The Student Room Group

Are these ok A-level choices?

I've posted many a level threads before but now is the time to finally finalise my thoughts on it because i just got the form. I've decided to keep my options open as i dont know what to do in the future.

i'm thinking of these: Maths, History, Geography

are they ok for open options?
Reply 1
Yes, great options. I do both Geog and History and recommend both, but I think History is a cut above Geog imo. Maths is a great choice aswell, I would have chosen it if I had done well at GCSE.

Best Regards,
Not STEM
>Not OK.
No. I dont know any course in any university that says its essential to have geography so its not a good choice for keeping your choices open. Swop it with a science. Infact the most open a-level combination would probably be something like Maths Chemistry Physics History. You can study dubjects from engineering to medicine to most BA in lower-mid tier universities
Depends what your options for uni are.
Reply 5
Original post by Mentally
No. I dont know any course in any university that says its essential to have geography so its not a good choice for keeping your choices open. Swop it with a science. Infact the most open a-level combination would probably be something like Maths Chemistry Physics History. You can study dubjects from engineering to medicine to most BA in lower-mid tier universities


science dont interest me, it's hard and takes effort to get around concepts. so i kind of opted out of the sciences.
Physical Education?
Reply 7
Original post by hezzlington
Physical Education?


oh yeah top of my list that is.
Reply 8
I'm vouching for Geography on this one. I absolutely LOVED doing geography at A-Level (I'm on my gap year now). I don't regret taking it at all, I learned so much and it genuinely gives you a whole new perspective and depth of understanding of such a broad range of subjects that you study, as well as really encouraging independent learning.

However your choices really depend on what you want to study later on, but at the university open days that I attended at the end of L6 - all of them really good unis - I was worried about my choices but the admissions staff told me that as geography is an essay-based subject it was a good choice for A-level, especially if I wanted to go on to do an essay-based course, which many of them are if you're not doing the whole science/maths based route (and even, then I think).

I think doing maths as well gives you a broad subject range which is always a good thing. I really can't comment on History, the teachers were crap at my school I didn't take it. :smile:

Most important of all, do the subjects you have a genuine interest in, especially as you'll be studying and writing about them non-stop for the next year, it really helps to be passionate about your subject.
Reply 9
Original post by pollysel97
I'm vouching for Geography on this one. I absolutely LOVED doing geography at A-Level (I'm on my gap year now). I don't regret taking it at all, I learned so much and it genuinely gives you a whole new perspective and depth of understanding of such a broad range of subjects that you study, as well as really encouraging independent learning.

However your choices really depend on what you want to study later on, but at the university open days that I attended at the end of L6 - all of them really good unis - I was worried about my choices but the admissions staff told me that as geography is an essay-based subject it was a good choice for A-level, especially if I wanted to go on to do an essay-based course, which many of them are if you're not doing the whole science/maths based route (and even, then I think).

I think doing maths as well gives you a broad subject range which is always a good thing. I really can't comment on History, the teachers were crap at my school I didn't take it. :smile:

Most important of all, do the subjects you have a genuine interest in, especially as you'll be studying and writing about them non-stop for the next year, it really helps to be passionate about your subject.


thank you for the geography course insight. I have the most passion to study history, it's my favourite subject. Maths i'm ok at, for me though it comes with lots of effort and it is tiring to put it in but i did manage an A*. but i thought hard subject isnt bad since i like the other one...i take geography at gcse now and the course seems a bit boring at times, but i enjoy some of it. I was not so sure of geography much and was gonna opt out and go for french instead. but i guess it's quite useful in the real world as well as academically :biggrin:

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