GCSE's

I took my GCSE exams in 2011. Throughout school I took a pretty laid-back approach to my studies and a lot of the time I didn't bother turning up. I had a similar attitude to you - didn't really care and didn't want to bother. I kind of 'bucked up' in Year 11 when it started dawning on me that if I didn't do well in my GCSE exams then my chances of getting even a reasonable job in the future would be severely diminished, and I wanted to go to uni too and most courses require at least a C in core subjects (English & Maths especially).

Maths was the only subject I was concerned about because unlike other subjects, it never came easily to me - I had to put in more effort to achieve good results. English and science were a piece of piss.

 

My brother is currentley doing his GCSE's and he is a smart kid but in his mocks he got B's and he needs B+'s to get into his chosen college. So I would try to revise and try to realise how important they are.

 

I did my Standard Grades in 2008 (and I did higher economics then too which is equivalent to AS level) and I was shitting myself back then! Once I moved onto 5th year and was doing my highers I looked at a SG exam paper and it all looked to easy! If you study hard and put 100% into it then you can't be disappointed with your grades, you may not know what you want to do after school yet but just do subjects you enjoy and get the best grades you can and that should be good enough to do whatever you want to do

Even now I'm in uni I look back and I feel quite silly for worrying about it all cause it all looks so easy now!

 

Just make sure you pass English and Maths (C or above) and you'll be fine. Even then you can always retake at school and/or in college. I got a D in English at school but I retook it in college and got a C.
Not getting 5 A-C GCSEs means that you may spend another year at college (3 years instead of 2 years) because you need 5 A-C GCSEs to do most A Level stuff. But thats fine.

Dont let the pressure get you down too much and dont completely give up because of the pressure. You dont have to study loads... Just do what you feel comfortable with... a little studying here and there.

If exams aren't your thing but you still want to carry on to college I would suggest taking at least one BTEC Level 3 (which is equivalent to 1 or 2 A levels) when you get to college as your grade is based mainly on coursework instead of exams.

Disclaimer: All this is based on my personal knowledge only. I studied in England. I started college in 2007 so it may be outdated... but I dont think it is.

 

Good point Foz.. I'm in uni now and the work load is much heavier and harder than anything I did in school - but even if you don't go to uni, GCSE grades are very important, as a uni degree isn't really all that necessary. I'd say they are the most important qualification a person can have.

 

Only Maths and English GCSE are important.

 

I'd say they are the only two 'essential' GCSEs, but I wouldn't say other GCSES aren't important at all - it depends on what you want to do. You need certain GCSEs to take certain A-Levels, and need certain A-Levels to take certain university courses, and need certain degrees to do certain jobs (like teaching), etc.

But yeah, I'd focus on English and Maths above all else.

 

Starting next weak. Cant be boterd revyisng, but i keep tring.
as i say with al my posts atm, sory for speling. My vts software has stoped working

 

Everything is important! All subjects will teach you different things, what you study is a reflection of your personality as it is your educational interests. That's why I say study what you enjoy because when it comes to choosing a degree, college course, apprenticeship or even a career you will go in to one you enjoy and are interested in and you will have the right qualifications behind you to do it.

 

False.
Importance is only a measure of something if you require it for something else.
In terms of schooling, 'importance' means even less. At GCSE level, you're not really developing anything more than an interest in a subject mixed with an ability to memorise information and repeat it in a pressured, limited situation(examinations).

Maths and English, and perhaps IT, become important at this stage simply because most employers of 16 to 21 year olds what to know that their new employees have a basic understanding of these things as chances are they will be required for their jobs.

Even further education doesn't deem all lessons/exams as 'important'. When applying for further courses, they want grades to be at a certain level, but out side the English and Maths, with perhaps Science, they don't really care what you've studied as long as you've attained the basic grades required for entry to the course.

The biggest fallacy of the schooling system is the idea that the information you're given there is 'important'*. It isn't. Only when you leave school and doing further courses and focus on things that interest you that things become 'important'.
What school is important for is teaching students how to prepare for a working environment, socialising and the ability to work towards a deadline, a goal.


*They do help develop in interest in topics, but thats about it.

 

I'm taking my mock GCSEs this week. It's not that hard, to be honest.