andufusthebronze Posted July 15, 2007 Share Posted July 15, 2007 Hey guys, well, from the title I guess you know what the thread is about. I'am at the time where I should start making my option choices for GCSE and I really want to get into camberidge, so what options for GCSE/A level should I take do you think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThoseTheBrokes Posted July 15, 2007 Share Posted July 15, 2007 For a start, I wouldn't spell Cambridge like that :wink: . and it all depends on your interests. have you looked at what courses they do at Cambridge? visit the website, you should be able to order a prospectus. My dA account..retired, as of the 1st January 2008. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BloodAngel Posted July 15, 2007 Share Posted July 15, 2007 Well since I have the prospectus to hand I will share some advice, don't think about doing Geography there, it is heavily over subscribed, unless of course you really enjoy Geography then you could try, but have back-up plan if that is the case. I suggested checking through courses you are interested in here Cambridge Courses and that usually tells you what grade and subject requirements you need to have to do each course. Taking subjects you think you will gets A or A*s in at GCSE and As in at A-Level since Cambridge only usually accepts A grades at A-Level. I might come back with more help later if I remember or if you found what I said useful. -BloodAngel "Unfortunately, the real world isn't the same as a fairy tale." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1_man_army Posted July 15, 2007 Share Posted July 15, 2007 From what I've seen Oxford/Cambridge haven't changed, they seem to be as elitist as ever. The key example being a friend of mine, he got perfect grades - and I do mean perfect all A's in every subject (at the school we went to you had to have a full timetable so thats alot of A's). He had alot of extra cirricular activites and was a prefect etc. but not only was he rejected but he didn't even get an interview. What more could they want. Thats not an isolated case either, there were a number of people who I went to school with who had exeptional grades and recieved the same treatment in fact nobody in the history of my school has ever been accepted. It seems that it's still a case of who you know rather than what you know that matters. That being said, do apply. You might get the same treatment but you never know what can happen. You'll need brilliant grades and alot of extra cirricular activities and a good personal statement on your UCAS form will always help. Anyway what I'm trying to say is don't put all your eggs in one basket, Cambridge isn't the be all and end all of universities and there are plenty of universities that'll offer both a great academic challenge and a great social life so don't sworry too much. He who learns must suffer, and, even in our sleep, pain that cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart,and in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom to us by the awful grace of God. - Aeschylus (525 BC - 456 BC) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete_the_Viscous Posted July 15, 2007 Share Posted July 15, 2007 I don't think they'll particularly care what your GCSEs are, as long as you do (fairly) well in them. If you're really worried, just stick to as traditional a set as you can. deviantart account Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andufusthebronze Posted July 15, 2007 Author Share Posted July 15, 2007 Cool, thanks for the help guys. I have a plan. :D GCSE: triple science, Philosiphy & ethics, Latin, Economics, History. And all the other stuff that is un-planned. A LEVEL: Philosophy and Ethics, History, Spanish, Literature. UNI: English Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomdavies90 Posted July 15, 2007 Share Posted July 15, 2007 Cool, thanks for the help guys. I have a plan. :D GCSE: triple science, Philosiphy & ethics, Latin, Economics, History. And all the other stuff that is un-planned. A LEVEL: Philosophy and Ethics, History, Spanish, Literature. UNI: English You realise you'll have to do English at A-Level to be accepted for English at degree level, and also, may I ask what you want to do in life, it's just it's always appeared to me that English is a weird choice if you want to do anything other than become an English teacher, I cannot think of any other job which would require an English degree, not there aren't any but it's a very vague subject to take, not very job specific, but the thing with a degree is you want to come out of it knowing theres a massive chance you'll get a job, and an English degree never struck me as one that would help you much. Sig by me.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Echofish Posted July 15, 2007 Share Posted July 15, 2007 And I thought thinking about college was too early, and here you are thinking about uni and you're younger than me! :P Ultra Unholy,Hearted Machine... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andufusthebronze Posted July 15, 2007 Author Share Posted July 15, 2007 Cool, thanks for the help guys. I have a plan. :D GCSE: triple science, Philosiphy & ethics, Latin, Economics, History. And all the other stuff that is un-planned. A LEVEL: Philosophy and Ethics, History, Spanish, Literature. UNI: English You realise you'll have to do English at A-Level to be accepted for English at degree level, and also, may I ask what you want to do in life, it's just it's always appeared to me that English is a weird choice if you want to do anything other than become an English teacher, I cannot think of any other job which would require an English degree, not there aren't any but it's a very vague subject to take, not very job specific, but the thing with a degree is you want to come out of it knowing theres a massive chance you'll get a job, and an English degree never struck me as one that would help you much. Literature IS English, numpty. And author. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Verminox Posted July 15, 2007 Share Posted July 15, 2007 Do you have any idea on what you want to be when your older? just out of curiosity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andufusthebronze Posted July 15, 2007 Author Share Posted July 15, 2007 Do you have any idea on what you want to be when your older? just out of curiosity. #-o the post RIGHT above yours Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redserpent4 Posted July 15, 2007 Share Posted July 15, 2007 Do whatever the hell you want to at GCSE. Its more important to enjoy your time at school. Seriously, the only thing you perhaps should do is a language - the rest is up to you. A level is when choices matter. Seriously i cant believe you know what you want to do at uni, even where you want to go. have you even visited a uni ever? English is one of the best degrees to get, it demonstrates alot of skills and ability so there are alot of jobs from it, teaching, journalism, script writing for films, theres so much from it. By the sound of it you'll enjoy english at A level and Uni so good luck with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andufusthebronze Posted July 15, 2007 Author Share Posted July 15, 2007 Do whatever the hell you want to at GCSE. Its more important to enjoy your time at school. Seriously, the only thing you perhaps should do is a language - the rest is up to you. A level is when choices matter. Seriously i cant believe you know what you want to do at uni, even where you want to go. have you even visited a uni ever? English is one of the best degrees to get, it demonstrates alot of skills and ability so there are alot of jobs from it, teaching, journalism, script writing for films, theres so much from it. By the sound of it you'll enjoy english at A level and Uni so good luck with it. Yes, I have/ And thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angryjoe Posted July 15, 2007 Share Posted July 15, 2007 From what I've seen Oxford/Cambridge haven't changed, they seem to be as elitist as ever. The key example being a friend of mine, he got perfect grades - and I do mean perfect all A's in every subject (at the school we went to you had to have a full timetable so thats alot of A's). He had alot of extra cirricular activites and was a prefect etc. but not only was he rejected but he didn't even get an interview. What more could they want.To come from a posh background in the south of England and be private schooled? But author, by the time you get older, youll probably want to go somewhere else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satenza Posted July 15, 2007 Share Posted July 15, 2007 They look for a special type of person, i applied but didn't get a interview. Neither did another friend. However one got into Oxford anyway. It's pretty damn tough. However i was kind of glad since i want to experience University something which im sure can't be fully done with the amount of pressure they put you under. With so many trees in the city you could see the spring coming each day until a night of warm wind would bring it suddenly in one morning. Sometimes the heavy cold rains would beat it back so that it would seem that it would never come and that you were losing a season out of your life. But you knew that there would always be the spring as you knew the river would flow again after it was frozen. When the cold rains kept on and killed the spring, it was as though a young person had died for no reason. In those days though the spring always came finally but it was frightening that it had nearly failed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highlanders Posted July 15, 2007 Share Posted July 15, 2007 Do something you enjoy and like. :| 2480+ total Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lageris89 Posted July 16, 2007 Share Posted July 16, 2007 Hopefully you will outgrow the idea of going to Oxford or Cambridge before you have to make the choice. You should especially reconsider depending on where you live, what class you are, etc, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginger_Warrior Posted July 16, 2007 Share Posted July 16, 2007 Hopefully, you will come to realise that it doesn't actually matter if you go to Oxbridge or any other prestigious unviersity. I could certainly apply for Oxbridge, in fact, my college suggests I do. However, I'm not gonna. Why? Because I feel that the environment is wrong. I'd prefer to go to an urban university like Manchester, Liverpool or Sheffield to do Medicine. To do a course like Medicine, you have to have a social life outside of your studies to take your mind off it all. I don't feel Oxbridge would provide that - it's just too work driven. Don't fall into this trap that getting into Oxbridge = Better education. It still very much varies depending on how you learn, what environment you learn best with and who you get along with. That's your decision, but I just feel Oxbridge wouldn't provide me with the style of learning I'd enjoy, and it would be full of people I feel would look down on me because I come from a less well-off background. That's just how I feel, but just get the message that Oxbridge isn't necessarily the best place to go to. | Favourite Game Music | Last.fm | HYT Friend Chat Rules | Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbalking Posted July 16, 2007 Share Posted July 16, 2007 Cambridge isn't always the best university for what you might want to take. Some univerisities have specialest subjects and courses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andufusthebronze Posted July 16, 2007 Author Share Posted July 16, 2007 Cambridge isn't always the best university for what you might want to take. Some univerisities have specialest subjects and courses. Cambridge specialises in english, which is what I want to take. At I have a few friends who went to cambridge and loved it, so... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evrae Posted July 16, 2007 Share Posted July 16, 2007 Oxford definitely isn't that elitist - after all, I got an offer. And I'm only taking three full A levels. I'm just waiting to see whether I get my A's But I will say this - take a foreign language at GCSE. Until recently it was a requirement for admision at Oxford in any course. I don't know about Cambridge, but it'll be similar. But seriously, take subjects you enjoy. You'll be more likely to do well. Don't pressurize yourself this early. Wait until you choose your A levels before putting on the pressure. And whatever you apply to do, make sure you really want to do it. Thats one of the main things they look for. And be prepared to not get in. Psyching up this early is looking for trouble IMHO. Though I have to say that if you want to be an author, will a fancy degree really help you? The creativity can't be taught, and the skills at writing well can be learnt from many places - the OU does a pretty good creative writing course. Sorry if I sound a bit negative. I wish you the best of luck. I have to get practically naked when I'm cooking bacon.I may be immature, but that made me laugh! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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