History at A level

gapyear2018

So for my a-level options I'm going to choose history, is history
a significant step up from GCSE?

I know there will be a lot more to remember, but are the skills generally the same?

I'm on track to achieve an A* for history and I do really enjoy it, considering my other possible options(bio,chem,maths)

Can someone who is doing/has done. History at As and/or A-level reply :smile:

Thanks

Exam board: AQA

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(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 1

odjack

1

I just finished my History AS (OCR A) with an A* at GCSE, and hope to do it at uni. I know a few people who do similar combinations (3 science + history) and really enjoy it. For my exam board the major step up was the quantity of what you are expected to write and the marks available per question (ranging from 30 marks to 70 marks) but in essence the skills are the same. At AS, history becomes much more about arguing something, be it the most important cause of Napoleon's rise to power or which Source is the most compelling and most useful for answering an interpretation. There are an awful lot of facts to learn - after all you can't make an argument unless you can substantiate it and use evidence to explain why it's more convincing than the other factors or Sources - but it's nothing impossible if you learn them over the year. Plus you get to learn about a wide range of fascinating periods in a lot of detail; if nothing else, it's ideal for trivia...!

There will be periods when you absolutely regret taking history (mostly when you suddenly realise you have an essay due in the next day and it's 11pm) but a year from now you'll look back and be glad you did. The skills you get from it truly are invaluable, and I'm saying that as someone who hasn't even started A2.

Reply 2

gapyear2018

OP

18

Original post by odjack

I just finished my History AS (OCR A) with an A* at GCSE, and hope to do it at uni. I know a few people who do similar combinations (3 science + history) and really enjoy it. For my exam board the major step up was the quantity of what you are expected to write and the marks available per question (ranging from 30 marks to 70 marks) but in essence the skills are the same. At AS, history becomes much more about arguing something, be it the most important cause of Napoleon's rise to power or which Source is the most compelling and most useful for answering an interpretation. There are an awful lot of facts to learn - after all you can't make an argument unless you can substantiate it and use evidence to explain why it's more convincing than the other factors or Sources - but it's nothing impossible if you learn them over the year. Plus you get to learn about a wide range of fascinating periods in a lot of detail; if nothing else, it's ideal for trivia...!

There will be periods when you absolutely regret taking history (mostly when you suddenly realise you have an essay due in the next day and it's 11pm) but a year from now you'll look back and be glad you did. The skills you get from it truly are invaluable, and I'm saying that as someone who hasn't even started A2.

Awesome! Thanks a lot for replying.. It was a pretty informative and interesting read 😃

I was also considering doing history at university but I'm not really sure where it will lead, what do you plan on doing after?

Edit: I would rep you but I'm out

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 3

Elisha Rebekah

10

Original post by ScienceFantatic

So for my a-level options I'm going to choose history, is history
a significant step up from GCSE?

I know there will be a lot more to remember, but are the skills generally the same?

I'm on track to achieve an A* for history and I do really enjoy it, considering my other possible options(bio,chem,maths)

Can someone who is doing/has done. History at As and/or A-level reply :smile:

Thanks

I recently finished my History A level and am also planning on studying History at university, so you could say we're a tad biased! That being said, I know people who only studied History as a fourth option (alongside the three sciences) and decided to continue with History rather than one of the sciences. I do think it would be quite refreshing to study a Humanities subject alongside three, rather objective subjects. As long as you're prepared to immerse yourself in any period of history- regardless of whether you're study something brilliant like The French Revolution or something not so great, like public health and sanitation- you will do brilliantly.

Best of luck with your GCSE results and starting your A levels in September :smile:

Reply 4

alexp98

20

I'm sorry but it's a whole different ball game, i got an A at GCSE but this is a huge step up. Although, A2 should be a lot easier as there is 40% coursework. If i just get a C i'll be happy this year then push up to B next year. Very enjoyable subject still :smile:

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 5

UnicornSparkle13

7

It's worth doing if you're good at it and you enjoy it. Trust me. Step up yeah, because the way in which you tackle questions changes.. but if you're at an A* stage as it is, it's nothing you can't handle.

Reply 6

The.Joker

14

Original post by ScienceFantatic

So for my a-level options I'm going to choose history, is history
a significant step up from GCSE?

I know there will be a lot more to remember, but are the skills generally the same?

I'm on track to achieve an A* for history and I do really enjoy it, considering my other possible options(bio,chem,maths)

Can someone who is doing/has done. History at As and/or A-level reply :smile:

Thanks

Posted from TSR Mobile

I never studied history at GCSE but this year I studied AS and A2 history in one year (I'm on a gap year). I found it really enjoyable and fun and hopefully I'll be going to study history in uni this September. As long as you find the topics you'll be covering interesting then you should be fine. The main thing is to enjoy it otherwise revising for the subject will be a chore and you probably won't get the best grade you can achieve.

Wrt essay writing you'll be taught how to structure your essays. It takes a little bit of practice writing essays that reach the top bands but as long as you write a few essays for your teacher to mark and listen to their feedback you should be fine.

Do you know what board/topics you will be covering? I was on edexcel and I studied Britain in India from 1900-47 (AS), Civil rights in America (AS), America's involvement in the Vietnam/Korean Wars (AS) and the English Revolution 1620-1660 (A2).

Reply 7

gapyear2018

OP

18

Original post by The.Joker

I never studied history at GCSE but this year I studied AS and A2 history in one year (I'm on a gap year). I found it really enjoyable and fun and hopefully I'll be going to study history in uni this September. As long as you find the topics you'll be covering interesting then you should be fine. The main thing is to enjoy it otherwise revising for the subject will be a chore and you probably won't get the best grade you can achieve.

Wrt essay writing you'll be taught how to structure your essays. It takes a little bit of practice writing essays that reach the top bands but as long as you write a few essays for your teacher to mark and listen to their feedback you should be fine.

Do you know what board/topics you will be covering? I was on edexcel and I studied Britain in India from 1900-47 (AS), Civil rights in America (AS), America's involvement in the Vietnam/Korean Wars (AS) and the English Revolution 1620-1660 (A2).

Thanks for all the advice, I'm glad to see there are other history enthusiasts... But I'm really undecided about whether to do medicine or history at university despite them being so different.

I'm on the AQA board and I'm not sure how good that is for history... But there are the new A-level reforms which I'm worried about. ImageUploadedByStudent Room1437566201.713282.jpg

ImageUploadedByStudent Room1437566201.713282.jpg

I have the choice of doing modern or medieval, I will probably do modern but I'm not sure.

Nearly all the topics in modern history I studied in minor detail in year 9 and I enjoyed it, especially the bits about Russia

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(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 8

gapyear2018

OP

18

Original post by UnicornSparkle13

It's worth doing if you're good at it and you enjoy it. Trust me. Step up yeah, because the way in which you tackle questions changes.. but if you're at an A* stage as it is, it's nothing you can't handle.

I think I'm fairly good.. It's also been my favourite subject... Thank you for your reply 😃

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Reply 9

ArcticM.

1

Original post by ScienceFantatic

So for my a-level options I'm going to choose history, is history
a significant step up from GCSE?

I know there will be a lot more to remember, but are the skills generally the same?

I'm on track to achieve an A* for history and I do really enjoy it, considering my other possible options(bio,chem,maths)

Can someone who is doing/has done. History at As and/or A-level reply :smile:

Thanks

Posted from TSR Mobile

I've just finished my first year of uni doing History, i got an A* at GCSE too. At A level i got a B grade, just off an A. It does depend a bit on the assignment formats your school has, but content wise i enjoyed it just as much as at GCSE. I don't really think there is much of a step up, certainly nothing compared to what the transition is like in Maths/Science. If you've done coursework before it's largely the same, except you'll have to reference books you've used which really isn't hard at all if anything it's more interesting! You get to choose how you answer the question rather than working off a mark scheme :smile:

with essays, it's not pictures of sources that you analyse for 6/12 marks. I had to do 45 marker questions which to start with were a real pain. It didn't feel possible to fit 45 marks into 45 minutes, but to give you a better idea, it normally finished in about 2 and a half sides of writing. I wouldn't expect an A* at A level just because you did at GCSE, only a handful of my year got one and we had some really bright students. You have to make the most of the coursework to boost your grade though as getting that much time to work on your essay means if you put the work in and manipulate your time effectively there's no reason you can't get top marks. To me it felt like History is History content wise, no historical events or periods are harder than others. Do you know what content you'll be studying? :tongue:

Reply 10

gapyear2018

OP

18

Original post by Elisha Rebekah

I recently finished my History A level and am also planning on studying History at university, so you could say we're a tad biased! That being said, I know people who only studied History as a fourth option (alongside the three sciences) and decided to continue with History rather than one of the sciences. I do think it would be quite refreshing to study a Humanities subject alongside three, rather objective subjects. As long as you're prepared to immerse yourself in any period of history- regardless of whether you're study something brilliant like The French Revolution or something not so great, like public health and sanitation- you will do brilliantly.

Best of luck with your GCSE results and starting your A levels in September :smile:

Thank you, I honestly wanted a reply from people who like the subject but could see the difference between the 2 levels. I guess the combination isn't as strange as I thought 😊

I love most parts of history and from what I can see from the course my college offers I think I'll enjoy it.

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(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 11

inachigeek21

12

This is somewhat persuading me to do History at A Level.
If you do not mind me asking OP, how exactly did you revise for history?
What type of learner are you?

Reply 12

ivybridge

6

Original post by ScienceFantatic

So for my a-level options I'm going to choose history, is history
a significant step up from GCSE?

I know there will be a lot more to remember, but are the skills generally the same?

I'm on track to achieve an A* for history and I do really enjoy it, considering my other possible options(bio,chem,maths)

Can someone who is doing/has done. History at As and/or A-level reply :smile:

Thanks

Posted from TSR Mobile

Hey!

I do History at A-Level on AQA ad studied the Stuarts up to the start of the Civil War and the US Involvement in Vietnam (HIS1D and HIS2Q). I will be studying International Relations at A2 and writing a coursework piece on a 100 year period.

I personally don't think I noticed a step-up that significantly. I would say that all you do is learn to play a new style of game when it comes to the exams rather than face a great "step-up" in terms of difficulty and so on. History requires good analytical skills and that isn't something that can necessarily be taught but more so something that is developed over time. History has always been a tough subject to get the marks in and this doesn't change at A-Level - examiners seek very specific things. I'd say, therefore, that it's just pretty similar to GCSE in terms of what you have to do and the only step-up I can really think of is the detail you must now go into at this level and the mass of content you need to get under your built. The examiners often look for really minute detail and for this reason, I'd say you should be someone who is capable of learning content backwards!

The skills are generally the same, yes, just developed more.

Having a good grade at GCSE of course means you have a good grounding in the skills required but I wouldn't think that because you do well at GCSE, you will do well at A-Level. Likewise, don't think that if you get a B, you can't do very well either. I also think History would be a pretty nice option to take amongst those other courses as it is highly regarded and will give you a breath of fresh-air essentially, allowing you to do something a bit different. Furthermore, it will allow you to develop a different set of skills which are highly sought after.

I hope this helps!

Jay

Reply 13

All-rounder

20

Original post by ScienceFantatic

So for my a-level options I'm going to choose history, is history
a significant step up from GCSE?

I know there will be a lot more to remember, but are the skills generally the same?

I'm on track to achieve an A* for history and I do really enjoy it, considering my other possible options(bio,chem,maths)

Can someone who is doing/has done. History at As and/or A-level reply :smile:

Thanks

Posted from TSR Mobile

Depends which exam board you're with tbf.

I've just finished A2 History with Edexcel, and believe me it's just constantly getting harder...
The step from GCSE to AS is pretty big but easily manageable if you were decent at GCSE or worked hard. For example, I got an A at GCSE (one mark off an A*, I know, I know, not an A* but still bitter) and walked into AS getting B grades in our initial assessments at the beginning of the year because the writing style is still exactly the same. The first year is considerably easier than the second though.

A2 History is ridiculous, the Controversy question on the exam is 40marks of pure agony and the 4'000 word coursework that you have to write without any guidance from your lecturer is completely dreamshattering. My HE College is an over-achieving one, it usually does very well in most subjects, but even for us the average grade we get back from the coursework is a D...

Overall, again I'd say it's important on which exam board you go with, but it's definitely worth doing at AS as its not too difficult, but it gets insanely difficult for the A2 year which most students cant keep up with. Personally I'd strongly suggest dropping it after the first year, but if you feel you can keep up then by all means, everyone is different and others may not have found it as difficult as I have.

Reply 14

odjack

1

Original post by ScienceFantatic

Awesome! Thanks a lot for replying.. It was a pretty informative and interesting read 😃

I was also considering doing history at university but I'm not really sure where it will lead, what do you plan on doing after?

Edit: I would rep you but I'm out

Haha, happy to help! No worries :biggrin:

I think the beauty of a history course is that, while it doesn't necessarily lead anywhere specific, employers in the sectors I'm interested in (journalism, civil service, politics, possibly even law after a conversion) seem to appreciate the varied skills a history degree affords. Concisely presenting an argument with conviction and substantiated evidence is crucial to so many strands of work, and I think that's what history is all about. Of the non-vocational degrees, history is definitely one of the most respected by employers, so you could do almost anything with it! Having said that, I have no doubt a science degree would stand you in equally good stead.

Reply 15

username1292215

22

You are doing the same subjects as me are you going to keep History at A2?

Reply 16

lilza

5

Original post by ScienceFantatic

So for my a-level options I'm going to choose history, is history
a significant step up from GCSE?

I know there will be a lot more to remember, but are the skills generally the same?

I'm on track to achieve an A* for history and I do really enjoy it, considering my other possible options(bio,chem,maths)

Can someone who is doing/has done. History at As and/or A-level reply :smile:

Thanks

Exam board: AQA

Posted from TSR Mobile

I did Edexcel GCSE history and AQA A-level, and to be honest, it was a huge step up. Obviously the content is a lot more challenging, but for me, the most difficult thing was the change in question answering structure. The way in which you answer 12 markers and 24 markers, for me at least, was very different from GCSE. I struggled throughout the year, not getting above a B, and often getting C's. However, by the time the exam came around I was used to the new style, and ended up getting an A. So yeah, a big step up, but manageable if you work hard.

Reply 17

gapyear2018

OP

18

Original post by SuperHuman98

You are doing the same subjects as me are you going to keep History at A2?

Yeah, I'm probably going to drop maths :smile:

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Reply 18

username1292215

22

Original post by ScienceFantatic

Yeah, I'm probably going to drop maths :smile:

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applying for medicine?

Reply 19

elen90

12

I've just done history AS Level with AQA!

I would be lying if I told you that it wasn't difficult... I think that out of all my AS subjects, history was the one that I had to work hardest for - particularly with the first paper* - as it involves an awful lot of memorisation and you have to be able to put these memorised facts into context and relate them to the argument effectively.

It can be a little demoralising initially because on your first essay you may only receive 5/12 (or was that just me?), but your technique and writing style really improves over the course of the year. History questions are of course more open-ended than science or maths papers although your answers still follow a formula that you become familiar with by the end. I certainly found it a tremendous change from GCSE, where I also did AQA. For example, you have to remember historiography along with individual historians' names which is never fun and essay answers are much more focused on debate rather than simple factual recall.

That said, I thoroughly enjoyed the history course and essay writing almost became second-nature by the time I'd finished my exams. Would recommend if you enjoyed history at GCSE.

Tip: Pay attention from the start. It's all relevant. Try to read a bit beyond the syllabus so that you can impress the teachers (and eventually examiners) by referencing facts that you didn't learn in class.

*Trust me, if you do the Tudors everyone is called John or Edward.

History at A level

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