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Worried About Going Into Year 9
Dancer
Community Champion Posts: 8,111 Legendary Poster
I feel really worried about going into Year 9 in September. This is because this is the year where students from my school choose their GCSE options. Mocks are in year 10 so there is a years gap between choosing and Mocks. It sounds like a lot of time but it really isn't. I feel worried about GCSE's because I have no idea what to choose or what the exams are like.
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"The way that I have found the light in my life is through the expressive arts because I know that I will be accepted for the way I am." ~ Me
"I'm going to get strong again and see you soon. " ~ Anonymous
Post edited by Emma_ on
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I totally understand your anxiety! It can definitely be scary to feel as though you're being thrust into these big choices with such a short amount of time to decide.
It's been about 8 years (god, I feel old lol) since I did my GCSE's so my advice might be a little outdated but I'll do my best to break down some of your options. Older students and your teachers will definitely provide you with lots of information about your subjects though.
So (I think) the average number of GCSE's people take is 9. My school was particularly concerned with bumping up our reputation so I, unfortunately, did 12. Totally exhausting, 100% would not recommend. Maths, English (Language and Literature) and Science are usually compulsory. A lot of schools, like mine, have other compulsory subjects that may or may not count towards a qualification e.g. Citizenship or Computing.
You'll choose your options from the following four groups: Modern Languages, Humanities, the Arts and Technical. Some subjects will be more coursework orientated (i.e. the Arts where you'll most likely be asked to build a portfolio of your work throughout the year) but overall, GCSE's lean more towards exams.
When it comes to choosing your options, my best advice is to go with your gut. Really reflect on your strengths, career plans and the things you enjoy learning about. For example, a lot of schools really push Modern Languages but if that's something you don't have an interest in or isn't going to be relevant to your future, there's nothing wrong with opting for something else. If you don't have any solid plans for your career (and let's face it, who does?), choose a wide range of subjects you find interesting and useful.
This definitely doesn't cover everything, so if you have more questions please feel free to keep using this thread!