[Ben H]

Hi, I am currently in year 11 and am having a hard time deciding on what A levels to do. I would like to do 5 AS's and I am 100% sure that 3 of those 5 will be Maths, Further Maths and Physics. I would like to do a physics degree at university and am thinking of applying to Cambridge (I would do Maths w/Physics then switch to natural sciences in the second year if I got in). So these are the other AS's I am considering and why, I would really appreciate some advice on which would be best to take:

Music - I have always enjoyed music and it is one of my favourite subjects (I play the guitar) and I would do well at it. Also I think it would be a nice subject to have where I can "relax", seeing as the rest of my timetable will be full of maths, further maths and physics!

Philosophy and Ethics A2 - I did the RE GCSE a year early and am currently studying Philosophy and Ethics AS and am enjoying it. How much of an advantage would it give me to get an extra A2 and have one in the bank in year 12? (In year 13 I will take Maths, Further Maths and Physics A2) Just as a side note, on the Cambridge website they say having 4 A2s doesn't give you an advantage, do they really mean that?

Business and Economics - Ideally I would do a pure economics course but my school only offers a 50% business studies 50% economics course. I am doing business at GCSE and enjoy it so I would like to carry it on. Also the economics side may be relevant to maths?

Chemistry - I enjoy chemistry but it isn't one of my favourite subjects, however does its links with physics make it advantageous to take? Also as Cambridge offers natural sciences, would it be good to have another science?

Thank you in advance!

[bistonut]

(Original post by Ben H)
Hi, I am currently in year 11 and am having a hard time deciding on what A levels to do. I would like to do 5 AS's and I am 100% sure that 3 of those 5 will be Maths, Further Maths and Physics. I would like to do a physics degree at university and am thinking of applying to Cambridge (I would do Maths w/Physics then switch to natural sciences in the second year if I got in). So these are the other AS's I am considering and why, I would really appreciate some advice on which would be best to take:

Music - I have always enjoyed music and it is one of my favourite subjects (I play the guitar) and I would do well at it. Also I think it would be a nice subject to have where I can "relax", seeing as the rest of my timetable will be full of maths, further maths and physics!

Philosophy and Ethics A2 - I did the RE GCSE a year early and am currently studying Philosophy and Ethics AS and am enjoying it. How much of an advantage would it give me to get an extra A2 and have one in the bank in year 12? (In year 13 I will take Maths, Further Maths and Physics A2) Just as a side note, on the Cambridge website they say having 4 A2s doesn't give you an advantage, do they really mean that?

Business and Economics - Ideally I would do a pure economics course but my school only offers a 50% business studies 50% economics course. I am doing business at GCSE and enjoy it so I would like to carry it on. Also the economics side may be relevant to maths?

Chemistry - I enjoy chemistry but it isn't one of my favourite subjects, however does its links with physics make it advantageous to take? Also as Cambridge offers natural sciences, would it be good to have another science?

Thank you in advance!

I have a few friends who do music A-level and it certainly isn't something you can relax in. It's more chilled in that you'll be doing something that is less intensive some of the time, and expressing yourself, but still needs a lot of effort. If you're more than average at it (not just playing, but composing AND writing essays on it) then go for it.

There's not that much maths at all in economics A-level, mainly just graphs. Different story with economics at uni. Business studies isn't really looked upon as a great subject, sometimes seen as an easy choice. Personally I'd avoid this.

Philosophy: If you're good at writing essays, and enjoy philosophy, I'd take this. I did it for AS, and thoroughly enjoyed it, helped widen my view on the world. Compliments physics nicely (more so than economics) and even more so maths. Shows you're a broad thinking, logical person who isn't just a human calculator. Doing it a year early would be excellent too.

Chemistry: I do this for A2, and personally find it a rather dull subject. I have no passion for it, but did it instead of philosophy just because I was more likely to get the A* in it. It does compliment physics a bit, but not as much as you'd think (at A-level it's more organic chemistry than physical). Would be good if you want to apply directly for natural sciences, rather than transfering into it in the 2nd year.


The main advice I'd give is do the subjects you enjoy and are passionate about, rather than picking tactically for a physics degree. You already the basics for a physics/maths degree, with further maths on top. If you choose subjects that you dont enjoy, then you won't work hard, and at A-level general intelligence won't get you through. I know people who got C's in chem, whilst A*s in both maths and physics.
And I don't know how it works at your school, but do you need to do 5 AS's? I'd stick with 4, then use the extra time to extra maths modules. Will you need STEP for cambridge physics and maths? Need to factor in that will take a lot of your time, so don't take on too much.

IF this were me, I'd choose philosophy as a 4th AS, then do extra maths instead of a 5th.

[s04582]

Defo chemistry, its great and honestly not that hard. If you really want to do 5 (which i wouldnt recomend as it get VERY stressful and its better to have 4 amazing grades than 5 average ones) then I would say philiosophy. I have a friend who does music and she passed grade 8 with merit in her instrument and still came out with a bad grade, and she worked really hard so im guessing its hard, so dont do that.

[KissMyArtichoke]

If you are thinking of doing physics, then further maths is definitely a good choice. I've just started a physics degree and although I haven't needed any further maths yet, I get the feeling that people who did it will have an advantage over me the the first few weeks/ months. If you're thinking of doing maths/ physics it's usually compulsory anyway. I took chemistry and enjoyed it a lot, if you are interested in it then it's a good subject to have; difficult, but quite rewarding. I wouldn't say it ties in much with physics though, only in a few minor areas.

[mrdreamerstar]

physics m8

[Perpetuallity]

Maths, Further Maths, Chemistry, and of course Physics.

[Ohlavelle]

I'd say go with Chemistry because, honestly, it looks good and it's a solid science. Take the Philosophy and Ethics A2 in your AS year aswell, if you have your heart set on doing five.

[Woodworth]

Chemistry is a good one to have. It also opens a few doors, even if u think ur set on a physics degree, you may realise l8r that you want to do something involving a bit of chemistry too or w.e
+ an extra science always looks good.

Economics wouldn't be a bad choice either. History maybe too, but Chemistry should be one of ur options.

[hslakaal]

I would recommend doing:

Mat+F.Mat+Phy (as u said) + Chem + Econs/Phil/history

I would not recommend Music, simply due to the amount of work required. It may be easier if you are good at it, but as far as I'm aware (FYI CIE board), there is a lot of coursework/projects for it.
If you want to, you could just beef up ur application by taking something like Religious studies for AS. It wouldn't be too challenging, and it would look great in ur application.

[Obfuscator]

Maths, Further Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Music. Camb will make an offer based on 3 subjects, so if you're keen enough to do 5, you may as well make it one that you're interested in but is a bit different. You can use it on your personal statement to show how much of a 'rounded individual' you are.

[EierVonSatan]

You have the three most important ones, everything else is a bonus - if you're looking at doing NatSci then chemistry will help you the most out of the remainder.

[bistonut]

(Original post by hslakaal)
I would recommend doing:

Mat+F.Mat+Phy (as u said) + Chem + Econs/Phil/history

I would not recommend Music, simply due to the amount of work required. It may be easier if you are good at it, but as far as I'm aware (FYI CIE board), there is a lot of coursework/projects for it.
If you want to, you could just beef up ur application by taking something like Religious studies for AS. It wouldn't be too challenging, and it would look great in ur application.

Yeah, music does sound much more challenging than people give credit for, plus you can be grade 9 piano and still be a rubbish composer of music, which people don't realise.

I wouldn't advice doing the religious studies option though. It won't be looked upon too fondly as you say, and would be more work than is worth. You'd be better doing work on other work. Getting A*s at A-level isn't a walk in the park for anyone, and A*A*A* is probably better than even A*A*AA.
If you're not very passionate about chemistry, but want to go cambridge (where another science would be useful, but not needed) why not oxford's physics course? If you're in year 11 i doubt youve done too much research into different courses, and don't go off what you've heard from others.

[DynamicSyngery]

Maths, Further Maths and Physics in that order. Chemistry is tangentially useful (as in it will give you some prior knowledge of the content of maybe 1-2 modules out of 30+ in the course of your degree). Everything else is irrelevant.

My advice is not to do five A levels. This confers no advantage, but it presents a serious risk of you being overwhelmed and performing worse than you could have done. It is always better to have higher grades than more grades, once you have reached the minimum amount necessary (3).

Even if you are certain you will get 5A*s (and you shouldn't be), there are more useful ways you can spend your time. If you really like physics, for instance, I'd advise using that time to practice STEP papers and read first year undergrad books. If you like history or music or whatever, read books on it in your own time without being examined on it. The exam's only purpose is as a university entrance certificate, not something that is fun or a good way of learning, so if you won't need it for university, don't bother.

EDIT: Out of interest, why would you want to switch out of the maths with physics degree? It's a first rate programme, probably the best in the country, whereas Physics Natsci tripos is nothing special.

[Ben H]

(Original post by DynamicSyngery)
Maths, Further Maths and Physics in that order. Chemistry is tangentially useful (as in it will give you some prior knowledge of the content of maybe 1-2 modules out of 30+ in the course of your degree). Everything else is irrelevant.

My advice is not to do five A levels. This confers no advantage, but it presents a serious risk of you being overwhelmed and performing worse than you could have done. It is always better to have higher grades than more grades, once you have reached the minimum amount necessary (3).

Even if you are certain you will get 5A*s (and you shouldn't be), there are more useful ways you can spend your time. If you really like physics, for instance, I'd advise using that time to practice STEP papers and read first year undergrad books. If you like history or music or whatever, read books on it in your own time without being examined on it. The exam's only purpose is as a university entrance certificate, not something that is fun or a good way of learning, so if you won't need it for university, don't bother.

EDIT: Out of interest, why would you want to switch out of the maths with physics degree? It's a first rate programme, probably the best in the country, whereas Physics Natsci tripos is nothing special.

It is physics I want to go on to have a career in, and at Cambridge I believe you can only do the maths w/physics for the first year, you then either switch to Natsci or continue with pure maths. However although I've done quite a bit of research there's still a lot to learn, and I may find another university which does maths w/physics for the whole 4 years. Basically I like maths and it is the mathematics of physics which makes me most interested in it.

I am sure I'll only do 3 A2s in year 13 (Maths, FM and physics) so its just year 12 I'm unsure on. Would getting a philosophy and ethics A2 in year 12 give me any advantage not because I have an extra A2 but because I've done it a year early?

[DynamicSyngery]

(Original post by Ben H)
It is physics I want to go on to have a career in, and at Cambridge I believe you can only do the maths w/physics for the first year, you then either switch to Natsci or continue with pure maths. However although I've done quite a bit of research there's still a lot to learn, and I may find another university which does maths w/physics for the whole 4 years. Basically I like maths and it is the mathematics of physics which makes me most interested in it.

I'm fairly sure that's not true. In later years it becomes increasingly option courses and you can choose all the physics-y ones (general relativity, dynamical systems, advanced quantum theory, etc. etc.) rather than pure maths. Judging by what you're saying about how you like maths, this seems the ideal route for you.

I am sure I'll only do 3 A2s in year 13 (Maths, FM and physics) so its just year 12 I'm unsure on. Would getting a philosophy and ethics A2 in year 12 give me any advantage not because I have an extra A2 but because I've done it a year early?

No. Physicists do not care that you learned about ethics. If you find it interesting, study it by all means but prioritise your maths and physics, and do it in your own time. They may or may not be impressed by 4 A levels over-all. But bear in mind that not everyone is even able to take 4, and they give offers based on three subject, so it's unlikely they'll make decisions on that basis.

You will be judged on:

1. A level maths, further maths and physics results.

2. STEP paper results.

The latter you may or may not find hard. They are, at any rate, harder than A level, so this is what you should spend your extra time preparing for.

[hslakaal]

(Original post by bistonut)
Yeah, music does sound much more challenging than people give credit for, plus you can be grade 9 piano and still be a rubbish composer of music, which people don't realise.

I wouldn't advice doing the religious studies option though. It won't be looked upon too fondly as you say, and would be more work than is worth. You'd be better doing work on other work. Getting A*s at A-level isn't a walk in the park for anyone, and A*A*A* is probably better than even A*A*AA.
If you're not very passionate about chemistry, but want to go cambridge (where another science would be useful, but not needed) why not oxford's physics course? If you're in year 11 i doubt youve done too much research into different courses, and don't go off what you've heard from others.

I don't suggest doing religious studies to a2. Just do it till AS, then drop it but out it in your personal statement, to make yourself look more diversified. Just in my college, there are 3 guys applying for civ eng (closest to physics for requirements I think), and they all do the typical phy,chem,mat f.mat combo. I think even an additional social science AS would strengthen the app by a mile.

[Rebellious-Steve]

Maths.

[Intriguing Alias]

(Original post by Ben H)
Hi, I am currently in year 11 and am having a hard time deciding on what A levels to do. I would like to do 5 AS's and I am 100% sure that 3 of those 5 will be Maths, Further Maths and Physics. I would like to do a physics degree at university and am thinking of applying to Cambridge (I would do Maths w/Physics then switch to natural sciences in the second year if I got in). So these are the other AS's I am considering and why, I would really appreciate some advice on which would be best to take:

Music - I have always enjoyed music and it is one of my favourite subjects (I play the guitar) and I would do well at it. Also I think it would be a nice subject to have where I can "relax", seeing as the rest of my timetable will be full of maths, further maths and physics!

Philosophy and Ethics A2 - I did the RE GCSE a year early and am currently studying Philosophy and Ethics AS and am enjoying it. How much of an advantage would it give me to get an extra A2 and have one in the bank in year 12? (In year 13 I will take Maths, Further Maths and Physics A2) Just as a side note, on the Cambridge website they say having 4 A2s doesn't give you an advantage, do they really mean that?

Business and Economics - Ideally I would do a pure economics course but my school only offers a 50% business studies 50% economics course. I am doing business at GCSE and enjoy it so I would like to carry it on. Also the economics side may be relevant to maths?

Chemistry - I enjoy chemistry but it isn't one of my favourite subjects, however does its links with physics make it advantageous to take? Also as Cambridge offers natural sciences, would it be good to have another science?

Thank you in advance!

Cambridge don't care about anything but Maths, Further Maths and Physics (a little bit) for admission into Maths (which is what you'd be applying to do). For the 4th do whatever you enjoy I'd recommend against a 5th unless you insist (I did 5).

[Ben H]

Thank you very much for all the replies. I am getting the impression it would be wiser to do 4 AS's next year not 5. I would enjoy music the most and get the highest grade in either music or chemistry. Hmmmm

[Abir Ishtiaq]

(Original post by Ben H)
Hi, I am currently in year 11 and am having a hard time deciding on what A levels to do. I would like to do 5 AS's and I am 100% sure that 3 of those 5 will be Maths, Further Maths and Physics. I would like to do a physics degree at university and am thinking of applying to Cambridge (I would do Maths w/Physics then switch to natural sciences in the second year if I got in). So these are the other AS's I am considering and why, I would really appreciate some advice on which would be best to take:

Music - I have always enjoyed music and it is one of my favourite subjects (I play the guitar) and I would do well at it. Also I think it would be a nice subject to have where I can "relax", seeing as the rest of my timetable will be full of maths, further maths and physics!

Philosophy and Ethics A2 - I did the RE GCSE a year early and am currently studying Philosophy and Ethics AS and am enjoying it. How much of an advantage would it give me to get an extra A2 and have one in the bank in year 12? (In year 13 I will take Maths, Further Maths and Physics A2) Just as a side note, on the Cambridge website they say having 4 A2s doesn't give you an advantage, do they really mean that?

Business and Economics - Ideally I would do a pure economics course but my school only offers a 50% business studies 50% economics course. I am doing business at GCSE and enjoy it so I would like to carry it on. Also the economics side may be relevant to maths?

Chemistry - I enjoy chemistry but it isn't one of my favourite subjects, however does its links with physics make it advantageous to take? Also as Cambridge offers natural sciences, would it be good to have another science?

Thank you in advance!

Anything from Maths, further maths, physics or chemistry