posted by ![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
sevenhelz at 01:21pm on 21/08/2005
sevenhelz at 01:21pm on 21/08/2005and this: http://education.independent.co.uk/news/article306607.ece
"Critics of A-levels say it is now impossible for top universities to select the brightest candidates for their most popular courses."
But frankly, universities often don't select students purely on their grades, or even on their ability. The best unis try and fit the student to the course; they match courses to people who have the right attitude and the mindframe for the work. For instance in York, I got on really well with one of the music teachers. If he had thought I wouldn't like the course, he would've explained that to me in interview and not offered me the place. Am I the only person with such experiences? I doubt it, although worryingly, in Glasgow I had quite the opposite experience - I knew immediately that the course was too old-fashioned for me, but I put a good face on it and the interviewers were delighted; I was offered a place anyway. Still, my friend Lxxxx got an interview at Cambridge but was rejected. I think it had to be her personality, because none of us who know her really thought she should be going there anyway - not her atmosphere at all. You've got to match the learning style to the teachers and the structure of the course, you can't just assume that it's better to be in one of the "top" or prestigious unis. I'm sure Steve will agree with me that not everyone suits Oxbridge.
Anyway, if unis need more clarification on how well someone with three or more As has actually done, surely they could ask the candidate for their specific marks? It'll be fairly obvious then if they've done well in coursework, exams or both, and that must have some impact on how well they'll do on a specific uni course.
This really annoys me. It's not the system that needs changing - we just need brighter people to work in it! Like Ruth Kelly saying "I will make A levels harder" fgs, they're hard already!
okay I'll stop being hysterical now. don't mind me if i mutter for a while...
xx
"Critics of A-levels say it is now impossible for top universities to select the brightest candidates for their most popular courses."
But frankly, universities often don't select students purely on their grades, or even on their ability. The best unis try and fit the student to the course; they match courses to people who have the right attitude and the mindframe for the work. For instance in York, I got on really well with one of the music teachers. If he had thought I wouldn't like the course, he would've explained that to me in interview and not offered me the place. Am I the only person with such experiences? I doubt it, although worryingly, in Glasgow I had quite the opposite experience - I knew immediately that the course was too old-fashioned for me, but I put a good face on it and the interviewers were delighted; I was offered a place anyway. Still, my friend Lxxxx got an interview at Cambridge but was rejected. I think it had to be her personality, because none of us who know her really thought she should be going there anyway - not her atmosphere at all. You've got to match the learning style to the teachers and the structure of the course, you can't just assume that it's better to be in one of the "top" or prestigious unis. I'm sure Steve will agree with me that not everyone suits Oxbridge.
Anyway, if unis need more clarification on how well someone with three or more As has actually done, surely they could ask the candidate for their specific marks? It'll be fairly obvious then if they've done well in coursework, exams or both, and that must have some impact on how well they'll do on a specific uni course.
This really annoys me. It's not the system that needs changing - we just need brighter people to work in it! Like Ruth Kelly saying "I will make A levels harder" fgs, they're hard already!
okay I'll stop being hysterical now. don't mind me if i mutter for a while...
xx