How useful is computer science gcse?

EdwardTeach

EdwardTeach

EdwardTeach

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My son is in Y9 and has to pick his gcse's soon. He is considering whether to do computer science or a 2nd language. For context he is a very strong student in every subject, so it is not an issue relating to picking a subject he is good at. He doesn't really know what he wants to do for degree/career so his gcse picks are just about keeping his options open.

He is considering doing computer science for gcse because he thinks it could be useful. Im sure plenty of ocuk members will have done computer science gcse and/or work professionally in a connected field, and might be able to share some insight on this?

I think speaking 2 languages (French and German) would be more beneficial I was wondering if he could pick up the useful parts of the computer science gcse in another way, by online courses etc?
 
Developing an interest in coding early is very useful if he decides to take that career route the earlier he starts the better. Even if he doesn't work in software being able to code lets you automate parts of many jobs, so while other people are faffing about doing things manually you can run some program you wrote earlier and do something fun instead.

Languages are useless, everyone speaks English at work.
 
I had a very quick look at the GCSE curriculum, and it does seem to cover the basics of programming. If he's interested in computers, then it seems like a nice way to get an introduction to programming. A language can easily be picked up later, plus learning two different languages at the same time is "language heavy", and you may not be learning the language you eventually need.

Personally I would do computer science. If computers are easy for him, that's another reason, because it takes the pressure off study a bit.
 
I don't think there's many benefits in learning two languages really. Especially at GCSE level it's not like they teach you to be fluent at all.

Is he very tech inclined? Could there be potential for him to go down the apprenticeship route? I fairly strongly think that's the best way into IT at the minute, albeit he still has plenty of time!
 
When you say 2nd language, you mean studying 2 languages for a 2nd and 3rd language spoken (with English as 1st)?
 
Nasher said:
About as useful as GCSE business studies or geography
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Remember humanities? I still to this day don't even know what it means.

I feel for business purposes if you are going to learn a language then Mandarin would be way more beneficial than any Latin language.
 
Delta3D said:
I don't think there's many benefits in learning two languages really. Especially at GCSE level it's not like they teach you to be fluent at all.

Is he very tech inclined? Could there be potential for him to go down the apprenticeship route? I fairly strongly think that's the best way into IT at the minute, albeit he still has plenty of time!
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He's not extremely tech inclined, but he does find it interesting. When I was first using computers you had to have a bit of computer knowledge to even use them, amiga workbench, BBC micros, entering DOS commands to play pc games etc. These days it's so streamlined that basically any idiot can use a pc/phone /ipad, so curiosity is not as encouraged!

I'm not sure how likely it is that he will go into IT but like I said, he doesn't really know what he wants to do yet. Based on his current trajectory, he will do exceptionally well in every subject and will have a lot of options. He is thinking oxbridge/med school rather than apprenticeship at the moment.
 
It's a shame, all my school offered was IT and I skipped it because it was basically MS Word and Powerpoint.

I would have gladly done Computer Science, had it been offered.

IMO a 2nd language is not all that useful at GCSE - you learn so little of it, it does little but help you out a tad when you're on holiday. If you want to take it to A level and degree level, sure, but very few people will be prepared to give up one of the 3 A levels for a language.

I think the fact is that both of them are kind of "done better" outside of a school environment. If you want to learn Spanish, go live in Spain. If you want to learn to code, write code.

So I'd agree, best to do what will still motivate in a year's time.

But potentially the computer stuff will be a smidge more useful.

My experience, in the real world, is that there's always someone who speaks the language better than me. I learned French, and it's estimated that 300,000 French people live in London. Every team I've worked in has contained a native French speaker. So, work-wise, it has never helped me at all.
 
If he has no interest in computers it will offer no real benefit to him, other than making him more familiar with computing principles. Computer science is a broad subject at GCSE so gives a taster in to many parts of the world of computing, they'll teach everything from Hex to Binary conversion, to Python programming, how a CPU works, and basic networking principals, and also security and such.

IMHO it is a great subject to have under your belt, but again if no interest it might be a slog.
 
aaronyuri said:
This is the correct answer.

A child forced to do something becomes resentful. A child that was given no guidance becomes lost. A child given support and encouragement becomes the best version of themselves.
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100%. We would never force him to do anything, just trying to support by giving informed advice. Don't know too much about Cs gcse, hence asking for some insights here.
 
EdwardTeach said:
100%. We would never force him to do anything, just trying to support by giving informed advice. Don't know too much about Cs gcse, hence asking for some insights here.
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Frankly speaking, GCSE's are the most irrelevant part of education outside of allowing people to fast track into A levels, and later Uni.

Nobody gets to the point of applying for a job in something relevant to whatever fields where they list their GCSE's. They wont list their A levels either, why would they? A degree is only semi-relevant, tell your son to do whatever he wants to do the most.
 
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A GCSE is only really useful in that it can lead on to other qualifications if you get good grades. So I would always pick the subjects you are best at and enjoy enough to put the work in.
 
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If he wants to leave with the best grades or wants to stay on for 6th Form, it's what ever subject he think he will best at and also whatever subject he will get stuck into. Also depends on what jobs he wants when he leaves, some will ask for ie 5 GCSEs at 4 (C in old money).

My son did A level Computer sciences, his final project was to write something in Python, some people programmed a Pi, strapped it to a balloon and used it to record atmospheric stuff, some people wrote a card game, the topic is up to the student, but also required the documentation to back it up as well as writing the code. GCSE won't be as deep as that, but make sure he has an interest and understanding of coding if he is leaning this way. There were quite a few nights when we were both pulling our hair out :)

Personally, i would go for CS over language, but it is up to your son on which he will enjoy more.
 
Jim99 said:
It's a shame, all my school offered was IT and I skipped it because it was basically MS Word and Powerpoint.

I would have gladly done Computer Science, had it been offered.
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I remember getting absolutely roasted by my IT teachers because I'd chosen to do it at A level and one of the guys I knew in the year below asked me if it was worth it and I basically replied with as you said it's not any real IT it's how to use Office so not really, for some reason he told them this and they took real offence to it :o
 
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