The Student Room Group

Subject Choice 'Boxes'

Was wondering whether most schools use a "box" system where students can only choose one subject from 3/4 boxes when applying for A Level (we had the same system at GCSE)?

I find it a disadvantage for students who are taking less popular subjects (in terms of numbers) ie. Music, Art, Tec & Design because they're in the same box as other 'big' subjects you might want to do.

I find myself unable to choose Maths, Physics, Technology & Chemistry. I want (need) to study Maths and Physics (with Engineering in mind) & I enjoy Technology but am not able to do Chemistry with this combination. There's no room for negotiation, at my school anyway, which sucks.

I think i'm settling with Computing instead which isn't so bad - though ironically I couldn't do ICT at GCSE because I did both Add. Maths and Technology.

Was wondering if anyone else had/is having any similar problems?

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Reply 1
I had this kind of problem before. However, there were some subjects repeated in other columns so I chose the subjects in the other column instead.
some colleges do... the college i wanted to go to had tht system and that kind of turned me away from there.
Reply 3
It's obviously to aid timetable construction but I think it's limiting some peoples ability... certainly at GCSE level where I had to study History or Geography instead of being allowed to focus in on a subject set such as computing.

It also means you might not be able to do the subjects you enjoy most which I think is important.
Reply 4
Pretend that there are 4 columns (A to D). You want to take subject1 in column A as that's the only subject in that column, but you want to take another subject in column A that is not in the other columns. Therefore, choose a subject in that column, and do the other subject by yourself (i.e. indepedent study).
Reply 5
I suppose independent study is always an option but one I've never considered - I think the advantage of actually having a teacher is invaluable.

If you were really set on doing a subject you could always 'shop around' different colleges or do it as a night class at the tec...
The FE college near me has that system, which meant I wouldn't have been able to do the subjects I wanted to do, but at my school they collect all the application forms first and then work out the timetable so that as many people as possible can do the subject combinations they want. That's a much more flexible system. Can't you go somewhere else that would let you do what you want?
Reply 7
TheMole
I suppose independent study is always an option but one I've never considered - I think the advantage of actually having a teacher is invaluable.

If you were really set on doing a subject you could always 'shop around' different colleges or do it as a night class at the tec...


Independent study is quite good, as it's a good skill for university. I've done an A-level that is not offered by the school, and I taught myself, and the teacher entered me for the exams.

Yeah, you could 'shop around' at different colleges. If they have the subjects you like, you should go there instead of the other school/college. Night classes are good too, but I think you have to pay extra (I got a brochure about doing A-levels at night. The price was below 100 quid).
Reply 8
I don't think I'd consider going anywhere else as my brother (head boy) & sister went there and I think it's one of the best grammar schools in NI. I'm not that desperate to do Chemistry :p:

Though I can see why others might consider moving. Some have done it in the past but I don't see the point in moving from a great school to one that some might consider not so good just to do a subject. Independent study would probably be the best option in that case.
Nope, we got to rank order the subjects we were interested in and they tried to organise the blocks so that almost everyone was able to do the combo they wanted. :smile:
Reply 10
-Sian-
Nope, we got to rank order the subjects we were interested in and they tried to organise the blocks so that almost everyone was able to do the combo they wanted. :smile:

That sounds a fairer system for students... though I can see why it might involve more hassle for staff, especially if it's a big sixth form with many applicants from inside & outside. I like the idea of the school trying to accommodate around your needs, rather than the other way around.

I guess the advantages/disadvantages of each system probably weigh out to be the same.
Independent study should be made all the easier via TSR, as one can always ask for help online if necessary..during year11 I always played around with my economics teacher saying I might do ancient history instead of economics in year 12..unfortunately he was the one who sets the timetable and subject blocks :p:

Wayhay, another Mole o___0
Reply 12
My school sort of has a combination of both systems...when we were intially picking options at the end of year eleven, they just got us to say which subjects we wanted and they tried (they said...) to fit everything in, but eventually we discovered that they just try to squeeze us into their block system and tell us (at the start of term, so we have to make snap decisions) that we can't do those subjects. And they make stupid decisions about which subjects go together.
Our school asks everyone what their initial subjects are in January of the appropriate year, collates all the data and comes up with the blocks. If it's unlikely that someone will be able to do their chosen subjects, the school warns them about it but it's only happened once to my knowledge when someone wanted to do 2nd language French and Drama. They then say if you want to change your options after you get your GCSE/AS results, you have to choose from the options. You'll find that Maths/Sciences/Eng Lit/Geog/Hist is in pretty much every column where as languages and other random subjects are only in one column.
Reply 14
If you can't do a subject in the column you want because of another subject you want to do, you could do that subject next year, and do the A-level in one year. The option blocks change every year.
Independant study is defianatly an option an a subject youre particually good at.

After balls'ing up AS maths (D) i was way below what i needed for my uni offers, so extended my Single AVCE ICT into a double, completing the 2 years work in a single year, as well as the second half of the single award. This was only possible because I got on well with the head of BIS faculty (As i took A2 Businsess and A2 Economics, and he was one of my ICT teachers)
Never under estimate the amount of work you need to do though, over 800 pages of Coursework across 12 vocational units in the 2 years, mosto f which was in my own time. I also had to pretty much teach the class U12 - the Internet because the teachers didnt know about half the things on the course.
Reply 16
yeh, and we HAD to do a humanity, which i really couldnt be bothered to do
Reply 17
trev
If you can't do a subject in the column you want because of another subject you want to do, you could do that subject next year, and do the A-level in one year. The option blocks change every year.

That was my plan last year, but our option blocks (which they'd never told us actually existed) didn't change.
Reply 18
I had this problem. I wanted to do economics but it was in the same pool as History... so i didnt. Did sociology instead... that was a bloody waste of time...
LawHopeful
I had this problem. I wanted to do economics but it was in the same pool as History... so i didnt. Did sociology instead... that was a bloody waste of time...


:eek: Sacrelige! Socioloogy rules! :biggrin: