Competition - post a photo you've taken of nature >>

Choosing my GCSE's !!

So I'm having a REALLY hard time choosing my GCSE's !! Originally I decided on Geography, French and Computer Science (we can only choose3) and Astronomy as my reserve choice. But then the school told me that Computer Science and Astronomy won't run next year because of low number of students. No I have no idea what to do!!

I'm thinking either: Art, Product Design, or Tourism

which is harder or more boring!?!?? Also does Product design involve electronics at all??

Reply 1

JDBDJFHJ

Dont do art. Whatever you do dont chose art.

Reply 2

The_JoKeR

Product design. Don't do art.

Reply 3

outgoingpopcorn

Original post by Crazydreamhunter

Have you done any of the subjects before? Even if you have, make sure you find out what you will be doing before you agree to anything maybe look at specifications or ask people in your school who are currently doing it. Make sure you choose something you enjoy you don't want to make the wrong choice and be stuck doing it for the next 2 years of your life.

Reply 4

Lucasta

Better History,French.Spanish,Eng lit,Biology,Maths

Reply 5

Kloppo

As the person above me said, Do not do Art. Worthless and boring subject.

Reply 6

Woody_Pigeon

Do not do Art. I repeat, do not do Art.

Art will consume your time like nothing else. You will probably have to buy a portion of your own materials, and, more importantly, you will be sacrificing time you could have dedicated to other subjects in order to keep up with the workload of Art.

On my exam board, which I believe is AQA, you have:

4 projects

Each project consists of 18 pieces, then a final piece. This final piece will be completed over the period of 10 hours, in examination conditions.

That's right, 10 HOUR EXAMS.

This is a grand total of 72 pieces (Typically A3 in size) and 4 final pieces (Typically A1 in size)

Need I say more about taking Art?

Art will cause your GCSE years to become stressful. limiting, and hellish. Deadlines that you will struggle to meet, the endless monotony of piece after piece, painting things which you did not even decide to do and most likely will not enjoy doing.

Frankly, it's a worthless time sink.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 7

Trueintellectual

Original post by Woody_Pigeon

OMG!! SOOOO many people telling me not to do art! Lol! In contrast everyone of my friends is telling me i should do it because I'm good at drawing. Honestly it's really hard for me to choose because I'm no t sure what it is I really like or want to do. Also I'm worried that even if then subject is interesting, the lessons will be boring (eg ICT)

Reply 8

Trueintellectual

BTW like I said above does Product Design involve learning about electronics at all? Such as doing some soldering and so on.

Reply 9

Trueintellectual

Original post by Lucasta

Better History,French.Spanish,Eng lit,Biology,Maths

Most of them are compulsory anyway, except History which wont take 'cause Im taking geography.

Reply 10

fuzz13

Original post by Crazydreamhunter

So I'd count yourself blessed that your school aren't running computer science! It is horrible and so confusing!
I have a number of friends who did art and there is a lot to do and probably not that valuable. However if you like art, product design could be a good choice but I don't know anything about it really or tourism!

Reply 11

Woody_Pigeon

Original post by Crazydreamhunter

Good at drawing what? Good at painting, with several different paints? Good at shading? Good with details? Good with drawing everything, or just a select few things? For at least two projects, you will have little to no control over what you are doing, just the photographs you use.

You will not "learn", anything, per se. Occasionally, your Art teacher will show you the technique of a particular artist, so that you can do a piece in their style, but not much more than that.

6 pieces from every project are Artist Research. You will do a piece in the style of an artist, then do a written evaluation of it, what you like and don't like etc, how it went, whether you will continue using the style. Oh, and by the way, your Final Pieces will almost definitely have be in the style of one of the artists you researched, so bye bye freestyle.

You might think it's a laid back lesson, with ample talking opportunity available as you work on your pieces. No. Your lessons will probably be silent, as you will find that you do not have the time to talk, such is the volume of the work. You will be taking pieces home to finish, you will be giving up weekends for it, you will be spending your lunch time in the Art rooms trying to get pieces done.

Many of the people in my Art class liked Art before they started GCSE. Now, two years later, after everything is finished, they are jaded, disillusioned. GCSE Art turns a hobby of drawing and creativity into a monotonous chore.

Reply 12

lukey0071

Original post by Crazydreamhunter

I am at the last year of GCSEs this year but these options are good, but these people said that don't do art which I agree with them because you have to take pictures and draw them on the paper which are horrible, the exams are long....... All day just to do one picture which it bit annoying.
Product design are more fun because they will give you four options to do which are electronics, bird houses, hobby kits and school desks which involves 60% of the GCSE including the coursework.
40% of the exam which are super easy (past papers), you can revise for it if you want to get A* or don't have to revise if you want to get C.

I haven't done tourism.

So I would recommend you to do product design or tourism.

Reply 13

Flammae

Original post by Crazydreamhunter

BTW like I said above does Product Design involve learning about electronics at all? Such as doing some soldering and so on.

Do product design. The exam is quite easy, and so is the coursework, even though there is a lot of it( not as much as art though.)

Product Design gives you a lot of freedom to make what you want, and even if you do want to design an electronic product, the electronics are fun and easy.

Plus the course is quite interesting, you will learn a lot, and even improve your art skills on the way.

Reply 14

abc_123_

Honestly you didn't wanna choose computer science anyway you should be happy it's gone because I almost died with the amount of controlled assessment work I had to do ... too many all nighters xx I would choose product design over art because my friends took art and it is so time consuming. Also I think product design has more application in the real world. :smile: