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Is this a strong set of A levels?

Hello. I am currently in the process of selecting the A levels I would like to study at college however I am not sure what I would like to do in the future and wish to keep my options open. I would really like to get into a Russell Group university.

Computing
History
Biology
Government and Politics AS

Is this a good selection? What improvements do you think I could make? Will it keep my options open? Thank you.

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Original post by MarxistCarrot
Hello. I am currently in the process of selecting the A levels I would like to study at college however I am not sure what I would like to do in the future and wish to keep my options open. I would really like to get into a Russell Group university.

Computing
History
Biology
Government and Politics AS

Is this a good selection? What improvements do you think I could make? Will it keep my options open? Thank you.


That would keep your options open... to the point where you've got such a wide selection, you might not be able to get into specific subjects. Seriously, only do the whole "keeping options open" thing as an absolute last resort. Particularly if you think you might go into a STEM area, universities don't want "well rounded" people, they want specialists. If you genuinely haven't got a clue what you want to do then fine, if you think you'd enjoy those subjects take them, but to be quite honest I don't think you've done enough research. I find it hard to believe people when they say they genuinely haven't got a clue what kind of direction they want to go into. I'm not saying you need to say exactly which career you want to do, just a general direction. For instance, if you think there's a reasonable chance you'll want to go into a biological science, you should take Chemistry. If you think there's a reasonable chance you might want to do Engineering, you should take physics and maths. If you think there's a reasonable chance you might want to go into Law, replacing one of those subjects with a more traditional essay subject would be a good idea, etc.

Finally, although this isn't an absolutely massive issue, you've only got two "facilitating" (i.e. traditional) subjects there. That's okay, but some people would suggest you have at least three (e.g. replacing Computing or G&P with something more traditional).

My advice to you is to do some serious (like serious serious) research into future career paths. Trust me, you'll be in an infinitely better position if you can tailor your choices to some kind of direction rather than choosing them for the sake of being open.
Reply 2
Original post by MarxistCarrot
Hello. I am currently in the process of selecting the A levels I would like to study at college however I am not sure what I would like to do in the future and wish to keep my options open. I would really like to get into a Russell Group university.

Computing
History
Biology
Government and Politics AS

Is this a good selection? What improvements do you think I could make? Will it keep my options open? Thank you.

No maths or physics closes a lot of doors. Also your subjects are not really related at all. You've just basically picked 1 subject from each area and that's fine I guess but if you want to get into a RG uni for a specific subject then you will only have 1 A level that's useful.

Any ideas what you want to do?
If I'm honest with you no, those subjects don't keep your options open.
I would definitely take maths unless of course you hate it. And drop computing.
Reply 5
Original post by MarxistCarrot
Hello. I am currently in the process of selecting the A levels I would like to study at college however I am not sure what I would like to do in the future and wish to keep my options open. I would really like to get into a Russell Group university.

Computing
History
Biology
Government and Politics AS

Is this a good selection? What improvements do you think I could make? Will it keep my options open? Thank you.


Do you have any idea what you want to do? If you want to go into science, only doing Biology has put you at a massive disadvantage.
(I'd never suggest for you to not do History or Politics; I do them both and Politics is actually becoming higher up in the lists of preferred subjects released by universities.)
Reply 6
If you choose to do computing, you need to study maths alongside as there is a lot of mathematics involved in computing. Students who do not study A-Level maths alongside computing tend to struggle in the subject, and their grades drop as a result.
As others are telling you, these subjects are far too broad and have very few transferable skills or knowledge. Very few university courses will allow such a broad and unspecific choice of subjects. Do you have an idea what you'd want to study at university? If so, think more about what universities would be looking for. If you're stuck then I'm sure we or your careers advisor can give you a hand.

Yours,
Grey
Biology is a fantastic subject to take as you can go into a variety of fields with this, however if you were going to go into a very science-based degree, you may be required to take another science subject. Having an essay-based subject is also good to keep your options open, so history is a good idea. I don't really know too much about the other two to be honest.

I wouldn't pay attention to those who are saying those subjects are far too abroad. It's a great idea to take a variety of different subjects, especially as you don't know what you want to do and shouldn't be rushed into deciding.
Reply 9
Original post by MarxistCarrot
Hello. I am currently in the process of selecting the A levels I would like to study at college however I am not sure what I would like to do in the future and wish to keep my options open. I would really like to get into a Russell Group university.

Computing
History
Biology
Government and Politics AS

Is this a good selection? What improvements do you think I could make? Will it keep my options open? Thank you.


I personally rate G & P and computing in the same bracket as Sociology, Psycology, media, drama, art, PE, General studies and a few other

I only rate Maths, Sciences, History, Economics, English, Languages

Geography is the dividing line
Thank you for the advice I am currently strongly tied between science and humanities I love computers but I understand that it is not facilitating and taking up a slot :/
Original post by MarxistCarrot
Thank you for the advice I am currently strongly tied between science and humanities I love computers but I understand that it is not facilitating and taking up a slot :/


Don't do computing, you don't need that for any particular degree, whereas some degrees require you to have maths, chem, bio, physics, so if I were you pick subjects that TeeEm said.
Well I'm not the best at maths so I don't think I am capable of doing it at A level :/ also some computer science degrees can just require maths or computing and two other subjects.
Original post by MarxistCarrot
Well I'm not the best at maths so I don't think I am capable of doing it at A level :/ also some computer science degrees can just require maths or computing and two other subjects.


Computer Science is pretty much just applied Maths. You really don't want to go into Computer Science without having taken maths (and more importantly, being really good at it and enjoying it).
I understand and in the use of maths in computing I'm fine with maths but I think that A level maths would be way too hard for me.

What about

Computing
Chemistry
Biology
History AS

Or

Biology
Chemistry
History
Computing AS?
Original post by MarxistCarrot
I understand and in the use of maths in computing I'm fine with maths but I think that A level maths would be way too hard for me.

What about

Computing
Chemistry
Biology
History AS

Or

Biology
Chemistry
History
Computing AS?


I don't think you understand what we're trying to say, so I'm gonna put it bluntly.

If you want to do computer science at uni, you MUST do maths. Even if you don't need maths at a level to get in, there WILL be advanced level mathematics in the degree. If you can't manage to do a level maths at all, then computer science is not for you.

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Reply 16
Original post by MarxistCarrot
Hello. I am currently in the process of selecting the A levels I would like to study at college however I am not sure what I would like to do in the future and wish to keep my options open. I would really like to get into a Russell Group university.

Computing
History
Biology
Government and Politics AS

Is this a good selection? What improvements do you think I could make? Will it keep my options open? Thank you.


Hi there, I was in a similar sort of position last year deciding my a levels. I had many interests and decided to take a varied bunch of A levels. I decided upon Maths, Further Maths, Chemistry, History & Politics to keep a Chemistry course / History / Economics course open. I've come to realise though that History & Politics isn't really for me (it was at the time) so I am now stuck with 2 AS levels I don't particularly enjoy as much as I thought I would. I was always good at maths and completely overlooked the prospect of me doing a maths degree (or maths based), so my advice to you is to go with what you have always been interested in / good with all of your life.

If computer science has interested you all your life, you should really be taking Maths + preferably Physics. I would take some soul searching for what you want to do and I know it is tough, but it is well worth it when it comes to going to a university having the knowledge appropriate for the course. I want to now pursue a STEM career and luckily it isn't completely out of the question but it is quite harder to get into one I'd enjoy - I wish I had taken double maths and all three sciences at the end of year 11.

So my question to you really is, what have you been good at and enjoyed all your life? What GCSES do you enjoy at the moment?


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Original post by MarxistCarrot
Hello. I am currently in the process of selecting the A levels I would like to study at college however I am not sure what I would like to do in the future and wish to keep my options open. I would really like to get into a Russell Group university.

Computing
History
Biology
Government and Politics AS

Is this a good selection? What improvements do you think I could make? Will it keep my options open? Thank you.


I thought from next year they wherent doing AS's any more. I thought they where changing it.
Original post by Emma:-)
I thought from next year they wherent doing AS's any more. I thought they where changing it.


AS's will still exist, they just won't form part of the A-level

(read this thread)
Original post by TeeEm
I personally rate G & P and computing in the same bracket as Sociology, Psycology, media, drama, art, PE, General studies and a few other

I only rate Maths, Sciences, History, Economics, English, Languages

Geography is the dividing line


Out of curiousity, why is Geography in the middle?

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