Dropping a subject

I am doing maths, further maths, physics and chemistry.

I got my results today and did good in all my subjects. I was wondering whether I should drop a subject. I want to study maths at warwick uni or maybe cambridge. I enjoy chemistry more than physics, but I think physics would help more for my application. My school said I should do all 4, but I feel it would be too much considering there are no january exams, and I have to do 2 step papers for uni.

Would you recommend dropping physics or keeping all 4?

Warwick require 3 a levels, but I saw many of the applicants there have high ucas points/ 4 a levels.

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 1

Ecosse_14

19

Original post by Math12345

I am doing maths, further maths, physics and chemistry.

I got my results today and did good in all my subjects. I was wondering whether I should drop a subject. I want to study maths at warwick uni or maybe cambridge. I enjoy chemistry more than physics, but I think physics would help more for my application. My school said I should do all 4, but I feel it would be too much considering there are no june exams, and I have to do 2 step papers for uni.

Would you recommend dropping physics or keeping all 4?

Warwick require 3 a levels, but I saw many of the applicants there have high ucas points/ 4 a levels.

If you don't think you'll be able to achieve high grades whilst doing all 4 then I would recommend you do 3 which is the norm. It would be a shame if you decided to do 4 and your grades then suffered. You wouldn't be put at much of a disadvantage for doing 3 since it is the norm. :smile:

Reply 2

Jkizer

16

Pros of doing 4:
Sometimes universities 'lower' entry requirements
You get use to the high demands of work - may help for university
Wider spread of knowledge (Maybe)

Cons:
A hell a lot more demanding of work
Asking whether its easier to gain AAA or AABB? Especially when learning different content
Less free's to use for work
More extra outside of class work
Exams more condensed

Just a small amount from my head. I would personally stick with 3. However theres nothing wrong with trying all 4 out at the beginning and dropping 1 if one turns out to be sucky.

Reply 3

Math12345

OP

14

I was worried if I dropped a subject, cambridge would not make me an offer. I'm not too sure whether cambridge classifies maths and further maths as one subject or 2 separate ones, or if they think doing 3 alevels in maths, further maths and chemistry is too narrow.

Reply 4

WillGC

I got a c at as maths and am dropping it. Would a uni like ucl notmgive me an offer based on this grade or do they not care about it?

OP

Bump

I just replied a similar thread so I'm going to copy & paste my answer and edit it:

I would say take all 4 - you can drop 1 later if you think it's too stressful. You can drop 1 subject, but you can't pick it up again if you ever regret it. The fourth subject also serves as a backup plan (in case you don't do so well in one subject - a lot of my friends only took 3 A2s and didn't meet their offer because of one subject), unless your offer specifies the subjects you have to take.

I have a friend who applied for engineering at Cambridge (he's doing the same subject combination as you) and got an offer A*AA (but they wanted him to take up all 18 math books and do 2 or 3 STEP papers). Please be extremely careful when filling up your UCAS application because he accidentally indicated that he was doing 18 math books (he was actually doing 15) and Cambridge literally told him to pick it up. If you ever decide to drop, it would be best if you do it before you submit your UCAS application because universities hand out offers based on the subjects you've listed on your UCAS. If you decide to drop your subject after submitting your UCAS application, you have to call up the universities and inform them of the change (some might choose to withdraw their offer). My friend decided to drop Chemistry because the math was extremely difficult and stressful so he called up Cambridge and thankfully they didn't withdraw his offer.

You still have to think about it a little bit more and ask for more advice from your teachers (ask more of them!) and be prepared to work harder. It all depends on you, really.

WillGC:
It depends on the course you're applying for. If you're applying for science courses, I would say there is a low possibility of you getting an offer. Math is an incredibly important subject and most courses do require it (not all though - you should check the subject requirements on the university website). Talk to your teachers and think more about it.

Reply 7

Math12345

OP

14

I will drop the subject before I submit my ucas application. I think I could meet the offer with 3 A2s, but would I be at a disadvantage because many Cambridge applicants do 4 A2s.

Reply 8

Namch

4

Original post by ca9194

I just replied a similar thread so I'm going to copy & paste my answer and edit it:

I would say take all 4 - you can drop 1 later if you think it's too stressful. You can drop 1 subject, but you can't pick it up again if you ever regret it. The fourth subject also serves as a backup plan (in case you don't do so well in one subject - a lot of my friends only took 3 A2s and didn't meet their offer because of one subject), unless your offer specifies the subjects you have to take.

I have a friend who applied for engineering at Cambridge (he's doing the same subject combination as you) and got an offer A*AA (but they wanted him to take up all 18 math books and do 2 or 3 STEP papers). Please be extremely careful when filling up your UCAS application because he accidentally indicated that he was doing 18 math books (he was actually doing 15) and Cambridge literally told him to pick it up. If you ever decide to drop, it would be best if you do it before you submit your UCAS application because universities hand out offers based on the subjects you've listed on your UCAS. If you decide to drop your subject after submitting your UCAS application, you have to call up the universities and inform them of the change (some might choose to withdraw their offer). My friend decided to drop Chemistry because the math was extremely difficult and stressful so he called up Cambridge and thankfully they didn't withdraw his offer.

You still have to think about it a little bit more and ask for more advice from your teachers (ask more of them!) and be prepared to work harder. It all depends on you, really.

WillGC:
It depends on the course you're applying for. If you're applying for science courses, I would say there is a low possibility of you getting an offer. Math is an incredibly important subject and most courses do require it (not all though - you should check the subject requirements on the university website). Talk to your teachers and think more about it.

"but they wanted him to take up all 18 math books " what does this mean ?? ive never come across it.

Reply 9

Jkizer

16

Not really no. Many students continue to focus on their core 3 A levels due to personal interests combined with the demand of the A2 course.

Most people do not get interviews due to either grades or not enough academic promise in their PStatement. Show academic promise, and you may get an interview !

Original post by Math12345

I will drop the subject before I submit my ucas application. I think I could meet the offer with 3 A2s, but would I be at a disadvantage because many Cambridge applicants do 4 A2s.

I think he means taking all maths modules within A levels - A lot more application modules covering stuff like M4,M5 (Eeek). Basically doing Maths, FMaths and Additional Further Maths (Very rare to see anyone do this, even the brainiest as its not required usually) - I'm not sure even many institutes offer it anyways.

Original post by Namch

"but they wanted him to take up all 18 math books " what does this mean ?? ive never come across it.

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 10

Sebister

1

Original post by Math12345

I am doing maths, further maths, physics and chemistry.

I got my results today and did good in all my subjects. I was wondering whether I should drop a subject. I want to study maths at warwick uni or maybe cambridge. I enjoy chemistry more than physics, but I think physics would help more for my application. My school said I should do all 4, but I feel it would be too much considering there are no january exams, and I have to do 2 step papers for uni.

Would you recommend dropping physics or keeping all 4?

Warwick require 3 a levels, but I saw many of the applicants there have high ucas points/ 4 a levels.

I did Maths, Further maths, physics and Product design for my AS and achieved ABBB, decided to drop Further maths because the course content didn't interest me and i got a good grade for it as well, for A2 results i got ABB which is the same grades as before. It depends on the grades you got and how capable you are, remember A2 is much harder and your work and revision is cramped together so you wont have spare time and might end up getting worse grade with 4 subjects

Reply 11

Math12345

OP

14

Thanks, I think I will stick with 3 then.

Reply 12

SParm

8

Further than going to say it's your choice, I would actively encourage you to drop one. For maths, neither Warwick nor Cambridge will mind much if you have 4 A2s or 3 A2s. Seriously STEP is so much work that I totally regret not dropping Chemistry straight away. Ended up with a D in it, got in to Cambridge anyway, but I missed my STEP offer slightly and got let in because I was borderline, not because I made the offer officially. Those lessons you have and the work that's set for the subject you want to drop; even if you don't spend much time on them, take away precious STEP and maths revision time.

Furthermore, Physics might help your application slightly, but at the end of the day it doesn't matter too much at all, and people do all sorts of third subjects along with M/FM when applying for maths. What matters most is that third grade is something you can get an A without detracting too much from A-Level maths and STEP. In particular, Cambridge would much prefer to see mechanics modules in mathematics rather than Physics A-Level, so if you can, jam a load of mechanics in there and drop Physics like it's hot. If you enjoy Chemistry more, and have done well in it, you're more likely to get an A in it next year, and it's still a very respected A-Level subject with regards to being a third A-Level.

For course like NatSci and Engineering, Cambridge do like to see Maths/FM/Phys/Chem all the way to A2. But Maths is different and they don't mind so much. If you were applying for those subjects, your application would be hindered if you were to drop either Physics or Chemistry. This is not the case for mathematics in my experience. The colleges do not mind whether you have 3 A2s or 4. They want high marks in Maths/FM and 1,1 in STEP along with an A in your third subject. I would suspect Warwick maths has a very similar policy.

Edit: And I would also recommend dropping Physics or Chemistry (whichever one you decide) before you apply because it's a pain calling Universities up in the middle of the year asking if you can still have the offer even if you're doing 3A2s rather than 4.

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 13

Namch

4

Original post by SParm

Further than going to say it's your choice, I would actively encourage you to drop one. For maths, neither Warwick nor Cambridge will mind much if you have 4 A2s or 3 A2s. Seriously STEP is so much work that I totally regret not dropping Chemistry straight away. Ended up with a D in it, got in to Cambridge anyway, but I missed my STEP offer slightly and got let in because I was borderline, not because I made the offer officially. Those lessons you have and the work that's set for the subject you want to drop; even if you don't spend much time on them, take away precious STEP and maths revision time.

Furthermore, Physics might help your application slightly, but at the end of the day it doesn't matter too much at all, and people do all sorts of third subjects along with M/FM when applying for maths. What matters most is that third grade is something you can get an A without detracting too much from A-Level maths and STEP. In particular, Cambridge would much prefer to see mechanics modules in mathematics rather than Physics A-Level, so if you can, jam a load of mechanics in there and drop Physics like it's hot. If you enjoy Chemistry more, and have done well in it, you're more likely to get an A in it next year, and it's still a very respected A-Level subject with regards to being a third A-Level.

For course like NatSci and Engineering, Cambridge do like to see Maths/FM/Phys/Chem all the way to A2. But Maths is different and they don't mind so much. If you were applying for those subjects, your application would be hindered if you were to drop either Physics or Chemistry. This is not the case for mathematics in my experience. The colleges do not mind whether you have 3 A2s or 4. They want high marks in Maths/FM and 1,1 in STEP along with an A in your third subject. I would suspect Warwick maths has a very similar policy.

Edit: And I would also recommend dropping Physics or Chemistry (whichever one you decide) before you apply because it's a pain calling Universities up in the middle of the year asking if you can still have the offer even if you're doing 3A2s rather than 4.

You got into Cambridge. Not bad :P

Reply 14

ca9194

I can't speak for Cambridge about the 3 or 4 A2 subject matter. Most of my friends who applied for Cambridge were still taking 4 A2s at the point of application. One friend took 3 A2s but was rejected without an interview (could be because of her disappointing AS results). Cambridge is very academic and nobody really knows how they work. They would first filter people out based on AS results and predicted grades (rejected without interview). If you have good results and predicted grades, they would call you in for an interview (normally 2 sessions on the same day but could go up to 4 sessions). Now this is where you really really need to impress them because everyone who gets an interview have excellent results so it's pointless if you have amazing grades but can't impress them during the interview. I would say the personal statement isn't as important for Cambridge because it seems like they barely read it (personal experience -___- haa but I could be wrong) since you need to fill out the SAQ as well(a questionnaire for Cambridge applicants. includes questions like 'why did you choose Cambridge?' and additional personal statement).

I'm not really helping, am I? I'm so sorry :frown:

Namch:
Hey, sorry for the confusion. Jkizer is right. 18 math books consists of the entire math module (M1-5, S1-3 etc). Only 2 people in my school took on 18 modules and they had private tuition from the math teachers. Most people who take further maths take on 13 modules, some go further and take 15 (normally for engineering students since it would help them in university) and very few actually go with 18. Don't worry about it, most (almost all) universities don't have this requirement.

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 15

Namch

4

Original post by ca9194

I can't speak for Cambridge about the 3 or 4 A2 subject matter. Most of my friends who applied for Cambridge were still taking 4 A2s at the point of application. One friend took 3 A2s but was rejected without an interview (could be because of her disappointing AS results). Cambridge is very academic and nobody really knows how they work. They would first filter people out based on AS results and predicted grades (rejected without interview). If you have good results and predicted grades, they would call you in for an interview (normally 2 sessions on the same day but could go up to 4 sessions). Now this is where you really really need to impress them because everyone who gets an interview have excellent results so it's pointless if you have amazing grades but can't impress them during the interview. I would say the personal statement isn't as important for Cambridge because it seems like they barely read it (personal experience -___- haa but I could be wrong) since you need to fill out the SAQ as well(a questionnaire for Cambridge applicants. includes questions like 'why did you choose Cambridge?' and additional personal statement).

I'm not really helping, am I? I'm so sorry :frown:

Namch:
Hey, sorry for the confusion. Jkizer is right. 18 math books consists of the entire math module (M1-5, S1-3 etc). Only 2 people in my school took on 18 modules and they had private tuition from the math teachers. Most people who take further maths take on 13 modules, some go further and take 15 (normally for engineering students since it would help them in university) and very few actually go with 18. Don't worry about it, most (almost all) universities don't have this requirement.

Ohhhhh ok. Thanks

Reply 16

abdcefghi

I have a similar question. I do maths, further maths, physics and chemistry also. I got 4 a's at as and got 10 a stars at gcse. I want to do physics at Manchester do you think my application will be negatively affected if i drop chemistry?

Reply 17

Ecosse_14

19

Original post by abdcefghi

I have a similar question. I do maths, further maths, physics and chemistry also. I got 4 a's at as and got 10 a stars at gcse. I want to do physics at Manchester do you think my application will be negatively affected if i drop chemistry?

Ask Manchesters admissions about that to find out. :yes:

Reply 18

123formyabc

12

Original post by Math12345

I am doing maths, further maths, physics and chemistry.

I got my results today and did good in all my subjects. I was wondering whether I should drop a subject. I want to study maths at warwick uni or maybe cambridge. I enjoy chemistry more than physics, but I think physics would help more for my application. My school said I should do all 4, but I feel it would be too much considering there are no january exams, and I have to do 2 step papers for uni.

Would you recommend dropping physics or keeping all 4?

Warwick require 3 a levels, but I saw many of the applicants there have high ucas points/ 4 a levels.

Aha I did the same subjects as you, I'm dropping Chemistry. But that's because I don't like it much. May I ask what grades u got?

Dropping a subject

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