Year 11s: what are you going to pick at sixth form/college?

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AS further maths is AS further maths. It is made up of 3 units. A2 further maths is A2 further maths. This is also made up of 3 units. If you complete all 6 units, you have a whole a level in further maths.

Only a few medical schools accept it as a fourth AS subject. I think it is less than 10

Ok thanks, I am in Year 10, btw.

Reply 21

username1183574

Original post by TardigradeFan

I'm going to take Biology, Chemistry, Maths and Physics to A2 and am considering German to AS. I'm aiming for Medicine or Life Sciences.
At the minute, GCSEs are going well. I'm managing to get A*s in the majority of subjects, which keeps my teachers happy.

Terrified about my OCR English Language exam on the 5th Nov. Is anyone else taking it at the same time?

Also, did anyone take extra GCSEs? I got an A in Astronomy last summer.

Don't do 4 at A2 if you can help it, it doesn't give any advantage and is a lot of pressure on you. 5 AS subjects is just about manageable, although my friend who did that did find that lots of her UMS scores dropped because of the extra workload. You'll see once you start how different A levels are from GCSEs so just bear that in mind!
If you think you can do it though, go for it! Physics is awful by the way haha

Reply 22

username1183574

Original post by CheekyGeeky

I really wanted to do medicine but got put off by all the competition! Even though i'm an A or A* students its not good enough!! You literally have to have A*'s across the board.

So I'm just going to do A levels I enjoy and ones that keep my options open:
Biology
Economics
History
Spanish

I want to do a degree but i'm not sure what in... maybe History because I enjoy it :smile:

I'm thinking about doing Law as a career but I would want to get a degree and then do a law conversion thing.

A really random mix, I know :wink:

Good luck with yours!
P.S "me-time" went out of the window when I started year 11 and started having revision and catch up sessions after school every day (y) You're not alone in having barely any life!!

Not true, don't need A*s across the board, AS levels are more important. At least 7 or 8 A*s at GCSE, 4 As at AS and at least 3As at A-level is what you need to be considered for medicine (generally, may be special circumstances for some!) :smile:

Reply 23

TardigradeFan

Original post by Ebbsy

Thanks, that's really useful. Why is Physics awful? I'm looking forward to it.

Reply 24

username1183574

Original post by TardigradeFan

Thanks, that's really useful. Why is Physics awful? I'm looking forward to it.

Haha just the general opinion of our year. I found that it was very different from GCSE, maybe because I really excelled at GCSE and found that I struggled for the first time at AS, so maybe that put me off. There are others though (admittedly fewer) who really enjoy it, but it is challenging. A good A level to do though, if you can do well in physics, you are on track to do well in pretty much everything in my opinion haha
but I would say try out doing 5 AS levels for the first month or so (if your sixth form will allow that) and then make a decision about whether or not you feel like it is too much pressure

Reply 25

TardigradeFan

That's what I was going for. Well, I'm up for a challenge :smile:

What other A levels did you take and what are you planning to do next?

Reply 26

username1183574

Original post by TardigradeFan

That's what I was going for. Well, I'm up for a challenge :smile:

What other A levels did you take and what are you planning to do next?

I took Maths, Chemistry, Biology and Physics at AS, dropped Physics now, and planning to apply for veterinary medicine next year (NOT 80 applicants per place as someone said earlier which was ridiculous haha but yes, very competitive so fingers crossed!)

Reply 27

Reiss64

Original post by CheekyGeeky

Ahahah oh psychology? What are you thinking about doing with that? Aww good luck! Bristol is pretty good, well i've heard good things about it ahah :smile:

Sorry about all the questions but what subjects are you doing at A level? :P

Yeah psychology's the best :yep:

it applies to pretty much every profession you could ever want to go into, being such a good compromise between science, maths, humanities, english and social sciences! The only time it would really be oversubscribed is if you wanted to go into clinical work. It's quite a popular postgrad option. :rolleyes:

I'm not sure where I want to end up though, but it's such a vast subject so the possibilities are endless :biggrin:

But I love the subject and I can't wait to study it properly next year :smile:

Right now I'm studying Psychology, English Lit, Economics and I did Music at AS (random subjects I know! :wink:

) But I did alright, getting 4 A's at AS (which made up for my pretty poor GCSEs! :redface:

)

Reply 28

TardigradeFan

Original post by Ebbsy

Good luck then!

Reply 29

letsbehonest

Original post by Ebbsy

To be considered you need to meet the minimum requirements for the specific med school which is usually a couple of gcses (8 or 9 minimum) with Bs in English and Maths and AAA prediction at A2.

To be competitive at med schools that consider gcses you need a bunch of A*s at gcse like you said. GCSEs aren't the end all be all. An amazing ukcat will give you instant interviews at some unis as long as you meet the minimum gcse requirements so yeah..

But yes it is better to have amazing gcses.

Reply 30

Xabier

Original post by AlphaNick

All GCSEs going well, so far... I guess I'll assess the validity of my analysis after the mocks.

For A-level?
Physics
Mathematics
Further Mathematics
Chemistry

god help me... :s-smilie:

haha, same as me. Its gonna be a fun two years! What are you gonna drop?

Reply 31

LottieL0o

GCSE's aren't going too bad at the moment. I'm getting A's and A*'s in most things at the moment, so that keeps the teachers happy :cute:

As for AS and A-levels I'm looking to take Biology, Chemistry, Maths for A- levels as well as Economics for AS. I'm hoping to do vet med in uni, but we'll see ... :s-smilie:

Reply 32

ToLiveInADream

I'm predicted pretty much all A*s and I want to do -
Bio
Chem
Maths
Eng lit :smile:

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Reply 33

Lord Harold

History, Ancient History, Classics and Music

Reply 34

shakilwashere

I'm in year 12 now and I picked: Maths, Computing, Psychology and Biology. My advice you is pick whatever you enjoy doing, don't pay attention to people saying it's useless or anything. If I were to rechoose my A Levels right now I would choose Media Studies, Philosophy and Ethics, Psychology and Biology, things I have a genuine interest in. Pick what you want don't pay attention to others. I wish I didn't pick Maths D:

Reply 35

Thivya_T

I've been predicted mostly A's and A*'s, and I want to take BCM and then maybe German

At Uni, I would love to take a Midwifery course, because that's what I love doing
but I would never become a doctor because that's what my parents wanted... I'm doing the job, not them, after all

and what's wrong with Maths? (not being indignant, just genuinely curious)

Reply 36

IttyBittyBlondie

Original post by Soha Malik

gcse physics is a nightmare at the moment. its the only lesson i go into hating! i want to do chemistry, biology, psychology and english lit at a levels. wanted to do medicine at uni but after seeing these comments im starting to rethink...

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Don't be put off by what others say, yes medicine is definitely a tough course to get onto but if you really want to do it it isn't impossible, but you will have to work hard for it! :smile:

I have to say I agree with you about physics, it is a nightmare at the moment, and there's still two terms left!

Reply 37

itsConnor_

GCSEs going good, currently targeted 3 A*s and the rest As off the top of my head.

In regards to A-levels, I'm thinking of doing either (GCSE predicted grade in brackets):

English Lit. (A*)
Geography (A*)
Biology (A, double award)
Business Studies (A*) OR Chemistry (A, double award)

I'm currently leaning toward engish lit., geog., bio and business (to be dropped after AS) and perhaps going for a law degree, and eventually pharmaceutical law?

How does that combination sound? :smile:

Reply 38

TaraClark23

If I don't get an apprenticeship then I hope to go to college and do business studies and hospitality.

Reply 39

username902265

Hi, GCSEs are okay (I think!), I've done French (A*) and Core Science (A*) already

For A level I'm planning on doing 5 AS levels (only because I can't decide between my fourth subject, and other girls at my school take 5 then drop one they don't enjoy as much in the first term):

Maths
Further Maths
Geography
Chemistry
Economics

Hopefully I'll do Maths and Maths Education at uni, that's the plan at the moment but it may change :smile: