Ask An A Level Student

very nice of you !!

Maths and Physics.

Are you A2 or A level?
Bonus question if you are A2: Did you also hate everything about applying to University?

Those are all great subjects which are deemed 'facilitating' by Russell Group Universities. Taking a mix of sciences, humanities and languages will always make you a strong candidate. Do you have any ideas of what you want to do after A levels? From my own research in universities, I have found Maths everywhere! Universities really do like maths. However, I suggest you look at your previous academic progress before choosing these. I am sure you have heard this a million times but, A levels are a massive step upwards. AAA results which are with slightly weaker subjects (course dependent) will nearly always look better than someone with CCC in very strong subjects. Definitely unfair, but it happens.

I am currently an AS student, and my college is already looking at us preparing for applying, and writing personal statements. Without a doubt, the application process with be gruelling and stressful. But, it will be worth it for those offers in the end. (Or further drama with clearing, but let's think positively for now!)

Thanks😊 I've considered studying either marine mammalogy, marine biology, oceanography (the course I prefer is with French), zoology or veterinary nursing, if that makes any difference! Thanks again!

Good Lord I started my personal statement around the second half of September A2. Handed mine in by the half term so that was good.

That's good. My college is very driven to get all their students who want to go to university, in universities. We start our first drafts in the next few weeks.

No problem! With courses which are looking at biological sciences, it is best to have chemistry as well (but there are ways around that). Quite surprisingly, some universities see chemistry as more important than biology (definitely weird). With marine courses, geography may be an advantage to you. Your courses will be a little less dependent on maths, so it's up to you if you want to take it. Basically, the best advice I can give you is to look around on university websites, and see what they want. Then, look at what courses you find most enjoyable, and get the best grades in. That is the best way to decide. Also, go to college open evenings. There is some courses which I never even considered before going to them, and the teachers made me find a new passion for them! (Plus, it helps to see whether you will get a good teacher, or a not so brilliant one). Hope this helps!

In a week my college's AS students go to the UCAS convention. Not much around this time apart from researching courses and unis. I spent an entire weekend looking at unis for the courses that I may do. Was interested in one course at the time and 4 possible others.

Yes, I am going to the UCAS fair in Manchester without my college on the 4th of March. I am interested in too many fields which is becoming a problem, as I need to narrow it down to make the most of the UCAS convention.

It definitely does, thank you! I was looking at Southampton's courses, and they most required Biology with at least one other subject, including geography, maths, chemistry and physics, and then the oceanography course includes French too😊

Yeah I was interested in mostly computer science at the time and then the other courses were geology/geophysics, maths, civil engineering and physics. I was looking at unis with only placement years and were in a grade boundary I thought realistic at the time. Managed to reach the ones I listed (my BAGS were bloody heavy with prospectuses). In the end 2 of my 5 final choices I saw that day.

Good idea going separately because my college went in at a specific time and we were sort of limited.

Awesome! Make sure you meet the requirements for a few more universities too, just in case. In that case, my advice would be for you to pick the subjects which you feel will interest you the most, and definitely get down to the open days, they can tell you a lot about a college, and if you feel it is the right place for you. Chemistry is apparently the hardest A level. One of my friends take geography, and he says that it is 'quite good'. I have heard quite a few complaints about 'physics', but there is a lot of people who enjoy it too. Most of my friends takes maths, and they seem to be getting some really high grades in the subject. I did not personally take Maths, as it is probably one of my weaker points. It's difficult, but once you grasp the formula, it's good, and rewarding to complete a massive question, and have the correct answer. - Those are just general opinions I have heard about subjects, and it will probably be slightly different at your college.

Oh, I had that experience! I went last year too, but to a different convention. I had not a clue what I wanted to take, so I took prospectuses from most colleges. I felt like I was going to die from the weight of them. I never thought paper could weigh so much! I keep changing my mind, but I am starting to find some courses which really interest me.

Thanks, are they hard?😂

Thanks, that's really useful! Thankfully I have a few years until university, so lots of time to make up my mind! But thanks for all of the advice, it'll definitely come in useful!😊😊

Yeah my 5 choices went quite fast each. Computer science I lost interest in fastest since I don't do computer science a level and I went to a careers talk and I was interested in games development. A guy from creative assembly (well known developer in my town) pretty much said: we don't want computer science graduates and so that shot down my interest in the course.