Uni course: Science or History?

May I ask why you asked this on the Warwick forum? Anyways, to answer your point:

You should do some serious thinking over what career you see yourself doing later on. Sure, there is no harm in going to university and studying something that you love, but studying without any solid plans is essentially a waste.

You said that you love History as a subject - perhaps you would enjoy a career as a historian, or in another field that uses a similar skill-set (Law comes to mind). As a degree on its own, I can tell you that is very well respected - I don't think you'd have any problems with employability. However, bringing Science into the picture does change things a lot. I guess for Biology or Biochemistry, you should be comfortable with the sciences academically and have a proper interest in them. As I said before, you definitely need to be sure of what career you would like before jumping in and choosing your course.

I think your A level subject choices are fine for either subject, although perhaps you could exchange Government and Politics for Maths (just a suggestion). As you're just starting off, see how you enjoy each subject and ask others who are already at uni or even university representatives about what would be involved with further study of your chosen subjects.

If I could give some advice, it would be this: Fulfil your passion for science at university but continue reading History books, following documentaries etc. so you have the best of both worlds

Good luck!

It should scare you. They are beyond hard (for everyone).

And no worries... You could give me a rep for my positive services?

I know it might seem silly to take it too much into account - but it can't be overemphasised. The work load for History is so minuscule compared to science subjects it's a joke. Don't ruin a good three years by studying a science degree.

Hi, basically as some other posters have mentioned, if you're definitely interested in both arts and sciences a combined course sounds like it would be the best option; UCL even allows you to combine biochem and history as subjects

For history, I'm a current offer holder for Cambridge and I really only took an academic interest in the subject; I did no relevant work experience or extra-curricular activities- just extra reading - and that got me in. However, I do think work experience and extra-curriculars related to history do have value- for work experience you might like to consider the national trust who I believe have some placements, or alternatively volunteering at your local museum always looks good on your PS. Also, I understand where your dad is coming from; my parents were like that at first , but it's worth remembering that as a degree history has a lot of transferable skills and is well-regarded, so I would base this choice on which subject you enjoy the most rather than employability .

In terms of sciences, the programme your school runs sounds really good in terms of allowing you to get a feel for a career in science, and alongside this I would recommend extra-reading, and for history as well- this allows you to get a feel for topics you might study and uni (and at interview), but also this way you can see how interested you are in the subject. I would say that the work experience you've described would be helpful, but not as important as you've implied; it would be essentially considered an extension of your interests, unless you're applying for medicine.

Worth noting since you've placed this in the Cambridge forum that you can't do straight biochem or biology at cambridge; only natural sciences

I'm studying History in September - academic passion could actually be enough. For my PS I talked about going on school trips to historical places (but if you go to them in your spare time thats also quite good), books I'd read on it, and also some voluntary work I did for a local archaelogical dig - however this could easily be replaced by doing an EPQ. Alongside my nonhistory related extra curriculars, I had plenty to talk about in my statement, and got 5 offers. Basically you could easily pick up stuff for your statement if you really like history, I did do history-related work experience but you don't need it at all, just a pure interest in it that you can demonstrate.

Anyway, perhaps it'd be easier to pick your course when you start your A-Level and find what subjects you still enjoy by the end of your AS. I would advise perhaps getting some biology experience in hospitals or whatever while also doing a bit of extra historical reading (and biology too if you wanted) - then when the time comes to pick, you won't be slacked down on anything.

I don't know if you could do Biology and History joints (my gut feeling is you couldn't), there's no reason why you still can't enjoy history outside of studying biology and vice versa. Enjoyment doesn't mean getting a qualification in it necessarially

Hello, first off, I'm a 16 year old boy in the Summer of going into Sixth Form to do my AS Levels (Biology, Chemistry, History and Government&Politics) - I've picked 2 Sciences and 2 Essay based subjects so as to meet the subject requirements for the eventual Uni course that I decide... whenever that might be!

Anyway, I just cannot, for the life of me, decide which of the 2 to study at University (for Science, it'd more than likely be Molecular Biology or Biochemistry... something like that).

Okay, for as long as I can remember, I've LOVED History, I used to read those Horrible Histories books when I was younger and watched the TV version. I also avidly read History books (e.g. Marr's A History Of The World), Political books like 1984 and Animal Farm and watch History documentaries. I also thoroughly enjoyed History at GCSE and have no doubt that I'll enjoy it at A Level! The only problem is that, well, firstly, my Dad doesn't really want me to study History at Uni, although he is interested in it as well, and the biggest issue I face is some kind of work experience or extra-curricular activity involving History. I have no idea where to go or what to do so I an put it on my personal statement and 'wow' the University if I chose History, as I'm aware that just academic interest is not enough, right?

Now for Science. Once again, I have always been hugely interested and curious as to why things around us work, what makes them work and I often ponder the, still, unanswerable questions such as: what is life? Where did we come from? Who are we? I also often read Science books and watch Science documentaries on TV... because that is the only way to judge interest in a subject! This section of the question may not seem as interesting or as eye-catching, but honestly, I do LOVE Science too, I always have and I'm pretty sure I always will. As for my Sixth Form, because I have opted to do 1+ Science AS Levels, I am automatically enrolled into their Science Academy, which is where they take us out on trips to NHS hospitals, engineering conventions etc, lots of things like that where you can experience Science in industry. Also, work experience wise/extra-curricular, my Mom works at the local NHS hospital and so I could try and work/volunteer there in the Pathology section for a bit and gain some experience. As I imagine that would be very beneficial if I was applying to a Biology course at Uni, right?

Thank you for sitting through this. This question has pervaded my mind incessantly over the last few months, if not the whole year really! I just think that the earlier I have an answer, the Better it'll be!

Lastly, another issue I face is that if I choose one subject, I will NEVER be able to do the other. Is that right? As I believe that it'd hurt a lot just because I have a burning passion for both. Thanks again!

Thanks! How do I do that?

Thank you very much! Won't that be an issue? What I mean is that will I be able to change G+P to Maths (or add Maths to my AS bundle) on results day and see how it all works? Your last piece of advice was very handy indeed!

By all means wait for results day to see how you did - you'll probably be able to switch subjects around in the first two weeks as well. I would be wary of taking 5 AS levels though, the workload will be pretty steep. Glad I could help

I know science folks at Edinburgh who have managed to do social science outside courses but not vice versa. It can be a timetable nightmare though because of the two separate campuses but it's worth looking into.


Other than that, I'm not sure there's much anyone else can do to help you. I think most people struggle to some extent to pick a uni subject because you have to pick it so young when you go straight from school. Personally I had to take a gap year to give me time to decide and if I were to pick again now I'd pick differently. My only suggestion would be to consider longer term too, what sort of job do you want to end up in? It's all fine and well to enjoy your degree but at the same time it's not just education for the sake of it.

Start by reading this article on 'Applying for History' http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki/History_Degree and reading this book http://www.amazon.co.uk/Studying-History-Palgrave-Study-Skills/dp/1403987343 all the way though. PS. Andrew Marr isn't 'History' - it's popular television. There is a huge difference. And please, don't mention Horrible Histories on your UCAS statement - your application will go straight in the bin.

As far as Science is concerned you need to work out which Science - and why. Just because you enjoy it at school doesn't mean its the right choice for 3 years study at Uni. You need to get hold of some University prospectuses and read the relevant course entries and think about what each subject actually involves. Read this article carefully as well - http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki/Help_Choosing_a_Subject

Finally, nowhere does it say you can only go to Uni straight from school - and if you haven't got a clue what you want to study or even why you want to go to Uni at all, then you need to get a job and do some careful thinking before you even look at a UCAS application. Every October these boards are full of messages from people saying 'I'mm sooooooo miserable at Uni' and mainly because they didn't think about the reality of leaving school/home properly before they got there.

Finally - check out the alternatives to 'going to Uni' at 18. This is a good place to start : https://apprenticeshipvacancymatchingservice.lsc.gov.uk/navms/Forms/Candidate/Apprenticeships.aspx

If you click on my name and look to the top right and you will see the thumb that says "give rep". Just click that please and thank you!

My normal advice is pick which one you think you'll enjoy the most, because frankly you're going to spend 3+ years studying it. I can see the word 'LOVE' below though so I figure you've got this bit nailed! You've chosen good subjects to cover both bases which is already a good move



In brutal honesty, your dad isn't the one who is going to be studying it for the next few years. I'm not saying their opinion is worthless, but it is ultimately your life and your future, and they might well be basing it on suspected job prospects, which really depend on your ultimate career path; forget the averages in league tables.

Work experience? Galleries, museums, publishers, volunteering in schools, heritage sites, historic houses, National Trust, outreach groups, charities, local history groups.

Extra-curricular activities? Reading, researching, blogging, photography, local history groups, galleries, museums, trips, making things, filming, etc.

Universities may well want you to appear 'well-rounded' but this doesn't necessarily mean doing things wildly outside of history. They want to see a drive or passion or enthusiasm for wanting to study the subject, so any of the above that you can demonstrate will help massively. They would be more interested in your work teaching Cub Scouts about the history of their village than you learning to drive for your DofE Skill Section for example. That said, extra-curriculars outside of the subject aren't totally irrelevant, especially if they demonstrate skills useful for the degree.



'What is life? and, 'Who are we?' sound more philosophical to me, but I know what you're getting at!

Those school trips are really interesting to talk about in a Personal Statement/interview. And yes, that kind of work experience would be very beneficial if you were applying for biology. There's also plenty of other work experience and extra-curricular opportunities to look into here, similar to history.




That is not right at all. A lot of the PhD students in my computer science department studied social sciences for example. In academia you can always take a Masters course in the area you want to go into to bridge the knowledge gap.

In the graduate world, unless your job requires very specific degree-level knowledge, you can get into any area with a totally different degree subject providing you can demonstrate knowledge/experience required, and core 'employability' skills. Clearly you'll have an advantage if you're applying to work in a zoo and have studied biology/zoology/animal behaviour than history, but equally there are paths which accept any programme. Civil Service Fast Stream, Graduate Entry Medicine, academia, management, accountancy, consultancy, etc, etc.

I can't offer much more advice than to study what you love the most, but it sounds like a tough decision for you! Good luck

Okay, wow, what a detailed and comprehensive answer! Thank you, this was very helpful! I will continue to look around at the different opportunities that I can do in order to enhance my PS. I do actually volunteer at Beaver Scouts weekly (been doing it since Sept 2012 as Bronze DofE, then Silver and now Gold), so I could try and teach them about History/Science (or both and not mention the other) and put that on my PS!? Thanks again, I'm forever indebted to you!

Hello, first off, I'm a 16 year old boy in the Summer of going into Sixth Form to do my AS Levels (Biology, Chemistry, History and Government&Politics) - I've picked 2 Sciences and 2 Essay based subjects so as to meet the subject requirements for the eventual Uni course that I decide... whenever that might be!

Anyway, I just cannot, for the life of me, decide which of the 2 to study at University (for Science, it'd more than likely be Molecular Biology or Biochemistry... something like that).

Okay, for as long as I can remember, I've LOVED History, I used to read those Horrible Histories books when I was younger and watched the TV version. I also avidly read History books (e.g. Marr's A History Of The World), Political books like 1984 and Animal Farm and watch History documentaries. I also thoroughly enjoyed History at GCSE and have no doubt that I'll enjoy it at A Level! The only problem is that, well, firstly, my Dad doesn't really want me to study History at Uni, although he is interested in it as well, and the biggest issue I face is some kind of work experience or extra-curricular activity involving History. I have no idea where to go or what to do so I an put it on my personal statement and 'wow' the University if I chose History, as I'm aware that just academic interest is not enough, right?

Now for Science. Once again, I have always been hugely interested and curious as to why things around us work, what makes them work and I often ponder the, still, unanswerable questions such as: what is life? Where did we come from? Who are we? I also often read Science books and watch Science documentaries on TV... because that is the only way to judge interest in a subject! This section of the question may not seem as interesting or as eye-catching, but honestly, I do LOVE Science too, I always have and I'm pretty sure I always will. As for my Sixth Form, because I have opted to do 1+ Science AS Levels, I am automatically enrolled into their Science Academy, which is where they take us out on trips to NHS hospitals, engineering conventions etc, lots of things like that where you can experience Science in industry. Also, work experience wise/extra-curricular, my Mom works at the local NHS hospital and so I could try and work/volunteer there in the Pathology section for a bit and gain some experience. As I imagine that would be very beneficial if I was applying to a Biology course at Uni, right?


Thank you for sitting through this. This question has pervaded my mind incessantly over the last few months, if not the whole year really! I just think that the earlier I have an answer, the Better it'll be!

Lastly, another issue I face is that if I choose one subject, I will NEVER be able to do the other. Is that right? As I believe that it'd hurt a lot just because I have a burning passion for both. Thanks again!

*All the stuff in bold is what I shall be giving you advice on*

First of all, you are only 16 and you have 1 year before you need to decide on what subject you will be dropping and what uni course and where you need to be applying too. Now it's quite common that AS level students will plan to study English at uni because they liked it at GCSE. However they get to AS and absolutely hate it because they thought it was going to be the same at GCSE. You have no idea whether you will like Biology, Chemistry or History at A-level - you might read this and say "oh no, I will like it" but you just never know. I fell in love with the Sociology and read about it in my extra time. Picked it at AS... I dropped it after two weeks. It was the worst. A lot of GCSE students fall in love with the idea of their subject, instead of falling in love with their subject.

Having said that, by your description you seem very enthusiastic to study History at A-level. All the things that you mentioned abotu Horrible Histories and etc you could put in your introductory paragraph in your PS. But, I believe many Admissions Tutors for History would have read that over and over again. Depending where you live, there could potentially be quite a few work experiences you could do. You could work in a school, shadow a History teacher and look at how they work with their subject with their students, you could go to museums and see if you could work there. But History work experience will be limited depending on where you live. You probably do love your dad, but at the end of the day, it is your life and you have to choose what YOU want to study. It is unfair to you to go to university and study something your dad has chosen for you. It will seriously affect your uni life and your life in general. It's one of those things where you have to confront your parent about and sit down with them and say this is what you want and it's your life. It's very cliche but it needs to be done. If you want to study something you have a passion to study for, then why should anyone get in the way of your own happiness? Do not use the emotional guilt-trip of "because he's my dad".. no, that just isn't right to feel emotionally blackmailed. Academic interest is not enough. When I was doing my English PS, I wrote about novels that I personally read because the synopsis was good. I also interlinked it with my Philosophy A-level. For example, at the time, we were learning about Conscience and Free-Will, so I linked that with Adam and Eve's choices in John Milton's epic poem, Paradise Lost. I also wrote about why I would like to study certain things in Literature such as Sexuality and Victorian Literature.

You can also do a science subject too. However, it really should depend on what you would like to do after uni. If you don't have a vague thought about what you'd like to do after, narrowing a degree becomes 10x harder. You shouldn't pick a science degree simply because finding work experience will be less harder than finding a History one. I know that an ex-friend of mine did Human Biology at uni... ending up working as a manger in Starbucks at an Airport.... I personally would hate to be in 30K debt just find myself in a job that has NOTHING to do with my degree. It's just a waste. As you get further into your studies, you will know the topics in Chem and Bio that you will like, enjoy and dislike and hate. So perhaps you will like botany or learning about the immune system and that would steer you into more of a direct approach to Biology. Who knows.

Some students who do not know what they want to study right up until the point of having to apply, tend to apply for both subjects. They might apply for History and Biology so they tend to right their PS 50/50 on both subjects. However, I personally wouldn't do this because it could show unis you are not dedicated to one particular subject and you are indecisive. I mean History and Biology joint honours really won't work and I doubt a lot/any unis do this. However, it's not to make up for this but I do know some/a lot of History degrees do look at science/medicine in their modules so perhaps you could look into that? And who knows, in your 3rd year of History, you could be writing a Dissertation on the history of medicine. You never know to be honest.

There's a lot of time to wait until there's any real pressure to decide on what you want to study at degree level. (A-levels are the worst btw)!

I mean History and Biology joint honours really won't work and I doubt a lot/any unis do this.