Should I drop one of my subjects?

I hope I'm posting this in the right forum.

Ok, basically I thought that if I did well in my 5th year exams I could have a relatively easy 6th year, but so far that hasn't happened. I took Advanced Higher English, Music and French this year and I am just so shattered from the workload and well I'm thinking I might just drop one (Adv French), as I've already got what I need for Law at a Scottish Uni AAAAB.

Anyway the reason why I'm hesitant about dropping it is because firstly if I do I will become a part-time student and my mum will lose the child benefit, secondly my French class only has 3 students and a couple of weeks back when our 4th member chose to drop it our teacher went on for a whole lesson about how difficult it is to teach such a small class and that she would hate it to go down to 2 students and I kind of feel pressure into doing well this year cause I did fairly well last year.

So what does everyone think?

One last thing I'm worried about is if I did choose to drop it, would it show up on my exam certificate as an F or a No Award?

I hope I'm posting this in the right forum.

Ok, basically I thought that if I did well in my 5th year exams I could have a relatively easy 6th year, but so far that hasn't happened. I took Advanced Higher English, Music and French this year and I am just so shattered from the workload and well I'm thinking I might just drop one (Adv French), as I've already got what I need for Law at a Scottish Uni AAAAB.

Anyway the reason why I'm hesitant about dropping it is because firstly if I do I will become a part-time student and my mum will lose the child benefit, secondly my French class only has 3 students and a couple of weeks back when our 4th member chose to drop it our teacher went on for a whole lesson about how difficult it is to teach such a small class and that she would hate it to go down to 2 students and I kind of feel pressure into doing well this year cause I did fairly well last year.

So what does everyone think?

One last thing I'm worried about is if I did choose to drop it, would it show up on my exam certificate as an F or a No Award?

It depends how you feel about those subjects - do you enjoy them or find them really boring? I'm taking two Advanced Highers this year (and other distance learning subjects) and I'm already feeling a bit weighed down with the amount of work required. Out of those subjects I think Advanced English is probably the worst in terms of how much work you need to do for it (I'm sitting it this year, so I know how much work is expected in terms of essays and learning literature). So maybe dropping French and focusing on your other two subjects might be better.

I don't know if this is correct, but I think Music is only assessed through coursework (?) which means that you would only be sitting exams in English and French. So once you've done all the work in Music you would be able to focus on the other two.

You can drop it any time in the year (or at least you should be able to), and if you do it won't appear on your certificate (since you're no longer taking the subject).

But the choice is up to you, don't let your teacher pressure you into staying in a subject you don't want to do.

No, Music is 40% exam-based and 60% performing. (I think)

What I don't understand is why your French teacher would find it more difficult teaching a class with fewer students!

In response to the replies here, I would just like to say thanks.

Actually the strange thing is that French is the subject which I am predicted to do the best in and it's not really that the workload is too much its just that I don't have enough motivation to see me through to the end of the course ATM. But above all when I actually sat down and had a proper long and hard think about it, the only reason I can think for taking the class is because it is what other people expected of me. And at the end of the day I know that this is a bad reason for choosing it in the 1st place.

Does anybody else feel that sometimes they do things because others expect it of them? It's kind of like when people tell you that you're clever and as a result you take difficult subjects in order to sustain that image that people have of you? I wouldn't be surprised if I was the only person who thought this way.

Lots of my friends think that I should carry on doing it as they're almost certain I'll get an A but I feel as though getting it would be kind of pointless and no one could tell me why it would be beneficial. Since when you get accepted for uni your degree overwrites your school qualifications would there be any difference for me later on in life in having an A at Advanced Higher French? Would future employers really care that much between me having it and me not having it?

Sorry for rambling on!

If you're not motivated to continue with it the whole year, you'll probably not do that well in it anyway (hope that didn't sound too harsh ). And to answer your question, I doubt employers would worry that much, considering that you have two other Advanced Highers, and they'll most likely look at your degree.

I remember last year, for my Highers, I felt pressured into taking Higher Maths by both my teacher and my school (as there wasn't much else I could do in that timetable column, and they give you the impression that you needed Maths for university). As a result, I ended up struggling with it the entire year, when I could've done something else. With hindsight, I would've dropped it. I should've ignored my teacher, but felt - along with many others - that it was expected of me to take it. Don't make the same mistake that I did - if you don't want to do it, don't do it! Teachers are always biased in favour of their subjects!

I think that you're absolutely right about if you don't have the motivation you probably won't do that well anyway and no it's not too harsh. Anyway just to prove your theory to be correct I should tell you that as a result of not having enough motivation I failed my first nab lol and the thing is I have never failed anything before so it was quite a shock and admittedly I was rather gutted.

And I said to myself (before I got my marks back) that if I fail this nab then it will be God's way of telling me that I should just drop it! I know that this probably sounds ridiculous but do you ever say to yourself sometimes "if ... happens then it's a sign that I should ..."?

Aw, don't feel too bad about failing. If nothing else, it'll be easier to convince people that you want to drop it! Heck, you've got an A in Higher, and unless you get an A in Advanced Higher it's not going to upgrade your mark (at least as far as universities are concerned). I feel like I'm trying to convince you to drop it, sorry about that!

And no, that's not ridiculous at all. Last year my school changed my Higher from Philosophy to RMPS, and as a result I kept feeling like I shouldn't have taken either subject, but rather History. I had the gut feeling that I'd made the wrong decision, and eventually, on the last day of subject change, switched to Higher History. Now I'm applying to study it as a degree. Maybe not quite as obvious a sign as yours is, but I'm glad it worked!

So a B at advanced higher is the same as and A at higher in the universities' eyes? Hmm that really puts things into perspective.

Thanks for all of your help you've been great!

Anyway I think that I'll see how I do at the resit nab and if I fail then I'll have to drop it. But, one last thing if I fail both attempts at my NAB will it be on my record as an F or do I have to drop French before trying my NAB resit?

Yeah, so if you get a B at Higher, a B at Advanced Higher only upgrades it to an A - or so I've heard. Doesn't make it seem worthwhile sitting it, does it? If you fail both NAB attempts you won't be able to complete the course, but it won't show up on your certificate. Once you drop a subject that's it, only completed subjects will show up on the certificate, so there's nothing to worry about!

You're welcome! Let me know how you get on!

I'm having a problem with one of my subjects too.

I'm currently doing AH Geography, H Music, H Business Management and H English. I did H English in 5th year and got a C in the final exam. Before I decided to change what I wanted to study at university, I took English again in a bid to try and get a higher grade next year. However, I've been predicted a D and I feel I'm not improving at all (actually getting worse) so my guidance teacher suggested I consider dropping it. My UCAS is about to be sent away with my predicted grades and I think it will look odd if the unis I'm applying to see my predicted D. Plus if I continue with English and do fail it next year, I'm worried the D will replace the C on my exam certificate. Hmm...

Do you have to have a B for studying history at university? If you do need a B i would stick at it, but if you don't then you should just drop it.There's no point in putting extra pressure on yourself especially if it is unnecessary.