should i take alevel ECCONOMICS or GEOGRAPHY?

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Economics is based off geography: The key to understanding an economy is by understanding how it's people work and how the environment is based off it. For example, a simple model of the insane growth between 1980 and 2010 dubbed the "Chinese Miracle" is because of liberalisation of the economy, allowing easier foreign investment. However, there are many other factors that aid in that growth such as china's abundant natural resources as well as china's demographic bubble. It's a complicated story, but viewing it wholly through the lens of economics is inappropriate

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Economics is too abstract for it's own good: Economics as a study relies to heavily on these abstract concepts, and schools of thought, and complex mathematical modeling. The field has almost a maths envy, and deploys maths in sometimes inappropriate situations. For example, I would argue that the middle income trap shouldn't exist as a model as it neglects a bunch of socio-cultral aspects in the name of economic growth. In essence I would argue at times it neglects humanity.

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Geography teaches you how to think: There's a key theme in A-Level geography called synoptic links. This is linking two different things and seeing how they link up. This could how natural disasters cause down stream effects on socio-economic dynamics of a country, or how globalization causes death of culture. This is contrasted with economics applying the demand and supply graph for the 9th time in an exam and then explaining how asset price bubbles are caused (which now that I think about it, that does sound interesting).

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Geography is the human story: In geography, every natural hazard, landscape topography and even geological maps in given in the context of how humans will interact with it. I think this is the most misunderstood aspect of geography.

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The biggest difference I would say is that the exam is geared towards humans. The big 25 markers in the first papers are always about how humans interact with the environment. Stuff like explaining social vulnerability in hazard zones, or droughts lead to regional instability. You're expected to know how the process works as well as how the process effects humans.

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While the exam is still reliant on the same command words to test skills. Still sucks.

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The questions themselves allow for lots more flexibility in what you can say. For example, you can discuss going into the above question about the effect of land management would have a knock on the crime rates of an area. You can argue more passionately about how processes effects humans.

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I would say all the knowledge for physical geography you have to learn is the same as learning all three of those topics and a bit more. However if the sixth form your going to does Edexcel A-Level geography that means they'll be starting off with Plate Tectonics which isn't covered by the GCSE course at all... You'll have a tough time switching courses.

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And human geography, knowledge is a lot more, but it's actually interesting and relevant, so it's a lot less . If you were to join now we're leaning about Globalization, easy stuff compared to economics.

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In human the wider reading is often the news and stuff from media. Really easy. If you want good examples just look at anything from the FT, Economist or Guardian. I'm serious. Just remove anything involving the word "interest rates" ,or worse, "investors" and that covers about 40% of literaly the Human course. Have a focus on world news as we leave domestic news to the politics students.

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In terms of physical, as physical events such as earthquakes or droughts aren't really covered in media. In class, we read a mix of the news, research papers and government reports. Things like this UN risk report or the uncommon case that natural disasters are reported. It varies and you have much more technical vocab. It's harder to read, but it's much more orientated to academia.