Is Psychology a relatively easier A-level subject to get A?

Original post by dianakidds

Trying to re-apply to medicine next year, and would love to do another subject on my own in A-level. Trying to pick another subject easier to get an A, would Psychology be a better choice?

Please give some suggestion xx

I wouldn't say it's 'easy' no. I can think of a lot of easier subjects. My college is in the top 10 in the UK but we only got 1 psychology A* and not a huge number of A's. I studied around 2 hours a day excluding classes and still only got a B.

I wouldn't reccommend doing it alone, i'd reccommend attending classes, as the exams are quite complicated, and advice from tutors is essential if you want to get a top grade.

Good Luck though :smile:

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 3

Subcutaneous

19

Hmm i don't think its easy but it takes a certain way of thinking and analysing to be able to get an A which is a hard skill to grasp

Saying that i did my a-level psych in 2008- so it may have changed since

Reply 4

AmyMay92

7

I wouldn't say it's an easy subject to get an A in. Like one of the posters above I studied every day and worked my butt off and still only came out with a B.

Attending the classes are definitely a must if you want an A, the exams can be quite challenging and it's just easier if you have advice and support from teachers. Depending on what exam board the course is with they can be quite fussy with the marks in exams so it's probably best to have some support so they can show you what the examiners are looking for.

Good luck!

Reply 5

OP

Original post by lozzyhickers

I wouldn't say it's 'easy' no. I can think of a lot of easier subjects. My college is in the top 10 in the UK but we only got 1 psychology A* and not a huge number of A's. I studied around 2 hours a day excluding classes and still only got a B.

I wouldn't reccommend doing it alone, i'd reccommend attending classes, as the exams are quite complicated, and advice from tutors is essential if you want to get a top grade.

Good Luck though :smile:

actually i hv no idea of the ease of getting A of different subjects :P
can you suggest me which are the easier subjects? thx x

Reply 6

OP

actually i hv no idea of the ease of getting A of different subjects :P
can you all suggest me which are the easier subjects? thx x

Reply 7

Original post by dianakidds

actually i hv no idea of the ease of getting A of different subjects :P
can you suggest me which are the easier subjects? thx x

Erm to name a couple, Drama, Art, Media, Business Studies, Health and Social care....Health and social would probably be the most beneficial out of that lot for med, and there's work expeience you can do.

N.B. I was not suggesting the OP take this, They simply wanted to know which subjects were 'easier' to get A's in. I was not suggesting that they took it for Med, as in fact, Health and Social is pretty unsuitable for med, it's just the most suitable out of the lot. Neither was I dissing the subjects, as I took one of them.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 8

OP

Original post by lozzyhickers

Erm to name a couple, Drama, Art, Media, Business Studies, Health and Social care....Health and social would probably be the most beneficial out of that lot for med, and there's work expeience you can do.

health and social care...wt do u mean by work experience i could do? do u mean they are not accessed only by papers but sort of practicals as well?

thx xxx

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 9

Indian_Prince

15

mhm depends, you're either good at it or you aint, you have to be good at analysing and all that stuff, its not everyones cup of tea haha.

Reply 10

!-Twisty-!

7

I have to ask the obvious question, relative to what?

Reply 11

Original post by dianakidds

health and social care...wt do u mean by work experience i could do? do u mean they are not accessed only by papers but sort of practicals as well?

thx xxx

There's usally a mix of Exams and coursework. And you do a 2 week work experience placement. It's not compulsary, but it could help with med.

Reply 12

Harvo

1

Original post by iammichealjackson

Probably, although there was a table in The Times showing that a lot less people get A*s and A in psychology when compared to maths (in terms of percentages). So like 5% of psych people got A*s whilst 19% of maths people got A*s.

That's because maths has a smarter intake of students, mainly idiots with nothing else to do, do psychology.

Reply 13

OP

Original post by lozzyhickers

There's usally a mix of Exams and coursework. And you do a 2 week work experience placement. It's not compulsary, but it could help with med.

im doing alevels as a private candidate..would such a subject be difficult for me? not on the syllabus..but the ease to find centres :rolleyes:

Reply 14

Original post by dianakidds

im doing alevels as a private candidate..would such a subject be difficult for me? not on the syllabus..but the ease to find centres :rolleyes:

Yes, but so would a lot of subjects. That's why I and another few posters reccommended not to do Psych as a private candidate. But the subjects which are usually easier to self-teach, are harder to get an A in, generally speaking.

What Med schools are you thinking of applying to, and what A Levels do you already have?

Reply 15

Abnegation

Definitely not - of the three subjects I took on at A2 (Biology, Psychology and English Lit), I came out with the worst grade in Psychology. I think it really depends on the teaching - the first year is easy enough to self-teach, but the second requires a specific essay technique and that can be very difficult to understand without guidance.

Reply 16

Hellz_Bellz!

2

In my experience, acing psychology is very much down to having an excellent teacher. In my college, we had a brilliant teacher for Psychology and everyone nailed it.

Reply 17

OP