Should you take subjects you enjoy or subjects you find easy?

I'm considering taking maths, further maths, chemistry and physics at a level. However, I have found some topics in those subjects difficult to grasp and it has taken me some time after school at home to finally understand them. I also find that I seem to ask the teacher for help in most lessons in maths, but when she comes and helps me, I immediately understand it (maybe I work better on a one on one basis?) and I usually don't have to ask for help again so it could her teaching style (it's usually the maths lessons with Additional Maths content)...

So, anyway, is it important to subjects you enjoy or subjects that you find easy and are able to grasp concepts quite quickly? :smile:

(edited 11 years ago)

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Reply 1

lifesabeach

Go for it. They are the ultimate 4 A-level subjects if you want to do a respected degree but unsure which one yet.

Don't be worried about not being able to cope, if you put the work in, you will be rewarded.

Reply 2

kog

There is no point doing a subject you have no passion for, just because it's easy. Most likely you'll have picked your A level subjects, based on what you want to do at university. So, let's say for example, you wanted to do science based course, science at A level would be better than; Media, ICT and music tech, just because you find them `easy`

If you're enjoying maths, stick with it, it doesn't matter if you ask questions, that's what the teachers are there for!

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 3

AfterTheStorm.

I think you have to have a bit of a mix. If you do something really easy but don't particularly enjoy it, you're going to get bored, but then again if you find something really difficult despite enjoying it, you might not get the grades you want/need at the end of the run.

But to be honest it sounds like you would manage fine with maths, and either way once you start studying something at A level you get used to it and you'll gradually become better.

That all said, generally if you really like a subject you won't mind putting in a little more effort to do well in it.

Reply 4

username937760

Choosing a subject simply because it's easy is never a good way to choose one. Go for subjects which you enjoy and/or will be relevant to your future career aspirations.

Reply 5

Helloworld_95

They should be a mix of subjects you enjoy, subjects you're likely to get a good grade in and ideally facilitating subjects, if you're lucky each of your subjects will fulfill those criteria.

Reply 6

laura94

I say subjects you enjoy. If you enjoy them you're more likely to put the work in that is required to do well. I also think it's more rewarding when you do well in a tougher subject. I took maths, got a C first year but decided to carry it on despite the fact it was my worst result and I knew I needed to get an A in it in order to go to my preferred university! This is because, even though I got an A in my other subject, I didn't like it, and I liked maths. Anyway, I worked really hard because I enjoyed the subject and am now on course for an A/A*! :biggrin:

Reply 7

bobbricks

Original post by AfterTheStorm.

Do you think I should take Further Maths as well then?

Reply 8

TurboCretin

Original post by bobbricks

There is no guarantee that you will continue to find easy at A-level subjects which were easy at GCSE. Also, if you are fundamentally interested in a subject, you will put the necessary work in to do well.

Reply 9

sammy-lou

Maybe you should have a look at the sort of uni courses you might consider taking in a couple of years time, and see what (if any) A Levels they specifically want. Then go from there.

I'd say take subjects you enjoy, definitely, but at the same time you need to be realistic about what grades you're likely to get. You didn't say in your original post what sort of grade you're working at the moment. You need to be getting at the least a B in maths to be looking at doing so many math based subjects at A Level.

Reply 10

multiplexing-gamer

Original post by bobbricks

Do you think I should take Further Maths as well then?

People usually say its easy on here, but bear in mind TSR is far from the general public - people are cleverer than your average guy at school, so dont be fooled. What grade are you at GCSE?

Reply 11

madders94

Obviously your future career/uni plans matter when it's A Levels we're talking about, and if those subjects are hard ones then that's unfortunate, but remember - you have to do these subjects for two years, and if you don't enjoy them, you might not enjoy whichever extension of them you decide to do at university. So enjoyment is immensely important. If you absolutely need to take those subjects regardless of your enjoyment, see if there's one you can replace or add in a subject that you do enjoy, to offer some relief from them.

I was very lucky in that the subjects I picked because I enjoyed and they're what I need for my university course are also seen as some of the easiest (and I certainly found them pretty easy :smile:

)

Reply 12

bobbricks

Original post by sammy-lou

Original post by multiplexing-gamer

People usually say its easy on here, but bear in mind TSR is far from the general public - people are cleverer than your average guy at school, so dont be fooled. What grade are you at GCSE?

For Core Maths, I'm working at A/A* and for Statistics it's A/A*. However, my teacher has predicted I'll get these grades but she hasn't given us a predicted grade for Additional Maths but I think I'm working at an A/B (there's no A* grade in Additional Maths)...

I'm predicted mainly As across my subjects followed by some A*s (but I'm going to try and aim for this grade in every subject). The only subject where I'm predicted below an A is English Language/ Literature, where I'm predicted B.

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 13

sammy-lou

Original post by bobbricks

You'll probably be fine then. You've obviously got the brains. As long as you've got the work ethic alongside that; A Levels really are much harder than GCSEs but as long as you put in the work then you shouldn't have any problems doing whatever it is you want to do.

I'd say don't go for the easy option, go for what you think will be beneficial to you, and most importantly - that you enjoy at least enough to get you through 2 years of it!

Reply 14

alexsasg

I think there has to be a balance between the two. There is little point doing a subject you hate because you will never want to to work but at the same time, there is no point doing something you're just not good at.

Reply 15

bobbricks

Thanks for the replies.

If there's anyone else who has an opinion on this, feel free to post a reply here. :smile:

Reply 16

Freiheit

Original post by bobbricks

Thanks for the replies.

If there's anyone else who has an opinion on this, feel free to post a reply here. :smile:

Pick 2 A2's you the uni requires and 1 easier A2 that's what I done. There is no point choosing all 4 difficult subjects you don't enjoy because all you need is get the offer and subject choices beyond the requirement doesn't change the offer you get or the likelihood of an offer.

Reply 17

hr30

In my experience you tend to find subjects you enjoy easier because you're willing to spend the time on them. Take subjects you enjoy first and foremost, they'll stop being easy when you don't enjoy. It's also worth mentioning that the subjects you may have found easy at GCSE won't necessarily be easy at A Level (Sciences for example)

Reply 18

diggy

One's you enjoy

The more difficult the subject the greater the reward at the end of it

Reply 19

brightset

From what you've said, if after asking you understand then you should definitely try and go for those subjects. I would say definitely do A-levels that you enjoy but on the flipside, for me personally, I did Physics at AS even though it had never really been one of the favourites and I did best in it because I was good at it. So I guess you sort of need a mix, and doing a subject which you are good at and enjoy is even better! :h: