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A Level Options: Maths, Biology, Chemistry, Physics and History

I've been thinking about which 4 of these to take at A-Level and it's exasperatingly difficult. The subjects I'll be taking are currently down as: Maths, Physics, Biology and Chemistry. I get A*s in all of these subjects and I'm not sure about what I want to do career wise so someone please help me out.

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Original post by k0chia
I've been thinking about which 4 of these to take at A-Level and it's exasperatingly difficult. The subjects I'll be taking are currently down as: Maths, Physics, Biology and Chemistry. I get A*s in all of these subjects and I'm not sure about what I want to do career wise so someone please help me out.


At my school, some students are allowed to do 5, so I'll be taking Maths, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Spanish. If it's allowed at your school, it might be worth considering? It would take a lot of commitment, but since you say you're getting A*s in these subjects, it might be possible. They're (overall) not very essay-based subjects, so the workload would be difficult but not impossible.
Its important that you choose subjects that you generally have an interest for. I know people that have gotten A*'s and GCSE and then D's or even E's at A level. Trust me when I say A levels on a whole other level than GCSE
Reply 3
It's not worth doing five. Trust me. Especially with these subjects. Do you not have any inkling about what you want to do in the future? That will really determine it.
Something like medicine would need bio Chem and two others.
Whereas physics would need physics and maths.


Posted from TSR Mobile
Don't do History. You will regret it.
Original post by FakeDumbledore
Don't do History. You will regret it.


Yeah lol I chose GCSE History it's nothing compared to A-Level but I still regret it
Original post by DatComicalManiac
Its important that you choose subjects that you generally have an interest for. I know people that have gotten A*'s and GCSE and then D's or even E's at A level. Trust me when I say A levels on a whole other level than GCSE


I second that! I'm doing my AS's and they are a nightmare! Who would have thought 11 subjects would be easier than 4!

Choose wisely is the only advice i can give you! What do you want to do in uni??
What are you most interested in say at uni?
Reply 8
Original post by emmald583
At my school, some students are allowed to do 5, so I'll be taking Maths, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Spanish. If it's allowed at your school, it might be worth considering? It would take a lot of commitment, but since you say you're getting A*s in these subjects, it might be possible. They're (overall) not very essay-based subjects, so the workload would be difficult but not impossible.


Unfortunately school's sixth form is shutting down at the end of the year so I'm having to go to a different college. They put me down for 5 A levels depending on my GCSE results. Idealistically speaking I'd like to take all 5 but I need to take into account the taken taken to commute and the fact that they're all linear (apart from maths). And good luck with your A level! (I'll miss Spanish).
Reply 9
Original post by DatComicalManiac
Its important that you choose subjects that you generally have an interest for. I know people that have gotten A*'s and GCSE and then D's or even E's at A level. Trust me when I say A levels on a whole other level than GCSE


I understand that its because i genuinely love them all so much. Plus my dad's bug on the liberal arts so he wanted me to take at least one essay based subject. I get told I produce AS standard work in English but ehh I'm just confused over if I should drop one of my current options and take history, keep them as they are or take 5
Reply 10
Original post by Bubbles98
I second that! I'm doing my AS's and they are a nightmare! Who would have thought 11 subjects would be easier than 4!

Choose wisely is the only advice i can give you! What do you want to do in uni??


If only I knew ugh I'd be alright with studying history in own time but I wouldn't want to end up neglecting it and anyway learning with others is more fun
Reply 11
Original post by Vikingninja
What are you most interested in say at uni?


Hmm I'm not sure. Engineering, research, teaching (you can hear people around me screaming not to do it), biochemistry, medicine, astronomy who knows
Original post by k0chia
Hmm I'm not sure. Engineering, research, teaching (you can hear people around me screaming not to do it), biochemistry, medicine, astronomy who knows


Would do some research on things you could do.
Original post by k0chia
I've been thinking about which 4 of these to take at A-Level and it's exasperatingly difficult. The subjects I'll be taking are currently down as: Maths, Physics, Biology and Chemistry. I get A*s in all of these subjects and I'm not sure about what I want to do career wise so someone please help me out.


I'm in the exact same predicament with Biology, Chemistry, Physics, History and Maths. I love sciences and history but an admission officer at Oxford told me at a student conference that maths is really important for medicine and many don't realise and struggle when they come to do it. They prefer 3 sciences for A level (which Maths counts as) and I think they prefer it to Physics (which I love and would be my alternative to maths, being a maths-based science).

I don't know, I'm not aiming for Oxford anyway, UCL is my dream :smile:
Reply 14
Original post by k0chia
Hmm I'm not sure. Engineering, research, teaching (you can hear people around me screaming not to do it), biochemistry, medicine, astronomy who knows


I'm doing maths, physics, chemistry and history. I wouldn't do history as it won't be relevant to most of these subjects.
Original post by FakeDumbledore
Don't do History. You will regret it.


I disagree, History Is awesome
Original post by TercioOfParma
I disagree, History Is awesome


I'm afraid to say your opinion is wrong. I can't express enough how much you have to learn to get a good grade in History. It's not worth the time.
Original post by FakeDumbledore
I'm afraid to say your opinion is wrong. I can't express enough how much you have to learn to get a good grade in History. It's not worth the time.


I don't know what you're on about, It is way easier than Maths and Physics.
Original post by k0chia
I understand that its because i genuinely love them all so much. Plus my dad's bug on the liberal arts so he wanted me to take at least one essay based subject. I get told I produce AS standard work in English but ehh I'm just confused over if I should drop one of my current options and take history, keep them as they are or take 5


In all honesty 5 subjects is waaaay to much. The work load will be immense and you might be underestimating A levels. But if you think you can you can try but in my opinion you shouldn't do more than 4
Original post by TercioOfParma
I don't know what you're on about, It is way easier than Maths and Physics.


Nah there's far to much to learn, especially when combined with having a **** teacher. If I've learned anything, complain about the standard of teaching early so that it doesn't get to this stage before you realise you're ****ed.

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