From The Student Room

TSR Wiki > Study Help > Exams and Qualifications > A Levels > A Level Subject Guides > General Studies

---

Contents 1 Why Study General Studies? 2 Course Structure 3 AS LEVEL 4 A2 LEVEL 5 Study Help 6 Careers/University 7 Also See

Why Study General Studies?

General Studies informs you about the world around you. It deals with politics, ethics, literature, culture, science, technology and mathematics. It can only be a good thing for a student to learn about these attributes of everyday life.

Course Structure

Most A Level courses have six modules, with three for the AS and another three for the A2. Generally, each paper will focus on one main area - science, the Arts, Society; each of which will deal with subtopics (such as technology and medicine in the case of the former). There is seldom any coursework element.

AS LEVEL

(NB: I took AQA (A), so this is what I'll be concentrating on)

GSA1 This is the Culture, Morality, Arts and Humanities paper. You basically just have to write essays on certain issues. It's not that hard if you manage to read a good quality broadsheet newspaper a couple of times a week.

GSA2 This is the Science, Mathematics and Technology module. To be honest, my year all found this quite hard as most of us hadn't done any Maths since GCSE. If the Sciences aren't your forte, then you just need to work extra hard at the other papers (I got a C on this paper, and still came out with an A overall).

GSA3W Society, Politics and the Economy was much like GSA1. The multiple choice element makes it relatively easy to get a good grade on this paper (I got 100% putting no work in), which can make a big difference if you fall down in other areas.

A2 LEVEL

GSA4E/F In this unit, there's an option to do either a Modern Foreign Language multiple choice comprehension paper (French, German or Spanish) or a European Culture multiple choice paper. The latter tended to focus on modern art.

GSA5 This Science, Mathematics and Technology module was horrible - my 'A'-Level subjects were all humanities and I'm really not the most Science-minded person. It's not a total disaster, though, because it's easy to make up the shortfall in other areas.

GSA6 Society, Politics and the Economy was again more of the same very general topics. Just be fairly well-informed on current affairs (and maybe be prepared to waffle a bit!) and you'll be fine.

Study Help

Careers/University

Whilst General Studies is not regarded as a staple qualification by universities as a whole, it can be known to swing decisions in people's favour on results day - if they have missed their offer by a grade and got a good grade in General Studies, for instance. It can show universities that a student has more scope potential than just within the bounds of the subjects they are studying.

Also See