Education

Currently studying HND Digital Film and Video at [insert college here] and will be topping up with a BA (Hons) Media Production at [insert university here] in two years time!

Yr9 at a private school. Prepping for IGCSE and hopefully getting A's or B's in most subjects I choose to take!

Year 11 GCSE Music, Graphic Design, History and ICT here.

It's great to see many of you taking history (even if it's not your main subject). I'm currently in the final year of my (hon's) degree in the subject at the moment and I couldn't recommend it highly enough.

It gives you a great perspective on the world (which may enhance the satisfactory one that you have already), challenges your reading, research and writing skills, and you will also find that many of the different Uni courses will offer several field trips as part of the learning experience. Last year we went on a week long trip to Normandy to visit the areas that witnessed the fighting during WW2 and we've also been to several holocaust museums, amongst other things.

Had to resit year 12 because I mugged up my exams. But I did get a B in geography so I resat 2 subjects at AS last year and did my A2 geography. So strangely I'm in year 13 with one full A level and 2 at AS. Hopefully I will get a CCC although business and economics and ICT are killing me. Still at least I'm the oldest in the year

I am currently at Leeds Met, studying BA Hons Landscape Architecture, in my final year!

I tell you know, it's only 3 weeks in and it's an absolute mission already! I am loving it though!

Old topic but thought I'd join in
I'm in year 9 at the moment, and am currently having to choose my options. Our schools decided to ditch all systems and has just said "Choose 3 subjects you like, and then we'll fit them into categories so you will be able to take them"
Which I mean is quite handy, to get people to choose the subjects they enjoy more (and therefore get better results) but some of my fairly intelligent friends are picking things like Hairdressing, Art and Photography or Dance, Drama and Music, which in my opinion is just a waste of talent!
I'm choosing History, Geography and Music, and I've also been chosen to take triple science. I'm a level 7B/7A in them all, so this will hopefully give me lots of A's! I was going to do French, but they've told us that the 4 of us who want to do it will have to go to the other secondary school in the area (15 minutes by car) to take the lessons, which is pointless!

Maya said:

but some of my fairly intelligent friends are picking things like Hairdressing, Art and Photography or Dance, Drama and Music, which in my opinion is just a waste of talent!

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Could you please explain why you believe these subjects to be wasteful of your friends' skills?

Rowe said:

Maya said:

but some of my fairly intelligent friends are picking things like Hairdressing, Art and Photography or Dance, Drama and Music, which in my opinion is just a waste of talent!

Click to expand...

Could you please explain why you believe these subjects to be wasteful of your friends' skills?

Click to expand...

I did my degree in music and drama....oh and I also did a hairdressing course. And I am now employed as a primary school teacher....

Im just lucky with my education, getting a scholarship into private school although it is a hellishly long day and loads of work my grades are rising extremely quickly in comparison to last year, I seem to suit the private school style of teaching...

Im currently in the top 10% of maths grades for year 9, I had a go at a GCSE Higher paper in maths in year 8; I got a B.
English my essay writing is very good and I got a grade B as my teacher uses the IGCSE English literature mark scheme. My creative writing is better though. Scoring an A* IGCSE English language grade. The three sciences Im in the top bands for them, consistently getting over 85% in the tests we do each term, although I should do better!
I'm increasing my academic talent, (which is already well above the national average :/ ) I usually don't show off much in my social life or I sound like a right nerd and I also sound big headed...

I'm doing a photography degree and I can guarantee you it is no walk in the park!

I hate the assumptions that creative sectors are lazy or easy. They are just as hard (if not harder at times) as other sectors!

I know that psychology wasn't mentioned here, but it's often seen in the same way, and it drives me crazy! I've heard a psychology degree described as a "Mickey Mouse Degree"! People don't realise how difficult most subjects can be. Psychology involves so much science and maths, stats was so difficult! People assume they know about a subject without actually looking into it.

Rowe said:

Maya said:

but some of my fairly intelligent friends are picking things like Hairdressing, Art and Photography or Dance, Drama and Music, which in my opinion is just a waste of talent!

Click to expand...

Could you please explain why you believe these subjects to be wasteful of your friends' skills?

Click to expand...

I didnt mean it to sound , ike I was saying it was wasteful to everyone- just my friends, who have level 7's in history and french, taking dance btec (which is equivalent to a d) or drama when they 1) dont want a career in performing arts and 2) are much more, extremely talented in the other subject (not being rude, its just true.)

Maya said:

Rowe said:

Maya said:

but some of my fairly intelligent friends are picking things like Hairdressing, Art and Photography or Dance, Drama and Music, which in my opinion is just a waste of talent!

Click to expand...

Could you please explain why you believe these subjects to be wasteful of your friends' skills?

Click to expand...

I didnt mean it ona whole to be a wasteful subject- just my friends, who have level 7's in history and french, taking dance btec (which is equivalent to a d) or drama when they 1) dont want a career in performing arts and 2) are much more taleented in the other subject (not being rude, its just true.)

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I would say it is more important to do subjects you enjoy rather than those you are good at but don't enjoy. As such, if your friend has looked into the structure of the GCSE/BTEC programmes he/she plans to take and thinks they would enjoy that programme of study more, regardless of the natural talent they possess in any subject.

If they don't want a career in performing arts - fine, but you shouldn't be pressuring them to not take the GCSE subject just because they don't want to progress in that particular area.

Also, regarding the BTEC: at GCSE level these are fine - so long as someone doesnt do entirely BTECs and still has at least 5 traditional GCSEs at A-C, this will not cause any issues re: progression - and in any case if they go onto do A-Levels, no-one will look at the GCSEs that person did anyway!

Maya said:

Rowe said:

Maya said:

but some of my fairly intelligent friends are picking things like Hairdressing, Art and Photography or Dance, Drama and Music, which in my opinion is just a waste of talent!

Click to expand...

Could you please explain why you believe these subjects to be wasteful of your friends' skills?

Click to expand...

I didnt mean it to sound , ike I was saying it was wasteful to everyone- just my friends, who have level 7's in history and french, taking dance btec (which is equivalent to a d) or drama when they 1) dont want a career in performing arts and 2) are much more, extremely talented in the other subject (not being rude, its just true.)

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That is understandable however some students don't always wish to continue with the subjects they're known for excelling in and, whilst they may not currently want a career in Performing Arts, Music, Photography etc, it may be a nice expansion of opportunities for them.

There's nothing wrong with delving into different topics providing the passion, knowledge and discipline is present.

But I see your worries if they're simply doing it for the mainstream alleged notion that the creative subjects are 'easy' in comparison to the more academic ones, which is simply not true, and thinking they can doss classes.

Just don't let your opinions become a pressure on their decisions as I'm sure you wouldn't appreciate them pressuring you to choose something you didn't want to pursue further at school

Rowe said:

Just don't let your opinions become a pressure on their decisions as I'm sure you wouldn't appreciate them pressuring you to choose something you didn't want to pursue further at school

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I haven't spoken to them about it at all, i'm a bit more like an overprotective parent wanting them to get the best grades possible
But I agree with everything you've said tbh

Can I do the really annoying thing that everyone older always says about everyone younger?

These decisions don't shape your life. They don't decide your entire future and they don't ruin you either. The education system is simply a stepping stone from one thing to another...

You get some GCSEs? Yay! Doesn't matter what they're in - they'll let you into college or sixth form... Got your A Levels? Yay! That will get you into Uni... Got a degree? Yay! That will get you into postgrad (if you wish)...

I know it's not quite as simple and clear cut as that but what seems important now will seem entirely irrelevant in a couple of years when you make new choices about the next thing you do.

Thought I'd already posted in this thread?

I'm currently in my second year at Futureworks Manchester studying Music Production. I'm naturally a more creative person, so I did the course to learn a lot more on the technical and practical sides (learning microphone techniques/studio skills/general audio intricacies). I'm hoping that it'll help me in my ultimate quest to become a composer for film (a long shot I know)

One thing I've learned about education in the past couple of years is that university in particular, but further education in general, isn't for everyone. As many of you know, this time last year, I was on the second year of my Law degree. However, at the end of June, I'd quit. I didn't get the marks I was hoping to get, and I just wasn't enjoying it as much as I had in the first year. I wanted to try something different as well, and with the move up north to Biddulph, I took it as a chance to get a fresh start. Which I did. Just over a week after moving to Staffordshire, I'd managed to get a job in the clothing department of the local Sainsbury's, starting in the middle of September. I've been there for four months now, and in all honesty, it's one of the best decisions I've ever made. Yes, there may be times when I get annoyed with customers, but that's retail, and I'm finding it a lot less stressful than uni. Weirdly, I miss the essay writing aspect of uni, as that was something I really enjoyed.

Anyway, my point is that with regard to education, if you're not enjoying what you're doing, then it's worth considering trying something different. Apologies if this has gone slightly off-topic.

I completely agree. This may be a little off-topic too (at least at first!)

I've known a lot of people whose parents have pressured them into going to university when it wasn't really right for them. These people weren't really academic and struggled at uni, and I just felt they'd have been far better off doing an apprenticeship or something!

My parents are fantastic. I'm academic, my younger brother isn't. Our parents supported me through uni, both financially and emotionally. My brother left school at 16 and started an apprenticeship at a printing firm. He worked there until he was 26. Meanwhile he started his own business based on his passion: performance cars. My little brother now owns and runs his own business selling and fitting parts to high performance cars! He earns far more than I do, despite the fact that I have a degree and a Masters.

I guess my point is, everyone makes different decisions. As long as they are right for them, then that's not a waste of talent! Sorry, I went a really long way about saying that!