Gcse's

[notmanons]

Argh! Time has come to start deciding them soon!

I know it's nothing compared to A-levels and stuff but I'm not on A-level stuff just yet .

 

[katebug]

what are you thinking of doing? and what are your plans for the future career-wise?

 

[Priestess]

What are Gcse's?

 

[TeeKay]

I did my GCSE's two years ago and I did quite well on it, and I now realise how different it is compare to IB
what are you thinking of doing?

 

[notmanons]

This sounds so stupid and lame because I'm quite young but I am SO passionate about it. I would like to work in fashion but chances are that it will never happen and my parents would not approve of it. My mum gave me a dirty evil look when I told her what I wanted to do, it's so hard because my sisters are Maths and Science geniuses but that's not my kind of thing, I'm more creative and into creative things. I'm compared to them so much, I am MY OWN person. Not my sisters...I am different and I am starting to appreciate that than moaning about how I wish I was like them.

 

[TeeKay]

^ well then you should definitely study art for a start choose it as one of your 4 choices.
and if you are not a 'science' person, then dont even think about doing seperate sciences, double award will do just fine^^
you can also think about doing textiles in design and technology, that will help i think.
and if you like it, studying history is real fun, (well that's bcos i love history) and i think it kind of links to fashion in a way

and finally, really, you just have to convince your parents, personally i think being able to get a job that you love is more than anything else in the world, afterall you probably have to work for, i donno, 30-40 years? there's absolutely no point if you dont like your job.
and this maybe a bit early for you, but let's face it, you still got about, um, at least 8 years of studying to do, and if you dont enjoy what you are studying, you might as well just give up.

i'm not saying you should give up or anything, but personally i really think being able to do my own thing is the most important thing
have a good chat with your parents and come back to us^^
hope i can give you some help^^

 

[PrinceOfCats]

Top tip for GCSE English: don't apostrophise plural acronyms...

 

[notmanons]

^ well then you should definitely study art for a start choose it as one of your 4 choices.
and if you are not a 'science' person, then dont even think about doing seperate sciences, double award will do just fine^^
you can also think about doing textiles in design and technology, that will help i think.
and if you like it, studying history is real fun, (well that's bcos i love history) and i think it kind of links to fashion in a way

and finally, really, you just have to convince your parents, personally i think being able to get a job that you love is more than anything else in the world, afterall you probably have to work for, i donno, 30-40 years? there's absolutely no point if you dont like your job.
and this maybe a bit early for you, but let's face it, you still got about, um, at least 8 years of studying to do, and if you dont enjoy what you are studying, you might as well just give up.

i'm not saying you should give up or anything, but personally i really think being able to do my own thing is the most important thing
have a good chat with your parents and come back to us^^
hope i can give you some help^^

Well, to be honest I'm not exactly the best at drawing etc. I'm trying to improve. As I said I am creative- I have a very sort of creative mind but when it comes to pencil on paper-I'm a mess. My sisters did Art for GCSE and one of them loved it and the other hated it, it looks like a challenge.

I'm doing Russian language classes and I will have to decide if I want to do it for GCSE, I feel ridiculous and pathetic for saying this but I feel like I am only doing it because it's impressive as not many other schools offer this language. I don't want to do French really...because it's not as impressive .

Textiles sounds very interesting, I am going to look into it.

I was talking to my Dad about what to do for my GCSE's . It's absolutely no use, he expects me to be like my sisters and do Maths and Sciences as a career.... When I told him how I wanted to work in the art side. He started to go on about how everyone wants to do that and that everyone does it, it doesn't get you far in life. I don't think he has any idea what he is on about. It didn't sound like he did. I also asked him if he would let me do History of Art for A-levels and he told me: 'I refuse to pay your school fees if you do History of Art'. I dare not say to him that I want to work in Fashion, I really would not like to see his reaction..

Blackmail.

Looks like maybe I will be doing a job which I will hate for the rest of my life...

I have a question:

If I were to, say- do what my parents want me to do for GCSE'S and A-Level etc etc etc... and I.....save up to go to Central Saint Martins etc, would they have to look at what I have done for my GCSE'S and A-levels?...

 

[notmanons]

What are Gcse's?

The General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) is the name of a set of British qualifications, taken by secondary school students at age of 14-16 in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland (in Scotland, the equivalent is the Standard Grade). It is usually taken between these ages although some students may have the opportunity to take one or more GCSEs early. The education systems of other British territories, such as Gibraltar and ex-British (influenced) territory South Africa, also use the qualifications as supplied by the same examination boards. The International "version" of GCSE is IGCSE, which can be applied to the whole world and which includes some more options, such as coursework options, language options, etc. When GCSEs are taken in secondary school, they can often be combined with other certifications such as a GNVQ.

GCSEs are often a requirement for taking A-levels, a common type of university entrance requirement

GCSE courses are taken in a variety of subjects, which are usually decided by the students themselves in Year 9 (age 13-14). Study of chosen subjects begins at the start of Year 10 (age 14-15), and final examinations are then taken at the end of Year 11 (age 15-16).
GCSEs are not compulsory, but they are by far the most common qualification taken by 14-16-year-old students. The only legal requirement is that English, Mathematics, Science, Religious Education and Physical Education are studied during Key Stage 4 (the GCSE years of school); in England, some form of ICT and Citizenship must also be studied and, in Wales, Welsh must also be studied. These subjects do not have to be taught for any examination (or even be discrete lessons), though it is normal for at least English, Mathematics and Science to be studied to GCSE level.
For the reasons above, virtually all candidates take GCSEs in English, Mathematics and Science. In addition, many schools also require that students take English Literature, at least one Modern Foreign Language, at least one Design and Technology subject, Religious Education, (often a short, or 'half', course) and ICT (though increasingly this is the DiDA, rather than the GCSE). Students can then fill the remainder of their timetable (normally totalling nine different subjects) with their own choice of subjects (see list below). Short Course GCSEs (worth half a regular GCSE) or other qualifications, such as BTECs, can also be taken.
At the end of the two-year GCSE course, each student receives a grade for each subject. The pass grades, from best to worst, are:

• A* (pronounced 'A-star')
• A
• B
• C
• D
• E
• F
• G

Those who fail a course are given a U (unclassified) and the subject is not included on their certificates. Receiving five or more A*-C grades is often a requirement for taking A-levels in the school sixth form, at a sixth form college or at a further education college after leaving secondary school. Most universities typically require a C or better in English and Mathematics, regardless of a student's performance in their A-level or Foundation Degree course after leaving school. Many students who fail to get a C in English and Mathematics (and, increasingly, ICT) will retake their GCSEs in those subjects at a later date.
In most subjects, one or more coursework assignments may also be completed. Coursework can contribute to anything from 20-75% of a student's final grade, with more practical subjects, such as Design and Technology and Music, often having a heavier coursework element. The rest of a student's grade (normally the majority) is determined by their performance in examinations. These exams may either be terminal exams at the end of Year 11, a series of modular examinations taken throughout the course, or a combination of the two. Students can sometimes resit modular examinations later in the course and attempt to improve their grade.
In many subjects, there are two different 'tiers' of examination offered: Higher, where students can achieve grades A*-D, and Foundation, where they can achieve grades C-G. If a candidate fails to obtain a G on the Foundation tier or a D on the Higher tier they will fail the course and receive a U (though there is a safety net allowing those who narrowly miss a D on the Higher tier to receive an E). In non-tiered subjects, the examination paper allows candidates to achieve any grade. Coursework also always allows candidates to achieve any grade. In 2000, GCSE Mathematics changed from a 3-tier system (Foundation D-G, Intermediate B-E, and Higher A*-C) into the standard 2-tier system (Foundation C-G and Higher A*-D). Many schools have complained about this, as it leaves them with an awkward decision about which tier students that have a projected grade of C should be placed in.
Some subjects, such as Science, can be split up into several different subjects: it is possible to be examined on Science as a whole, with one, or more often two, GCSEs (typically known as Double Award Science), or with Biology, Chemistry, and Physics separately (where three GCSEs are awarded, one for each science - also known as Triple Award, or separate, Science).
There are now five examination boards offering GCSEs: AQA, OCR, Edexcel, the WJEC and the CCEA; while all boards are regulated by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) - a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) - the boards are self-sufficient organisations. Traditionally, there were a larger number of regional exam boards, but changes in legislation allowed schools to use any board before a series of mergers reduced the number to five. The Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) acts as a single voice for the Awarding Bodies, and assists them to create common standards, regulations and guidance.
Students receive the results of their GCSEs in the fourth week of August (the week after A Level results). The CCEA publish their results on the Tuesday and the other examination boards publish theirs on the Thursday. Normally, students have to go to their school to collect their results.
From September 2009, there will be a major overhaul of the current GCSE system. Most coursework will be removed, including that in Mathematics, Economics, Science and History.

Wikipedia.com

 

[*k.a.t.e*]

I'm currently doing my AS Levels so I've just been through my GCSE's. One of the ways I chose mine was to start looking at what subjects universities wanted at A-Level for courses I was interested in (I know it's a long way away yet!) then checked what GCSE's my local colleges/sixth forms wanted for those A-Levels. Specifically check London College of Fashion and other top fashion schools as these will have the highest requirements - you can look at course requirements on the websites.

Like you, I'm not particularly arty when it comes to putting things on paper because I think more logically (I got a B in Art, but an A* in Textiles Technology) so I'm looking at other careers in fashion (of which there are lots!) which might interest you too - things like, buying, merchandising, model casting, styling etc etc

I think it's quite important to do a language, I did French and as fashion is so international you'll probably get a foot up having done a language - also some universities (especially the top ones) require a language for certain courses.

I took english language, english literature, double award science, maths, textiles technology, art and design, history, french and RE - my choices seem to have carried me pretty well into A-Level and I'm now doing english lang, art textiles, media studies and business studies.

Mostly, I think as long as you do well in GCSE's they don't mind too much what you did, it's mainly to build up skills you'll need to study in the future and show you have the ability to study, concentrate, work to deadlines etc

 

[sundaygirl]

Definitely do textiles as it does cover a bit of fashion and will help later if you decide to pursue it. Other than that I'd say go for what interests you, it's you that's going to spend the next two years studying them, not your parents.

 

[LauraCampbell]

I'd say art is important for GCSE. I never used to be able to draw but I practiced and practiced and practiced during my GCSEs, going to every life drawing class I could.

Also check what types of art they offer and what they let you do within the specialisms. When we took "fine art" it meant you could do anything from performance to photography. Or there's textiles art.

But whenever I've spoken to foundation tutors they've said that art is more important than design or textiles because it essentially shows your ability to be creative. It's great if you can read a pattern and use a sewing machine, but you also learn how to do that on degree, or you can teach yourself

As Kate says, languages are important. Consider each subject as something you can present to an employer as a skill i guess

Maths and English!!! Work hard at them. The fashion degree i'm on doesn't consider people if they don't have a C in english and maths GCSE. they're also other obvious key skills

hope that's some use. i just had to help my brother with his AS choices!

 

[notmanons]

Thank you!

I have to decide next term.

 

[HitchcockStarlet]

Art doesn't always have to be drawing, it's just anything generally creative. I didn't do GCSE but for most of my A Level I did graphic design. I guess it just depends on what the art department at your school's like, some are still so traditional you have to do 1 cubist piece, 1 landscape, etc. Which isn't even art, it's copying!
And it's not silly to want to go into fashion. Textiles is the 6th biggest industry in the UK.
Good luck.

 

[notmanons]

Thank you.

 

[harrietcamilla]

With GCSE's you are lucky enough to be able to do maths and science and more creative subjects. My friends that did Art/Textiles/Graphics said it basically taught/improved the skills so your creativity would be very useful.
I recommend to just choose what you'll enjoy to go along with the core subjects, as gcse time is mostly pretty fun!

 

[space fox]

I miss the good old days of the GCSE's. When you're an International Baccalaureate student, you have to sell your soul for 2 years and forget that long-gone feeling of having a burden-free life..

 

[LauraCampbell]

i was never tempted by IB. you aren't allowed to do 2 creative subjects, yet you can opt out of a language to take another humanity?? bleeeergh

 

[snowqueen]

Ahh it seems like an age ago i did my gcses .. but the thing i found is most subjects are quite broad as like you dont really get alotofchoice. I would defantly go for something creative like art or textiles. What about business studies ?? kind of related. Im sure if you passionate enough about fashion you can link most things to it and then focus in at a level.

Your parents are only trying to help in there own little way, its not worth causing ww3 over them .. but you should just let them know how pasionate you are about this.

Also take into accoutn course work and exams. i mean textiles and art seem great but could you cope with both lots of course work ?? i suggest only picking one. Also all course work might seem great no exams etc. but when you have 4 deadlines plus in the same week you will soon regret it.

have you picked them yet? what u pick ?

and i had now idea you were so young .. picking gcses would make you about 13 right ?? you seem so much more grown up .. sorry im just shock haha

and most of all good luck xx

 

[LauraCampbell]

i thought buisiness (at least at a-level) was on the blacklist for unis now. i might be wrong