THE curly-wurly, super duper, mega AWESOME current Year 10 2012/13 thread

Original post by shadab786ahmed

It is a lot! The whole of the Olympics are costing over £12bn :redface:

English Literature? I'm going for Chemical Engineering :wink:

I know my course but not decided on where!! What's PCB? :colondollar:

Sounds awesome, but much too science-y for me. My parents are both doctors, so everyone expects me to go into Med School or something similar! But I'm sure you'll be brilliant at it, what with all your Maths-genius-ness :tongue:

I

Same here! Over here, in most schools we have two set choices for IGCSEs (or National O Levels) where you can take either Sciences or Arts. At A Levels, you have to choose out of a set of either science or arts subjects, three only, in specific combinations—you can't just pick whatever subjects you like! The combinations you choose are known by the first letters of their subjects: There's the most common, PCB (Physics, Chem & Bio) PCM (Phy, Chem, Maths), and several Business Arts combinations (Eco, Commerce, Accounting, etc).

Most people find the no-choice-here system really weird, but at least we've got a proper International syllabus! A few years back, and I'd be stuck in a syllabus where I correct grammar mistakes on the English papers :tongue:

Simply put, I need to figure out–fast–how on Earth I'm going to do my A Levels, since the combination I want to do isn't offered here :redface:

Original post by Lainathiel

Thanks.

A two year old may be capable of learning English, but they can't read/study the works of Shakespeare or other legendary writers, and nor will many adults. :wink:

I am crossing everything right now. I may French braid my hair too to make sure. :lol:

So, do you still want to study English Lit? :smile:

Aww, thanks :smile:

LOL My brother's five, and I'm trying to teach him Hamlet's soliloquy... It's not going too well! He keeps getting stuck at 'To be or not to be' :wink:

I'll try the French braid, but I don't know if my hair's long enough! Maybe I'll wear trainers and cross over all the laces :biggrin:

Yeah, I still do. Lots of people think I'm more than a little nuts, and, to be honest, I'm sure I'd have abandoned the idea if I'd been alone, but I have two amazing teachers (who don't even teach me now :frown:

) and brilliant friends who keep encouraging me. And my parents don't think I'm crazy either... So I'm sticking to Lit, I guess :smile:

Reply 181

Original post by KythingToWrite

Sounds awesome, but much too science-y for me. My parents are both doctors, so everyone expects me to go into Med School or something similar! But I'm sure you'll be brilliant at it, what with all your Maths-genius-ness :tongue:

I

Same here! Over here, in most schools we have two set choices for IGCSEs (or National O Levels) where you can take either Sciences or Arts. At A Levels, you have to choose out of a set of either science or arts subjects, three only, in specific combinations—you can't just pick whatever subjects you like! The combinations you choose are known by the first letters of their subjects: There's the most common, PCB (Physics, Chem & Bio) PCM (Phy, Chem, Maths), and several Business Arts combinations (Eco, Commerce, Accounting, etc).

Most people find the no-choice-here system really weird, but at least we've got a proper International syllabus! A few years back, and I'd be stuck in a syllabus where I correct grammar mistakes on the English papers :tongue:

Simply put, I need to figure out–fast–how on Earth I'm going to do my A Levels, since the combination I want to do isn't offered here :redface:

Wow, both doctors! :redface:

are you often left home alone often? I love the thought of it :biggrin:

thanks

I'm not *that* good compared to some people...

Aah, that's so unfair! That sounds like set things, like in England (not wales, where I live) they have this thing, where you pick humanities and it means geography, history and re... But not for a levels! Only GCSE! What do you want to do?

That's cool, the fact you have an international syllabus, are you going to move schools to cater for you?

Reply 182

Original post by shadab786ahmed

Wow, both doctors! :redface:

are you often left home alone often? I love the thought of it :biggrin:

thanks

I'm not *that* good compared to some people...

Aah, that's so unfair! That sounds like set things, like in England (not wales, where I live) they have this thing, where you pick humanities and it means geography, history and re... But not for a levels! Only GCSE! What do you want to do?

That's cool, the fact you have an international syllabus, are you going to move schools to cater for you?

Not that often, because until recently my Mum had stopped working. But she started getting another Masters a couple of years ago, so she's out studying and working. And, of course, calls :smile:

But my grandparents live with us, so we're rarely alone alone. Ah, come on :tongue:

So we're not all alone in this? Ah, so you're all Welsh. No idea why I did the italics, but yeah. I was just reading the poem Welsh Incident. It's strange, but nice :smile:

I want to do Lit. And History, hopefully (which isn't even offered at IGCSE here; I'm self-studying it) and our school is literally one of two in the whole city that does international A Levels... And the other school is super posh, super expensive, super snobby and super messed-up :frown:

So I don't know, self-study? IB (Though I don't want to do IB)? Go out of the city?

I have absolutely NO idea. Do you know anything about IB in English/Lit? I'm not too keen on the IB syllabus, but still... Need to keep options open!

Reply 183

Original post by KythingToWrite

Not that often, because until recently my Mum had stopped working. But she started getting another Masters a couple of years ago, so she's out studying and working. And, of course, calls :smile:

But my grandparents live with us, so we're rarely alone alone. Ah, come on :tongue:

So we're not all alone in this? Ah, so you're all Welsh. No idea why I did the italics, but yeah. I was just reading the poem Welsh Incident. It's strange, but nice :smile:

I want to do Lit. And History, hopefully (which isn't even offered at IGCSE here; I'm self-studying it) and our school is literally one of two in the whole city that does international A Levels... And the other school is super posh, super expensive, super snobby and super messed-up :frown:

So I don't know, self-study? IB (Though I don't want to do IB)? Go out of the city?

I have absolutely NO idea. Do you know anything about IB in English/Lit? I'm not too keen on the IB syllabus, but still... Need to keep options open!

Aah, fair enough :smile:

what is she studying now? Aww, a whole big family in the house, tbh I'd HATE that!

Yep! Welsh and proud! But because of my skin colour people often would say, I'm not welsh... :tongue:

What's it about? I've never read it :colondollar:

Okay, in terms of the IB I don't really know much! But I know you'd have to take an:
Arts
Science
Second language
First Language
Maths (or something)
Free choice

It's very rigorous and aimed at the elite! Is there an option for you, to self study and sit a level exams? In all your chosen subjects, but that may be risky for history as you'd need to know exactly what to study... As with English..

I personally dislike the IB but if you'll be taught to a high standard I'd say to go for it!

Reply 184

Original post by KythingToWrite

Not that often, because until recently my Mum had stopped working. But she started getting another Masters a couple of years ago, so she's out studying and working. And, of course, calls :smile:

But my grandparents live with us, so we're rarely alone alone. Ah, come on :tongue:

So we're not all alone in this? Ah, so you're all Welsh. No idea why I did the italics, but yeah. I was just reading the poem Welsh Incident. It's strange, but nice :smile:

I want to do Lit. And History, hopefully (which isn't even offered at IGCSE here; I'm self-studying it) and our school is literally one of two in the whole city that does international A Levels... And the other school is super posh, super expensive, super snobby and super messed-up :frown:

So I don't know, self-study? IB (Though I don't want to do IB)? Go out of the city?

I have absolutely NO idea. Do you know anything about IB in English/Lit? I'm not too keen on the IB syllabus, but still... Need to keep options open!

Aah, fair enough :smile:

what is she studying now? Aww, a whole big family in the house, tbh I'd HATE that!

Yep! Welsh and proud! But because of my skin colour people often would say, I'm not welsh... :tongue:

What's it about? I've never read it :colondollar:

Okay, in terms of the IB I don't really know much! But I know you'd have to take an:
Arts
Science
Second language
First Language
Maths (or something)
Free choice

You'll then have to choose SL and HL..

It's very rigorous and aimed at the elite! Is there an option for you, to self study and sit a level exams? In all your chosen subjects, but that may be risky for history as you'd need to know exactly what to study... As with English..

I personally dislike the IB but if you'll be taught to a high standard I'd say to go for it!

Reply 185

highestmountain

6

Original post by Lainathiel

Eeep, I'd love to go to Cambridge. My RE, sciences and maths teachers have all individually told me that they think I would get in, but when I mentioned it to my dad he told me not to get my hopes up and laughed in my face. :mad:

Anyway...

To the people who have done the DofE award, do universities - especially the 'elite' ones - value it that highly? I spent a long time debating over whether to do it or not, but I eventually decided that I wanted to spend more time studying because it apparently takes up a lot of your free time, and I didn't want to sacrifice the good grades... As I want to do medicine, I'm going to instead spend the time volunteering and participating in schemes that are more relevant to my future career; was that a good idea, or shall I still think about doing it? :dontknow:

don't get your hopes up. No seriously. You're still fourteen years of age and still have your whole future ahead of you. Keep all of your options open. I don't mean to patronise you, but person with straight A*s would struggle to get in to Cambridge, so a couple of of wrods of encouragement from teachers offers false hope. When you get to AS etc, then you can start stressing over Uni

Reply 186

highestmountain

6

Original post by KythingToWrite

But Cambridge is preeettyy (I know I sound like a four year old) and all Oxbridge-y! No, seriously, the main reason I want to go to Cambridge is for the supervisions :biggrin:

Yikes. I'm just trying to total up the number of casualties on the off chance that it does happen, and it's turning out to be a BIG number :eek:

Embarrassing? In what way? I've heard about JKR's appearance (yaay!) and the Queen in a James Bond movie :tongue:

The video's loading right now, I'm going to watch it :smile:

Don't let anyone discourage you! My grandfather (whose opinion I highly value) told me that 'a two year old can learn English' when I said that I wanted to do Lit at Uni. And people are always going to discourage you!

I tell you, we shall meet at Cambridge! All of us! (Fingers, toes, arms and legs crossed!)

Ever heard of these phrases before?

Success is blocked by concentrating on it and planning for it... Success is shy - it won't come out while you're watching.
Tennessee Williams

"Success comes to those who spend less time thinking about it and actually get on with what they're supposed to be doing"

Reply 187

Original post by highestmountain

don't get your hopes up. No seriously. You're still fourteen years of age and still have your whole future ahead of you. Keep all of your options open. I don't mean to patronise you, but person with straight A*s would struggle to get in to Cambridge, so a couple of of wrods of encouragement from teachers offers false hope. When you get to AS etc, then you can start stressing over Uni

So... Better to prepare early?

Reply 188

lubsjk

10

Original post by highestmountain

don't get your hopes up. No seriously. You're still fourteen years of age and still have your whole future ahead of you. Keep all of your options open. I don't mean to patronise you, but person with straight A*s would struggle to get in to Cambridge, so a couple of of wrods of encouragement from teachers offers false hope. When you get to AS etc, then you can start stressing over Uni

I suppose that's true, but knowing what you want in the future is fine. I'm 14 but I know what I want to do when I get to A levels and uni. I'm trying not to set my eyes on a particular uni and college to avoid disappointment :colondollar:

^_^

Reply 189

highestmountain

6

Original post by lubsjk

I suppose that's true, but knowing what you want in the future is fine. I'm 14 but I know what I want to do when I get to A levels and uni. I'm trying not to set my eyes on a particular uni and college to avoid disappointment :colondollar:

^_^

of course. It's good to have a dream. But delving deep into it does not solve the root problem of anyone's quest to success. If you keep all of your options open, who knows where you can go? Rather than having your heart set on one particular goal. That, I think, is better than thinking of success coming to you - you have to reach out and grab it.

Reply 190

Lainathiel

5

Original post by KythingToWrite

X

I would love to study Lit; I find all aspects of English fascinating. The only thing that would disuade me is the huge fees; I want to study medicine, so I know that would lead to a definite career in which I could afford to pay them back. If I had enough money, and perhaps in the future, I would like to do a degree like that. :smile:

Aww! That sounds like me and my elder brother when I was about that age. He began his dentistry degree when I was about 7, and he used to come back and teach me random stuff. I think my teachers thought I was a bit strange when I started telling people how to do root canals and how blood is made. :lol:

Original post by highestmountain

X

I know I must sound like a whiny little kid who has no idea what I'm talking about, but many people in my family have successfully studied for and got places in good universities; my brother is following a career path very similar to the one I wish to flow. I know what grades I need to get, and how important it is to study for them. Like I keep telling people in my family, if you don't try, you will never get accepted. If I work hard, I can get good enough grades; if I still don't get accepted, at least I know I tried the very hardest I could, and I would be content with that. I know you're not being harsh, just strictly honest, but we're being relentlessly told to take our GCSEs seriously, and to start thinking about what we want to do in the future.

Reply 191

lubsjk

10

Original post by highestmountain

of course. It's good to have a dream. But delving deep into it does not solve the root problem of anyone's quest to success. If you keep all of your options open, who knows where you can go? Rather than having your heart set on one particular goal. That, I think, is better than thinking of success coming to you - you have to reach out and grab it.

I agree. Not keeping your options open will only end you with disappointment. People don't think about if they fail, or if they don't get the exact grades. They don't think about alternatives. If you do, then I suppose its not so much of a problem :smile:

How old are you?
(Sorry for being nosey! :no:

)

Reply 192

Original post by shadab786ahmed

Aah, fair enough :smile:

what is she studying now? Aww, a whole big family in the house, tbh I'd HATE that!

Yep! Welsh and proud! But because of my skin colour people often would say, I'm not welsh... :tongue:

What's it about? I've never read it :colondollar:

Okay, in terms of the IB I don't really know much! But I know you'd have to take an:
Arts
Science
Second language
First Language
Maths (or something)
Free choice

You'll then have to choose SL and HL..

It's very rigorous and aimed at the elite! Is there an option for you, to self study and sit a level exams? In all your chosen subjects, but that may be risky for history as you'd need to know exactly what to study... As with English..

I personally dislike the IB but if you'll be taught to a high standard I'd say to go for it!

My Mum's getting her MMed in Oncology. One more year to go! I can't wait for her graduation :tongue:

The poem's about all these strange creatures coming out of the water :colondollar:

Very vague and strange... It's described as 'very un-Welsh' :wink:

And MORE complex educational systems :frown:

I swear to God, people think I'm 'informed' when it comes to different systems and I don't know the first bloody thing!

The teaching here is crap. So basically, I'd be safer going for A Levels (More resources, more people I know, at least a few competent teachers.) We'll see. I'm supposed to have decided by the beginning of next (academic) year, because the IB application process here is long and cumbersome :frown:

Original post by highestmountain

Ever heard of these phrases before?

Success is blocked by concentrating on it and planning for it... Success is shy - it won't come out while you're watching.
Tennessee Williams

"Success comes to those who spend less time thinking about it and actually get on with what they're supposed to be doing"

I suppose this is just preparation, because there are no resources for what I want to do AT ALL, so I really need to decide before I start Year 11! I'm keeping my options open (this is just a miraculous, best case scenario) but there's no where I'll get anywhere in this place if I don't have an idea of what courses I'd like and where I hope to go by next year.

It's a really different scenario where I am, for international study in anything other than Med/Sciences. So I need to get moving from now! And isn't studying working for success? (And technically, TSR is part of studying :tongue:

)

Original post by Lainathiel

I would love to study Lit; I find all aspects of English fascinating. The only thing that would disuade me is the huge fees; I want to study medicine, so I know that would lead to a definite career in which I could afford to pay them back. If I had enough money, and perhaps in the future, I would like to do a degree like that. :smile:

Aww! That sounds like me and my elder brother when I was about that age. He began his dentistry degree when I was about 7, and he used to come back and teach me random stuff. I think my teachers thought I was a bit strange when I started telling people how to do root canals and how blood is made. :lol:

Ah, fees. That wonderful thing :'( Thankfully we have dozens of community student loans here, and my grandfather (He's awesome, he just doesn't think much of anything different) set up Uni funds for us before we were born :wink:

And I'm planning to combine it with Education... I really, really want to teach!

I've not got anything against Med in itself, but it's just that I've got so many people pressuring me to do it :| And I'd do badly. I enjoy Sciences, but they frustrate me. I can't imagine what I'd do with so much time just devoted to studying them! :redface:

And hopefully you'll get the chance to do Lit someday :biggrin:

Aww! I pity your teachers :wink:

My middle brother has them in the same position, except he's done his own research and he goes to them asking them how much the average Eland weighs. I'm still not quite sure what an Eland is :confused:

Oh, and to those people still enjoying summer: ENJOY IT! I have a test tomorrow. Oh, and I thought Year 10 was going to be fun :frown:

Reply 193

Original post by KythingToWrite

My Mum's getting her MMed in Oncology. One more year to go! I can't wait for her graduation :tongue:

The poem's about all these strange creatures coming out of the water :colondollar:

Very vague and strange... It's described as 'very un-Welsh' :wink:

And MORE complex educational systems :frown:

I swear to God, people think I'm 'informed' when it comes to different systems and I don't know the first bloody thing!

The teaching here is crap. So basically, I'd be safer going for A Levels (More resources, more people I know, at least a few competent teachers.) We'll see. I'm supposed to have decided by the beginning of next (academic) year, because the IB application process here is long and cumbersome :frown:

I suppose this is just preparation, because there are no resources for what I want to do AT ALL, so I really need to decide before I start Year 11! I'm keeping my options open (this is just a miraculous, best case scenario) but there's no where I'll get anywhere in this place if I don't have an idea of what courses I'd like and where I hope to go by next year.

It's a really different scenario where I am, for international study in anything other than Med/Sciences. So I need to get moving from now! And isn't studying working for success? (And technically, TSR is part of studying :tongue:

)

Ah, fees. That wonderful thing :'( Thankfully we have dozens of community student loans here, and my grandfather (He's awesome, he just doesn't think much of anything different) set up Uni funds for us before we were born :wink:

And I'm planning to combine it with Education... I really, really want to teach!

I've not got anything against Med in itself, but it's just that I've got so many people pressuring me to do it :| And I'd do badly. I enjoy Sciences, but they frustrate me. I can't imagine what I'd do with so much time just devoted to studying them! :redface:

And hopefully you'll get the chance to do Lit someday :biggrin:

Aww! I pity your teachers :wink:

My middle brother has them in the same position, except he's done his own research and he goes to them asking them how much the average Eland weighs. I'm still not quite sure what an Eland is :confused:

Oh, and to those people still enjoying summer: ENJOY IT! I have a test tomorrow. Oh, and I thought Year 10 was going to be fun :frown:

That's great! I'm sure you'll have fun next year :wink:

at her graduation...
Strange... Hmmm....
A levels then, definitely! :biggrin:

Reply 194

Lainathiel

5

Original post by KythingToWrite

Ah, fees. That wonderful thing :'( Thankfully we have dozens of community student loans here, and my grandfather (He's awesome, he just doesn't think much of anything different) set up Uni funds for us before we were born :wink:

And I'm planning to combine it with Education... I really, really want to teach!

I've not got anything against Med in itself, but it's just that I've got so many people pressuring me to do it :| And I'd do badly. I enjoy Sciences, but they frustrate me. I can't imagine what I'd do with so much time just devoted to studying them! :redface:

And hopefully you'll get the chance to do Lit someday :biggrin:

Aww! I pity your teachers :wink:

My middle brother has them in the same position, except he's done his own research and he goes to them asking them how much the average Eland weighs. I'm still not quite sure what an Eland is :confused:

Oh, and to those people still enjoying summer: ENJOY IT! I have a test tomorrow. Oh, and I thought Year 10 was going to be fun :frown:

Yeah, med is really competitive; that's another reason why I think to be prepared as early as possible is a good thing; so you, in many cases, have a few years' head start over the other students who only decided to take the course in year 13. :dontknow:

I'm going to Google that now... :lol:

Eland (n): A spiral-horned African antelope that lives in open woodland and grassland. It is the largest of the antelopes.

Ahh. I knew that. :s-smilie:

So, how come you have a test tomorrow? I thought that they all finished in the summer holidays?

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 195

Wawasan

11

Original post by Lainathiel

Ahh, noooo! Now I'm debating again now! One of the reasons that persuaded me against it was that people - on here, in fact - were saying that so many people do it it has now kind of lost its meaning, and some schools/areas don't even offer it. Hmm... I may have to e-mail the teacher begging now. :lol:

Hey! I would so love to learn Mandarin, it sounds like such a pretty language. :smile:

Oh and French isn't particularly hard to grasp the basics of - and that's coming from me, someone who didn't really know anything up until a fast track GCSE last year. On track hopefully for an A*! I guess that apart from Mandarin, no modern foreign language i beyond a complete beginners to excel at it. Thing about Mandarin is all of the characters, there's so many of them! :angry:

Luckily I was brought up speaking Mandarin. :colone:

Also, make sure you are entered into the higher reading and listening papers for languages at the end of your French and Spanish courses. If you were to take foundation, the highest possible grade is C. But its not really hard to get a good grade on a higher paper!

Reply 196

Original post by shadab786ahmed

That's great! I'm sure you'll have fun next year :wink:

at her graduation...
Strange... Hmmm....
A levels then, definitely! :biggrin:

I sure will! Can't wait to see it :tongue:

We have reached the same conclusion. Which means that you will be my Official Source of Information on all Things A-Level-ish. :biggrin:

Original post by Lainathiel

Yeah, med is really competitive; that's another reason why I think to be prepared as early as possible is a good thing; so you, in many cases, have a few years' head start over the other students who only decided to take the course in year 13. :dontknow:

I'm going to Google that now... :lol:

Eland (n): A spiral-horned African antelope that lives in open woodland and grassland. It is the largest of the antelopes.

Ahh. I knew that. :s-smilie:

So, how come you have a test tomorrow? I thought that they all finished in the summer holidays?

Yeah, Med is super competitive. And here, because of the frankly huge numbers of people applying each year (and we have only two Med schools in the whole country!) the quality of teaching, and, as a result, the competence of doctors has really dropped :frown:

Ah. So it's an antelope! I thought it was some kind of ancient reptilian thing-y?

We've already started school :smile:

Our school year tries to keep in sync with the Tz'ian national system, because our sister Primary School uses the National syllabus, and so families would find it difficult to organise holidays if they had a kid in secondary and one in primary. So we start our year in July, have a month and a half break from December to mid-January, and end the year in early June.

So I've already started Yr 10 :redface:

It's hard. We had a Maths test today and (even though I knew everything!) I couldn't finish in time. Nobody could, really. It was very unfair timing :frown:

God knows what's going to happen to my marks!

Reply 197