What career do I want to have?

 

 

GCSEs have changed

Over the last few years, the government has made some changes to subjects that will affect your GCSE options. These changes have more or less been phased in now (2020), and for a timeline of the changes, you can check out the information provided on the AQA website.

 

Here is a video we made which explains the changes briefly:

 

 

 

In brief, some of the changes that are taking place include:

 

Changes to subjects

Maths: GCSE maths will have more of a focus on problem solving and encouraging students to follow logical steps. There will also be more emphasis on remembering formulae.

 

English language: Replaces what used to be known simply as "English". The GCSE course in the uk will focus on encouraging students to read a wide variety of high-quality literature and non-fiction texts from a range of genres from the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries.

 

 

 

English literature: Studying literature will no longer be compulsory at GCSE level but studying English language will. The new literature course will focus on "classic" literature and unseen texts will also be added to the exam.

 

The new English literature and English language courses were introduced in September 2015.

 

Changes to grades

From 2017, maths, English literature and English language have been graded 9 to 1 instead of A*-G:

 

New grades

Old grades

9              A*

8              A* / A

7              A

6              B

5              C / B

4              C

3              E / D

2              F / E

1              G / F

U             U

These grades were extended to other subjects in 2018 and 2019.

 

GCSE options have also become more "linear", with more focus on the exams themselves rather than ongoing coursework. Students can only be take exam resits in English and maths.

 

How should I choose my GCSE subjects?

There’s no "right" way to choose your GCSE options, but it does help if you think about your future when making your decisions. For example, if you know whole-heartedly that you want to be a doctor, then choosing subjects related to that job like physics, chemistry and biology will certainly be useful.

 

What career do I want to have?

You should also consider whether your chosen career will require you to get more qualifications in the future. For example, in order to become a doctor, you’ll also need to have A-levels and then go on to study medicine at university. Although it may seem like a long way away, you might want to consider what qualifications you’ll need to get into university (if that’s your plan) because the subjects you take at GCSE level could have an impact.

 

Should I keep my GCSE options open?

On the other hand, if you don’t have a clue what career you want in the future (like most students in Year 9, 10 and 11), then you should probably aim to keep your options open. Studying a range of subjects will provide you with a good overview of different topics and different ways of studying, which can help you identify what subjects you’re best at. Talk to your careers advisor to see if you can get a feel for what kind of career you might like to do.

 

Should I take the same GCSE subjects as my friends?

A lot of students make the mistake of choosing the same subjects as their friends. Although being in the same classes as your friends has its advantages, you should bear in mind that everybody is different and everyone has subjects that they’re better at than others. Just because your friends are taking a certain subject, that doesn’t mean that you should take it too.

 

Should I choose my GCSEs based on my teachers?

Although it can be tempting to choose your subjects based on what teacher you might get, we suggest that you resist. Everyone has their favourite teachers but there’s no guarantee of who you’ll get for your GCSEs. You should base your decisions on the subject itself rather than the teacher who will be teaching you.

 

How will my GCSEs affect my future?

Graduate celebrating

The GCSE subjects you choose can help you find your future

career

As a general rule, the more qualifications you gain throughout your life, the less important your GCSE options become. For example, if you end up studying at university and gaining a degree, potential employers are more likely to be interested in what you studied there, rather than what you studied when you were 16.

 

However, everyone’s career path is different and you might decide that continuing in academic education just isn’t for you. If this is the case, you’ll want to have the best GCSE qualifications you can get in subjects that are most relevant to what you want to do.

 

It’s also worth bearing in mind that if you do leave school after your GCSEs, there nothing stopping you from going back into education in the future to study for A-levels.

 

Hopefully, after reading this post, you’ll have a better idea of what GCSE options are available to you. Take a look at the articles below if you need more help.

source:https://successatschool.org/

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