Choosing AS/A Levels because I enjoy them/am interested in them?

I want to go to university, but I'm not sure what course I would take, although there are many that sound interesting to me, especially ones to do with politics, law, business, social policy, and criminology.

A lot of people choose their AS/A Levels with a particular uni course and career in mind, but since I'm unsure of what I want to do, is it ok to choose AS/A Levels that I am interested in, will enjoy, and will (hopefully!) do well in?
I've heard before that it's best to pick a mix of more traditional subjects, such as History, Maths, Languages, or Sciences, which will leave more options open for me and will also be more respected when applying for university, but none of these subjects really appeal to me.

The AS Levels I am interested in are:
Government & Politics
Philosophy
Critical Thinking
Law
Psychology
Sociology
Business Studies

So can anyone help me wittle it down to four, based on the informtation I've given you?
Also has anyone got ideas for uni courses/careers that might appeal to me?

Thanks :smile:

Reply 1

rainbow drops

if you choose subjects you enjoy, you're much more likely to do well in them. :smile:

from the ones you've specified, i would go with government & politics, philosophy and psychology, but then i'd be tempted to choose another subject. history maybe? i'm doing history a level without a huge interest in the subject, and i still find the lessons fun and the work reasonable.

Reply 2

FizzBitch

rainbow drops

if you choose subjects you enjoy, you're much more likely to do well in them. :smile:

I was thinking about history as it does relate to some of my other subjects, but I didn't do it at GCSE, so would I struggle with it?

Reply 3

snow_white_forever

hi, i did philosophy at a-level and loved it, its also a highly regarded a-level too despite what you might here. law is not as well respected as some a-levels but i enjoyed it, and still got accepted in to a good uni...good luck whatever you choose.

definatly choose subjects you enjoy as it will be easier to motivate yourself to revise

Reply 4

peachmelba

Can you give us an idea how you did in your gcses? To some extent, your choices depend on how you'll be/can aim in terms of unis

Reply 5

YesNoMaybeIDontKnow

Id say go with the courses that you think you'll enjoy because you'll be more interested in class and more willing to learn about them rather than switching off because youre bored and uninterested.
I would reccommend taking 2/3 subjects from the list that you know you'll enjoy and teaming them with 1/2 traditional subjects, perhaps one that you did best in at GCSE. That way you'll have a good mix and it will give you more options when youre deciding what career you want.

Reply 6

FizzBitch

peachmelba

Can you give us an idea how you did in your gcses? To some extent, your choices depend on how you'll be/can aim in terms of unis

Maths - B
Science - C
Eng Lang - B
Eng Lit - B
French - C
Art - B
Drama - C
Media - D
RE - A*

To be honest I could have done better in most of them, and was predicted to do better, but I had a pretty bad attitude towards my education when I was doing GCSEs (got my results last summer not this summer) and I used to not really care about anything, but I've changed a lot in the last year and I'm going to work really hard at my A levels.

Reply 7

Fictitious

Don't worry about not having a firm idea of what you want to study at university - you'd be surprised to find out just how many people are in the exact same position! Not everyone makes their A-Level choices based on what they're hoping to do in the future, so as long as you choose subjects that you're interested in and likely to enjoy, you really can't go wrong. :smile:

My best advice is to go with your instincts: if you have a feeling you'll like studying a certain subject, then go for it! You can always change your mind if you're unhappy with your subject combination within the first few weeks of starting your courses. Don't worry too much about having "traditional" subjects either - if they're not to your liking, that's absolutely fine, it's all about individual preference. If you want to keep your options open, you could always make sure you have a bit of a variety e.g. a social science, a humanity, an arts subject etc. But as long as the subjects you choose suit you, it really doesn't matter about anything else, and I'm sure you'll end up doing something you love at university!
Hope this helps!

Reply 8

peachmelba

Your gcse results are Ok but not spectacular. The A* in RS shows that you have the ability to do really well and I really admire your self-awareness in terms of your past attitude and determination to improve it.

I think you could end up doing very well at A level and have a crack at a good set of unis, whatever course you decide on. That's why I think the following is not good advice:

s long as the subjects you choose suit you, it really doesn't matter about anything else

It may not be fair, but top unis do discriminate against what they see as "softer" subjects. Only Cambridge and LSE publish blacklists but you can be sure that other unis have unofficial lists. To get into the best uni you can on a competitive course (which politics and law certainly would be), why make it harder for yourself by choosing less traditional subjects?

So, if I was you I would pick:

Government & politics
Philosophy (both these well respected)
One of business/sociology/psychology (not law, bizarelly uni law departments don't like it)
One more traditional subject (you did Ok in English & Maths at gcse)

Does your school/college offer RS at A level? You did your best in that, so it would be worth continuing with.

Good luck