Carmel College General Studies Course Information

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general s tudies

AS/A2 General Studies

Will I study General Studies at Carmel? Yes, more than likely. We encourage all students to take General Studies as it is a very useful part of your overall education. Although some universities at the outset deem that it is not necessary, almost all are happy to accept it in August, especially if you fall slightly below your predicted grades. It could be seen as “an insurance� to help you get to university! Besides, the questions asked are very similar to those used for graduate recruitment!


AS/A2 General Studies EXAM BOARD: OCR

meet the students HELENA NEWBOLD Prescot School

Studying: English Language, French, General Studies, German, Spanish General Studies helps to broaden your horizons. For example you can learn about science when you study all arts subjects or vice versa. At Carmel there’s a relaxed atmosphere because everyone wants to learn. All the tutors are extremely supportive and help you do your best. As well as studying there are lots of opportunities to go on trips. I went on the German exchange which improved my language skills as well as being an enjoyable experience. When I leave I hope to study German and Spanish at Cambridge University.

WHAT WILL I STUDY?

HOW WILL I BE ASSESSED?

As its name suggests, the material is wide ranging but is broadly divided into 3 areas – Social, Cultural and Scientific. The AS Level consists of two papers: Paper 1 Cultural and Social Domains and Paper 2 the Scientific Domain. There are a series of short questions with some short reading material combined with short essays. You might be asked, for example, what it means to be British, or what qualities are required to be a successful Politician? Or again, what is required to lead a healthy lifestyle? Some basic Maths is required in the Scientific Domain.

General Studies is delivered in tutor group time with sessions just before the exams themselves. Students sit the General Studies exam in the second year of study, taking AS Level in January and completing A2 in June. Most of the skills and knowledge required for General Studies are transferred from your other subjects (GCSE and AS/A2) as well as Open Forum, Critical Thinking, etc. You should be following world news through the media as this will help you to widen your knowledge.

The A2 Level delves more into moral dilemmas. Again there are two papers with some short questions and essays. These papers usually ask you to link the Domains. Questions might include the onus on scientists to be responsible in their work, the problems of our transport system or how sustainable is Britain?

HOW WILL STUDYING GENERAL STUDIES HELP ME IN THE FUTURE? Participation and pass rates are high at Carmel, indeed we are among the top performing Sixth Forms in the subject! Some 90% of the student body sits the exam with a pass rate (A-E) in the mid 90s. Many students and graduates applying for jobs have to do tests similar to those found in the General Studies papers – particularly on current affairs, logic, and issues of morality.

What resources will I have? As well as the regularly updated section in the college Library, all teaching resources are available to students via the intranet and sharepoint computer systems. These include all past papers with model answers along with Powerpoint presentations detailing the layout of the exams. A range of text books is also available.


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