Are my subject choices too narrow / hard?

OK, so I have chosen these subjects for my AS studies in year 12:

- Mathematics
- Physics
- Computer Science
- Religious Studies (Philo & Ethics)

Would you say they are too narrow too hard, etc? I originally went for Maths, phys and comp but I added in RE to at least show that I can write essays, and I am interested in it.

Everyone has been saying to me that the subjects I have chosen (particularly physics) will be too hard. I have been getting C/Bs on average in these subjects but I have been working very hard to improve that.

Would you say these choices are OK?

Reply 1

rhensis

Original post by Jor64

All A-Levels are hard, no matter what you pick, so don't be particularly skewed by that. The issue is if you'd be willing to put the work in. B/C candidates at GCSE are likely to get C/D at A Level, but having said that, B/C candidates at GCSE often don't have the work ethic to get B/A/A* at A Level, and a lot of A/A* candidatea at GCSE get C/D at A Level cos they don't have a good work ethic either. RS is a lot of extra reading, for example, and if you don't do that reading you won't get a B/A/A*, no matter how good you are at essays.

I don't think your choices are particularly narrow at all, actually, and they are doable. If you're working hard to pick up those Bs/Cs, and if you're actually achieving that, then I'd say go with your choices. At the end of the day, you're the one that had to enjoy studying them, not everyone else.

Reply 2

ploopyploop

Original post by rhensis

All A-Levels are hard

Let's fix the comment:

All A-Levels are relatively easy.

There we are, done.

Reply 3

rhensis

Original post by ploopyploop

Let's fix the comment:

There we are, done.

True - if by relatively you mean in comparison to 2nd/3rd year degree. Not true for your average A Level student. They aren't hard in terms of content but they are hard when it comes to learning everything and keeping up with the work.

Reply 4

ploopyploop

Original post by rhensis

They aren't hard, full stop. I agree people struggle but it is primarily because they are lazy and leave things to the last minute. If you look at say three or four A level specifications for a given set of subjects, gather a full set of notes for them and then realise that is spread over almost two years; there is very little there really.

If people treated it as a job then you have probably some 4000 hours or more to spend over that time frame. Problem is they don't. They go to class almost robot like (pay little attention and make poor notes if any) and then try to cram it all in revision for the final three weeks of year 1 for AS and final three weeks of year 2 for A2.

No it's not hard at all. It's just time consuming which with proper planning is easy to get through.

Reply 5

Asolare

Original post by ploopyploop

I was going to disagree with you until you said this^, this is correct. They are moreso time-consuming than ''hard'' and that does apply to pretty much every A Level.

As long as you're happy with those subjects and can see them benefiting you in the future OP then go for it.

Reply 6

Clearing and Applications Advisor

Original post by Jor64

If they're subjects you enjoy and are motivated to work on then they wont feel hard.

The hardest subject to study is one you don't enjoy where every lesson and piece of work is a struggle.

Personally I found physics A level the easiest of my choices (but this was a long time ago before modular A levels came in so the content has changed a lot for all my subjects (maths, physics, chem)) and by far the most interesting.

Reply 7

ploopyploop

Original post by Inexorably

The thing I find rather amusing is the number of people who complain about "is there still time to get an A, I haven't done a thing all year but now I am motivated".

These are the people who have been too immature to work at a sensible pace throughout their A levels and are now attempting the cram it all in a month or two at the end. Sure, it can work if they are academically gifted but most of them will end up with rubbish grades like CCD or worse). Two years ago they were thinking about that degree in Law at Oxford (the real one not Brookes) and now they are looking at Sports Nutrition at some place no ones heard of.

And even more amusing, they'll still be wondering why it all went wrong.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 8

Asolare

Original post by ploopyploop

The thing I find rather amusing is the number of people who complain about "is there still time to get an A, I haven't done a thing all year but now I am motivated".

These are the people who have been too immature to work at a sensible pace throughout their A levels and are now attempting the cram it all in a month or two at the end. Sure, it can work if they are academically gifted but most of them will end up with rubbish grades like CCD or worse).

And even more amusing, they'll still be wondering why it all went wrong.

Yeah so many people fail (or do not so great) in their first year because they have a GCSE-like attitude where they can try and do it all last minute and do reasonably well :tongue:

Though I must admit I have done that before and I'm trying not to do it again this year :tongue:

Reply 9

rhensis

Original post by ploopyploop

No it's not hard at all. It's just time consuming which with proper planning is easy to get through.

Totally agree with the fact that they're time consuming - but that's why they're hard :P I said that "They aren't hard in terms of content but they are hard when it comes to learning everything and keeping up with the work."

For a lot of people at A Level age, time management isn't an easy skill, and it's not really pushed by a lot of schools that it's important. Especially considering that you can get a good set of As/A*s at GCSE without doing any work or time management. It's just a huge step up in terms of the fact you have to be dedicated.

Reply 10

Good bloke

Original post by Jor64

Would you say these choices are OK?

As always, it comes down to what you want to study as an undergraduate. From the list, you are likely to want to study computer science, maths, engineering or a physical science, and this calls into question your choice of religious studies (which would be irrelevant and not helpful). Your application would be enhanced by the inclusion of further maths, or even chemistry, for these subjects.

Reply 11

ploopyploop

Original post by rhensis

It's called a combination of growing up and using common sense.

Reply 12

rhensis

Original post by ploopyploop

It's called a combination of growing up and using common sense.

You say that as if most 17/18 year olds have common sense and/or actually grow up during A Level years - from my experience, they have none and do not. In 15 years we'll all say that they're easy - for now, however, for most people they aren't and I think it's a bit unfair to look at it retrospectively.

This isn't at all relevant to op's question though, and is an entirely different discussion.

Reply 13

ploopyploop

Original post by rhensis

I agree most don't. But then they have been mollycoddled most of their lives. Having said that I know 17/18 year olds who have put in two hours every weeknight for most of two years (revised for the final three months putting in more time) and then got, as expected, A*A*A*.