What subject to take for Uni????? Help please

I am currently in the Lower 6th at sixth form. I am taking 5 A levels: Maths, Further Maths, History, English Literature, and music. I'm also doing STEP maths in general studies. For GCSE I achieved 10 A*s and 2As (which may change subject to remarking). The only thing I am decided on is that I want to do Maths or Music at Oxford, Cambridge, Durham etc. or other very top universities (I think my GCSE grades will enable this). However I am really stuck as to whether to do music or maths! I've always been good/interested in maths, and got an A^ in further maths GCSE. On the other hand I play the piano, the guitar to grade 8 standard, and the bassoon to grade 7. I also have music theory at grade 7, and I'm a pretty advanced composer (my favourite being fugues).

Does anybody have any suggestions/advice/help?

Original post by RedSquirrels

I am currently in the Lower 6th at sixth form. I am taking 5 A levels: Maths, Further Maths, History, English Literature, and music. I'm also doing STEP maths in general studies. For GCSE I achieved 10 A*s and 2As (which may change subject to remarking). The only thing I am decided on is that I want to do Maths or Music at Oxford, Cambridge, Durham etc. or other very top universities (I think my GCSE grades will enable this). However I am really stuck as to whether to do music or maths! I've always been good/interested in maths, and got an A^ in further maths GCSE. On the other hand I play the piano, the guitar to grade 8 standard, and the bassoon to grade 7. I also have music theory at grade 7, and I'm a pretty advanced composer (my favourite being fugues).

Does anybody have any suggestions/advice/help?

All I can say is that you will figure it out. You have a year to decide. I was undecided at that stage and I quickly realised what I was truly passionate about. Best of luck!

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Reply 2

money-for-all

17

BSC Hair, Beauty and Nails ?

triple honors degree = Life Sorted.

Reply 3

Sarah1778

12

With Maths you can go into Music whereas with Music you can't really go into anything Maths related

Reply 4

Plagioclase

21

Original post by RedSquirrels

I am currently in the Lower 6th at sixth form. I am taking 5 A levels: Maths, Further Maths, History, English Literature, and music. I'm also doing STEP maths in general studies. For GCSE I achieved 10 A*s and 2As (which may change subject to remarking). The only thing I am decided on is that I want to do Maths or Music at Oxford, Cambridge, Durham etc. or other very top universities (I think my GCSE grades will enable this). However I am really stuck as to whether to do music or maths! I've always been good/interested in maths, and got an A^ in further maths GCSE. On the other hand I play the piano, the guitar to grade 8 standard, and the bassoon to grade 7. I also have music theory at grade 7, and I'm a pretty advanced composer (my favourite being fugues).

Does anybody have any suggestions/advice/help?

Something to bear in mind about Maths is that it's very different at A Level than it is at GCSE, and completely different once again when you get to University. It's definitely a good idea to be looking at STEP papers because that's a lot truer to what university-style Maths is than A Level. You've got plenty of time to make your mind up and I think you'll know a lot better in 6 months time.

If it helps at all, I didn't even know my degree existed when I was at your stage!

Reply 5

RedSquirrels

OP

2

Original post by Plagioclase

Something to bear in mind about Maths is that it's very different at A Level than it is at GCSE, and completely different once again when you get to University. It's definitely a good idea to be looking at STEP papers because that's a lot truer to what university-style Maths is than A Level. You've got plenty of time to make your mind up and I think you'll know a lot better in 6 months time.

If it helps at all, I didn't even know my degree existed when I was at your stage!

Meh tbh the stuff I've done in stats, core 2 and fp1 aren't that bad a step up from f.maths gcse (rather than normal gcse), but thanks for the advice!

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Reply 6

RedSquirrels

OP

2

Original post by Sarah1778

With Maths you can go into Music whereas with Music you can't really go into anything Maths related

Yeah my family are saying that I should do maths as it's more likely to get me a good career/job than music

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I think you need to have a think about which of the two really appeals to you and what it is you might want to do as a career. They are vastly different subjects and will lead in very different directions.*

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 8

RedSquirrels

OP

2

Thanks a lot chaps

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Reply 9

karenyim1

I just saw your post now, which I also have the question of whether I should do maths or music..

Have you thought of perhaps doing a joint honours? There are a few universities which offer music and maths as a joint honours if you have a hard time deciding which one to take. That's only if you think you wouldn't want to just study one subject, and want to do both.

Hope this helps!

Reply 10

PQ

Clearing and Applications Advisor

21

Original post by RedSquirrels

I am currently in the Lower 6th at sixth form. I am taking 5 A levels: Maths, Further Maths, History, English Literature, and music. I'm also doing STEP maths in general studies. For GCSE I achieved 10 A*s and 2As (which may change subject to remarking). The only thing I am decided on is that I want to do Maths or Music at Oxford, Cambridge, Durham etc. or other very top universities (I think my GCSE grades will enable this). However I am really stuck as to whether to do music or maths! I've always been good/interested in maths, and got an A^ in further maths GCSE. On the other hand I play the piano, the guitar to grade 8 standard, and the bassoon to grade 7. I also have music theory at grade 7, and I'm a pretty advanced composer (my favourite being fugues).

Does anybody have any suggestions/advice/help?

As someone else has pointed out maths and/with music is a very common combination and worth looking into.

Alternatively there are courses that combine music and maths/engineering:
http://www.surrey.ac.uk/undergraduate/music-and-sound-recording-tonmeister is one of the most selective courses in the country (only 29% of applications get offers) while http://www.southampton.ac.uk/engineering/undergraduate/courses/acoustical_engineering/hw73_bsc_acoustics_with_music.page is a more engineering focused use of maths.

Reply 11

RedSquirrels

OP

2

Ok thanks guys

Btw update: dropped English lit so doing 4 now

Physics coursework remarked so tally is 11 A*s

I think I'll just decide one or the other, as I want to go to Cambridge really.

Thanks again

Reply 12

coldhands

7

I was in the same position as you when I was deciding to go to university. I ended up being persuaded Maths would be more useful and I went to University of Birmingham (missed my offer from Imperial by 6 marks in Further Maths, but the remark meant I technically did meet it, but that's another story) and managed 18 months before leaving because I just hated it. I then spent some time working and went back to university and did Music (with English Literature) whilst working in theatre, and I loved it. I'm now doing an MA in Musical Theatre and still working in theatre.

All I can say is don't let other people persuade you to do something because you'll get more money from the work at the end of it. Unless that's your main aim. I would much prefer to have a career I enjoy than one where I get lots of money, but each to their own.

Reply 13

RedSquirrels

OP

2

Hmm thought provoking.

Thanks v much

Reply 14

toniiii25

6

Original post by RedSquirrels

Hmm thought provoking.

Thanks v much

Are you part of an orchestra or anything like that? If you do a Maths degree you'll still have music as a hobby, whereas if you did a Music degree, I don't know... I don't know if you could really keep maths as a hobby haha. Unless you like sudoku

Reply 15

RedSquirrels

OP

2

Original post by Emilia28

Are you part of an orchestra or anything like that? If you do a Maths degree you'll still have music as a hobby, whereas if you did a Music degree, I don't know... I don't know if you could really keep maths as a hobby haha. Unless you like sudoku

Yes that's my main train of thought atm

Yep I'm in 2 choirs, 2 orchestras, a band, and a quintet.

What subject to take for Uni????? Help please

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