The Importance Of Gcse`s

Hi I am writing this article because for anyone who is sitting or about to sit GCSE`s. The GCSE results are exceptionally important to you. It is imperative that you do well in the exams and achieve good all round grades.

I know that some of you may be sitting a handful of GCSE`s, others upto 10 or even 12 subjects. It does not matter how many you are sitting. You have to achieve good results - minimum a B grade in wach subject.

I know GCSE`s can be daunting, but you can do it! It is all about your work ethic and discipline. When my daughter sat them, she was studying 12 subjects. She achieved grade A and A* in all of them. She worked hard. When she came home from school, she had a snack to eat, and then disappeared into her room to study. She re-emerged for supper, and then carried on working. If she was still up at 10.30pm, I would ask her to put her books away and go to sleep. At weekends, she would work for about 8 hours, taking short half hour breaks every hour and a half.

So the message is - work hard but also rest!. The mind needs to assimilate the information you are learning. Go to bed at a reasonable hour, and if necessary wake up earlier to study for an hour or before school. The brain is more efficient in the morning. Yes- it`s true!

Now for the real message. The GCSE results stay with you for much longer than you imagine. When you apply for University, you need to provide your grades. Similarly, when you start filling out application forms for work, you need to provide your grades. You will be doing this until about the age of 25.

Why are employers so interested? you may ask. Well, in my previous management roles, I recruited many staff - some experienced, and some starting out. If individuals had poor GCSE results, then that told me immediately that the candidate was intellectually weak or lazy. So the application was rejected out of hand. It is as simple as that.

Managers do not have the time to see all applicants. They screen candidates vigorously, and will only select the best for interview. If you get to the interview for a job, it means that you have as good a chance of getting the job as the other 5 or 6 selected at this stage.

So you need to stand out from the crowd. You need good results. This is the first only time that you are examined on a wide range of subjects in your life, where the results really count. If you do well, it proves all round intellectual ability. After the GCSE`s you specialise in a few subjects. This means that you can do well in the AS Levels and A Levels beacuse you have fewer subjects and more time for each of them.

So remember this lesson. Employers want the best people around. Your GCSE results are important to them as well.

Good luck everyone. John