Why is the A-level Business Studies seen as a soft option?
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im just wondering how many of the people in this thread actually do business studies? okay, so its known as a soft subject but i do not agree with it being easy. it depends on the individual surely. As the OP said, people play to their strengths and surely people who have an interest in business studies are going to be good at the subject. i do business studies and i found it really hard at AS. now being in A2 there is a lot less content than i first originally thought. It is all about whether the individual has the qualities that an business person has and whether they are able to apply the current trends to the case study.
i also think it is VERY unfair that people are claiming on here that universities frown upon it. I beg to differ very much so.
i took PE, business studies and psychology at A level - stereotypically the soft subjects at A level. and was accepted into all of my university choices within the space of 2 weeks. these were uni of leeds x2, uni of sheffield, uni of york and uni of manchester so all russell group universities. All for a highly competitive subject (criminology & law - at which the uni with the most course places offers only 50 places)
So i think that i was not looked down upon at all and think that some of these people mentioned in the OP's original post as present within this thread.
surely if a person is happy and doing well in a subject it is not down to fickle classmates to make them feel that their a level is pointless?
i also think it is VERY unfair that people are claiming on here that universities frown upon it. I beg to differ very much so.
i took PE, business studies and psychology at A level - stereotypically the soft subjects at A level. and was accepted into all of my university choices within the space of 2 weeks. these were uni of leeds x2, uni of sheffield, uni of york and uni of manchester so all russell group universities. All for a highly competitive subject (criminology & law - at which the uni with the most course places offers only 50 places)
So i think that i was not looked down upon at all and think that some of these people mentioned in the OP's original post as present within this thread.
surely if a person is happy and doing well in a subject it is not down to fickle classmates to make them feel that their a level is pointless?
(edited 13 years ago)
Original post by thecookiemonster
No I'm doing AQA, which also contains theory and application and analysis 
to be honest though it doesn't matter to people i know what exam board it is on, as they know nothing about the course, they simply dismiss business studies because of its overall reputation.
to be honest though it doesn't matter to people i know what exam board it is on, as they know nothing about the course, they simply dismiss business studies because of its overall reputation.Yeh I know, but for example practically ALL exams on CIE are so much harder. I am also doing ICT which also has a bad reptutation because it's so much more easier than computing and bla bla, well my ICT has loads of programming and loads of stuff about networks, which is hard. The only reason why they are seen as soft subjects is because they are new, and thats completely ridiculous. I mean geography is seen as a traditional subject and is more valued, while it is sooooooooooooooooooo easy. Like seriously how can geography be valued as more, it is the easiest subject on the planet.
I can't speak for A-Levels but in the IB, Economics has a considerably higher average grade worldwide in comparison to Business and Management. I take both and I would have to say Economics is more theoretical but easily manageable. B&M on the other hand makes reference to theorists and their applications to specific case studies which can be quite tricky to respond to especially in exam situations.
I take Higher Level Math in the IB as well (which is perceived as being the toughest subject the IB offers) and I wouldn't necessarily say that Business is leaps and bounds easier than Math. It really varies from person to person.
I take Higher Level Math in the IB as well (which is perceived as being the toughest subject the IB offers) and I wouldn't necessarily say that Business is leaps and bounds easier than Math. It really varies from person to person.
Original post by srudland8
im just wondering how many of the people in this thread actually do business studies? okay, so its known as a soft subject but i do not agree with it being easy. it depends on the individual surely. As the OP said, people play to their strengths and surely people who have an interest in business studies are going to be good at the subject. i do business studies and i found it really hard at AS. now being in A2 there is a lot less content than i first originally thought. It is all about whether the individual has the qualities that an business person has and whether they are able to apply the current trends to the case study.
i also think it is VERY unfair that people are claiming on here that universities frown upon it. I beg to differ very much so.
i took PE, business studies and psychology at A level - stereotypically the soft subjects at A level. and was accepted into all of my university choices within the space of 2 weeks. these were uni of leeds x2, uni of sheffield, uni of york and uni of manchester so all russell group universities. All for a highly competitive subject (criminology & law - at which the uni with the most course places offers only 50 places)
So i think that i was not looked down upon at all and think that some of these people mentioned in the OP's original post as present within this thread.
surely if a person is happy and doing well in a subject it is not down to fickle classmates to make them feel that their a level is pointless?
i also think it is VERY unfair that people are claiming on here that universities frown upon it. I beg to differ very much so.
i took PE, business studies and psychology at A level - stereotypically the soft subjects at A level. and was accepted into all of my university choices within the space of 2 weeks. these were uni of leeds x2, uni of sheffield, uni of york and uni of manchester so all russell group universities. All for a highly competitive subject (criminology & law - at which the uni with the most course places offers only 50 places)
So i think that i was not looked down upon at all and think that some of these people mentioned in the OP's original post as present within this thread.
surely if a person is happy and doing well in a subject it is not down to fickle classmates to make them feel that their a level is pointless?
That's brilliant! What you are saying completely disproves everyone's theory of how some subjects are looked down upon. This is a good step forward for universities
In my AS I have an A in both Maths and Business and I would honestly tell you I struggled a lot more to get an A in Business Studies and wish so much I would have taken Economics instead. Every question in Maths has a set answer with usually just one method of getting to that answer, therefore if you take the time to learn the method and practice it eventually you will always get those type of questions right. Business A level seems to have a lot more of a random element to it, for example, you can have an answer that makes complete sense on the basis of real world Business but your answer will be completely discounted because it's not in the mark schemes rigid list of 'viable' answers. I sat Unit 1 and Unit 2 at the same time and came back with an A grade in Unit 2 and an E grade in Unit 1 despite the fact they are very similar exams. I resat Unit 1 half a year later with just a few hours of revision beforehand and got an A.
This is in my opinion the reason why the subject is looked down upon, it's very easy for someone without much knowledge of real world business to just regurgitate key words and definitions from the text book and get a decent grade.
This is in my opinion the reason why the subject is looked down upon, it's very easy for someone without much knowledge of real world business to just regurgitate key words and definitions from the text book and get a decent grade.
(edited 13 years ago)
Original post by Tommyjw
Business shows the capability to apply years of learning to real life situations and put theories, concepts, ideas and opinions together to form a well thought out, reasoned and un-baised answer to a question to which there are no real answers.
The sentence could never end.
Business shows the capability to apply years of learning to real life situations and put theories, concepts, ideas and opinions together to form a well thought out, reasoned and un-baised answer to a question to which there are no real answers.
The sentence could never end.
Business studies and business in real life are two different beasts. This will be amongst the first things you will learn once you leave the safety net of academia.
The second point is just essay writing.
What does business offer that isn't better demonstrated by another course?
Original post by thecookiemonster
In Business Studies you have to learn how to correctly analyse key data and information and apply your theoritical knowledge in order to come to an evaluation which must demonstrate an understanding of both sides of an argument.
In Business Studies you have to learn how to correctly analyse key data and information and apply your theoritical knowledge in order to come to an evaluation which must demonstrate an understanding of both sides of an argument.
The same goes for any humanity, this is just essay writing ability. This is demonstrated in pretty much all other courses, which also offer more than just essays.
Original post by srudland8
im just wondering how many of the people in this thread actually do business studies? okay, so its known as a soft subject but i do not agree with it being easy. it depends on the individual surely. As the OP said, people play to their strengths and surely people who have an interest in business studies are going to be good at the subject. i do business studies and i found it really hard at AS. now being in A2 there is a lot less content than i first originally thought. It is all about whether the individual has the qualities that an business person has and whether they are able to apply the current trends to the case study.
i also think it is VERY unfair that people are claiming on here that universities frown upon it. I beg to differ very much so.
i took PE, business studies and psychology at A level - stereotypically the soft subjects at A level. and was accepted into all of my university choices within the space of 2 weeks. these were uni of leeds x2, uni of sheffield, uni of york and uni of manchester so all russell group universities. All for a highly competitive subject (criminology & law - at which the uni with the most course places offers only 50 places)
So i think that i was not looked down upon at all and think that some of these people mentioned in the OP's original post as present within this thread.
surely if a person is happy and doing well in a subject it is not down to fickle classmates to make them feel that their a level is pointless?
i also think it is VERY unfair that people are claiming on here that universities frown upon it. I beg to differ very much so.
i took PE, business studies and psychology at A level - stereotypically the soft subjects at A level. and was accepted into all of my university choices within the space of 2 weeks. these were uni of leeds x2, uni of sheffield, uni of york and uni of manchester so all russell group universities. All for a highly competitive subject (criminology & law - at which the uni with the most course places offers only 50 places)
So i think that i was not looked down upon at all and think that some of these people mentioned in the OP's original post as present within this thread.
surely if a person is happy and doing well in a subject it is not down to fickle classmates to make them feel that their a level is pointless?
This response is full of invalid arguments.
1. You found the course hard does not mean that the course is hard.
2. Yes it is down to the individual, this does not change the fact that more individuals find business easy in comparison to more traditional subjects.
3. You cannot test the 'qualities of a businessman' academically, it is all just regurgitating your theories/case studies.
4. The claim is that prestigious (more than just russell), prefer to see other subjects. You did not apply to any of these Universities.
5. Just because there are few spots for a course does not mean that it is more competitive. Often it is the opposite case.
6. The assumption that all courses/degrees are equally worthwhile is massively counter productive. It is something you don't realise till its too late.
Original post by Darkarium
In my AS I have an A in both Maths and Business and I would honestly tell you I struggled a lot more to get an A in Business Studies and wish so much I would have taken Economics instead. Every question in Maths has a set answer with usually just one method of getting to that answer, therefore if you take the time to learn the method and practice it eventually you will always get those type of questions right. Business A level seems to have a lot more of a random element to it, for example, you can have an answer that makes complete sense on the basis of real world Business but your answer will be completely discounted because it's not in the mark schemes rigid list of 'viable' answers. I sat Unit 1 and Unit 2 at the same time and came back with an A grade in Unit 2 and an E grade in Unit 1 despite the fact they are very similar exams. I resat Unit 1 half a year later with just a few hours of revision beforehand and got an A.
This is in my opinion the reason why the subject is looked down upon, it's very easy for someone without much knowledge of real world business to just regurgitate key words and definitions from the text book and get a decent grade.
This is in my opinion the reason why the subject is looked down upon, it's very easy for someone without much knowledge of real world business to just regurgitate key words and definitions from the text book and get a decent grade.
this, i find maths easier because of this, i know there is only one answer etc. its so much easier whereas business its like a cake, with so many layers and textures, you get one wrong and the entire cake is ruined.
Original post by angryvivo
i look down on business a level because most of the people who are in my business class are immature idiots etc. i wish i taken economics now, better class better material etc.. i take english lit and it is just hard on so many levels, gosh i hate the ao's.
I don't understand why people always compare business studies and economics. They are completely different subjects!
out of all my a levels i actually found business the hardest... lol. i did english language, english literature and psychology to full a level, dropped business
Original post by MillerTraub
This response is full of invalid arguments.
1. You found the course hard does not mean that the course is hard.
2. Yes it is down to the individual, this does not change the fact that more individuals find business easy in comparison to more traditional subjects.
3. You cannot test the 'qualities of a businessman' academically, it is all just regurgitating your theories/case studies.
4. The claim is that prestigious (more than just russell), prefer to see other subjects. You did not apply to any of these Universities.
5. Just because there are few spots for a course does not mean that it is more competitive. Often it is the opposite case.
6. The assumption that all courses/degrees are equally worthwhile is massively counter productive. It is something you don't realise till its too late.
1. You found the course hard does not mean that the course is hard.
2. Yes it is down to the individual, this does not change the fact that more individuals find business easy in comparison to more traditional subjects.
3. You cannot test the 'qualities of a businessman' academically, it is all just regurgitating your theories/case studies.
4. The claim is that prestigious (more than just russell), prefer to see other subjects. You did not apply to any of these Universities.
5. Just because there are few spots for a course does not mean that it is more competitive. Often it is the opposite case.
6. The assumption that all courses/degrees are equally worthwhile is massively counter productive. It is something you don't realise till its too late.
You also have invalid arguments there
Upon what evidence are you basing your second point?
You can test the qualities of a businessman thank you very much, as it not just regurgitating theories and case studies. One does not what the case study and data will be like before the exam, and it can be completely different to any other case study from a past paper, therefore one has to work on the spot. Furthermore, the skills needed to evaluate a business situation in an exam show a business mind as each situation in a case study is individual, and one cannot simply regurgitate theory to write an evaluation
With regards to your 4th point, so you are saying that Leeds, Manchester and Sheffield are not prestigious???
oh no, i forgot that to some people its oxbridge or nothing 
And to your 5th point, lol what? If a course has a lot of applicants, say 5 applicants per place, this means that it is more competitive that a course that has 3 applicants per place? How can you say it can be the opposite case?
Original post by MillerTraub
This response is full of invalid arguments.
1. You found the course hard does not mean that the course is hard.
2. Yes it is down to the individual, this does not change the fact that more individuals find business easy in comparison to more traditional subjects.
3. You cannot test the 'qualities of a businessman' academically, it is all just regurgitating your theories/case studies.
4. The claim is that prestigious (more than just russell), prefer to see other subjects. You did not apply to any of these Universities.
5. Just because there are few spots for a course does not mean that it is more competitive. Often it is the opposite case.
6. The assumption that all courses/degrees are equally worthwhile is massively counter productive. It is something you don't realise till its too late.
1. You found the course hard does not mean that the course is hard.
2. Yes it is down to the individual, this does not change the fact that more individuals find business easy in comparison to more traditional subjects.
3. You cannot test the 'qualities of a businessman' academically, it is all just regurgitating your theories/case studies.
4. The claim is that prestigious (more than just russell), prefer to see other subjects. You did not apply to any of these Universities.
5. Just because there are few spots for a course does not mean that it is more competitive. Often it is the opposite case.
6. The assumption that all courses/degrees are equally worthwhile is massively counter productive. It is something you don't realise till its too late.
no it is not. business studies needs a completely different type of skill to maths or say physics as there is always a definate answer whereas with business there is not. there is never a right answer. its whether the individual can look at a case study and compare it to the latest market trends and see how it can be a pro/con to that business.
course businessmen/women have certain qualities. in the first unit you look at 'the qualities and characteristics of an entrepreneur'.
all the universities i applied for are within the top 15 for the course subject i am applying for. people within this thread are saying that ALL universities look down on it. which they clearly dont. and okay course numbers may not mean its competitive but for uni of leeds for my course there are 50 places and it has over 600 applicants each year. id say thats fairly competitive.
you are an example of one of the people i mentioned in my earlier post. youve got an assumption in your head that business studies is easy and just because a few other people agree with you, you have decided to go and make someone feel inferior because they do a subject you believe to be 'easy'.
Original post by thecookiemonster
You also have invalid arguments there
Upon what evidence are you basing your second point?
You can test the qualities of a businessman thank you very much, as it not just regurgitating theories and case studies. One does not what the case study and data will be like before the exam, and it can be completely different to any other case study from a past paper, therefore one has to work on the spot. Furthermore, the skills needed to evaluate a business situation in an exam show a business mind as each situation in a case study is individual, and one cannot simply regurgitate theory to write an evaluation
With regards to your 4th point, so you are saying that Leeds, Manchester and Sheffield are not prestigious??? oh no, i forgot that to some people its oxbridge or nothing
And to your 5th point, lol what? If a course has a lot of applicants, say 5 applicants per place, this means that it is more competitive that a course that has 3 applicants per place? How can you say it can be the opposite case?
Upon what evidence are you basing your second point?
You can test the qualities of a businessman thank you very much, as it not just regurgitating theories and case studies. One does not what the case study and data will be like before the exam, and it can be completely different to any other case study from a past paper, therefore one has to work on the spot. Furthermore, the skills needed to evaluate a business situation in an exam show a business mind as each situation in a case study is individual, and one cannot simply regurgitate theory to write an evaluation
With regards to your 4th point, so you are saying that Leeds, Manchester and Sheffield are not prestigious???
oh no, i forgot that to some people its oxbridge or nothing And to your 5th point, lol what? If a course has a lot of applicants, say 5 applicants per place, this means that it is more competitive that a course that has 3 applicants per place? How can you say it can be the opposite case?
i wanted to give you a positive rep however ive run out. very well said!
Original post by MillerTraub
Business studies and business in real life are two different beasts. This will be amongst the first things you will learn once you leave the safety net of academia.
Wow.. i didn't realise you were this stupid.
EVERY A-level is nothing compared to the 'real life' application of it, obviously, there is no question about that. There is not one A-level that is anything compared to the 'high standard' (if you will) of the real life application of the relevant subject. You cannot come out of A-levels with maths and economics and expect to do well in a CFO position can you? No. So trying to say 'business a-level is nothing like real life' is literally the worst argument i've ever seen for this topic.
Seriously.. just.. wow.
(edited 13 years ago)
Original post by thecookiemonster
I don't understand why people always compare business studies and economics. They are completely different subjects!
in essence the core principles are the same. and business is much more practical and cannot apply to everything on life whereas economics imo can.
Original post by angryvivo
in essence the core principles are the same. and business is much more practical and cannot apply to everything on life whereas economics imo can.
That is a very very generalized and flawed statement that economics can apply to everything "on life". I am going to be pursuing Economics at university and even I would argue that economics as a discipline has several shortcomings.
......NOTHING can apply to everything on life. What sort of a statement is that anyway?
I think Economics and Business are definitely inter-related but rather than being overlapping subjects, I would say that they are complementary.
Studying Theory of the Firm in Economics helps you understand how businesses in a particular industry react to each other. Studying about production methods employed by businesses and how economies of scale can be achieved helps explain price fluctuations in a particular market. The pricing mechanisms employed by a certain business explains the implications of PED of the good the business sells as well as the nature of the market (with regards to price discrimination).
Macroeconomic changes show how business confidence is affected. That's just a few off the top of my head. The bottom line: they are essentially different subjects.
Physics and Chemistry both make references to heat changes in a reaction, enthalpy change, thermodynamics etc. That doesn't mean we discount the two as the same subject.
Original post by angryvivo
in essence the core principles are the same. and business is much more practical and cannot apply to everything on life whereas economics imo can.
Please tell me your doing GCSE's or something to make such a silly statement.
Original post by Tommyjw
Please tell me your doing GCSE's or something to make such a silly statement.
nope.
Original post by angryvivo
nope.
So you just naturally post stupid points for the fun of it?
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