Any year 12/13's advice?

I'm in year 11 right now and still choosing my AS options.
I was thinking of opting for five AS levels because I need biology, chemistry and maths for med but music and spanish are my passions.
Recently, though, people have been telling me it'll be really stressful and that I won't have time for fun or a social life.
Could someone tell me whether this is true?
Thanks (:

Reply 1

gozatron

Original post by itsmagic

Do 5, drop one if it gets too tough. However, you do not "need" maths for medicine.

Reply 2

itsmagic

Ok, thanks :smile:

couldn't help but notice you're doing med from your sig, which A Levels did you do if you don't mind me asking?

Reply 3

Toppy

Why do medicine if you're clearly passionate about music/spanish? Maybe you're just MORE interested in them than chemistry/maths etc?

Reply 4

NovoStar93

Original post by Toppy

Why do medicine if you're clearly passionate about music/spanish? Maybe you're just MORE interested in them than chemistry/maths etc?

This.

Reply 5

gozatron

Original post by Toppy

Why do medicine if you're clearly passionate about music/spanish? Maybe you're just MORE interested in them than chemistry/maths etc?

Can Doctors not have other interests or something?

Original post by itsmagic

Ok, thanks :smile:

couldn't help but notice you're doing med from your sig, which A Levels did you do if you don't mind me asking?

I did Maths, Bio, Physics and Chem. Carried all four onto A2 level. Take Maths if you want too bit Bio, Chem, Music and Spanish is perfectly fine for applying to med, unless you want to apply to Cambridge.

Reply 6

itsmagic

Original post by gozatron

Can Doctors not have other interests or something?

I did Maths, Bio, Physics and Chem. Carried all four onto A2 level. Take Maths if you want too bit Bio, Chem, Music and Spanish is perfectly fine for applying to med, unless you want to apply to Cambridge.

thankyou, yeah I just want to be a paediatrician. Thanks!

Reply 7

Mouse Potato

5 will be stressful, but it is possible. I'd advise dropping to 4 at A2, but if you really do want to do all of those things and you're quite an organised, motivated person, then go for it! :smile:

Reply 8

Intriguing Alias

Original post by itsmagic

1. Are you sure you wouldn't prefer doing spanish or music at university? I know you say you want to be a doctor but just be sure. I wanted to be a doctor 'till just a few months ago where I realised maths was my real passion! Make sure you don't make a mistake :smile:

2. 5 isn't too much you can handle it. If not you can drop one!

Reply 9

gozatron

Original post by hassi94

2. 5 isn't too much you can handle it. If not you can drop one!

Chemistry and Biology are not good indicators of medicine as a subject.

Reply 10

xoxAngel_Kxox

Don't do medicine because it's what you think you should do, or because you want to please your family. With such a difficult and demanding course, you really have to do it because you want to do it for yourself- and I don't think that's you. If you're more passionate about Spanish and Music then that's fine, go down another career path where you can use those, but if you tie yourself into medicine you won't have a very good time if it's only something half of you (if that) wants to do.

Reply 11

Intriguing Alias

Original post by gozatron

Chemistry and Biology are not good indicators of medicine as a subject.

I never said anything remotely similar to that.

I was just saying I discovered there was something else I'd much rather continue studying because it's my real passion - and was just suggesting the OP think about that. I never said don't do medicine because you like music and spanish - just to make sure it's what the OP wanted to do.

Reply 12

gozatron

Original post by hassi94

And I was just saying she may indeed find she has a passion for medicine.

Reply 13

Intriguing Alias

Original post by gozatron

And I was just saying she may indeed find she has a passion for medicine.

Oh yeah I know - she could already have one but she hasn't said so. So was just saying for her to consider her options and passions. If you don't feel like you'll have a passion for medicine it's not worth the risk is it?

Reply 14

itsmagic

Thanks everyone for all your help, yeah I'm not so keen on Chemistry, quite like Biology but, like gozatron said, I don't think they're good indicators of medicine. Hassi94 and Gemma, I totally understand what you're saying but I've wanted to be a children's doctor for ages, the subjects I like/enjoy are different, that's all. I wouldn't do it if I wasn't sure.
Thankyou!
:smile:

Reply 15

purplefrog

Original post by itsmagic

You do not need maths at all for medicine. No medical school states even AS maths is essential. You only need a combo of biology and chemistry at varying levels depending on where you apply. Only a handful of colleges at Cambridge like people to have physics/maths as a third science subject.

5 AS levels will be a relatively steep workload, particularly spanish as a-level languages take up a lot of time, but lots manage it. while most people do 4 subjects, many take 5 with further maths and the such so it is not as though its impossible to do.

And as for how stressful you find it will depend on how studious and gifted you are at the mentioned subjects. And as for you having a social life, its really easy to have a social life with 5 AS subjects - many of friends do/did. It's just about managing your time properly. The only thing might be is that you probably will have to start revision a tad earlier than other people, but otherwise it's all good.

Reply 16

lee.hannah

but then you won't get any free periods :eek:

Reply 17

hazelsaurus

make sure you don't spend every hour of everyday working, have time to go out, do other stuff, and have some fun, I've seen 3 people (other than myself) have nervous breakdowns and quite a few people develop quite bad emotional health problems from stress