The Student Room Group

S6 Options Problem

Hey,

well I had my options interview for S6 today...I chose AH Chem, AH Maths, AH Spanish and crash H physics.
My guidance teacher said "no way". She then phoned a physics teacher who said physics is definitely crashable, then she made me speak to the head of science. I told the head of science my preidictions for this year and my plans for next year, and she said "it's definitely doable". Yet my guidance teacher is still saying no.

I've had it in my mind for about a year that I want to do these subjects in S6, but it seems like there's no way to persuade my guidance teacher to let me do it. I really like the 3 AH subjects I want to do, so don't see it as a chore to study for them (nerd alert! :p:), so I'm sure a higher on top won't be the death of me! I realise it's a lot of work, but there's people on here who do 4 AHs.

For thse who do 4 AHs/3 AHs + H what is your opinion on the workload? What subjects do you do?
Any advice?

And, what can I say to my guidance teacher tomorrow?! :p:

Sorry for length!
Reply 1
Did guidance give any reason against it? Seems pretty unfair especially if it's backed by the departments. I don't know about the workload but I know quite a few done it no problems at all in the same position.
I only do 3 Advanced Highers, (lazy:biggrin:) but they're in similar subjects (French instead of Spanish) and I honestly think you'll cope fine. The workload does get higher at this time of the year though but you'll definitley be able to cope, and at the start of the year I had too much time and regretted not crashing H Physics. Also you could always drop one subject. I'd try to convince the guidance teacher you can cope. If necessary speak to your parents, your schoolshould encourage academic attainment, not supress it. Fair enough if you wouldn't cope but you clearly can.
Reply 3
Yekim_8
Did guidance give any reason against it? Seems pretty unfair especially if it's backed by the departments. I don't know about the workload but I know quite a few done it no problems at all in the same position.


Well they think 3 AHs is hard enough, without picking up a new higher.

namedeprived
...


Thanks, I said if the workload is too high I could drop physics and she said no. But they told us in S4 we couldn't drop highers when we go into S5, yet now people are dropping subjects cause they failed the prelims. It's just annoying when the science department says yes, and my guidance teacher is saying no...I just thought I'd post on here to make sure it's not me being unrealistic.
Reply 4
She's being irrational. Go and see the head of department in person and ask him/her to talk to your guidance teacher. If that doesn't work, tell her that these are the subjects you are doing whether she likes it or not because you've researched it and you're aware of how much work it is. Get a letter from a parent if you have to.

I was in your position at the start of the year and took AH English, AH Biology, AH Chemistry and Higher Art. After a couple of months I dropped Chemistry though to crash Physics because Chem at an advanced level is NOT FOR ME. Probably didn't help that I crashed the higher in the first place haha. Anyway, my year head has been trying to put me off subject choices since 5th year and I've basically just told him where to go. :p:
Reply 5
I'm kind of in the exact same boat as you. I plan to do advanced maths, biology and geography and then crash higher physics. Not sure what the guidance teacher will say though.
Really it should be up to you, eh!? You could try getting your parents to phone in and talk to the guidance teacher about it. Obviously if you're doing 3 advanced (especially in maths) then I feel you're able to crash physics :P
Reply 6
JoshCurran
...


Yeah. I wouldn't do a subject if I know I will hate it, and that I'm not going to work.

Good luck with your choices :p:


ladyhoot
...

:p:
Well as I said, the head of science said yeah, and a physics teacher said yeah...I'm going to speak to the head of maths tomorrow, and the head of languages, as well as my chem teacher and see what they think.
Think that is a joke, if you have the grades you should be able to enter any subject you wish. I had a huge problem for S5 course choices (subjects sitting this year) when the old guidance was trying to force me out to college with five 1's, a 3, INT2A and a fail in the prelims but I told her where to go and now doing 4 highers in fifth year.

I think guidance is a joke for not letting you do one more higher? This boy in my year got told to leave a week ago but his parents reported the school to the school board and is now being able to do 4 highers and a study with prelims results of:
Int 2 maths - 21% (n/a) he is able to take higher
Int 2 English - 44% (n/a) he is able to do higher
Int 2 computing - 40% (n/a) he is able to take higher.
Int 2 modern - 49% (D) he is able to take higher
Int 2 Art - 11% (n/a) he was offered to take higher.
If thats joke, I don't what is! So unfair on others told to leave!

Good luck with you choices!
Reply 8
I do AH Maths, Physics and Chemistry and the workload is starting to get to me. It seemed so easy at the start of the year but my teacher left in maths and we are having to pretty much self teach the rest of the course which whilst doable is more difficult. The investigations are frustrating and it is amazing how everything in them can go wrong and how long it takes to write them up.

3AHs + an extra higher is doable though, especially if you don't do much outside school. and are more organised than me. :tongue:
The way I like to look at it is that if you plan to go to uni, you will end up with a much greater workload than doing the average sixth year workload, and you will learn to cope with it, so why not ease yourself in? It's all about efficiency and work ethic, not necessarily sheer time and effort.
Reply 10
Thanks everyone...
I'm now allowed to do the 4 subjects.
I had 5 teachers say that I'd cope :p:

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