theoretical, someone who pointed out a apprenticeship course was teaching irrelevant stuff and another who walked out off an apprenticeship as it was shit.

Even then in technical careers there is a lot of self learning.

Agreed. I’ll be having my friend who works in that area look over the A Level syllabus when the time comes to choose, and degree content if she goes down that route. I’m 80% sure she will, but I’m well aware of teens throwing curve balls.

I don’t know enough to be able to discern the difference as I’m Tech adjacent in BioMed/Microbio/Data Science.

If she is into film and animation, programming and technical IT skills could be really useful.

Yes - and you don't necessarily have to have done much to know you can do it if the need or opportunity arises in future.

My dd did the old spec CS gcse and then up to AS , more useful to her than English lit for sure. (It was a girls school BTW, they had 2 classfuls doing the gcse. )