Has anybody ever made a decision against everyone's advice and it worked?

I've spent my whole life with people telling me not to take certain subjects etc.

I started AS Chemistry, Biology, History & English Lit in September.

I'm finding chemistry unbearable :frown:

I fail everything, homework, tests, classwork and I find anything mathematical (moles, ratios) very difficult. The teacher...is slightly unhelpful.

There is a chance I may be able to switch to RS AS-level, if I start immediately and promise to work through the Christmas holidays etc. I would have to take the AS in the winter sitting rather than next summer.

My family/ head of year want me to swap.I've been very distressed/ frustrated with chemistry, it's been stressing me out so much that I have been in tears throughout lessons (and at home)/ so hysterical I've had to leave lessons.

My friends have been pretty mean about it :'( they think I'm;

a) being ridiculous
b) am stupid for switching this late (I realise, but isn't hindsight fantastic?)
c) am doing it to get attention :confused:

P.S, I got 96% in GCSE chemistry, I GENUINELY thought I would be able to cope, and that lessons & the teaching would improve (it hasn't). I don't know what I want to do at uni yet so I guess this hasn't really disadvantaged me in that way - I'll just do an arts degree :colondollar:

thoughts?

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Reply 1

username254396

Everyone told me not to double down on a gun game wager match, but I did and won 60k

You go girl!

Reply 2

aliakhtar

Original post by Niki_girl

I've spent my whole life with people telling me not to take certain subjects etc.

I started AS Chemistry, Biology, History & English Lit in September.

I'm finding chemistry unbearable :frown:

thoughts?

I don't know how you don't get Chemistry after getting 96% at GCSE but I guess A-Level's is a jump. You can switch to another subject and it's not too late. What don't you get about Chemistry? Is it just the workload you can't cope with or something else?

Reply 3

Kalliope

How did you get 96% at GCSE and still get an A?

Reply 4

Niki_girl

Original post by BookWormShanti

How did you get 96% at GCSE and still get an A?

Lol, I forgot about this.

The coursework at my school was messed up, so all of our grades had been taken down a grade, despite getting 96% in the exam.

Now my grade has been sent back and re-marked as an A* - I FORGOT TO UPDATE MY SIG! Sorry for confusion!

Reply 5

Kalliope

Original post by Niki_girl

Fair enough! Sorry, just curious :smile:

(i have no idea of advice related your qu btw)

Reply 6

Accalia

Question: have you been putting extra work in and practicing, sometimes sacrificing evenings or weekends trying to get through all the problems you've had with the subject? Have you asked for help?

If yes, and you still think it's hopeless, then just switch. It's your life.

Reply 7

Niki_girl

Original post by aliakhtar

Basically, at GCSE there were very few Reacting gases/ Volumes/ Titration and Concerntration questions, but now I'm finding things like working out Oxidation states, Moles and ratios very difficult :frown:

To be honest at GCSE I memorised the maths. I have now got to the stage where I have to use logic/ maths, and it seems it's just not adequate...

Most people in my chemistry class are taking maths/physics/ further maths and so are much more numerate than me!

Reply 8

defuzion

I take textbook advice over teacher advice sometimes. When new teachers teach they don't take into account the mark scheme etc. and thats where I find out how to structure essays.

Reply 9

Niki_girl

Original post by Accalia

people probably won't believe me, and think I'm choosing "the easy way out" as one of my "friends" put it, but seriously this is one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make.

I've asked teachers for help about 5 times after school, as well as obviously when I don't understand things during the lesson. I've spent time in the evening looking at revision material on the internet and reading my textbook to try and practice equations.

I don't think I can spend any more time on chemistry without having to seriously neglect other subjects.

Reply 10

aliakhtar

Original post by Niki_girl

A-Levels requires a lot more time than GCSE. When my brother did it last year he would come home from school at 3:30. Sleep till 5. Work 5:30-9:30. Sleep till 11. Muck around till 12. Study 12-2:30. Sleep. Wake up 7. Go to school. He didn't work as hard on weekends though

Reply 11

Awesomesauce

Original post by aliakhtar

May I ask what kind of grades he attained at GCSE, and A levels? :smile:

Reply 12

Niki_girl

Original post by aliakhtar

I think studying from midnight to 2:30am in the morning is A BIT extreme, especially every night?

Are you sure he wasn't having a laugh or did you get up every night to check he was studying? :tongue:

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 13

aliakhtar

Original post by Awesomesauce

May I ask what kind of grades he attained at GCSE, and A levels? :smile:

9 A* and 4 A's

A2 Subjects : Maths, Physics, ICT, Further Maths

I'm predicted 11 A*'s and I hope I manage to get A*A*A*A at A-Level atleast. Maybe even A*A*A*A* if I work hard enough :smile:

Reply 14

aliakhtar

Original post by Niki_girl

I work 5 days a week after school :smile:

otherwise I might as well forget about uni, as my mum earns £10,000 a year, and next year EMA is being scrapped - not to mention my younger sister who will get no EMA, and my dad doesn't pay child maintenance, to be honest we don't really see him.

Anyway, the point is, I think studying from midnight to 2:30am in the morning is A BIT extreme, especially every night?

Are you sure he wasn't having a laugh or did you get up every night to check he was studying? :tongue:

Oh that's a problem then if you work after school. He wasn't' having a laugh but he slept after school and in evenings so it made up for later on in the night. On weekends he wouldn't study as much and would usually go out to parties but on school days he really worked hard. He kept a pretty good balance in my opinion.

Reply 15

Roxas13

Original post by Niki_girl

I've spent my whole life with people telling me not to take certain subjects etc.

I started AS Chemistry, Biology, History & English Lit in September.

I'm finding chemistry unbearable :frown:

thoughts?

C***, this sounds like me in two years. I'm going to take Chemistry and am getting a's a*'s but i find the maths quite difficult and find it harder than both Biology and Physics.

Reply 16

Miahrose

It's a shame that your friends aren't more sympathetic - you should definitely change if it will make you happier - as friends, they should realise that.

If you hate a subject you should feel no obligation to continue with it. You shouldn't carry on with anything if it's just making you miserable, plus if you're leaving lessons you might just do badly and then feel even worse. You're lucky you're getting the opportunity to change subjects so go for it!

Also, your head of year wants you to, which in academic terms is a far more credible person to take advice from than your friends.

Go for it!

Reply 17

Niki_girl

Original post by Roxas13

C***, this sounds like me in two years. I'm going to take Chemistry and am getting a's a*'s but i find the maths quite difficult and find it harder than both Biology and Physics.

I'm not trying to put anyone off! Seriously, by all means try chemistry AS level, but it IS the hardest, I swear, so just try it (I'll admit it's VERY interesting!) by if it gets to 4/5 weeks in and it's not making sense then consider your options very, very carefully.

Just don't wait until Decemberof Year 12 to change, like me, ok? :colondollar:

Reply 18

chloemo14

Original post by Niki_girl

If it's the maths you're having problems with, have you tried any different guides to it? This was really helpful for me http://www.chemguide.co.uk/book.html#top and I ended up with an A last year, and a n A* predicted this year with very little mathematical ability.

In terms of switching, if you're willing to put the work in to catch up, and it doesn't affect your university plans, then there's really no reason not to. Ignore your friends, it'll blow over after a week or two of you switching.

Reply 19

letsdothetimewarpagain

If you are finding it this much of a struggle then don't carry on, the one AS level chemistry class halved in size during the first term. You need to do what's best for you, I'd assume that even if you keep it you are going to drop it after AS? Just remember you have to spend another 5/6 months doing it and if that is a massively unbearable thought then I would drop it.