[IAmCookie]

Basically, I went into 6th year today with the intentions of studying Advanced Highers in English, French and Computing. As my school doesn't offer AH French, we're being sent to another school for it and today my headteacher got the times that French will be running at their school and it unfortunately clashes with Computing on 2 double periods, so I was told that I have to choose between them and crash a new Higher in another column.

I want to do French at uni so I'd pick that, but I ADORE computing, so my thought is that I could teach myself the AH Computing course.

It sounds crazy but I'll have 2 periods a week with the class and I am more than willing to use most of my free periods learning the course. I know anyway that the project is a big part of the course and this is independent anyway. Also, ny older brother passed AH Computing and is now studying a Computing Science degree, and he has already agreed to give me his old notes and teach me a couple of times a week. I also found Higher Computing a doddle and got a very high coursework grade.

I really want to do this Advanced Higher but this seems the only possible way :/ is it achievable to teach yourself an AH?! I need to come up with a good argument to pitch to my headteacher by Thursday/Friday, so do you think that I'll be allowed to do it?

[TheFOMaster]

(Original post by IAmCookie)
Basically, I went into 6th year today with the intentions of studying Advanced Highers in English, French and Computing. As my school doesn't offer AH French, we're being sent to another school for it and today my headteacher got the times that French will be running at their school and it unfortunately clashes with Computing on 2 double periods, so I was told that I have to choose between them and crash a new Higher in another column.

I want to do French at uni so I'd pick that, but I ADORE computing, so my thought is that I could teach myself the AH Computing course.

It sounds crazy but I'll have 2 periods a week with the class and I am more than willing to use most of my free periods learning the course. I know anyway that the project is a big part of the course and this is independent anyway. Also, ny older brother passed AH Computing and is now studying a Computing Science degree, and he has already agreed to give me his old notes and teach me a couple of times a week. I also found Higher Computing a doddle and got a very high coursework grade.

I really want to do this Advanced Higher but this seems the only possible way :/ is it achievable to teach yourself an AH?! I need to come up with a good argument to pitch to my headteacher by Thursday/Friday, so do you think that I'll be allowed to do it?

It's very possible to teach yourself an Advanced Higher, plus you have favourable circumstances ( A brother who can help out) Also isn't computing one of the easier Advanced Highers? (If you were decent at higher.) Just pitch your argument, and try and make a deal with them. Say you self study if you get an A. Below and you don't

[IAmCookie]

(Original post by TheFOMaster)
It's very possible to teach yourself an Advanced Higher, plus you have favourable circumstances ( A brother who can help out) Also isn't computing one of the easier Advanced Highers? (If you were decent at higher.) Just pitch your argument, and try and make a deal with them. Say you self study if you get an A. Below and you don't

My parents have agreed that they'll get me a tutor also if I'm struggling so hopefully all goes in my favour! Any tips for teaching yourself a subject? :')

[TheFOMaster]

(Original post by IAmCookie)
My parents have agreed that they'll get me a tutor also if I'm struggling so hopefully all goes in my favour! Any tips for teaching yourself a subject? :')

I never did it :P Just dedication I suppose.

[TheUnbeliever]

To be honest, I'm not sure it's worth doing AH Computing (specifically) if your only motivation is interest. There's no conceptually difficult content which needs somebody to coach you through it. Get your brother to throw some of his first year lecture notes at you, it would be far more educational.

(Just my tuppence!)

[Ronda]

I did AH computing on 2 taught periods a week. We shared a class with Int 2 students, so he gave them 3 periods a week and us 2, so we just worked on our own the 3 periods.

I self taught AH physics along side as well. I found the scholar books helpful and just asked the teacher for help on anything I didn't understand.

We were always told at school that we should be working through AH as if it's like a uni course any way, but I think that was mainly cause we had a lack of teachers so kind of had to self teach most of it

[IAmCookie]

(Original post by TheUnbeliever)
To be honest, I'm not sure it's worth doing AH Computing (specifically) if your only motivation is interest. There's no conceptually difficult content which needs somebody to coach you through it. Get your brother to throw some of his first year lecture notes at you, it would be far more educational.

(Just my tuppence!)

If I don't do the Computing thing, I'll have to crash either Biology or Physics (Chemistry is an option but I hated Standard Grade ). Would one of these be more useful than Computing? (silly question but I have no interest in science whatsoever )

[IAmCookie]

(Original post by Ronda)
I did AH computing on 2 taught periods a week. We shared a class with Int 2 students, so he gave them 3 periods a week and us 2, so we just worked on our own the 3 periods.

I self taught AH physics along side as well. I found the scholar books helpful and just asked the teacher for help on anything I didn't understand.

We were always told at school that we should be working through AH as if it's like a uni course any way, but I think that was mainly cause we had a lack of teachers so kind of had to self teach most of it

Okay thats actually quite encouraging did you good grades for both Computing and Physics? Hopefully the full independent working thing will mean that the school let's me go for it!

[Ronda]

(Original post by IAmCookie)
Okay thats actually quite encouraging did you good grades for both Computing and Physics? Hopefully the full independent working thing will mean that the school let's me go for it!

I got a B in computing and an A in physics. I had a chatting to from my headteacher about physics and art (which I took on my own as well, but I failed that haha) and I'd need to be putting in the work for it. I had backup from my teachers though so it wasn't a problem in the end.