choosing A-levels help!

hiya, just finished doing my GCSEs a week ago and im facing a dilemma. i hope 2 do an economics degree or something in the financial sector. here are my possible choices for A level:

maths, chemistry, biology, economics
maths, chemistry, physics, economics
maths, chemistry, biology, physics

im also considering further maths but if i did it id want an A because thats what the gd unis ask for -3As (they dont think that FMs is much harder than maths and allow u a B :frown:

). also is it worth doing 4 a levels, or is it better 2 drop 1-what do the unis prefer? and also is economics worth doing or is better 2 swap it for a science?

GCSEs: A*A*A*A*AAAABB - maths,chemistry,biology,RE,geog,business,eng lit,physics,eng,french, and ICT CLAIT gcse

any help would be appreciated :smile:

Reply 1

Duran Duran

There are already a couple of identical topics...

Reply 2

dumdumdumdidum

Have you considered looking at the universities you would like to go to, and see whether they have any preferred subjects? This may help. Also with Further Maths...if you're allowed to take the course, take it, as apparently it makes the normal maths course a lot easier...So despite the extra work, it would probably pay off. A lot of universities only specify the points required, or give 3 grades. A lot of people drop a subject because at A2 the work load increases, although if you want to you can carry on all 4 subjects. You may find that you don't really like one of the courses and drop it anywayz...but I would suggest you look into the preferred subjects before you really choose what you wish to take.

Reply 3

calcium878

18

For an Economics degree - Maths, Further Maths, Economics, Physics, (Chemistry).

Reply 4

Excalibur

15

vinsta

hiya, just finished doing my GCSEs a week ago and im facing a dilemma. i hope 2 do an economics degree or something in the financial sector. here are my possible choices for A level:

maths, chemistry, biology, economics
maths, chemistry, physics, economics
maths, chemistry, biology, physics

im also considering further maths but if i did it id want an A because thats what the gd unis ask for -3As (they dont think that FMs is much harder than maths and allow u a B :frown:

). also is it worth doing 4 a levels, or is it better 2 drop 1-what do the unis prefer? and also is economics worth doing or is better 2 swap it for a science?

GCSEs: A*A*A*A*AAAABB - maths,chemistry,biology,RE,geog,business,eng lit,physics,eng,french, and ICT CLAIT gcse

any help would be appreciated :smile:

^o) How do you know what you got in your GCSEs if you've just finished them? Or are they the grades you've 'predicted' for yourself?

I would go for Maths, Further Maths, Chemistry, Physics and Economics, if I were in your position. Definitely have Maths and Economics, and if you want an edge, go for Further Maths. The other two can be flexible.

Reply 5

jude1388

I'd always go for the subjects that you enjoy the most, sounds like your an intelligent person so the chances are that if you do a subject you enjoy you will do even better at it. Anyway if you do 4 A-Levels then at least you have the choice of dropping one at AS if you go off it or whatever.

Reply 6

vinsta

OP

12

thanks 4 all ur help guys, its well appreciated :smile:

Reply 7

vinsta

OP

12

thanks for all ur help guys, well appreciated :smile:

Reply 8

.ACS.

19

I’d recommend one of these combinations:
- Maths, Further Maths, Biology, Chemistry
- Maths, Further Maths, Economics, Biology/Chemistry

To study Economics at university, you don’t really have had to have studied it at A-Level. It doesn’t really give you that much of an advantage, and if you’re badly taught, then it will make it more difficult at university unless you’re prepared to forget everything you’ve learnt at A-Level.

The advantage of doing not doing Economics at A-Level, however, is that if you decided for some reason that you don’t want to study Economics, you have a much wider range of options.

The_Adarshster

There are already a couple of identical topics...

And…? These sorts of topics are bound to be popular during the periods when people choose their A-Levels.

Reply 9

vinsta

OP

12

"And…? These sorts of topics are bound to be popular during the periods when people choose their A-Levels."

well said m8 and thanks for the advice

Reply 10

mrblue

2

alot of people in my college found biology extremely hard, many with GCSE results similar to yours.. i know one person who got 8 A*s and 3 A*s and only got 2 Ds in the january exams, which he revised for alot.. just a heads up!

Reply 11

Excalibur

15

Andrzej S.

And…? These sorts of topics are bound to be popular during the periods when people choose their A-Levels.

To be fair, the whole purpose of the The Official A level Choices Advice Thread was to put these topics into one place and organise the forums better. :wink:

Reply 12

kellywood_5

17

Maths, further maths and 2 or 3 others out of economics and the sciences. Have a look at what you'd be learning next year and talk to teachers and current/former students, then take the subjects you think you'll enjoy most and get the best grades in. Unis don't really care whether you do 3 or 4 A-levels, so it's best to drop one if you're not sure you could handle the workload of 4, but if further maths is one of them, I'd say it would be best to do 4 so you still have 3 different subjects.

Reply 13

schrodinger's cat

13

I agree with what most of the people here are saying and i would suggest taking 4 A-Levels as it will give you a bit of breathing space and you seem bright enough to cope with it. I would only do further maths at A-Level if you're doing 4 (it would also mean that the work load isn't quite as bad as 4 full subjects) but i recommend it as a subject if you're confident at maths.

Maths, Further Maths, Economics, Chemistry at A-Level sounds good to me. and if you decide you don't want to study Economics any further you could still go do Maths or Chemistry at a top Uni (or you could switch chemisty with phyiscs and the same would be true).

Reply 14

vinsta

OP

12

we do AS and A2 maths in 1st year and do further maths in 2nd year, and we have 5 hours a week, so further maths is and extra, and if we do it we only get 1 free period a week.

but i think ill do maths FM chem bio economics

Reply 15

vinsta

OP

12

we do AS and A2 maths in 1st year and do further maths in 2nd year, and we have 5 hours a week, so further maths is and extra, and if we do it we only get 1 free period a week.

but i think ill do maths FM chem bio economics

thanks for all the advice

Reply 16

silent ninja

19

I would keep economics in the mix and the first choice you've typed up is what i originally planned on studying. Straight sciences and maths is still great (i do that) if you want to study something sciencey at uni (although you can actual do non-science stuff with them as well, like law), but economics keeps the doors open to more artsy/humanties stuff and lets you study something different. You also come across very little essay writing in science and maths, and its a skill that can only be improved.

choosing A-levels help!

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