Sorry for not posting a Book Haul post last week! I did not receive any books, and didn't make a trip to the library. I've had a crazy week! I'm back at school and gah, the pressure is on. It's all about working towards GCSEs now and I'm SOSOSO scared, but also ready for the challenges!
This means that I have to schedule my posts for the week and the upcoming weeks so I can focus on my studies. I'm sorry if I don't reply to your comments or emails right away! I will get back to you, don't worry. :) Also, I'm NOT abandoning my blog. I am determined to keep it up and running, despite everything that is going on.
So, this week I received:
Thank you, HarperCollins! I have never Aprilynne but I've heard fairly good things so I'm interested in diving into this one.
Leave a link to your Book Haul/In My Mailbox/Stacking the Shelves/Letterbox Love/Showcase Sunday in the comments below so I can check it out!
Enjoy your books,
Sam :D
Previous posts:
Review - Angelfall by Susan Ee
Review - Cursed by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Review - Awakenings by J.E. Shannon
Review - Fracture by C.J. Daugherty
Waiting on Wednesday - The Forever of Ella and Micha by Jessica Sorensen
Let's Talk - The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones
This American school teacher wants to know what GCSEs are. I'm pretty sure they're some kind of final exam. Are they for entrance to universities or for finishing up high school? How many sections do you take? What subjects do they cover? Do enlighten me, please.
ReplyDeleteGeneral Certificate of Secondary Education. It is your BIG, BIG final exams that you need to get into college. Well, recently the government have changed it so these subjects are compulsory: English, Maths, Science, Religious Studies, Citizenship, ICT, and PE (But we don't take an exam in this, only to make sure we aren't being unfit), and on top of that we get 3 options to what subjects we would like to do, and you can pick: Art, Health and Social, Drama, Music, Resistant Materials, Catering, Business Studies, Media, History, Geography, and a language that the school teaches.
DeleteI've picked Art, Business and Media. Some exams for the subject we take at the end of year 10 (age 14/15) and the rest we take ALL at the same time at the end of year 11 (Last year of high school).
Stressful times. Hope this helps. :D
OK, I'm really surprised that religious studies are required in England! Wow. That's just -- weird. (Keep in mind I live in a super-religious part of the US, and religious studies are offered OUTSIDE of school - must be off-campus -- and CANNOT be required even here.) I'm assuming citizenship is how the government works, which sounds like a good thing to require. Is ICT technology? (Across the pond we often have different names for things, in case you haven't noticed this already.) What's resistant materials?
ReplyDeleteSo, these exams are not merely to complete secondary school, but required for your tertiary ed? Even religious studies? Otherwise, your list looks a lot like the requirements for an American kid to graduate from high school.
We have 2 big exams for those who wish to go to university: the ACT, which tests math, English, social studies, and science, and the SAT, which is just math and English. Different universities require different tests, so most teens who wish to go to university take both tests.
In addition, many university-bound students take Advanced Placement (AP) courses and their corresponding tests, but these are not required. An AP course is a university-level course taught at a slower pace for high school. (In other words, a semester course is taught over a full year.) Students may pay to take the exam at the end of the year. It's scored 1-5. Even the snootiest universities (think Harvard and Yale) consider given university credit for a 5, most good universities will give credit for a 3 or a 4 as well. A community college (where one goes to earn certificates for trades, such as electrician or radiologist) will often give credit for a 2. It's very common for a university-bound teen to take 4 or 5 of these courses their final year, and 1 or 2 each of the preceding 2 years. (I had one former student whose final year of high school saw her with 7 AP courses.)
Thanks for your explanation. And best of luck to you!
Sorry for the late reply. Hahaha, yes!! I feel it is strange too, but it's all about learning to accept others and their beliefs, but that should already be common sense. Citizenship covers politics, war, communities, etc. Yes, a very interesting subject. IT = Information Technology, just using the computer. And resistant materials is like wood work, metal work, etc.
DeleteYep, if you don't get a minimum of five "C" grades in your subjects then some colleges may not accept you. And we are not allowed to retake our exams.
WOOOAAHHHH! Information overloadddd!! That is very interesting! Thanks for telling me.I think that sounds like a pretty good system for getting into universities and colleges. I've never knew what APs were so it's good to finally know what they are.