GCSE Options-Do they matter??

Hi I am in Year 9, choosing my GCSEs. Are these options OK?
English Lang
English Lit
Maths
Biology
Chemistry
Physics
French
Chinese
Astronomy
Geography
Graphics
RS
Computer Science
Music Tech/ History
Which is more respectable? Music (they recently changed it to music technology) or History which I don't particularly like. I just choose one. Thanks guys

Reply 1

Ruthie2267

Original post by Arianna rules

I'd say History is more respectable unless you're planning on going into a career/higher education course involving music or performance etc.

However choose the one you enjoy - for a start history has so much content that it's really hard to get a good grade if you don't enjoy it, plus nobody really cares what GCSEs you take, it's just whether it'll let you do the A Levels you want to do (and as you don't like history I'm guessing you wouldn't want to do a level history) and what grades you get on them. You're doing loads of GCSEs anyway so if I were you I wouldn't want the added stress of a GCSE I don't even like.

Reply 2

pearlgrey

I second what the person above me said. If you don't enjoy history it's hard to get a good grade because you have to learn a lot of content really thoroughly, also you need to be good at writing essays following a set structure. Oh and being able to write quickly in exams helps. :wink:

Music is less respectable I suppose but it's more creative which might add some more variety to your subjects? Also it shouldn't be ~too~ difficult if your already competent at playing an instrument. But to be honest your options don't matter that much. Just pick whatever you prefer. :smile:

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Reply 3

Popsiclez

Don't choose Quanitity over Quality is my advice, If you overwork yourself you get mediocre grades across your GCSEs.

Reply 4

chloechurcher

Unless you're set on a career path for the future, and even if you are, what you pick doesn't really matter at all, it's more A Level options that you should be more careful about, but you don't need to think about that yet. Like above, quality over quantity, DO pick things you enjoy or you tend to slack if you don't care for the subject, happens to many people. 😊

Reply 5

dragonkeeper999

Original post by Arianna rules

Sounds like a good set of GCSE options to me :smile:

All the usual compulsory subjects, some languages, then a nice mixture of humanities and more science-y subjects :smile:

I'd say go for Music Tech over History if you're not interested in History - as others have said, it's a subject you have to enjoy and put a fair amount of effort into to do well, and if you're already relatively musically talented Music Tech should be pretty easy to get a good grade in :smile:

In terms of how your GCSEs will affect your future, tbh they only affect which subjects you can study at A level. Not taking History GCSE means you're probably not able to take History A level (although some schools would still allow it), but if you don't like the subject anyway it doesn't matter. In terms of how "respectable" your subjects are - you've got loads of really well respected subjects, and it's totally acceptable to take an easy one or two. Universities really don't care what GCSE options you took as long as you did well in English and Maths - they might briefly look at the number of A*/As you got (without really caring that much how "hard" those subjects were) but tbh your A levels are so much more important. Also, universities understand that some schools only offer a very limited number of GCSE options or force students to select subject options from particular timetable blocks - therefore your choice of GCSE options isn't really something they worry about.