TheInspiration

Got my first two back yesterday which I did one year early, got A* for IT and Maths. Well done. Don't assume they're all going to be that easy just because those were. And if they are easy, maybe you're just clever. That said, these are GCSEs after all.

What grades did you get in your GCSEs then Attain, seeing as you're so smart?

Well I may need some sleep from time to time in fairness...

The whole A* issue is completely daft, but it is what comes with grade inflation, as students start to pile up at the top end. Like I said it's getting to the point were an A** grade is needed at GCSE now (which is barmy, but there you go). At A Level there always was an extended paper (not an A* though) for those that were likely to get A's to try and allow some differentiation at the highest levels (mostly for University selection), now many University's are starting to have their own standard tests. Aye, again it's the system, not particular schools or students. Lots of things can effect small numbers, but it's the yearly overall rise that is the issue. Individual papers can be tougher etc., or they can have changed boards (where some give you certain formula and expect you to be able to use them, and others expect you to remember all formulas - clearly the 2nd option is "harder" even if they questions are of the same calibre), a particular class can just be bone idle. But in the end it goes back to grade inflation helping no one, but the politicians once a year with their nice graphs. Aye I don't dispute there must be some overall grade inflation, though having just finished school myself, I tend to get irritated by the "exams getting easier" arguments as they belittle the achievement of the students. Plus not being naturally too academic, I feel proud of my grades.

Because he's fucking shit? I think he's a decent player to honest... decent club player, but not good enough for England. still, booing someone for being crap is a little harsh...

the BBC contract has ended so they're all on ITV and Setanta nowadays.

He's picking people on reputation again rather than performances in the league, hence the reason for the likes of Young and Agbonglahor being left out. Watch Bentley get straight into the side over the next few months because he's playing for Spuds. Aye, Spuds. apparently the next best team after the top four. Agbonlahor's another player who deserves a chance - great hat-trick on sunday. also Richards is one of our most talented young defenders in years - centre and right back. some ridiculous selections.

highlights ITV1 at 10.40pm by the way if you can't get Setanta. I've not been impressed by almost everything Capello's done so far. His squad selection for this match has been puzzling. Heskey is crap - he barely scores for Wigan and only looks good alongside Owen, who isn't playing. He didin't pick Crouch either - whatever you say about him, you can't deny he's been England's best striker in the last couple of years and he'd better be picked for our first competitive squad. Ashley Young should also be in the squad - last season showed he's England's best left-winger imo.

Daft Punk - Around The World.

I'm in Freeman's Bayle as well - 004 is my room so ground floor I assume. Got it all sorted now so only a few weeks until the long hike up to Newcastle on the 21st September. 004? Mine was 823 I think. On the top floor. You're going to have some sleepless nights because everyone will be walking past your door on the way back so I recommend getting some good ear plugs. also. the walls are so thin that you can hear everyone fucking at night. so unless you enjoy that, like I do (with a belt around my throat - asphyxsi ftw), then ear plugs are really a must. Ahh, turns out I'm in Freeman but in Clayton instead, not Bayle. You're right I think I'll need earplugs as I can get put off easily when trying to sleep.

Cheers. Interesting read...

In that case, "so that's how you achieve that elusive away draw". something Allardyce liked to aim for in his very positive football approach.

I'm in Freeman's Bayle as well - 004 is my room so ground floor I assume. Got it all sorted now so only a few weeks until the long hike up to Newcastle on the 21st September.

Cheers for the replies everyone. Don't worry, I've been doing some reading and I'm sure I'll like quite a range as I'm told it's very good with a wide variety. That said I'm from a town where the nightlife is just the opposite.

That's what this discussion is always drawn into (much like many other tricky subjects), it becomes an emotional one of A student. But it's absolutely not about whether a student works hard or not, it's about the system. The fact is many schools are starting to offer things like the International Baccalaureate as they are a more attractive option due to UK grade inflation. Like I said GCSE is pretty much at the stage where an A** is now needed, which eventually leads to madness (or a sweeping re-fudge of the system). No one benefits from grade inflation, whether students realise it or not, students are working just as hard for the same end results, but negatives for employers and further education are getting worse and worse. You don't waltz into a job or University course despite getting better grades than someone might have 10 or 20 years ago, because the grades needed for that job or course have also crept up. It's just a pointless race against quicksand, that gets everyone no where. It's a bit like the mindless drive toward 100% University education, yes University education has a lot of significant secondary benefits, but ironically the more people you force into it, the less benefits there are across the board (and you start to get the grading for funding issues that have been so rampantly reported this year appearing), so there is no overall gain to society. Like I said the secret to better education is better education, not fudging figures. Have to say I'm not in favour of the A** myself because if a person only gets an A* or an A, it seems less of an achievement because there's always one grade higher. At present, an A* isn't merely the very best A grade, it's what the A grade used to be, and the A grade is what the B used to be etc, (apologies if I'm not making myself very clear) but each to his own. Interestingly enough, I hear the maths grades from the year below mine (AS-level) at the school I was at were much lower this year. One of the modules lots of intelligent people who got As otherwise managed to get Es and Us. They all found it surprisingly hard (it isn't normally for those that work), but the grade boundaries still remained very high. That said, this is just an example of one school, though we are a grammar school who tends to do very well in league tables.

I just find him incredibly irritating to listen to, those things aside.

Hi. In a few weeks I will be starting at Newcastle University. I was wondering if it's possible any of you could give me some information and your own personal views about the place. I hear the nightlife is very good from many sources. What about the music venues and sport in the local area, especially cricket and other outdoor activities like watersports? How accessible is the nearby countryside also and is it a nice place to visit to get away from the big city? Also, are/did any of you at/go to Newcastle University? I'm staying at Castle Leazes in Spital Tongues I believe. Any of you able to recommend it and also I assume it's rather convenient as well being near the university and city centre? Thank you very much for your time.

One Gutierrez, there's only one Gutierrez, one Gutieeeerrrez (etc.). Pretty good if I may say so myself.

This is why you only got a C. Although the questions are getting easier too, you get the same questions on some A Level papers now that you used to get on O Level/GCSE papers once upon a time, plus they move the % banding about. It's even the same in Universities now, as grades are given out more to retain funding and placings than on impartial merit (although, of course, it's always been the case to a certain degree). Is there any evidence the questions actually are getting easier? In all of my A-levels this year the grade boundaries generally went up by one or two marks. I now needed 40/50 I think to get a B in my English coursework which is pretty high. It was 36 recently and the questions can't be shown to be easier as they were made up by the teachers at schools and then approved by the exam boards. They can only be shown to be easier if done by lots of candidates. So if there were still more As with higher grade boundaries, maybe it's not that the exams/courseworks are getting easier and due to other factors? Or maybe they are easier because we have more resources nowadays that can answer the questions? Yes, there's been comparisons of questions. It's especially obvious in subjects where basic things don't really change over the years, maths/science etc. But you're right it's not just one issue, it's loads of things (changing exam structure - several massive exams at the end of 2 years is much "harder" than the current A Level system, teaching to pass, massively dropping % grading rate [some courses only need 50 to get an A now that once needed 75+, lowest I've heard of was ~37 for an A etc. etc.). The real evidence though is the sheer continuity of it, year on year rises, it's impossible that kids are getting more intelligent year on year without fail, it's impossible that teaching is getting that much better year on year without fail (as any honest teacher will tell you), so that basically leaves grade inflation. The irony is it is probably actually hurting the people taking the exams (as well as reaching silliness levels like in GCSEs were really the system needs A, A* and A** now and probably A*** soon), both in University difference and in job prospects (at the very best you're just going to get the same job with higher grades). The wheels are beginning to fall off the wagon now though, which is why they are looking at diplomas (and A* equivalents for A Levels in the mean time), because that will buy them a good 10 years before they reach this situation again, politically. Basically it's just the ass backward thinking of Government that better grades = better education. When it is better education that equals better education. Hmm, well not being a science student, I can't comment on whether the questions are getting easier. However I know a lot of people can work very hard on those subjects and still walk out with low grades. They are still considered "hard" subjects. I just think that the more times a module is on a specific subject, the easier it will be to answer the questions because there will be more resources available. The questions themselves aren't any easier. I had a module that was used for the first time in my A-level philosophy. I did really well in all the other modules and by the looks of things I revised far more than the rest of my class but I struggled to answer it how we were expected.

Hansen's not wrong there. I even had to agree with his "at times I couldn't believe it was Newcastle I was watching" sentiments.

They had comfortably more posession, but I don't think they deserved any better in the last 80 minutes than a draw. I was impressed at how we didn't just play for a draw and end up scraping one either. The players were obviously delighted with the draw but you could see they wanted to keep attacking and to look for a winner instead of just sitting back and defending. Gutierrez would have surely scored if it for us if it wasn't for that stunning tackle by Vidic, and Martins had a great chance also. It's games like this that show why Keegan is so popular. Hopefully our certain ex-manager in the crowd may have been taught a lesson by that, but I wouldn't bet on it.

This is why you only got a C. Although the questions are getting easier too, you get the same questions on some A Level papers now that you used to get on O Level/GCSE papers once upon a time, plus they move the % banding about. It's even the same in Universities now, as grades are given out more to retain funding and placings than on impartial merit (although, of course, it's always been the case to a certain degree). Is there any evidence the questions actually are getting easier? In all of my A-levels this year the grade boundaries generally went up by one or two marks. I now needed 40/50 I think to get a B in my English coursework which is pretty high. It was 36 recently and the questions can't be shown to be easier as they were made up by the teachers at schools and then approved by the exam boards. They can only be shown to be easier if done by lots of candidates. So if there were still more As with higher grade boundaries, maybe it's not that the exams/courseworks are getting easier and due to other factors? Or maybe they are easier because we have more resources nowadays that can answer the questions?

I got AAC for my A-levels so off to Newcastle University in 5 weeks time. Woo, yay, etc. However must be pretty thick given I could only managed a high C in this year's "easy" English exams. I worked really hard for it as well also. Exams aren't getting easier anyway. A-levels are made easier because of the introduction of AS-levels and resits. They don't make doing well on exams any easier. In any case, if we assume they are getting easier for the sake of argument, it's still a pointless argument. The easier they get, the less powerful they become. Employers don't care about A-levels these days as it's all about degrees - this is for jobs that would never need a degree 10 or so years ago. To get the degree you need to get into university through A-levels. Say what you like about getting higher grades easier, entry requirements are getting higher at the same time as courses become more competitive. I would have only need BBC for my course three years ago I think, but I doubt it's become any better tbf.

Well we're only 11th with only 37 games left this season, and that Man United team didn't have Ronaldo, Nani and Tevez playing. Sorry I'm not being a pessimist - I'm a "realist"...

What a good start. Thought we deserved that point as well. Things are looking more positive now surely on the basis of this performance and result.