OMG Warwick! That's where I wanna go!

Music really does suck, and my teachers really are cocks.

Best be there when I go, then! If it goes to plan, I'm starting Uni end of 2008. If you aren't there... *shakefist*

College. Not good, at least right now. This is the worst semester I'm gonna have. Expect complaints.

Wtf? I thought you would be doing AS levels this year...

I did pretty well at all my GCSEs ('cept industrial technology, which I barely passed with a C) but sucked so much at A-levels I dropped out and am now working for some crappy job in town. Don't do it!

EDIT: Wtf, and Soll? I thought you were older than me. You weird kids.

Someone explain how the school system works in England. I'm totally confused.

The idea of having to take industrial technology or any sort of crap like that frightens me.

Well. I PUT DOWN industrial technology as my choice of three tech subjects since it was supposed to be more computer orientated than the other two options (graphics and resistant materials) (I wish I could have skipped it and done business studies like my 2/3 blind friend but I didn't get that option, damnit) but at the beginning of the year the teacher was like "wtf is with this course? It's crap, screw this, let's do res mats" so I got stuck with a resistant materials GCSE that was just CALLED industrial technology.

And then I got the worst in the year in year 10 mock, and then in year 11 passed it with a C on the actual GCSE. (I seem to do like four times better when I don't revise. )

And then after that, there's two more optional years of study where you take 4 AS levels and continue 3 of those into A-levels, but we had to do an extra one (critical thinking) which was the only one I managed to complete since I was horrible at basically everything and dropped out just after Easter.

EDIT: That probably wasn't very informative, let's try again.

Age 4-5: Reception.
Age 5-11: Primary school.
Age 11-16: Secondary school. (GCSEs at end, about 11 of. Graded A-G. Only C+ is considered a pass.)
Age 16-18: OPTIONAL sixth form - 4 AS levels, 3 A levels in the second year.
Age 16-18: OPTIONAL college - I don't know wth they do here, supposedly it's just for more practical things than academic subjects like in sixth form.

Or you can drop out and get a job or a modern apprenticeship. Or whatever.

EDIT: Of course I skipped a year so it was different for me, but that's how it normally is.

Jesus christ, you poor English children. In the US, "tech subjects" and other such garbage classes are not required. You can take them if you want, but it purely optional. At least at my high school, I was able to focus in on things i liked. I had like 2 biology classes, 2 anatomy/phys classes, calculus 1 and 2, jazz band, orchestra, etc.

I think in high schoo, the required classes to graduate were (3 histories, 1 social science, 3 lab sciences, 3 math/stats, 1 fine art/applied art, 4 english, 1 computer science, 1 physical education, and then electives that you pick).

It's not government required, it was school required. We got bugger all choice.

It was like this:

English: Forced
Other English: Forced
Maths: Forced
Double Science: Forced
Any Modern Language: Forced
Any Tech: Forced
Any "humanity" (history, geography, one other I forget): Forced
RE: Forced

Two others: Optional.

The other two schools in town (one is a girl's school, one's mixed, I went to an all guy's school) had a lot more options.

EDIT: But for A-levels I had total flexibility, partly because the sixth form in our town is split between all 3 schools (lots of tedious walking but.)
So I picked some of the subjects I was best at in my GCSEs, I.e maths/physics/ICT/business & economics as my last one, but I sucked at all of them at A-level. It just required a flexibility of mind I don't have, I think.

Got to love America, we were not forced to take a foreign language. The idea being, "Well just make everyone else learn English." It was so bad, I had to take japanese online in high school

Yea, well, I was actually pretty good at French. So I didn't mind that too much. But I would totally have dumped tech for business were I given the option. I -always- was bad at tech, partly because it involved drawing and like, motor skills. Which I don't have.

I would love to study in America:
- No need to learn world geography provided you knwo american geography
- No need to learn other languages, english is more than enough
- No need to learn world history, only american history who is only 500 years long
- Need to sing american patriotic himns since you're a baby so you know what's important.

Only problem is that unless you have any interest to educate yourself, you then look like a uneducated tourist. And you have presidents like the one you have now...

I had to take at least 4 years of Spanish, and I still can't speak a lick of it. All we did was learn numbers and eat spanish food for four semesters. I'm minoring it in when I finally transfer though.

Yeah, it was like that for me in High School too (That and our teacher told us we were all going to die if we went into the military so I got her fired), but I'll be double majoring in Japanese lang. with my Comp. Sci. when I transfer so um.. I'll have something.

Spanish seems fun to learn, but I lack focus enough as it is! Maybe after college and I move out to the west I'll want it more.

Meh.. you'd think someone who is trying to teach algorithms and C++ would know how to write instructions for assignments.

Oh well.. I'll figure it out.

Wait. You were forced into a tech and a language? Aww. Bad luck.

School is grand for me. Except I have to work 5:45-8:30 am on thursdays, 5:30-9pm fridays, and afternoonish on saturdays . So much for relaxing weekends!! But I think it's going to be a harder semester with more work. But I did decided against rushing a sorority (americans should know what that is ) but some of my friends are.

Bah. I have no weekends either. Working friday nights 6:00-11:30, saturday nights 6:00-11:30, and sunday morning 11:00-5:00. Blah.

Currently I take 3 subjects online while working 8 hours a day and having a couple of extra projects. Also I try to keep alive a relationship, reform a new apartment adn sleep.
Next semester is only 2 subjects for me

If there's one thing I regret about my secondary education, it's that I never tried at languages. In fact I did my very best to avoid them. All I have to show for myself language-wise is GCSE French, which means.. that any time I'm in France I embarass myself. Badly. I simply don't remember any.. and I dodged any other compulsory language by doing a GCSE in Ancient Greek. Which hasn't exactly been top of my useful list. If I ever get the time or opportunity, I'd like to improve my French and learn German. Or spanish. Haven't decided.. not that it matters because it will probably never happen.

Youve got it soooo easy in America.

Here:
Have to study grade 9 French because were bilingual.
Have to have 3 years of math, at least.
Have to have 4 years of English, at least.
Have to have 1 art.
Have to have 1 geography course, and youre not just learning about Canada.
have to have 1 History, and youre not learning just about Canada. Modern so the past 100 years at the very least.
Have to have at least 2 sciences, and possibly a third.
Optional in case you do not take 3rd science: 1 technical course.

We have to do more courses but theyre mostly all optional. I think also there is one more social sciences catagory but I havent really payed much attention because I have two already, get a third next semester and next year I get two more.

Erk..better get to my exams.

Edit: Also, some things vary between school boards and I know that America has to do other things than we have to. Everything per country is changed. You have a hard year Shiri