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female
age
30-35,
anonymous
writes: I’m doing triple science award for GCSE and I’ve been doing this for about 5 months. I'm not an academic kid to be honest (i have dyslexia, dyscalculia and a form of short term memory loss) and I’m in a class full of brain boxes at a very prestigious school. So as you can imagine, the work is very tough! I really love science and my previous teacher thought i have a talent for it but I’m not good at things like homework etc. and all the kids in my class are A+ students. Actually, I’m the only one that isn't in the top stream all the way through school. my dad realized this and has asked that i only do two options instead of three so i can have 3 more hours per week next year (yr 10)to concentrate on my science course work - however this request has not been officially acknowledged yet...Anyway, we have a test tomorrow because my teacher wants to cut our class of 35 into a class of just 30 (or less). i have been revising all yesterday and today and i still don't feel confident that i will get the 100% i need to stay in this class. if i carried on working my *** off i would be doing this for another two years while all the other kids sailed through the cores work. but if i quit now i could drop back into the double award and do really well in it then take up my third option again (even though i don't really want a third option)so I’m asking myself is all this hard work really worth it? am i just simply not good enough to carry on?Is it better to be a big fish in a little pond,or a little fish in a big pond?Please help... :(
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female
reader, lexilou  +, writes (3 July 2008):
 Whilst you need your gcse's to get into a good 6th form or college you should still have plenty of subjects to fall back on if you drop from the triple to the double award.
My daughter has just done her triple and is forcast for very good results, she is academic. However if you want to go to uni its the A levels that count most. Yes she has done the triple but is only doing one science at A level along with German, maths and dance (I wanted her to do chemistry instead of dance but dont get me started!).
You may not have to take up the third option, talk to the school again and go above them if necessary to the education board, my daughters friend has had problems and they decided she would just take the core subjects and ONE option for her exams and she has still been accepted to 6th form college pending her results. So talk to someone about this before the worry makes it all worse. I wish you luck and well done for even being accepted onto the triple award course as that is an achievement in itself x
A
male
reader, Uncle Sneaker +, writes (3 July 2008):
 Is all the hard work really worth it?
No.
Probably not.
Unless... there's always an "unless", isn't there? Unless you want to continue your academic success into one of the top universities. Oxford? Cambridge? If you have the ability and motivation to do that, then the doors it could open to you for a future career will give you opportunities you won't get otherwise.
And unless you really want to show everyone just how you really can do SO much better than everyone else, despite dyslexia, discalculia and short term memory loss.
No grades are worth burning yourself out for, or risking serious stress and depression. But at the same time there's a real feel of personal satisfaction to do better than everyone expected of you and to achieve the very best you possibly can.
It's a personal thing. I'm sure you are good enough if you put your mind to it, if you WANT to put your mind to it (and put more effort into that homework you say you're not so good at!!) And unless you want to do something particularly special as a career (Prime Minister? Head of MI5?), then you can be just as successful in nearly any job with middle-of-the-road grades as with the very top ones.
One of my kids is in a similar situation - being "fast-tracked" in science subjects. I've told him the same: do your best, but don't try to push yourself further than you feel able to cope with. It's just not worth it.
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A
reader, anonymous, writes (3 July 2008): i think you are doing really well already considering the problems you have give your self credit!! two years go's by so quickly and at the end of it you will be rewarded with a good job, stability,pride ect at the end of it you can feel proud of your self i know u dont feel that way now but you will alot of kids drop ou of school and end up in macdonalds keep your head up work at it you know you can do it hun x
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