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Stuck between choosing Drama or History of Art A-Level?

Hey

I'm about to join 6th form but I'm really agonising over two subjects. I have already decided that I would like to definitely study English Lit., Philosophy and Art at A-Level, and I am looking to go to university to study either English (possibly journalism) or Art.

The two subjects I can't decide between are Drama and History of Art. I took Drama GCSE and I know I would be able to do well and get a good result if I worked hard if I did it for A-Level, and it is also a subject I know I enjoy. However, I have a keen interest in History of Art, feel it would compliment my future university course choices either way, and I am a good essay writer and since it is an essay-based subject I think I wouldn't do too badly. On the other hand, there are some aspects of Drama that I really don't enjoy, and if I decided not to take it and would like to still do some drama activity, then I could choose to be in the 6th form play. Unfortunately, I don't know whether or not I will enjoy HoA or find it boring, or whether or not I would be able to get a good grade.

If there is anyone who has taken HoA or Drama A-Level and could tell me what they are like and if it would be a wise choice to take which subject based on what I would like to study at uni, that would be very helpful!

Thanks :smile:

Reply 1

llys

I guess that Drama would be a lot more work, and you already are doing Art which will also be a lot of work. History of Art would probably be the easier option.

Reply 2

alexsasg

History of Art - Drama seems like it would take up a lot of time!

Reply 3

username514215

Hi there,

I haven't heard about History of Art much since it isn't offered as an A-Level course at my sixth form. However, what I can say is, drama at A-Level is offered and I am now hoping to take Drama at A2.

Firstly, I would recommend you take the 4th subject as one that you personally feel would do well in and will enjoy, because at the end of the day, it will most likely be a subject that you will be studying for during the whole year.

I took Drama at AS and thoroughly enjoyed it, but there were also some aspects I didn't quite like, just like most other A-Level courses. Just pray that you are in groups where your fellow students actually work because it's a pain when you have to deal with those who take A-Levels and drama as a joke.

If there's anything you'd like to ask, feel free to PM me and/or quote me and I'll try and reply back as soon as I can.

Reply 4

notbruges

Original post by masterwayne10

Firstly, thank you for the advice, it's much appreciated. I can understand what it's like having to work with people who don't take drama seriously as I had that experience at GCSE and found it to be quite frustrating. You raise a valid point mentioning that.

I find myself able to work pretty well independently, and I guess a perk about doing History of Art would be that my mark or enjoyment of the subject won't be directly affected by the other people taking it?

I was just wondering how challenging the Drama ASwas? Because unless the step between doing Drama at GCSE and doing it at A-Level was significant, I think I'd be more inclined to study something new like HoA.

Reply 5

username514215

You're more than welcome. I had the same experience as you back in GCSE Drama. I remember a boy, let's call him an 'idiot', messed up his lines during the final rehearsals and almost hesitated during the actual final GCSE Drama performance/exam. This also happened during my final AS Drama performance/exam where several members of my group hesitated and skipped lines-it's very annoying when that happens, but you've got to just carry on with the acting.

Likewise, I prefer working independently too, but in Drama, as I'm sure you are already aware of, you have to be able to work with other people in groups, so it's essential you get along with your fellow actors..;-)

And, certainly, I don't think it should affect others whilst you are studying History of Art.

If I am honest with you, Drama at AS was similar to GCSE Drama in some ways. Only at A-Level, the difference is you have to put in a lot more work, again, like every other A-Level course. I found it quite easy to be honest with you. Just to let you know, at my sixth form, we are studying Edexcel Drama. During the year, some of the things that we did were the following:

-We watched a few plays and had to make notes and write an essay on the practitioners and the performances as a whole (not in detail about the practitioners, just a few sentences here and there).

-My drama teacher recorded workshops whilst in drama class because apparently, this was what Edexcel required.

Some of the other things were the usual things in Drama, but I would also like to tell you that you have to be willing to put in the hours for your final rehearsals for exams/performances. I remember a lot of the students in my Drama class were fools because they constantly arrived late for lessons and rehearsals, which can be a real pain at times..

To conclude, I don't think the jump for GCSE Drama to A-Level Drama is too significant. I should also like to point out that you would need to be able to write essays so it is a good thing that your taking English Lit since it is very helpful. Sometimes, you may even cover plays in English Lit or Drama that you may have studied in either one of the subject, or perhaps during your GCSE years, so it helps.

Do make sure you pick the right choices because it is something that you will be studying for the whole year. If you would like a new challenge, go for History of Art, though I would recommend History over History of Art. However, if you would like to carry on with Drama and found it enjoyable and satisfying at GCSE, then by all means, go for Drama at AS.

Stuck between choosing Drama or History of Art A-Level?

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