[crimson.threads]

(Original post by FranticMind)
Just wait till you see what uni is like! Believe me it makes sixth form look like nursery.

If you take engineering or any 'hard' subject (law, physics, architecture etc) the work load is colossal.

Imagine 9-5 everyday with 10 hours of assignments a week. No drafts, no practice, just do it and submit.

When you get to two weeks before the finals and realise you can't understand what a question on a previous paper is even asking - There is no mark scheme or 'model' answers. Your on your own.

Crap. Considering my inclination towards a double degree... what do you take?

[FranticMind]

(Original post by Fallen)
You are spoon-fed in sixth form as well. And in undergraduate programs.

Wait until graudate study/actual work.

Ha what a joke!

Graduate study? More like get a good supervisor and do what they want for a few years and bam a PhD is yours! A Masters is just like a final year UG, they tell you what you need and you just do it.

Researchers and an actual job are the only places where you MIGHT have to think.

(btw I teach postgrads as an undergrad so I do know the extent of the majority of postgrads!)

[FranticMind]

(Original post by crimson.threads)
Crap. Considering my inclination towards a double degree... what do you take?

Electronic Engineering with Computer Science, not a double honours but in the final two years I take most of my options from the CS department.

What degrees are you interested in?

[bullettheory]

(Original post by brightbulb)
I'm in year 11, and just feeling fed up of school I can't get the motivation to revise, and am just sick of doing subjects I don't care about :/

Can't wait until sixth form, where I won't have to do so many subjects and none that I hate

Anyone else feeling this way?

When I did GCSE's I thought "I can't get the motivation, it's because I don't like my subjects, once I get to A level it will be better."

At A level - "God, I just can't get the motivation, but once I get to uni and I'm doing just one subject, I'll be fine."

Get to Uni, still procrastinate...

[lucymcgonigle]

I can't wait to get rid of PE and English!

I mean PE? C'mon, does it really have to be compulsory, whether kids are obese or not? Although, I dislocated my knee last year which got me out of PE for the whole year...there's always a silver lining

I'm doing Classics, History, Maths and Biology, cannot wait.

[Millyshyn]

I was hoping I would never have to write essays ever again by taking sciences and maths, but my dream didn't come true unfortunately due to waste of time that is EPQ and general studies /cry.

[The Patriot]

As a sixth former who didn't do anywhere near as well in his GCSE's as he should have, I want to say this to all that read this thread, in the hope at least one takes my advice.

The mocks you take in school and the way they mark in school is way more harsh than the real exams.

Put the effort in, just an extra 20 minutes before bed, or a little less time on the xbox, and you will be setting yourself up for life. No amount of "yeah it will be alright" or "screw it" or "I don't care" will console you on results day.

People say GCSE's are easy because they are. Keep focused and calm for just another month or so, and you will reap the rewards! Good luck :P

[Cubic]

(Original post by Millyshyn)
waste of time that is EPQ

I don't know much about EPQ's. Why don't you like it?

[CharlieBoardman]

(Original post by Fallen)
Eeh not particularly. I am not sure I am cut out for pure research, I think I would prefer and be better suited to applying what I learn to more immediate 'real-life' problems (obviously I don't think research is irrelevant to 'real-life', but hopefully you get what I mean).

Yes I understand what you mean. How far are you into your degree?

[CharlieBoardman]

(Original post by Millyshyn)
I was hoping I would never have to write essays ever again by taking sciences and maths, but my dream didn't come true unfortunately due to waste of time that is EPQ and general studies /cry.

An EPQ isn't a waste of time. It is actually a decent qualification, which is becoming more respected by all universities, as it shows you have the skills of self study and independence.

[FranticMind]

(Original post by lucymcgonigle)
I can't wait to get rid of PE and English!

I mean PE? C'mon, does it really have to be compulsory, whether kids are obese or not? Although, I dislocated my knee last year which got me out of PE for the whole year...there's always a silver lining

I'm doing Classics, History, Maths and Biology, cannot wait.

Why do people hate PE? Sport and exercise are vital ingredients to life. Without them you will never know your true potential. Not to mention PE allows you to gain a slight proficiency in some sports, you should respect that and enjoy it while you can.

I wish I still had PE at uni!!

[Fallen]

(Original post by CharlieBoardman)
Yes I understand what you mean. How far are you into your degree?

Only my first year.

[CharlieBoardman]

(Original post by Fallen)
Only my first year.

Enjoying it more than College?

[Fallen]

(Original post by FranticMind)
Ha what a joke!

Graduate study? More like get a good supervisor and do what they want for a few years and bam a PhD is yours! A Masters is just like a final year UG, they tell you what you need and you just do it.

Researchers and an actual job are the only places where you MIGHT have to think.

(btw I teach postgrads as an undergrad so I do know the extent of the majority of postgrads!)

A proper Master's is not like a final year UG, which is precisely why there is a distinction between UG Master's programmes (often 4-year degrees) and actual post-graduate Master's programmes. Obviously they are more guided than, say, independent research, but that is given since it is still part of one's education.

I haven't met many people who have said getting their PhD was simply a formality (which you seem to be implying), despite both my father and my uncle completing them faster than their institutions' minimum completion time.

Yes, researchers only might have to think. Maybe you have just met crappy researchers.

[Fallen]

(Original post by CharlieBoardman)
Enjoying it more than College?

Oh yes. A lot more.

[FranticMind]

(Original post by Fallen)
A proper Master's is not like a final year UG, which is precisely why there is a distinction between UG Master's programmes (often 4-year degrees) and actual post-graduate Master's programmes. Obviously they are more guided than, say, independent research, but that is given since it is still part of one's education.

I haven't met many people who have said getting their PhD was simply a formality (which you seem to be implying), despite both my father and my uncle completing them faster than their institutions' minimum completion time.

Yes, researchers only might have to think. Maybe you have just met crappy researchers.

Sorry I was being difficult. I exagerrated to match the tone of your previous post.

I know that PG can be an awful lot of work, but I also know that some UG programmes are challenging. I wouldn't say that UG is guided to the point of being 'spoon fed'.

Well researchers although doing something new, they generally use techniques in a very rote fashion. I know this from experience meeting a range from blue skies math to linguistic method researchers.

[CharlieBoardman]

(Original post by Fallen)
Oh yes. A lot more.

You're making me ever more impatient!
I'm sure the next 2 years will fly by.... Then off tI University it is!

Good luck with your degree.

[thatgirlbecky]

(Original post by brightbulb)
I'm in year 11, and just feeling fed up of school I can't get the motivation to revise, and am just sick of doing subjects I don't care about :/

Can't wait until sixth form, where I won't have to do so many subjects and none that I hate

Anyone else feeling this way?

I feel exactly the same! It's not that I find the course content for GCSE difficult, but more that I find it hard to work for most of the subjects as I have no interest in them

I know it's going to be really hard work but I can't wait for sixth form!

[Millyshyn]

(Original post by CharlieBoardman)
An EPQ isn't a waste of time. It is actually a decent qualification, which is becoming more respected by all universities, as it shows you have the skills of self study and independence.

(Original post by Cubic)
I don't know much about EPQ's. Why don't you like it?

Feels like it. I've really hated doing it so far. I couldn't do it about what I actually wanted to do and it ended up being the most boring written report in the universe. I won't want to speak about with the universities, I don't have anything to gain from it. The way my sixth form organise it is just incredibly bad : / We have to attend 3 lessons a forthnight, and in 2 of those we can't do anything because we usually don't have access to a computer. So it ends up being the lesson in which we all just chat and mess about. Which is a shame because I was really enthusiastic about it when I chose to do it.

[lucymcgonigle]

(Original post by FranticMind)
Why do people hate PE? Sport and exercise are vital ingredients to life. Without them you will never know your true potential. Not to mention PE allows you to gain a slight proficiency in some sports, you should respect that and enjoy it while you can.

I wish I still had PE at uni!!

May be contradicting myself but I do understand where you're coming from, however I just think it's one of those things that people should be passionate about outside the classroom, I workout all the time, and play football outside of school, I just don't enjoy PE one bit. This is only my opinion though, guess everyone's different.
What did you do at Alevels, and what are you doing at uni if you don't mind me asking?