How useful is General Studies?

I'm doing Spanish AS a year early, and Maths, Further Maths, Economics and Physics A level, with Ethics/philosophy AS. My school, being as pushy and ****ing annoying as they are, are making everyone do General studies A level as well, which takes up 2 lessons a week, leaving me with only 2 free periods with all of the subjects I'm already taking.

Now I've heard that General studies is completely useless when applying for university, and seeing as I'm already doing 4 A Levels with 2 extra AS, will doing General studies benefit me in any way? I've spoken with the school and they've said that the subject is absolutely compulsory and 'everyone seems to like it', but if the subject won't help me at all/ very very little, surely the school can't make me do the actual exam? I'm just wondering whether it would be better to go to the lessons, but save revision time for my more important subjects instead of wasting it on something that won't help me?

If anyone can help or offer advice it'd be appreciated

Reply 1

Groat

13

Original post by jd123

I'm doing Spanish AS a year early, and Maths, Further Maths, Economics and Physics A level, with Ethics/philosophy AS. My school, being as pushy and ****ing annoying as they are, are making everyone do General studies A level as well, which takes up 2 lessons a week, leaving me with only 2 free periods with all of the subjects I'm already taking.

Now I've heard that General studies is completely useless when applying for university, and seeing as I'm already doing 4 A Levels with 2 extra AS, will doing General studies benefit me in any way? I've spoken with the school and they've said that the subject is absolutely compulsory and 'everyone seems to like it', but if the subject won't help me at all/ very very little, surely the school can't make me do the actual exam? I'm just wondering whether it would be better to go to the lessons, but save revision time for my more important subjects instead of wasting it on something that won't help me?

If anyone can help or offer advice it'd be appreciated

Try and get a consultation with the Headmaster; in my opinion, you are doing plenty of AS-Levels which have a great traditional reputation. Tell him that you'd rather revise and get great marks in those subjects. General Studies is useless if you're applying to good universities.

Reply 2

Tony_Soprano1

12

about as usefull as a third nipple

Reply 3

Rascacielos

19

Original post by jd123

I'm doing Spanish AS a year early, and Maths, Further Maths, Economics and Physics A level, with Ethics/philosophy AS. My school, being as pushy and ****ing annoying as they are, are making everyone do General studies A level as well, which takes up 2 lessons a week, leaving me with only 2 free periods with all of the subjects I'm already taking.

Now I've heard that General studies is completely useless when applying for university, and seeing as I'm already doing 4 A Levels with 2 extra AS, will doing General studies benefit me in any way? I've spoken with the school and they've said that the subject is absolutely compulsory and 'everyone seems to like it', but if the subject won't help me at all/ very very little, surely the school can't make me do the actual exam? I'm just wondering whether it would be better to go to the lessons, but save revision time for my more important subjects instead of wasting it on something that won't help me?

If anyone can help or offer advice it'd be appreciated

A few universities will accept it, but given that you're doing very academic A-levels, I imagine you're going to be applying to the sort of universities that won't accept it.

I imagine GS can help you keep up-to-date with current affairs/issues, but then, so can BBC News.

So really, it say it isn't worth it. But, if your school is making you take the exam, then don't worry - it doesn't require much revision time and even if you flunk the exam, universities won't care a toss.

Reply 4

mehhhw/e

11

It's about as useful as my life - which isn't very useful

Reply 5

NinjaRave

3

Unless a random old man holds you at gunpoint and asks you to recite the points of the nature/nurture debate...then no.

Seems you already have a heap load of work anyway, so concentrate on that. Not many universities give a **** about GS. :|

Reply 6

Emma:-)

Entertainment Forum Helper

19

Some unis consider it but quite a few dont really require you to have it. Especially better unis. At the 6th form i was at we were made to do it and a lot of people moaned about doing it, especially those who were applying to unis who didnt really like it. The only time you might need it is if you are getting rubbish grades in your other subjects. It sounds like you dont really need it as you are doing plenty of a-levels anyway.
If i were you id see the school and see if theres any way you can get out of it. Or just go to the lessons and dont revise while you concentrate on your other subjects, if you dont do very well hopefully they may drop you from it- thats what they did at my 6th form with people who got e's and u's is the 1st couple of modules.

Reply 7

Emma:-)

Entertainment Forum Helper

19

p.s. at the 6th form i was at- we were told we didnt need to revise for it. Just turn up to the lessons.

Reply 8

Straight up G

0.00% usefulness, to 0 significant figures.

Reply 9

Iqbal007

19

Original post by jd123

I'm doing Spanish AS a year early, and Maths, Further Maths, Economics and Physics A level, with Ethics/philosophy AS. My school, being as pushy and ****ing annoying as they are, are making everyone do General studies A level as well, which takes up 2 lessons a week, leaving me with only 2 free periods with all of the subjects I'm already taking.

Now I've heard that General studies is completely useless when applying for university, and seeing as I'm already doing 4 A Levels with 2 extra AS, will doing General studies benefit me in any way? I've spoken with the school and they've said that the subject is absolutely compulsory and 'everyone seems to like it', but if the subject won't help me at all/ very very little, surely the school can't make me do the actual exam? I'm just wondering whether it would be better to go to the lessons, but save revision time for my more important subjects instead of wasting it on something that won't help me?

If anyone can help or offer advice it'd be appreciated

Well general studies isn't really accepted by maybe the top 20 universities as it isnt really considered a proper a level and will not care what you get in it so it wont be taken into consideration if you get an offer.

Reply 10

Picnic1

19

Original post by jd123

I've spoken with the school and they've said that the subject is absolutely compulsory and 'everyone seems to like it'

'everyone seems to like it' - :smile:

Maybe many do but ... nothing to do with increasing school statistics like average number of A-Levels taken and , possibly, average A-Level grade for the least amount of teaching time?

Any A-Level is useful though - just some are regarded as more useful than others. I'm certainly glad that I took it though because it counted towards my score but never choose to take it unless you are doing at least 3 other A-Levels as well at the minimum and ideally 4+ other A-Levels.

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 11

Straight up G

Original post by Jtking3000

actually thats 3 sig fig...

No because significant figures don't take into account 0s. hahahaha

Reply 12

wavey93

13

As a shoe with no sole

Reply 13

jd123

OP

The thing is, I'm the only person who seems to have a problem with it - nobody else in my school really cares about having to do it, so if I bring it up with the school, all they'll do is tell me to stop complaining and get on with it like everyone else does. It would be really useful to have the extra 2 frees as well, although that would be "unfair" because everyone else would be doing lessons during my free periods (although everyone else will be getting up to 5 frees because they'll be doing less subjects than me!) Can anyone suggest anything else I can say to try and persuade the school to not make me do it?

Reply 14

should be revising

About as useful as:

Having the only telephone in the world
A 1 legged man in a kickboxing fight
A chocolate teapot
A black highlighter pen
A drummer in Anne Frank's house
Throwing a drowning man both ends of a rope
An inflatable dartboard

Reply 15

jd123

OP

Original post by should be revising

About as useful as:

Having the only telephone in the world
A 1 legged man in a kickboxing fight
A chocolate teapot
A black highlighter pen
A drummer in Anne Frank's house
Throwing a drowning man both ends of a rope
An inflatable dartboard

while that made me laugh, i now understand that it's useless - i now need help on convincing my school to let me not do it

Reply 16

should be revising

Original post by jd123

while that made me laugh, i now understand that it's useless - i now need help on convincing my school to let me not do it

If there is absolutely no way they will let you drop it, then just make sure it doesn't interfere with the subjects you actually care about, because as I'm sure you've already gathered, most unis don't give a crap about GS.

How useful is General Studies?

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