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gcse to a-level
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Apprantly it's a big step up, but will biology and chemsitry be less so than maths and geography?
I ask because I did extension science. Everyone did science and got a science gcse in year 10 which was quite easy for me (a's and a*s) or if they were in the bottom set did it over the two years. Reasonably clever people (set free and above I think) did additional science in year 11 and we did another lot of exams for them which were harder than the year ten ones. I also did extension scien which means I will hopefully get a gcse in each science, the subject matter was meant to be harder to grasp, so another step up from the additional stuff,
so will the step up again to as level not be as big in biology and chemistry?
I ask because I did extension science. Everyone did science and got a science gcse in year 10 which was quite easy for me (a's and a*s) or if they were in the bottom set did it over the two years. Reasonably clever people (set free and above I think) did additional science in year 11 and we did another lot of exams for them which were harder than the year ten ones. I also did extension scien which means I will hopefully get a gcse in each science, the subject matter was meant to be harder to grasp, so another step up from the additional stuff,
so will the step up again to as level not be as big in biology and chemistry?
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"set free"?!!
Do they keep the less able pupils in cages in your school then, Molly?
The big change from GCSE to A-level in mathematics is primarily one of pace. At GCSE a teacher would probably explain a bit of theory (e.g. about trigonometry) and then show you quite a few worked examples. You'd then be required to work through some questions in class. When you'd gained some confidence, you'd then get some more practice as homework.
At A-level you tend to get as much theory thrown at you across a couple of lessons as you did in half a term at GCSE. You'll only see a couple of worked examples done by the teacher and then (possibly without any chance to try it out in the classroom with your teacher to help you) you're given a load of stuff to do at home. When you arrive for your next lesson the teacher starts a new topic, so there's little opportunity to find help in the classroom. (I used to teach A-level Maths, so I know just how much of a shock even the most able students got when they first encountered the new way of studying).
My understanding of the Biology and Chemistry course are that, while they're much harder than GCSE, there's not the sudden change of pace which happens in Maths. That means that anyone who is struggling can usually catch up, whereas Maths can easily leave less able students completely floundering. Also, Biology and Chemistry are less 'hierarchical' than Maths. If you don't understand the first half-term of the Maths course you've little chance of understanding much of what follows, because it builds upon the earlier work. However if you don't understand some parts of the Biology course, that doesn't prevent you from understanding other parts of it. (I suspect that Chemistry lies somewhere between the two other subjects in this respect).
Chris
Do they keep the less able pupils in cages in your school then, Molly?
The big change from GCSE to A-level in mathematics is primarily one of pace. At GCSE a teacher would probably explain a bit of theory (e.g. about trigonometry) and then show you quite a few worked examples. You'd then be required to work through some questions in class. When you'd gained some confidence, you'd then get some more practice as homework.
At A-level you tend to get as much theory thrown at you across a couple of lessons as you did in half a term at GCSE. You'll only see a couple of worked examples done by the teacher and then (possibly without any chance to try it out in the classroom with your teacher to help you) you're given a load of stuff to do at home. When you arrive for your next lesson the teacher starts a new topic, so there's little opportunity to find help in the classroom. (I used to teach A-level Maths, so I know just how much of a shock even the most able students got when they first encountered the new way of studying).
My understanding of the Biology and Chemistry course are that, while they're much harder than GCSE, there's not the sudden change of pace which happens in Maths. That means that anyone who is struggling can usually catch up, whereas Maths can easily leave less able students completely floundering. Also, Biology and Chemistry are less 'hierarchical' than Maths. If you don't understand the first half-term of the Maths course you've little chance of understanding much of what follows, because it builds upon the earlier work. However if you don't understand some parts of the Biology course, that doesn't prevent you from understanding other parts of it. (I suspect that Chemistry lies somewhere between the two other subjects in this respect).
Chris
You could do worse than get hold of a couple of course books in the subjects you're interested in (even if they're not the ones you'll be using) just to get a flavour of what you'll be doing. See if you can borrow or buy them from last year's students, or see if you can get something from your library.
Sophie is quite right about the change to Uni, though. It's not just that the pace is faster. You'll be expected to manage your own workload for the most part, selecting your own reading and getting on with things without having to be instructed. Often, too, the focus changes slightly. This goes for most subjects. At university level in maths, for instance, you'll be expected to analyse and assess your own methods as well make the actual calculations that you've always done (only there will more of them, of course).
Sophie is quite right about the change to Uni, though. It's not just that the pace is faster. You'll be expected to manage your own workload for the most part, selecting your own reading and getting on with things without having to be instructed. Often, too, the focus changes slightly. This goes for most subjects. At university level in maths, for instance, you'll be expected to analyse and assess your own methods as well make the actual calculations that you've always done (only there will more of them, of course).
Mollykins,
In my experience the further up the Educational Qualification system you climb, the less you are instructed. You are more and more expected to use your own initiative! For certain in the Science/Maths field, you will be more and more expected to deduce results and demonstrate your ability to arrive at a logical answer, (perhaps even at times the end result may be wrong), rather than repeat text-book paragraphs, well that was the case in the UK when I did my Masters and PhD, which was quite a few years (30+) ago, However I did part of my Masters in the USA, where that was not the case, there it was more learning by rote! Hopefully you should emerge from the Educational Sysyem with an ability to demonstrate you have an ability to think and reason through a problem/project.
In my humble opinion, degrees have been dumbed down, in order to politically demonstrate that the UK have a greater percentage of students gaining degrees by going to University. You only have to ask what happened to Technical Colleges, Teacher Training Colleges to see that. By converting them into Universities had the effect of dumbing down degrees. This had the knock on effect of making funding to Universities for all, untenable.
You have to decide on what you want to do as a career, then decide how you use the system, both through work experience and the educational system, to achieve your objective.
In my experience the further up the Educational Qualification system you climb, the less you are instructed. You are more and more expected to use your own initiative! For certain in the Science/Maths field, you will be more and more expected to deduce results and demonstrate your ability to arrive at a logical answer, (perhaps even at times the end result may be wrong), rather than repeat text-book paragraphs, well that was the case in the UK when I did my Masters and PhD, which was quite a few years (30+) ago, However I did part of my Masters in the USA, where that was not the case, there it was more learning by rote! Hopefully you should emerge from the Educational Sysyem with an ability to demonstrate you have an ability to think and reason through a problem/project.
In my humble opinion, degrees have been dumbed down, in order to politically demonstrate that the UK have a greater percentage of students gaining degrees by going to University. You only have to ask what happened to Technical Colleges, Teacher Training Colleges to see that. By converting them into Universities had the effect of dumbing down degrees. This had the knock on effect of making funding to Universities for all, untenable.
You have to decide on what you want to do as a career, then decide how you use the system, both through work experience and the educational system, to achieve your objective.
Good answer docHH. When I did my Masters (not all that long ago) a couple of the students were completely bewildered that we were only in Uni three days a month, and wanted to know when they would be given the title for their dissertation. You could see their amazement when the course lead told them that they had to decide on their reseach topic, not the tutors!
Thank you boxtops and Prudie for your comments.
My other half has accused me of being a snob in terms of my opinions of the dumbing down of degrees, but as a simple scientist, please note the small "s" in both instances, but however I don't think I am far off the mark.
My parents were very much "working class". I was fortunately bright enough to pass the 11+ and went to a Grammar School, albeit one that had bags of tradition, and we were expected to achieve, with commensurate pressure to do so!. Our Teachers had degrees in their chosen subject, and they subsequently chose to convert to Teaching after a career elsewhere, because of vocational desires. At our Grammar School, at 6 form level the question was, "what happens if you don't get the grades to go to Uni?" The answer was "I'll go to Teacher Training College", immediately, again in my humble opinion the teaching profession then got second class entrants.Yet again in my humble we should return to the system that gives the best students full funding for a University Education, rather than one that is available to all, but with all coming out with an enormous student debt and a devalued degree. Such a degree could potentially give the holder a false sense of it's value, when an NVQ or an apprenticeship qualification would be more beneficial. Sorry, but this thread got me off the pavement and onto my soap-box!
My other half has accused me of being a snob in terms of my opinions of the dumbing down of degrees, but as a simple scientist, please note the small "s" in both instances, but however I don't think I am far off the mark.
My parents were very much "working class". I was fortunately bright enough to pass the 11+ and went to a Grammar School, albeit one that had bags of tradition, and we were expected to achieve, with commensurate pressure to do so!. Our Teachers had degrees in their chosen subject, and they subsequently chose to convert to Teaching after a career elsewhere, because of vocational desires. At our Grammar School, at 6 form level the question was, "what happens if you don't get the grades to go to Uni?" The answer was "I'll go to Teacher Training College", immediately, again in my humble opinion the teaching profession then got second class entrants.Yet again in my humble we should return to the system that gives the best students full funding for a University Education, rather than one that is available to all, but with all coming out with an enormous student debt and a devalued degree. Such a degree could potentially give the holder a false sense of it's value, when an NVQ or an apprenticeship qualification would be more beneficial. Sorry, but this thread got me off the pavement and onto my soap-box!
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