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What do you actually learn about in General Studies?
I'm just interested..
What subjects do you learn about?
How is it assessed?
(this isn't suppose to turn into a thread about the value of general studies as a qualification)
What subjects do you learn about?
How is it assessed?
(this isn't suppose to turn into a thread about the value of general studies as a qualification)
Scroll to see replies
Reply 1
AQA GCE General Studies A (2760)
Unit 1: Culture and Society
Topic list
* the similarities and differences between cultures, nature and use of language
* the role of artists and art in society, examples of art works and major artistic movements
* the role of religious and value systems, beliefs and values, tolerance and moral issues
* freedoms, rights and responsibilities
* evaluating the media and recognising bias
* the British political system and the role of the monarchy.
Assessment
Written Paper: 1 hour 30 minutes
Weighting: 50% of the total AS
25% of the total A Level marks
Section A: 30 objective test questions assessing material for comprehension.
Section B: Three short extracts and three compulsory documentary source analysis questions.
Unit 2: Science and Society
Topic list
* the origins of the universe, natural forces and sources and forms of energy
* human and social behaviour and approaches to social studies and policy
* commerce and industry and the impact of political and economic issues on science, society and the environment
* mathematics in science and society
* the impact and implications of new inventions
* moral dilemmas surrounding the work of scientists
* the impact and social, ethical and environmental implications of scientific discoveries and inventions
* research methods in science and social science.
Assessment
Written Paper: 1 hour 30 minutes
Weighting: 50% of total AS
25% of the total A Level marks
Section A: 30 objective test questions assessing material for comprehension and mathematical reasoning.
Section B: One from three optional questions linking science and society. Each question will be divided into parts and have its own source.
Unit 1: Culture and Society
Topic list
* the similarities and differences between cultures, nature and use of language
* the role of artists and art in society, examples of art works and major artistic movements
* the role of religious and value systems, beliefs and values, tolerance and moral issues
* freedoms, rights and responsibilities
* evaluating the media and recognising bias
* the British political system and the role of the monarchy.
Assessment
Written Paper: 1 hour 30 minutes
Weighting: 50% of the total AS
25% of the total A Level marks
Section A: 30 objective test questions assessing material for comprehension.
Section B: Three short extracts and three compulsory documentary source analysis questions.
Unit 2: Science and Society
Topic list
* the origins of the universe, natural forces and sources and forms of energy
* human and social behaviour and approaches to social studies and policy
* commerce and industry and the impact of political and economic issues on science, society and the environment
* mathematics in science and society
* the impact and implications of new inventions
* moral dilemmas surrounding the work of scientists
* the impact and social, ethical and environmental implications of scientific discoveries and inventions
* research methods in science and social science.
Assessment
Written Paper: 1 hour 30 minutes
Weighting: 50% of total AS
25% of the total A Level marks
Section A: 30 objective test questions assessing material for comprehension and mathematical reasoning.
Section B: One from three optional questions linking science and society. Each question will be divided into parts and have its own source.
Reply 2
its a complete waste of time, i have learnt nothing i didn't know already.
Reply 3
14
I suppose I could have just looked at the specification.. 
Thanks
Thanks
Reply 4
12
You are supposed to learn all of that, but in all honesty we just sit there reading magazines and completing homeworks for other subjects 
Reply 5
You guys do lessons for General Studies? For us it was just those of us who fancied sitting an extra exam put our names down and turned up on the day and wrote a few essays. I'm not even sure you can learn anything, it's pretty random what comes up.
Reply 6
I'm not sure if we did citizenship or general studies, but it was mostly political stuff. As a result everyone who did AS politics got As. I even TRIED to do badly on he last paper and still got a C. But what the first poster said sounds more general (hence the name I guess)
Reply 7
I did General Studies As but we didn't have any lessons and I didn't really revise - but still got 90%, it really is just luck as to whether you know what comes up!
Reply 8
14
Yeah that's what I had heard, my friend did AS General Studies (and didn't turn up to a single lesson) and got a better mark than those who went to every lesson.
Reply 9
16
My GS lessons were of no help to me whatsoever for the January module, apart from our teacher telling us what the AOs were. In the exam, one of the questions was about what our Biology exam was about (which we incidently sat that morning). I therefore used all my biology knowledge in the GS exam and got 93/100.
Not going to be able to do that tomorrow, I'm sitting culture and society and none of my subjects are related to it.
Not going to be able to do that tomorrow, I'm sitting culture and society and none of my subjects are related to it.
Reply 10
14
Laura373
My GS lessons were of no help to me whatsoever for the January module, apart from our teacher telling us what the AOs were. In the exam, one of the questions was about what our Biology exam was about (which we incidently sat that morning). I therefore used all my biology knowledge in the GS exam and got 93/100.
Not going to be able to do that tomorrow, I'm sitting culture and society and none of my subjects are related to it.
Not going to be able to do that tomorrow, I'm sitting culture and society and none of my subjects are related to it.
Maybe psychology if you're lucky?
Reply 11
13
We have 1 hour of form time, GS and CT a week. & in that hour all we do is debate about politics.
Reply 12
They could be about anything within the topic title of the exam.
I had zero general studies lessons and no time to learn about it. You just kind of do it. We got told to know what is going on in the news and use that to back up what we say.
As long as you're good at writing essays and can construct a good argument, it doesn't matter too much how good your subject knowledge is.
One of my papers last year was split into two, one on the subject I'd just been doing in RS (this was the essay) and the other was all about a survey Durex had carried out (this was the comprehension style).
I had a lot of subject knowledge for the essay bit and I'm good at comprehensions so I easily got an A.
I had zero general studies lessons and no time to learn about it. You just kind of do it. We got told to know what is going on in the news and use that to back up what we say.
As long as you're good at writing essays and can construct a good argument, it doesn't matter too much how good your subject knowledge is.
One of my papers last year was split into two, one on the subject I'd just been doing in RS (this was the essay) and the other was all about a survey Durex had carried out (this was the comprehension style).
I had a lot of subject knowledge for the essay bit and I'm good at comprehensions so I easily got an A.
Reply 13
16
Melting Sugar.
Maybe psychology if you're lucky?
highly unlikely. It's just reading passages and then doing a comprehension activity. Hope I get an essay question on education though, I reckon I'd own that
Reply 14
sweet **** all
Reply 15
Admin - Please delete.
Thanks.
Thanks.
Reply 16
The General Studies exam was a good oppertunity for me to do extra revision for my french writing exam for the next day last year...
1 paper was on ballet dancing
+ I'm awful at maths/science.. yet I got 100% on that paper beating every single person in my year on that paper including people who did science / maths A level!
Its a waste of life really
HOWEVER...
random unis do take it - really good ones
Birmingham for some courses
Exeter
Nottingham etc
1 paper was on ballet dancing
+ I'm awful at maths/science.. yet I got 100% on that paper beating every single person in my year on that paper including people who did science / maths A level!
Its a waste of life really
HOWEVER...
random unis do take it - really good ones
Birmingham for some courses
Exeter
Nottingham etc
Reply 17
16
I learnt how to spin my pen around my finger over and over again effortlessly like the Chinese math kids do in my other lessons.
Reply 18
Our lessons won't help with the exam at all, it's ridiculous.
We spent 3 weeks talking about bees, 3 weeks watching a film, 3 weeks looking at art and talking about it, 3 weeks talking about the pregnant man and such issues, and other such crap. Not helpful, at all.
General Studies is ridiculous.
I guarantee that it'll be my worst grade, despite the fact people say it's so easy to get a good grade. Some of the stuff they ask is just so stupid, and it's not like I've learnt anything useful throughout the year for it. We've done nothing on politics, so unless History helps I'm ****** if politics comes up.
I'm rambling, but it shows just how much crap we've done in GS all year.
We spent 3 weeks talking about bees, 3 weeks watching a film, 3 weeks looking at art and talking about it, 3 weeks talking about the pregnant man and such issues, and other such crap. Not helpful, at all.
General Studies is ridiculous.
I guarantee that it'll be my worst grade, despite the fact people say it's so easy to get a good grade. Some of the stuff they ask is just so stupid, and it's not like I've learnt anything useful throughout the year for it. We've done nothing on politics, so unless History helps I'm ****** if politics comes up.
I'm rambling, but it shows just how much crap we've done in GS all year.
Reply 19
14
we learnt nothing
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