My GCSE Story

 Youth Ambassador, Kerys

During Year 9 I had trouble deciding which subject I would take on as a GCSE. We weren’t properly told about the subject choices open to us. What made it worse was that I have no clue as to what I wish to happen in my future. And here I was faced with the decision of what courses to take! What am I meant to choose when I have no goal to or idea of what to do as a career?
I thought ‘okay, let’s try widen my subject areas as much as possible’. But even that has its problems. If I do decide on a future occupation which needs a specific qualification for it I will have to go through another course. Starting year 10 school year, we are all beginning to feel tense about starting GCSEs. And, in all honesty, I’m certainly one, I found that not knowing what’s going to happen is the scariest.
I have quite a few worries for our generation, especially with all the changes that are being introduced this year; the new grading system­ (most young people aren’t even aware of our new passing grade. The change of difficulty, because too many students were achieving A’s and B’s. But what about those who didn’t or can’t? They are making our papers even harder and simultaneously raising the passing grade…

Pretty much nothing was explained properly to us. We had a five minute assembly on something that will determine results. That’s the worst problem we’re left in the dark unless we have the initiative, it is the responsibility of the schools and Government. I realised that there were going to be dilemmas round every bend and eventually something will come along to throw a spanner in the works. There were others who left their choices till the last minute. Then when they decided that maybe a course wasn’t for them, there were no spaces in the other courses they did want to be in. This also meant that some weren’t able to get their first choice because there were no spaces in their specified subjects often because someone choose to be in a course they don’t even want to be in!
There are so many stresses and uncovered matters to do with GCSEs…And I think everyone should really look at all the possibilities, because it is important for not only your results but what you might choose to do when you leave school as well.

Read an excerpt about the Changes to GCES’s from September or log in to find out more

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