history A level

if i was to do history as my only essay subject (other subjects being maths, economics and spanish and maybe further maths), is it v. hard, and is an A reasonably possible? also for AS i know that the topics are english and american civil war

thanks

Reply 1

dh00001

an a is reasonably possible in any subject if you are prepared to put the work in. what were you like at such subjects in the past

Reply 2

Prince Rhyus

roya

if i was to do history as my only essay subject (other subjects being maths, economics and spanish and maybe further maths), is it v. hard, and is an A reasonably possible?

thanks

Depends whether you have a passion for the subject.

Are you the sort of person who is quite happy to wander into a charity shop or second-hand bookshop to browse for books in this field?

Are you the sort of person who gets pleasure from going beyond the reading list in that subject?

If you are and learn the exam techniques, high grades are easier. If this sounds like a chore, it will be harder.

My best advice is to follow your heart.

Reply 3

roya

dh00001

an a is reasonably possible in any subject if you are prepared to put the work in. what were you like at such subjects in the past

ive just done my gcse's so havnt got the results yet, but i am good at it and predicted an a*, and i work hard lol

Reply 4

kitty_koo

A-level History is one of the hardest A-levels, you wont get an A unless you put a lot of effort into the subject, but it is an interesting subject so i'd recommend it

Reply 5

Don John

Problem is, if you found it only slightly tedious for GCSE, I guess that AS would bore to death. I'm seriously reconsidering changing my sixth form option to do History to Psychology or Sociology instead.

Reply 6

Cessie

^ Surely it depends on what's going to be studied. I wasn't a massive fan of GCSE... I wasn't going to take it at A level, but I liked the A level so much that I ended up doing it at uni.

Reply 7

Crystal89

Not necessarily. GCSE and AS History are worlds apart in terms of the way you learn and how you answer exam questions. Personally, I did completely new topics in my AS and A2 courses compared to what we'd done at GCSE. I would check what topics you'll study at your school/college and see if you think they'll be interesting. For the record, I found History A-level extremely interesting and worthwhile but then I took it because I enjoy learning about it, those that took it because they thought it would look good tended to struggle and found it boring. An A is definitely achievable but not easy, even if you do get an A* in your GCSE.

Reply 8

.ACS.

When it comes to whether you choose History at A-Level or not, I think the most important thing is finding out whether you will enjoy the topics studied. The topics covered can really make or break History for you, as if you don’t like what you’re studying it’s unlikely you’ll enjoy it.

Reply 9

kellywood_5

There's no definitive answer to this because it depends on the individual, but personally I did find history very hard. My hardest A-level, in fact, and the most work. However, it's also enjoyable and rewarding, not to mention very well respected, so if you enjoy it, you're hard working and you're good at it, it's definitely worth taking it. As for whether an A is possible, of course it is with hard work, especially if you get your predicted A* at GCSE, but bear in mind that the subject is very different at A-level, so you'll need to adapt to a new style to do well and you shouldn't be disheartened if you do badly at first because it takes time to get used to it.

Reply 10

slk999

i got an A at AS for i'm really not sure why. i think the examiner was drunk. i await with baited breath for my A2 mark this august.
yes- it is a lot of work. but doesn't require so much reading as other essay subjects do. you just do what it says on the tin.

Reply 11

Lucyatthegym

Hmm. I found gcse history a walk in the park and did no work and got an A*.

I found as level to be quite a large jump.. I also found what we were studying a little bit boring. The lessons in general were good. It is hard to get As. But, in all honesty I am so lazy and find it really hard to do any work out of school.. So, I'm sure that for someone who does work hard it would be quite easy to get As.