[JackBlack]

im doing my A levels in September. But I am so confused about which a levels to pick. Should I do 3 or 4? I have no idea what I want to do in the future - which is not very good. So far i have decided on Geography and English literature. Are they good?
The a levels i am considering for 3rd/4th options are
• History
•Classical Civilization
• Psychology
• Biology
• Economics
• Chemistry

Will i get a good job without doing a science? I want to go to uni.
Will it be too much to do 4 a levels ? I am roughly a A/B grade student .
What subjects should i do to keep my options open ?
Are the subjects I have already picked good choices?


Sorry about all the questions !

[nicatre]

If you don't know what you want to go to uni to do then pick based soley on your interests, which subjects do you find most interesting as it is these which you will do best in.

In terms of how many, you won't be limited by onyl doing 3 in terms of your prospects but doing 4 to start with at least gives you the ability to drop one if you find that A Level it's really not for you (subjects change quite a bit at A Level).

Keeping yoursel broad will be a good choice to, if you're genuinly interested in all of those things perhaps do a bit of everything? You've got geography which covers some physical and human sciences, english literature which is a lesson in expression and analysis of text so perhaps add a "classic" science such as the chemistry or biology (ar eyou more interested in life or molecules?) and then economics are another analytical but more mathematical topic?

[Iqbal007]

(Original post by JackBlack)
im doing my A levels in September. But I am so confused about which a levels to pick. Should I do 3 or 4? I have no idea what I want to do in the future - which is not very good. So far i have decided on Geography and English literature. Are they good?
The a levels i am considering for 3rd/4th options are
• History
•Classical Civilization
• Psychology
• Biology
• Economics
• Chemistry

Will i get a good job without doing a science? I want to go to uni.
Will it be too much to do 4 a levels ? I am roughly a A/B grade student .
What subjects should i do to keep my options open ?
Are the subjects I have already picked good choices?


Sorry about all the questions !

I suggest looking at uni's and their courses that interest you....some have subject requirements at some unis. So it could be helpful with your decision making.

[Blothom]

Yes the ones you have picked so far are distinguished A-levels - and so are the others you have shortlisted. Yes, as an A/B grade student you should do 4 AS levels and you can choose to drop one after one year if you wish. Don't worry about not knowing what you want to do when you are older, I didn't at this time. Do you know if you want to do an arts or a science related degree? Could maths be in that shortlist? To keep your options open you could have 2 arts subjects and 2 science subjects. I advise this balance so you are not overloaded with essay-writing or overloaded with coursework (many maths courses have neither yay). Look into the specific courses to see what captures your interest the most. You will achieve higher grades with genuine interest.


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[PythianLegume]

If you want your options open, do 4 subjects and ideally a science as one of them (or maths: I know you haven't selected it, but it is a useful A-Level). Of those listed, all seem good except Classical Civilisation: you should stick to traditional subjects (and while psych and economics are not traditional, they are well-respected). Ultimately you have to choose which you want to do the most. Not doing science will not prevent you having a job - A Level choice is irrelevant to the jobs you will get, only degree choice is important and if you are not a big fan of science, then I'm guessing you are not planning on doing it anyway. Personally, I would say English Lit and History is a good choice for any sort of humanities course (law, history, english, philosophy). Economics will not allow you to study it further, you will need to do maths for an economics degree. Chemistry degrees also like maths. In fact, most science degrees will be tough to get into without at least 2 science A Levels (inc maths).

Conclusion: Don't take classical civilisation, you need 2 science subjects to study that further, you can get jobs without science, take 4 subjects to keep options open (you can drop 1), I recommend history (even though I don't like it).

[MorrisseyForever]

I take English lit and I love it! However many people have dropped it in my class because it's a lot harder that GCSE English lit. It gets easier if you stick at it though and it depends on the books you study.

I don't know about the other subjects apart from Psychology. I take that and it's really, really difficult. You have to revise everyday since the beginning and stay organised, I didn't and I didn't do well. It's interesting though and you'll do okay as long as you revise.


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[Blothom]

But if you are quite sure you want to do arts, or quite sure you want to do science/geography then ignore what I said about doing 2 arts and 2 sciences. Classical civilisation and other niche subjects may be a good idea - if you apply to uni this will make you stand out a bit.

Also consider the opportunities for school trips the sixth form provides for these subjects


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[hpotter217]

If you're an A/B grade student, you should at least start with 4, and if by the end of the first term/year/whenever, you feel like you're struggling, you can always talk to teachers to see if you can drop one and not be entered into the exams.

If you want to keep your options open, I would go for a science, but ONLY IF YOU GENUINELY ENJOY THE SUBJECT. I've just finished my A-Levels, and I personally loved all of mine, but I had so many friends that regretted taking certain subjects that unis like, without liking them themselves.

Just go for the subjects you enjoy, you can get a 'good job' without doing a science, it just won't be a science related one...if you see yourselves going into a science/maths related job, then do them!

Same with uni, if you want a science related course, or something like geography, they usually ask for a science, if you wanna do english/art-y courses, you won't need a science and can still easily get in with the grades you're getting.

Hope this helps, good luck deciding/with you're A-Levels!

[JackBlack]

Thank you all so much , you've been really helpful! I think im going to do history , as I am really bad at maths, and according to you guys history is a good one to have.Although, I still haven't decided my 4th yet ^.^
Thanks again ,you lovely people!

[hpotter217]

(Original post by hpotter217)
Hope this helps, good luck deciding/with you're A-Levels!

How embarrassing ... I say I've just finished my A-Levels and apparently I still can't get 'your' and 'you're' the right way round :L

[JackBlack]

(Original post by hpotter217)
How embarrassing ... I say I've just finished my A-Levels and apparently I still can't get 'your' and 'you're' the right way round :L

hahah don't worry about it -I didn't even notice ^.^ thanks for my luck as well , it worked

[hpotter217]

(Original post by JackBlack)
hahah don't worry about it -I didn't even notice ^.^ thanks for my luck as well , it worked

Have you decided on 4 then?

[Semolina1]

Picking subjects you enjoy at first will mean that you are likely to go on to study something you also enjoy at uni and then ultimately get a career you will love

Deffinitely pick 4 though!

I chose 3, had to drop 1 because i didn't get enough in my exams at AS and have left college with 2 A2s and an AS :s it makes getting into uni extremely difficult as my points and grades are usually below the minimum requirement.
Luckily i don't want to go into anything academic so my portfolio got me by slightly...

[Dollyandra]

I'd say go with 4 to start with. It's easier to drop a subject if it's too overwhelming than it is to pick another up later in the year (if you realise you are coping fine and want more of a challenge).

It's also a good idea to do 4 as it gives you more options if it transcends you hate a subject unexpectedly/ find you don't have the skills it requires.

For instance, I took Chemistry, Bio, Maths, and Psychology and had planned to drop Psychology. I was really good at Maths at GCSE, so thought I'd do well at A level...turns out I got a C at AS! But I got an A in Psychology. So I was able to then choose the subject I was better at and ditch maths. Had I not taken a 4th AS level I'd have had to persevere with maths and probs get a D, which would have sabotaged any chance of getting into a good uni...totally saved my butt! Keep an open mind as many subjects are quite different from how they're taught at GCSE.

It is also handy to keep in mind that your choices compliment each other. e.g. most Science degrees will ask for 3 from Maths, Chem, Bio, Physics, Further Maths. However, some degrees such as Literature or Law can be very broad, encompassing all from foreign languages to classical studies to soft science! So do make sure you research the requirements first, as you wouldn't want to hinder your potential by choosing subject combinations that would exclude you from entering degrees in the future.

A good idea is to research the Russel Group 'facilitating' and 'soft' subject lists - some facilitating subjects (e.g. Eng lit, Chemistry, Maths) are valued by all unis as they are regarded as 'harder' subjects. It's useful to have at least one of these generally, or 2 if you're looking at a Russel Grp uni. There is no doubt that some A levels are valued more highly than others, and this will obviously depend on the kind of degree you're after. The more reputable the uni, the more picky they are with stuff like that.

Sorry for the essay, it just blows my mind the number of students I know who were held back by uninformed subject choices/poor guidance from schools (haha I sound like an old granny). Anyway I hope I helped! Good luck in your A levels. PM me if you want to discuss the contents of any of the subjects I took xx

[Dollyandra]

(Original post by JackBlack)
The a levels i am considering for 3rd/4th options are
• History
•Classical Civilization
• Psychology
• Biology
• Economics
• Chemistry

Will it be too much to do 4 a levels ? I am roughly a A/B grade student .

As a science student I can tell you that out those 3 mentioned, Chemistry wins hands DOWN! I absolutely loathed Chemistry in high school, as it wasn't taught in enough depth to properly understand it. However, taking at A Level was probably my best decision. It is a genuinely fascinating course, adn will (at least, it did for me) change the way you analyse the world. The course itself is very interesting, and covers a wide range of topics from cancer treatment to biofuels to learning how medicines are synthesised. I went from wanting a degree in English Lit to one in Chemistry!

But be warned - it is regarded as *arguably* the msot difficult subject offered at A level, as it neither compliments the mathematically nor linguistically inclined. But on the plus side it means no matter your academic strength, doing well in it is still attainable provided you put the effort in...that, and the unis love it because they know how difficult it is.

I don't think taking 4 A levels is impossible, but I personally wouldn't advise it. I got mostly A*s, and some As at GCSE, but am looking between AAB-BBB in my results. Then again, I am taking Science subjects when my strengths lie in English-orientated subjects. Unis will value 3 higher grades more than they will 4 slightly lower ones (which is likely the case due to the heavy workload in A2). Anyway, you have a whole year to decide whether to drop your 4th AS so don't worry too much about it right away!

[wibletg]

(Original post by JackBlack)
im doing my A levels in September. But I am so confused about which a levels to pick. Should I do 3 or 4? I have no idea what I want to do in the future - which is not very good. So far i have decided on Geography and English literature. Are they good?
The a levels i am considering for 3rd/4th options are
• History
•Classical Civilization
• Psychology
• Biology
• Economics
• Chemistry

Will i get a good job without doing a science? I want to go to uni.
Will it be too much to do 4 a levels ? I am roughly a A/B grade student .
What subjects should i do to keep my options open ?
Are the subjects I have already picked good choices?


Sorry about all the questions !

Unless you're interested in Chemistry, or you're bossing it at GCSE, I'd steer clear.

I know A LOT of people who took it last year who only did it as 'a fourth A level' and the vast majority crashed and burned, but to be fair they didn't exactly cope with the 'jump up' very well.

Realistically, you need to understand the concepts and then hammer the revision 2-4 weeks before the exam.

[success111]

SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME WITH MY CHEMISTRY ESSAY!!!! this is the title 'What are the principles behind green chemistry'? please what can i include tthe essay needs to be 1100-1300 words. HELP HELP HELP!!!

[neillom]

Definitely definitely definitely start with 4!!! Unless you want to do medicine or something that really requires chemistry - do not do it. Personally I think history and economics are great shouts. History might be a bit much with the 2 you already have, but economics is really helpful for a lot of courses and very relevant in today's society.