4 Highers vs 5 Highers?

Hi,
I'm just wondering whether people who do 5 highers and get good results - say AAABB - will be at a greater advantage to people who do 4 highers but get even better results - like AAAA - as i am currently doing 5 highers just now but I'm struggling with the workload and i really hate Chemistry which i am thinking of dropping. I think i'd be able to get better final grades in all my subjects if i dropped chemistry as with the 5 free periods I could catch up on work in my other subjects but i'm wondering if only doing 4 highers could hurt my chances of getting into good universities like Edinburgh/Glasgow or even Oxbridge or Warwick, etc. This is considering i'm planning on doing Advanced Highers in English and History and maybe Maths if all goes well with the highers? Also i'm hoping to apply to do History and Politics or something along those lines so Chemistry wouldn't be that relevant. Sorry about the long post but I'm not sure what to do. Thanks in advance.

Reply 1

soup

11

As long as you can get AAAA then you should be fine for Scottish Unis. However I think elite ones would be looking for at least AAAAB

Reply 2

TheUnbeliever

16

I think you'll find the difference between AAABB and AAAA is negligible. If you're currently doing 5 then, unless you're in serious shtook, then I wouldn't recommend dropping one. It's also worth knowing that the workload of five highers is negligible compared to the workload you could have at university, so you might also consider it valuable experience for later.

Reply 3

Bulging Bicep

OP

Thanks, it seems 5 highers is a lot better, shame it's too late to change chemistry...

Reply 4

username458263

9

I would definitely agree that 5 Highers would be better. I'm sure you'll find it a bit easier in May when you have study leave and spaces in between exams and when you've done loads of past paper practice etc., and I think unis like Glasgow/Edinburgh generally look for 5 Highers.

Chemistry is nice in that there are 40 marks of multiple choice and the same questions are recycled over and over again. By May you'll have 30-35 marks guaranteed as you'll know most of the multiple choice questions before you even sit the exam!

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 5

Enzo-259

15

Original post by G8D

Higher chemistry is easy.

Not while you're doing it, to be fair.

Reply 6

sandys1000

12

Original post by derangedyoshi

I think unis like Glasgow/Edinburgh generally look for 5 Highers.

Well they claim quite a lot that they only want four for the vast majority of subjects; although I've often wondered if they dont look at the fifth in some way?

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 7

C274

Original post by G8D

Oh, of course.
While learning it you are like.. shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit I am failing this D: D: D:
Then you do the exam without revising and walk out with an A1 :unsure:

This but for higher English.

I'm not bitter that I got an A2 in higher chemistry.

Reply 8

AnAverageSmoker

10

I got into Edinburgh fine with only 4 Highers so you are about to do it but 5 is more advisable since the more the better, plus is very competitive this year (more than last year likely).

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 9

Heather with the Weather

9

Original post by G8D

I got a B2 in English WITH studying :frown:

I thought it worked like this:

A1
A2
B3
B4
C5
C6

?? :hmmm:

Meaning you got a B3, an upper B...

Original post by Bulging Bicep

Hi,
I'm just wondering whether people who do 5 highers and get good results - say AAABB - will be at a greater advantage to people who do 4 highers but get even better results - like AAAA - as i am currently doing 5 highers just now but I'm struggling with the workload and i really hate Chemistry which i am thinking of dropping. I think i'd be able to get better final grades in all my subjects if i dropped chemistry as with the 5 free periods I could catch up on work in my other subjects but i'm wondering if only doing 4 highers could hurt my chances of getting into good universities like Edinburgh/Glasgow or even Oxbridge or Warwick, etc. This is considering i'm planning on doing Advanced Highers in English and History and maybe Maths if all goes well with the highers? Also i'm hoping to apply to do History and Politics or something along those lines so Chemistry wouldn't be that relevant. Sorry about the long post but I'm not sure what to do. Thanks in advance.

Have you checked the university's entry requirements? That would be the best place to start.

If you only need 4 highers (and I have never seen anywhere in Scotland that wants the full 5) then it is advisable to only do 4 highers.

Reply 11

Heather with the Weather

9

I got a B3 too. :five:

How do you find out whether you got an upper or lower A/B/C?

Reply 13

Heather with the Weather

9

Ask your teacher of the subject - that's how I found out.

Reply 14

C274

Original post by G8D

Oops. I must be in some transitional stage between SQA and University grading :colondollar:

I did indeed get a B3. 1 mark off an A2, though :angry:

My friend was 1 mark off an A in higher chemistry. She still gets annoyed about it to this day :biggrin:

Original post by G8D

I've received an odd level of rep (both pos and neg) from this thread; I'm confused.

I did say I wasn't bitter.

Original post by Smack

How do you find out whether you got an upper or lower A/B/C?

Ask your teachers, they should have your exact marks and/or bands.

Reply 15

andrew1990

I dropped higher maths when I was in S5, and to be honest I regret it now. I was absolutely ****e at maths, but if I had stuck in I definitely would have got at least a C, maybe a B, and maybe resat it the following year or something alongside advanced highers to get a higher grade. My personal advice is to stick it out, as I remember being stressed out in S5, and then looking back I realised that I was being a bit immature and overly worrisome when I got to university.

I know it's easier said than done, but try not to worry too much and focus your mind on the work at hand, don't be afraid to approach teachers and tell them that you're stuggling, as I'm sure that they'll be willing to help you out. If you really work your arse off in S5, you'll put yourself in a really good position in S6 when you are applying for university, and you'll be glad that you put the work in, believe me.