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Choosing A-Levels

Im choosing my A-Levels my choices are either:

Computer Science, Business Studies, Applie ICT and History

I am also considering replacing History with spanish or government & politics. Although I do not plan on going into politics I feel it would be interesting. I am not sure on university but if I was to go it would be for either computer science or video game design. I am not planning on getting a particular job as I want to start my own company.

Would these subjects affect my uni place and what does history, spanish and government & politics involve?
Original post by Thomas12345
Im choosing my A-Levels my choices are either:

Computer Science, Business Studies, Applie ICT and History


Are these the subjects you currently intend on studying at college?? Or do you want to select one of these? Your post is unclear.
Reply 2
Original post by colourtheory
Are these the subjects you currently intend on studying at college?? Or do you want to select one of these? Your post is unclear.


Intending on taking Applied ICT, computer science and business studies

Not sure on either history, spanish or governement & polictics
Reply 3
Original post by Thomas12345
Intending on taking Applied ICT, computer science and business studies

Not sure on either history, spanish or governement & polictics


I strongly advise against taking applied ict. It's an essay fest and is practically worthless in terms of learning new material. Computer science is new but is essentially a slightly modified computing, I took computing at AS and I am now studying it at A2, It's fantastic in my opinion. You will learn to program in a language of you colleges choosing (VB, Java, Python) mine chose Java and I really enjoyed learning the language and applying it to real world problems. The theory exam is fairly simple to revise for and is not the most inspiring paper but the practical exam was really fun and quite easy if you pickup your language well.

If you are up for it then dump applied ict and pickup maths, its very important in programming and isn't very difficult if you keep up with the work. The decision units would also be good for you as they help with computational thinking. Not to mention the fact that universities will be much more likely to make you an offer if you have AS maths over AS Applied ict. Most comp sci courses will not even consider applicants without maths A-Levels or strong IB maths modules.
(edited 9 years ago)
Reply 4
Original post by aranlong
I strongly advise against taking applied ict. It's an essay fest and is practically worthless in terms of learning new material. Computer science is new but is essentially a slightly modified computing, I took computing at AS and I am now studying it at A2, It's fantastic in my opinion. You will learn to program in a language of you colleges choosing (VB, Java, Python) mine chose Java and I really enjoyed learning the language and applying it to real world problems. The theory exam is fairly simple to revise for and is not the most inspiring paper but the practical exam was really fun and quite easy if you pickup your language well.

If you are up for it then dump applied ict and pickup maths, its very important in programming and isn't very difficult if you keep up with the work. The decision units would also be good for you as they help with computational thinking. Not to mention the fact that universities will be much more likely to make you an offer if you have AS maths over AS Applied ict. Most comp sci courses will not even consider applicants without maths A-Levels or strong IB maths modules.


Whats the difference to further maths and maths? Im not really keen on doing maths although my target is an A it just doesn't appeal to me and I often struggle
Original post by Thomas12345
Im choosing my A-Levels my choices are either:

Computer Science, Business Studies, Applie ICT and History

I am also considering replacing History with spanish or government & politics. Although I do not plan on going into politics I feel it would be interesting. I am not sure on university but if I was to go it would be for either computer science or video game design. I am not planning on getting a particular job as I want to start my own company.

Would these subjects affect my uni place and what does history, spanish and government & politics involve?




A-Levels have changed.


From september 2015 there's going to be no AS. So you only really have to pick three a levels not four as
Reply 6
Original post by Thomas12345
Whats the difference to further maths and maths? Im not really keen on doing maths although my target is an A it just doesn't appeal to me and I often struggle


Further maths is generally a more advanced core maths. It has many sections that are fully unique (tons of proof, matrices, complex numbers etc.) and generally relies on core maths knowledge. In my opinion it is considerably more difficult than core maths and should not be taken without core maths.

If you struggle with understanding of maths material at gcse not due to lack of effort then there is no point taking A-Level maths. As useful as it is later on it gets a lot harder than gcse and can be quite a dangerous subject to take if you are not comfortable with gcse material.
(edited 9 years ago)
Reply 7
Original post by elmosandy
A-Levels have changed.


From september 2015 there's going to be no AS. So you only really have to pick three a levels not four as


So I only have to pick threw subjects?
Reply 8
Original post by Thomas12345
Whats the difference to further maths and maths? Im not really keen on doing maths although my target is an A it just doesn't appeal to me and I often struggle


The difference is pretty much the number of modules you take.

Further maths consists of all the single maths modules, plus an extra six of which at least two are 'pure' and the remainder are 'applied'. The extra pure units are not available in single maths, but the applied units are (in single maths you get to pick, in further maths you end up doing virtually all of them)
Original post by Thomas12345
So I only have to pick threw subjects?



I think so yeah.


Basically the new A-Levels: No as&a2, ums,etc just straight two years of hard work and then after two years, final exams (September 2015- May/June 2017) ...


AS will still be around but as a standalone qualification, so it won't count towards uni&your final A-Level grade


You can do 4 a levels though or 3 a levels + one as but yah...


Ask some colleges7sixth forms about these changes
Original post by elmosandy
A-Levels have changed.


From september 2015 there's going to be no AS. So you only really have to pick three a levels not four as


No UMS? How will that work?
(edited 9 years ago)
Original post by colourtheory
No UMS? How will that work?


Idk, they're changed education, its going back to how it was in the 60's O Levels, These A-Levels, the UCAS Tariff is changing as well haha
Original post by elmosandy
Idk, they're changed education, its going back to how it was in the 60's O Levels, These A-Levels, the UCAS Tariff is changing as well haha


I spent most of my A Levels stressing about UMS and grade boundaries. I feel really sorry for A Level students, it's going to be very tough remembering work from two years ago.

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