Nice People Thread Part 9 - and so it continues

Masomnia

michaels wrote: »

General studies was one of my 5 A's but it didn't count for uni points - I think my being good at it reflects much more on my up bringing than my own talents. It wasn't a 'taught' course at my sixth form, I think there was an optional 1 hour lecture once a fortnight but no coursework rtc.

I was always quite proud of my A in General Studies. I've always been a good 'all-rounder', and the fact that it had stuff in it that was A-level standard in a variety of subjects, and I did well in it, I felt was a good recognition of my abilities

But as you say, it doesn't count anywhere!

zagubov

lostinrates wrote: »

iB as in international baccalaureate?

That would be more like what DH did. I'll ask him when he gets in how many subjects he studied to 'a level' standard. Six still seems really small selection still though,mdoesn't it...to say to a sixteen year old (and fourteen year olds, it was hard choosing GCSE subjects...) this might shape your future, what you are doing in a time that's thrice your life span might depend on how well you narrow things down now.

I can see for some fewer subjects is better, and I'm not necessarily saying its wrong, just I think its tough. And that maybe schools and those governing them should be making some choices that pupils and some parents have not the experience nor wisdom to navigate?

Yes it's the International Baccalaureate, which is broad (I like that and went through a broad 6-subject, well lets say 5-6 subject, system myself).

Unfortunately it's fairly inflexible in that someone trying to get into say medicine would struggle to fit in enough of the sciences to get off to a flying start. That'd be OK in a system with longer degrees maybe so the first year could bring everyone up to speed.

michaels wrote: »

General studies was one of my 5 A's but it didn't count for uni points - I think my being good at it reflects much more on my up bringing than my own talents. It wasn't a 'taught' course at my sixth form, I think there was an optional 1 hour lecture once a fortnight but no coursework rtc.

I studied Humanities subjects in my Science degree which made it easier for me to study a Humanities degree about Science later.

I have no problem with people staying at school until they're 18. It's becoming far more common in Scotland nowadays as well as being the norm in England. I've my doubts however about a three year degree system. It's amazingly short by international standards.

silvercar

lostinrates wrote: »

I can see for some fewer subjects is better, and I'm not necessarily saying its wrong, just I think its tough. And that maybe schools and those governing them should be making some choices that pupils and some parents have not the experience nor wisdom to navigate?

DS2 and I (way back when) both struggled to find 4 subjects we wanted to study to A level.

Always seems unfair that straight scientists get 3 A level subjects ripe for picking, with the addition of Maths it's an easy choice. The rest of us struggle to get 3 desired A levels that are that narrow.
Of course if you are not yet ready to specialise its fine, but for those of us who choose young it is really hard.

lostinrates

vivatifosi wrote: »

There is a brilliant book that puts painters into a timeline and shows relationship between them and their influences. Can't copy and paste URL on tablet, but it is available on Amazon. Called Worlds most influential painters and the artists they inspired, by David Gariff

Thanks.....actuall..I would like that. I envy dh's art history education often.....:o

lostinrates

silvercar wrote: »

DS2 and I (way back when) both struggled to find 4 subjects we wanted to study to A level.

Always seems unfair that straight scientists get 3 A level subjects ripe for picking, with the addition of Maths it's an easy choice. The rest of us struggle to get 3 desired A levels that are that narrow.
Of course if you are not yet ready to specialise its fine, but for those of us who choose young it is really hard.

But if you know you can study stuff just for interest.....I was very happy to drop some subjects but would have loved, for example, to keep doing Latin. If we'd done any interesting history I would have liked to keep doing that. I hated having to drop a language. If I could do art better I would have loved to do that, or pe, just as hobby with greater knowledge. Both would have been interesting and useful.

lostinrates

I forgot to double check with DH last night how many subjects he studied to 18.
He went to a 'lives Classico' which is I suppose like a 'grammar school' specialising in a classical education. There are also scientific 'liceo' and a languages liceo. . Then there is a sort of skills based education school.

Maths, Ancient Greek, Latin, physics, ( taught by the math teacher!) history, Italian, history of art, philosophy.

Then a couple of months before exams the ministry of education announces the choice of examination subjects. They don't necessarily alternate them, so you never really know. There is always an Italian literature essay, though.

You know you will get either maths or physics, and either Latin or Greek.

He apologises if he has missed anything out. . He says it feels like a LONG time ago!

silvercar

lostinrates wrote: »

I forgot to double check with DH last night how many subjects he studied to 18.
He went to a 'lives Classico' which is I suppose like a 'grammar school' specialising in a classical education. There are also scientific 'liceo' and a languages liceo. . Then there is a sort of skills based education school.

Maths, Ancient Greek, Latin, physics, ( taught by the math teacher!) history, Italian, history of art, philosophy.

Then a couple of months before exams the ministry of education announces the choice of examination subjects. They don't necessarily alternate them, so you never really know. There is always an Italian literature essay, though.

You know you will get either maths or physics, and either Latin or Greek.

He apologises if he has missed anything out. . He says it feels like a LONG time ago!

At what age do you have to choose the route you want to take?

lostinrates

silvercar wrote: »

At what age do you have to choose the route you want to take?

Hang on....

Lir yells...'boss.......'

At 13 you leave scuola media where you go from 10 to 13 then you go to your liceo or other route. He cannot remember what a non liceo route is (and sadly neither can I though one was on one of my walking routes so I should remember as it was one of my landmarks).

So 13.
I think that's too young too, worse than narrowing down for gcse's. and I wouldn't have liked the division of subjects according to group at the different schools.......

chewmylegoff

zagubov wrote: »

Just proofread my post (badly) and wondering idly if there's a rhyme for burgled.

Gurgled? Circled? Or did you mean !!!!-er-nee rhyming slang?

chewmylegoff

silvercar wrote: »

DS2 and I (way back when) both struggled to find 4 subjects we wanted to study to A level.

Always seems unfair that straight scientists get 3 A level subjects ripe for picking, with the addition of Maths it's an easy choice. The rest of us struggle to get 3 desired A levels that are that narrow.
Of course if you are not yet ready to specialise its fine, but for those of us who choose young it is really hard.

I picked the subjects that I liked - history, chemistry, maths. School made me do further maths as well which I didn't want to do ( and which was a disaster - I ended up getting an N!). Then towards the end of L6 I discovered that actually I needed two science a levels to get into some of the uni courses which I wanted to do, so I ended up having to drop history and do biology in a year. I tried to drop further maths and replace it with biology but school said no as they wouldn't let you do four different subjects at the same time (with maths they compressed maths into one year and then you did further maths in the upper sixth).

It all irritated me greatly and I nearly dropped out of school and went to work in a toothpaste factory instead. We chose our a-level subjects whilst in year 11, I seem to recall. I think it was too early to have to decide and to narrow down options for university. AS levels introduced a bit more flexibility I suppose but I think they came the year after I left school (either that or my school didn't do them). A baccalaureate type thing with perhaps one extra subject of your own choice on top would be far better I think.