
Choosing your A-levels can feel pretty daunting when you start to think about it. How do I choose my whole future when I haven’t even done my GCSEs? What if I make the wrong decision? What do I want to do at uni? WHAT DO I CHOOSE?
Well, never fear. The question has been asked so many times on TSR that we decided to collect all the helpful information that was floating around, and put it in one easy to read package. So without further ado, here's how to choose your A-levels.
Take subjects you enjoy
If you don’t know what you want to do in terms of a career, picking subjects you enjoy is a good start, as they logically lead to a career that you really like.
TSR member S.carter agrees that it’s important to pick subjects you enjoy, as you’re going to be studying them for two years.
Take subjects you’re good at
This often goes hand-in-hand with the point above, as generally people enjoy what they're good at. You’re more likely to get good grades if you take a subject you’re passionate about.
This point is especially useful if you're struggling to pick your last A level choice - just pick something you know you're good at.
As TSR member thoque says:
Think about your future - but not too much
If you have an idea of a career or a subject at uni, having a look at entry requirements for that course at different universities is a good idea. However, most universities for most courses do not have strict entry requirements – for example most Law or Economics degrees do not require study of those subjects at A-level.
Picking A-levels for your future is particularly important if you’re thinking about medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine – they have very strict entry requirements.
Help on uni applications
But in general it's important not to restrict yourself while choosing A-levels – after all, by the end of two years you may have changed your mind about what you want to do. However, it’s not the end of the world if you do – there's always a path leading to what you want to do.
Don't worry if you don't have a long-term plan yet, says TSR member Quirky Object:
Don't forget to have a look through degree entry requirements
If you know what subject you'd like to study, it's worth taking a look at what the entry requirements are.
And finally, some general advice from criticalem: