Kids "Options" - choosing the subjects

[DanceswithUnix]

There's plenty of ways to work around it down the line if he needs to.

TBH I gave my kids much the same advice. You can choose an easier path by not having to re-do qualifications, but no door is ever truly closed.

[Zak33]

I hate to be that person, but...

GCSE choices really don't count. They didn't count for much back in my day and with so many jobs (IMO unnecessarily) asking for a degree nowadays, they count for even less - he'll be making more choices in 2 years, then another 2 after that, and after each of those choices the previous one will become practically irrelevant. It probably shouldn't be like that, but I'm afraid it is.

I dropped RE when I picked my GCSEs. Now I've got a degree in it. And one in Computer Science, even though I did absolutely nothing IT related at GCSE either. I've got three A-Levels that are completely unrelated to any job I've ever had. People - particularly school careers advisors - will try to convince you that picking the "wrong" GCSEs will completely mess up your prospects. It's tosh.

Apart from the maths and english (which I'd assume they still make everyone do?) tell him to pick the subjects he likes the most, and not worry about the long term. There's plenty of ways to work around it down the line if he needs to.

wise words. My missus didn't do Biology O level and ended up needing that for her career and then nailed it all.

I think you're onto the truth there.. do what you love most and then move onward

[jim]

Yep. Far better to succeed at something you enjoy than to fail at something you hate.

So many kids at my school were forced to do two sciences and maths (at A-Level) because their parents wanted them to have the option of doing a medical degree - irrespective of what they want to do themselves.

Personally, I fought tooth and nail at GCSE Options to avoid doing the mandatory art / metalwork / food / textiles option etc because I didn't enjoy them, and eventually got my exemption - so I took history and geography which was traditionally an either / or; and thoroughly enjoyed both.

You spend a lot of time both at school and at home working on them, so it needs to be something that gives you a degree of satisfaction and enjoyment.