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Are advanced highers worth it?

I will be making my course choices for s6 this year and am unsure about a few things.
just now i am doing higher computing, higher english, maths int2, int 2 physics and int 2 admin. I plan on doing higher maths, higher physics and higher admin next year but i still have one subject left to choose. i was going to take higher business management, however in my report card i was recommended for advanced higher computing. Would it be worth doing advanced higher computing instead of business management? (if it makes any difference, i plan on doing computer science/a computer games development course at uni) Another option is resitting english higher, since i am likely to fail, or get a low C, however i would honestly prefer not to do that (i got a 1 in credit for english and am happy with that).
Reply 1
Original post by zacarea
I will be making my course choices for s6 this year and am unsure about a few things.
just now i am doing higher computing, higher english, maths int2, int 2 physics and int 2 admin. I plan on doing higher maths, higher physics and higher admin next year but i still have one subject left to choose. i was going to take higher business management, however in my report card i was recommended for advanced higher computing. Would it be worth doing advanced higher computing instead of business management? (if it makes any difference, i plan on doing computer science/a computer games development course at uni) Another option is resitting english higher, since i am likely to fail, or get a low C, however i would honestly prefer not to do that (i got a 1 in credit for english and am happy with that).


Hey,
I'm doing AH Computing and Maths this year.
I'm also going to be doing Computer Science, at Glasgow starting in september.

I would definitely recommend doing the AH. Higher business management although a fine choice is not related to computer science and ill be honest its abit of any easy choice just to fill a column. The computing course is great, you'll find it very interesting no doubt. You learn all about developing software, and you get to do a project which is worth 40% of your mark - you could potentially do it on designing a game if you fancied it! Then depending on which optional unit you do you'll learn even more. The one I'm doing is computer architecture which is all about the processor structure.

It means that you will essentially not waste your sixth year is you get he grades this year, it will prepare you for your uni course and on top of all that you can get exemptions from certain exams because you've already covered the work!

The computing is a very manageable course imo, I go to one of the local schools in my area for 2 periods a week. The teacher has gone through the optional unit with us and left us to work through the other one + do the project by our selfs. It has been difficult at times due to that but i like to think it's a good indication of what to expect from uni work. I got 76% in the prelim btw so that just shows you its very manageable even self-teaching :smile:

Thats just my 2 cents, anything else you'd like to know give me a shout, i was pretty much in your position last year :smile:
Reply 2
Original post by stephenmca
Hey,
I'm doing AH Computing and Maths this year.
I'm also going to be doing Computer Science, at Glasgow starting in september.

I would definitely recommend doing the AH. Higher business management although a fine choice is not related to computer science and ill be honest its abit of any easy choice just to fill a column. The computing course is great, you'll find it very interesting no doubt. You learn all about developing software, and you get to do a project which is worth 40% of your mark - you could potentially do it on designing a game if you fancied it! Then depending on which optional unit you do you'll learn even more. The one I'm doing is computer architecture which is all about the processor structure.

It means that you will essentially not waste your sixth year is you get he grades this year, it will prepare you for your uni course and on top of all that you can get exemptions from certain exams because you've already covered the work!

The computing is a very manageable course imo, I go to one of the local schools in my area for 2 periods a week. The teacher has gone through the optional unit with us and left us to work through the other one + do the project by our selfs. It has been difficult at times due to that but i like to think it's a good indication of what to expect from uni work. I got 76% in the prelim btw so that just shows you its very manageable even self-teaching :smile:

Thats just my 2 cents, anything else you'd like to know give me a shout, i was pretty much in your position last year :smile:


Thank you for the info.
Will the advanced higher count as a separate subject, or will it just replace my higher grade? For example, say i get an A in higher, and a B in computing higher. Will by final certificate show AB, or just a B?
Reply 3
Original post by zacarea
Thank you for the info.
Will the advanced higher count as a separate subject, or will it just replace my higher grade? For example, say i get an A in higher, and a B in computing higher. Will by final certificate show AB, or just a B?


It will replace in terms of UCAS points(an A at higher=C at Advanced higher) but in terms of the grades it will show each individual grade on your certificate.
Reply 4
Depends on the uni for whether they consider it as distinct.
Reply 5
I cant remember exactly how UCAS works it but it all changed this year, it now counts as double by the uni's - meaning its even better to have AH's than previously. I'm sure its listed on the ucas site somewhere the changes they made.
Reply 6
Original post by roar558
It will replace in terms of UCAS points(an A at higher=C at Advanced higher) but in terms of the grades it will show each individual grade on your certificate.


Hmm, I think I've seen several places that equivalate Higher A to Advanced Higher B.
I'm I the only one whose doing AH's mainly because I think they'll be quite fun and interesting ? :L

Like for example, Maths, I don't really need it as such, but so want to do it at AH cause it looks a really interesting course!
Original post by Julii92
Hmm, I think I've seen several places that equivalate Higher A to Advanced Higher B.


All the major Scottish Uni's follow this idea (Edinburgh, St Andrews and Glasgow), I've asked many times :L
Original post by S119234
I'm I the only one whose doing AH's mainly because I think they'll be quite fun and interesting ? :L

Like for example, Maths, I don't really need it as such, but so want to do it at AH cause it looks a really interesting course!


WHAT? Maths and Interesting in one setence is obscure.

I like Maths, but never heard anyone calling it interesting. lol
Reply 10
Original post by Julii92
Hmm, I think I've seen several places that equivalate Higher A to Advanced Higher B.


I was talking about UCAS tariffs, according to their website, A at Higher=80 points, C at Advanced Higher=90 points with D at advanced higher=72 points. Basically as long as you pass your advanced highers, you will have a higher number of ucas points than you had for your highers.
Original post by zacarea
I will be making my course choices for s6 this year and am unsure about a few things.
just now i am doing higher computing, higher english, maths int2, int 2 physics and int 2 admin. I plan on doing higher maths, higher physics and higher admin next year but i still have one subject left to choose. i was going to take higher business management, however in my report card i was recommended for advanced higher computing. Would it be worth doing advanced higher computing instead of business management? (if it makes any difference, i plan on doing computer science/a computer games development course at uni) Another option is resitting english higher, since i am likely to fail, or get a low C, however i would honestly prefer not to do that (i got a 1 in credit for english and am happy with that).




First and foremost, you need to get into university (if that's what's your plan) and a pass in another Higher such as Business Management will allow you to do that. AH Computing won't necessarily help you to get into university, and remember that universities look at Highers first (always).

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