Choosing a levels

Discussion for A-Level students and for those choosing their A-Level subjects.

Announcements Posted on
Please change your TSR password 23-05-2013
Enter our travel-writing competition for the chance to win a Nikon 1 J3 camera 20-05-2013
IMPORTANT: You must wait until midnight (morning exams)/4.30AM (afternoon exams) to discuss Edexcel exams and until 1pm/6pm the following day for STEP and IB exams. Please read before posting, including for rules for practical and oral exams. 28-04-2013
Sign in to Reply
  1. Fish2's Avatar
    • New Member
    • Posts: 4
    Choosing a levels
    Hi, sorry if Listed this in the wrong place I'm new here, I was just wondering if the a levels I had in mind were a good choice for an ict related career, i was thinking of english literature, business studies, it, and computing.

    I have gcses in; English language,English literature, maths, double science, it, computing, geography, religious studies, and two btecs in sport.

    Any help or advice appreciated thanks
  2. Ned Flanders's Avatar
    • New Member
    • Location: Springfield
    • Posts: 11
    Re: Choosing a levels
    If you want to do programming/computer science/intelligent systems when you're older then the best subjects to choose are the following:

    .Maths (A2)
    .Further Maths (A2)
    .Physics (A2)
    .Computing (AS)
  3. deathhead's Avatar
    • Exalted Member
    • Posts: 291
    (Original post by Ned Flanders)
    If you want to do programming/computer science/intelligent systems when you're older then the best subjects to choose are the following:

    .Maths (A2)
    .Further Maths (A2)
    .Physics (A2)
    .Computing (AS)
    Not necessary, maths is the only one that is really needed, that or physics. The rest you can choose whatever you like.
  4. Ned Flanders's Avatar
    • New Member
    • Location: Springfield
    • Posts: 11
    Re: Choosing a levels
    (Original post by deathhead)
    Not necessary, maths is the only one that is really needed, that or physics. The rest you can choose whatever you like.
    These are the best A-levels to choose if you want to do Computer science at a top University, such as Oxbridge, ICL, UCL, etc. They prefer to have both Maths and Physics.
    Last edited by Ned Flanders; 01-07-2012 at 09:18.
  5. deathhead's Avatar
    • Exalted Member
    • Posts: 291
    (Original post by Ned Flanders)
    These are the best A-levels to choose if you want to do Computer science at a top University, such as Oxbridge, ICL, UCL, etc. They prefer to have both Maths and Physics.
    Fair enough, for the average person, though, needing grades of e.g. AAA. What I said would suffice.
  6. CJG21's Avatar
    • Benevolent Member
    • Location: East Yorkshire
    • Posts: 781
    Re: Choosing a levels
    Maths is necessary. Further Maths would be good. Computing is needed and another of your choice. Literature won't help you.
  7. deathhead's Avatar
    • Exalted Member
    • Posts: 291
    Right, I currently have an offer for computer science at university of Birmingham - a university that is very good for the subject. I took maths, English, history. They don't care which grades each gets as long as I hit the offer. So yeah, don't worry too much at all about choosing a level choices solely for the degree you want to do. You may even change your mind, so do what I did and pick something sciency like maths or physics for the uni to want you (both of which are hard) then pick whatever you want.
  8. Fish2's Avatar
    • New Member
    • Posts: 4
    Re: Choosing a levels
    Thanks for the help guys, I'm going to swap business studies for either maths or physics

    I'm really interested in physics, however im not that interested or good at maths ( got grade B).

    Also when computing was mentioned does that mean it has to be computing or can it be ict or computing? Thanks.
  9. deathhead's Avatar
    • Exalted Member
    • Posts: 291
    Thanks for the help guys, I'm going to swap business studies for either maths or physics<br />
    <br />
    I'm really interested in physics, however im not that interested or good at maths ( got grade B).<br />
    <br />
    Also when computing was mentioned does that mean it has to be computing or can it be ict or computing? Thanks.
    Maths is seriously one of the hardest A Levels, if you think you won't be prepared to work very hard at it then don't take it. Physics is good tho. But that is probably equally as hard.

    Do not take ICT. Computing is what you want out of the two. ICT is a terrible excuse of an A Level.

    Yes business studies is a well known doss subject.
Sign in to Reply
Share this discussion:  
Article updates
Moderators

We have a brilliant team of more than 60 volunteers looking after discussions on The Student Room, helping to make it a fun, safe and useful place to hang out.

Reputation gems:
The Reputation gems seen here indicate how well reputed the user is, red gem indicate negative reputation and green indicates a good rep.
Post rating score:
These scores show if a post has been positively or negatively rated by our members.