How important are Qualifications really?

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ratherdeadthanred

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Having this argument with my brother at the minute hes doing his Gcses and seems to think he can just breeze through them and in some ways i have to aggree because they let any fucker into a college nowerdays but am i right in thinking if he really wants to go to university he needs top end grades?
 
Re: How important are Qualifications?

Maths and English GCSEs are what most employers require when taking on a job. They are the two most important ones

To get into a decent uni or on a decent course then that goes off college grades. You need a certain number of UCAS points from your A-levels/BTECs. Along with GCSEs in Maths and English (science too depending on what course)

To be honest, your brother should be taking them more seriously. You can get into most colleges with grades below Cs, but Ideally you need about 4 A-C grades.
 
ratherdeadthanred said:
Having this argument with my brother at the minute hes doing his Gcses and seems to think he can just breeze through them and in some ways i have to aggree because they let any fucker into a college nowerdays but am i right in thinking if he really wants to go to university he needs top end grades?
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GCSE's are indeed a piece of piss. If he's got any common sense he will piss them. Just make sure he gets A-C's in Maths English and Science and he should be rite
 
Take it from someone who left school in the 70's with no qualifications regretably .. they DO matter!

Get all the passes that you can ... they can only aid your cause when looking for a worthwhile , well paid job.
 
To go to a university you must have 5 GCSEs at A-C including Maths and English.
Some universities insist on a modern foreign language at C or better at GCSE.
The top universites only use the points sytem in a limited way still insisting on grades in specified A levels eg "320 points from 3 A levels of which an A grade must be in English".
A 2:1 or better degree from a 'proper' university ie Russell group or Oxbridge/Durham will always be valuable.
Most 'new' universities degrees are toilet paper.
 
I left school with one GCSE (in PE) and have a good job.
 
Having qualifications is not a quarantee of a quality employee, but it is a valuable way of suggesting to an employer that you may possibly be one.

Failing or not sitting exams leaves you with everything to prove.

(Having said that , I've known some pudding-headed graduates!)
 
Aye, in my moderate experience i'd say qualifications are handy for getting your foot in the door of a job- a few decent grades shows you've got wits about you. If you get your feet under the table somewhere with a few propsects, I reckon you'll get every bit as far without them. They don't tell you this, but those people that dont go get a 3 year head start on a career. Any wise employer won't write you off for a rise because you never got that 2:1 BA in philosophy and politics. The wealthiest bloke that I know personally never got a degree.
 
The clever bastards amongst us get a job and then get their company to pay for their degree whilst working 4 day weeks and getting full pay ;-)
 
Most decent jobs now require you to keep getting more qualifications all the time, most people who have money have them, and then there are salemen. Every profession requires that at some level.
 
It's a difficult one, and depends on your goals. When I started Uni it was because you were almost forced to, and I ended up picking something I didn't really like, and stopped. However I had decent A-Levels, enough for good Unis, and got a job I enjoy, and luckily ended up being paid more than the average graduate wage, and being put on a part time degree paid for. I'd say that Uni isn't the be all, (unless you want to be a doctor, lawyer, etc) and would recommend doing vocational courses if you're into following a trade. Just don't let schools and colleges force you into doing something you may regret.
 
how easy is it to just lie nowadays, i know when i left school in the eighties you could say you had shitloads and noone could check easily. by the way , i think how you come across to people is more important than any bit of paper.
 
I had to get 5 A*-C's which includes maths, english and science, to get in for plumbing at oldham college.
I got 7 and a half (half is citizenship which is shite anyway)
I know I had enough to get in, but I really only scraped C's in english and science.
so imo they are very important.
 
blusmiff said:
how easy is it to just lie nowadays, i know when i left school in the eighties you could say you had shitloads and noone could check easily. by the way , i think how you come across to people is more important than any bit of paper.
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Job where you get good pensions tend to check. They as you to bring certiifcates to interviews.
 
Depends what you want from life?

If you don't care about GCSEs now, then see where that takes you and good luck. But, realise that that is the deal you're making with yourself and when in the future you realise that maybe YOU should've given a fuck about YOUR life, then go and do something about it... Or not... But don't blame anyone else for your own short-comings.

A GCSE in Maths for instance shows a couple of things... You're either naturally numerate and can solve problems or you're not naturally gifted but you work hard.
If you don't have a Maths GCSE then you're neither of these things. But it doesn't make you a bad person. You're just going to end up relatively poor, unless you have another skill or talent that you can make money or a living from...

Hey there's always X Factor!

Your life, your choice. Just remember the deal and be responsible for your own actions.

(gets down off soap box...)
 
Corky said:
blusmiff said:
how easy is it to just lie nowadays, i know when i left school in the eighties you could say you had shitloads and noone could check easily. by the way , i think how you come across to people is more important than any bit of paper.
Click to expand...

Job where you get good pensions tend to check. They as you to bring certiifcates to interviews.
Click to expand...
yes it must be hard now , all the info is at the touch of a button, no wonder a level passes are going up, youve actually got to do them :-)
 
any public sector job like teaching, NHS etc will insist on seeing O and A level certificates.
 
If you want to go to a good college then you need good GCSEs. Me and all my mates wanted to go to Oldham Sixth Form but they are quite strict in who they let in. They won't let you in (or they didn't with my year, im year 13 now) if you have anything below a C. My mate got a D in science and she was really upset because they wouldn't accept her. They've got a really high standard, and if they think you won't pass a subject at Christmas, they'll throw you off the course. In exam results, anything lower than a B, you are recommended to resit. But for all this, it has really high pass rates and it is outstanding in the OFSTED inspection. The majority of the students go to Uni.

Crappy colleges don't care what grades you have though. One of my other friends had really crap GCSE results and she still got accepted at MANCAT. She isn't doing too well there, i can tell you that. She wants to transfer, but can't because she hasn't got the grades. She now wants to drop out and complains that she wished she was more serious at school because now she doesn't have any good qualifications to offer.
 
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