Results!

Its results day today for A level and college courses! So in the post arrived a nice certificate saying I got a triple distinction in 'Advanced Music Technology' Yay!

My GF also got her first year A level results which if I remember correctly were double A for Business, A, A, B for Computing and umm.. U for Maths! Hehe!

 

well done, and give GF a kiss form me too!

 

thats great...so, what do people think of a levels being too easy..??

seems that there isn't any prove that they are...would be interesting to compare some old exam papers...unfortunately I only have a graphic design paper from the late 80's...

more and more people are running marathons these days, but that doesn't mean they're easier, does it..?

 

well done mate. I did a really good music degree at Colchester Institute which was modular and therefore did the Special Honours Study in Music tech there, in case you're interested.

 

Nice work And for your girlf too

I only got a measly BCD at A level, but the D was in art (not bad for a blind cabbage!) - and was an average class mark for our year (due to a really negative teacher who inspired us to do sod all work!)

This results thing reminds me - 12 years since I got mine - NOW I feel old!

 

Thanks guys! I don't think I want to go any higher with education stuff I have had a belly full. It's time to get a job of some sort!

My GF wants to go to Uni after next year provided she does well. I don't really want her too though, if she does that means we would be a long way apart! We either have to break up in about 1 year or I have to get my own place where she goes to Uni I guess.. better start saving

 

tenson, go see and experience the world. you'll write better songs...
cheers


julian

 

Tenson, seriously think about something other than work for the moment. Uni is NOTHING like college, its a million times better so give it some thought. Julian's idea is a good 'un, I should have travelled when I look back but at the moment its not feasible. You could look for a course with a gap year. Still, everyone is different but I do strongly recommend people at least give it a try.

 

Well done, once you get the certificate in your hand remember that no one can take it away from you, it is yours for life!

Along with the with the others I suggest spending a bit of time traveling about the place just to see a few more things before you decide what is next on your to-do list. Now when I was a lad many, many years ago my friends and I travelled by train (using low cost student tickets) to the mountains of France, Italy and Switzerland where we stayed in mountain huts, met loads of other like minded people and had a wonderful time. I realise that this may not be for you but the chance to encounter a pile of new ideas, way of living and people was one of the best things I have ever done. I know it opened my mind and I'd like to think contributed a lot to my later life.

This may not sound very exciting to a student who lives in a world where a stag night in Reykjavik, a weekends shopping in Dubai or a gap year in Chile are common place but whatever you choose please make sure you get as much as you can out of the travelling as you are only young five or six times

www.seat61.com

 

Yeah at college they tend to just teach you stuff, at university they make teach you the foundations for two years then make you research a new area based on what you have learn't and make you do a project and a 10,000+ word report on it. University is great it does get very stressful at times but you just have to believe in youself, I must admit I was panicing over Huffman, entropy and GIF/JPEG encoding in one of my final modules though but I still passed it just about.

As for A levels I wish the media would stop printing black and white statistics, there is a huge difference between an E and an A. A lot less than 10% will get 3 A's and good half of under 21's don't have any A levels at all. So despite the Sun et all making a mockery of them every year don't believe the media hype.

Well done for those who have got their results today and have passed.

I am looking for work now because I am getting on a bit, I am 23 in just over a weeks time so I do need a job, however I am glad I went to university, its only three years of my life and I could be working for more than 10 times that amount.

 

University is a waste of time unless you have the grades to go to a decent university, otherwise you just end up with a largely useless degree and a mountain of debt. If I had my time again i would get a job after A levels and do an open university degree or similar, you will get further quicker - and likely a better degree as well. Just my opinion guys

Oh and as for the A levels getting easier, dunno about most subjects (course work is certainly a lot easier than just exams) but the A level maths (just exams at the end no coursework /continuous assessment) papers i took in 94 were a lot harder than the ones i practiced on from the 70s/80s. There was a definite change around the years 88/89 i seem to remember.

 

I really don't fancy Uni. I am not a particularly academic type, 10,000 word reports are NOT my thang baby! I also don't want a huge loan.

The main reason though, is that I want to get on with my life! I love sound engineering and I want to make a career out of it. It's my passion and to go doing other things, although also fun, would just be delaying what I want to do. It seems I might have to do some IT work while I find a career job though.

I do plan to do some interesting things. I am setting up a business of my own at the moment and hopefully I'l be going to Switzerland soon! The band should also start gigging and touring in about 4 months. I would like to travel a bit more but money is an issue there as well as my M.E.

I enjoy what I am doing so I don't want to change.

My brother just finished Uni (he got a first in computer science) and has now gone to Japan for a year to teach English so he obviously has the right idea!

 

Not true, I got modest GCSEs, A levels results but I still got a 2:1 from one of the highest rating universities for computing. My departments employment ratings are good and the average salery is almost £17,000. This is a lot higher than most people without degrees would probably be on 3 years into their job unless they are doing a trade thats in demand or somthing.

However I don't think the people who got 40% 3rds on my course will get good jobs. I am currently unemployed but I have only been looking for jobs for the last month, I have applied for about 20 now, none of them I could have applied for if I didn't have a degree. I have seen even a lot of basic £12k a year jobs asking for a degree.

Tension if you don't want to then there is not much point really, don't be preasured into it most people that are don't do well. However its never too late to change your mind you can always do somthing part time later in life or somthing.

 

There is a lot of evidence to show that 'A' levels have become easier & less discriminating over the past 20 years. The Daily Telegraph found an old 'O' level question which resurfaced as an 'A' level one...

 

Please don't get me started on that argument. I have seen how the media are evil with this issue and they use statistics which make A levels seem too easy. But as a moderator of the UK's and possibly worlds largest student site you get to know the real truth.

I am bored of this argument becuase of the other site but basicaly one of the reasons so many people are passing is becuase so many people drop out before AS, so only the best students get as far as A2.

As for this Telegraph thing do you really beleve a damn word you read int he papers? I don't they will manipulate anything for a story. Its just a bunch of old men wanting to make them selves look good by making modern exams seem easy. They don't tell you that you could get into Cambridge int he 60's with 2 C's and a B do they?

 

Believe whatever you like, you know best.

 

Well having gone through the system in the last five years and knowing of loads of people who got their results today I believe I do.

It would make so sense at all for them to make exam papers easier.

 

So why do the Universities complain about falling standards amongst the school-leavers with high grades?

And why has there been no corresponding "grade inflation" in the Scottish Highers?

 

The Scottish higher system is totally different. The problem is people are working harder these days, A levels are more important now than they ever were. Its only really Oxbridge thats complaining the rest of the universities seem perfectly happy with the system.

Only about 5% of students will get AAA or better when you actually look at the stats properly instead of just reading the crap they print in the snooze papers.

 

grade inflation and targets

If you take entry to Cambridge as a standard that has not changed over the years and that to get in today you nead a handfull of grade As then do the 2 C's and a B from the 60s equal the 3 or 4 As needed today?

I am not too sure that is exactly true but with Mr Blair suggesting that the target for further education is iirc 50% (about 17% in the 60s?) then a large increase in the skill of the teachers or indeed a change in entry standards are some of the ways to meet such a target. On the other hand are students of today really "standing on the sholders of giants" and scaling new hights when it comes to education?

I just don't know, does anyone?