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Need help picking a-levels!

Hi,
I enroll at college this Friday and this is my last chance to change my subjects.

Right now, I am very interested in a career in law. However I am also slightly interested careers in psychology and teaching (English), and would like to keep as many as these options open as possible.

The subjects I originally picked were:
English combined
Psychology
Biology
Sociology

I am definitely keeping English and psychology, but I want the best subjects to get into Law (or psychology/teaching as second resorts) at Uni.

I'm content with biology, but I like it nowhere near as much as English. I enjoy the theory, but I hated doing practical at high school. Therefore I am wondering if it would be beneficial to change this to something such as history - would that be better for Law?

I have also looked at swapping sociology with history, but this seems a lot of work - maybe too much? - and I would only be taking one subject as an AS level anyway.

Could I possibly have opinions on whether to change biology/sociology?

Thank you.
Reply 1
Avatar for AlissaNB
AlissaNB
1
Hi there. In my opinion, I think the best combination is English, history, sociology and psychology. I think history would be much more suited than biology because in law you learn about the history of cases and the history of laws too. In history I have heard students learning about the history of political parties and movements etc. In law you are required to have a good understanding of relevant historical knowledge. I would swap biology with history, rather than swap sociology with history, because sociology is very relevant to your career path. You'll also find that sociology compliments psychology well, making it very suitable for law (or teaching; my psychology teachers at my college taught both subjects to their classes - psychology and sociology).

I studied law at AS level, psychology at AS and A2 level and know the content for AS/A2 level sociology course taught at my college. :smile:
(edited 9 years ago)
Original post by Samiz
Hi,
I enroll at college this Friday and this is my last chance to change my subjects.

Right now, I am very interested in a career in law. However I am also slightly interested careers in psychology and teaching (English), and would like to keep as many as these options open as possible.

The subjects I originally picked were:
English combined
Psychology
Biology
Sociology

I am definitely keeping English and psychology, but I want the best subjects to get into Law (or psychology/teaching as second resorts) at Uni.

I'm content with biology, but I like it nowhere near as much as English. I enjoy the theory, but I hated doing practical at high school. Therefore I am wondering if it would be beneficial to change this to something such as history - would that be better for Law?

I have also looked at swapping sociology with history, but this seems a lot of work - maybe too much? - and I would only be taking one subject as an AS level anyway.

Could I possibly have opinions on whether to change biology/sociology?

Thank you.


Hey, this might be useful for you! Choosing Your A-levels?


Hope you got the GCSEs you wanted today!! :biggrin:
Reply 3
Avatar for Jacketh
Jacketh
8
Biology is well respected and, of course, if you were to apply to a university with Biology combined with English and Psychology for example, there isn't nothing to say you won't get in.

That said, Law applicants tend to do subjects such as History and Government and Politics because they tend to build up the skils that are perfect for Law, and, of course, should involve reading. Anyone who knows anything about a Law degree has heard the tedious stories about having to read an insane about of books so its best to start early. A combination at AS such as English Lit, History, Government and Politics and Sociology would be perfect for Law. Its worth considering sometimes though that Sociology particularly is viewed as somewhat weak. Some universities view Government and Politics as weak as well which I completely disagree with. They are both however relevant to Law so taking Sociology shouldn't be a problem.

Of course Science and Maths are well respected subjects and no university will shun an applicant for taking them. If you feel a desire and interest for Biology, do it. If you really are set on Law and have an interest in a subject like History or Politics then perhaps you should look at them to help you build the skills and make your application stronger. In your personal statement a lot of applicants talk about what skills have been gained from the subjects they have took at AS. This may be easier to link to Law if you have more relatable, essay based, subjects. That isn't to say a link can't be made with Biology and Law. A university may also like to see a diverse range of subjects and not totally focused on one style.

Just do what you enjoy. Its a cliche yet true. A strong personal statement and good grades are the most important thing with a Law degree. Subjects such as English, Politics and History will no doubt be the most studied at AS/A2 for applicants applying, but as long as you've got great grades and a strong desire that is shown in the PS you'll be fine. :smile:

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