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Extra GCSE - Astronomy

Hi everyone,

I'm considering taking astronomy GCSE but at my school it is only available as an extra course so I would learn it at lunch and at home. Could anyone who's already done the course tell me what you thought of it and whether you found it useful? Also if there are any revision books/websites you recommend then please let me know!

Thanks for your help!
These are the textbooks you need:

https://mickledoreastronomy.co.uk/

Mickledore are very accommodating actually.

The course itself is very heavy on physics, so if you like physics, you'll like astronomy.
Original post by PinkMobilePhone
These are the textbooks you need:

https://mickledoreastronomy.co.uk/

Mickledore are very accommodating actually.

The course itself is very heavy on physics, so if you like physics, you'll like astronomy.



Thanks for the help guys - really appreciate it.
Hi again everyone,

So I've pretty much decided that I will take astronomy as an extra GCSE choice but that has left with me with another decision to make. I'm currently in year 10 so if I was taught be taught all the course at school (along with some home revision) I would sit the exam in summer year 11 along with my other GCSEs. But my teacher says that the best years to sit the exam would be year 10 or 12, which I completely agree with. I don't want to wait until year 12 so I need to decide whether to self study half the course myself so that I can sit it this year or sit it next year with my others. I'm not too worried about having an extra GCSE in year 11 - I've known people who have done it and did well - but I think that ultimately it may be better to get it over and done with. Another thing to mention, I don't just want a grade 4/5 pass, I am aiming for an 8 or 9. So if anyone, particularly teachers or those who have studied the GCSE astronomy course before, has any advice or would like to share their opinion then please do! TIA
Bump
Reply 6
Original post by Mathsgirl888
Hi again everyone,

So I've pretty much decided that I will take astronomy as an extra GCSE choice but that has left with me with another decision to make. I'm currently in year 10 so if I was taught be taught all the course at school (along with some home revision) I would sit the exam in summer year 11 along with my other GCSEs. But my teacher says that the best years to sit the exam would be year 10 or 12, which I completely agree with. I don't want to wait until year 12 so I need to decide whether to self study half the course myself so that I can sit it this year or sit it next year with my others. I'm not too worried about having an extra GCSE in year 11 - I've known people who have done it and did well - but I think that ultimately it may be better to get it over and done with. Another thing to mention, I don't just want a grade 4/5 pass, I am aiming for an 8 or 9. So if anyone, particularly teachers or those who have studied the GCSE astronomy course before, has any advice or would like to share their opinion then please do! TIA


I would recommend either sit the exam in y11 or 12. I did the old spec, it definitely felt like less of a GCSE than the other subjects I did. I've heard that with the new spec it's harder to do well just by cramming at the end, but even then, if you're already interested in the subject then there's less to learn.

Plus if you do the astrophysics option in A-level physics, the content from astronomy GCSE will be more fresh in your mind if you do it in y11 or 12. Really it doesn't matter if you wait a year, you'll still have the grade to put on your UCAS and it won't be clashing with public exams.
Original post by Sinnoh
I would recommend either sit the exam in y11 or 12. I did the old spec, it definitely felt like less of a GCSE than the other subjects I did. I've heard that with the new spec it's harder to do well just by cramming at the end, but even then, if you're already interested in the subject then there's less to learn.

Plus if you do the astrophysics option in A-level physics, the content from astronomy GCSE will be more fresh in your mind if you do it in y11 or 12. Really it doesn't matter if you wait a year, you'll still have the grade to put on your UCAS and it won't be clashing with public exams.

Thanks for the reply - really helpful, especially the A-level astrophysics option!
Reply 8
Original post by Mathsgirl888
Thanks for the reply - really helpful, especially the A-level astrophysics option!


To clarify, it's usually not up to the students to choose the option - the whole class will do the same one
Original post by Sinnoh
To clarify, it's usually not up to the students to choose the option - the whole class will do the same one

Yes, of course. My school does do that option - I just hadn't realised that there was so much overlap.

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