Are these good subject choices?

Original post by ServantOfMorgoth

Be careful to give out wrong advice. Your maths teacher giving the class does not mean it's stem at a level and switches to humanities at university. Economics at a levels is filled with essays...how is that stem?

Just because Math is used in a subject, it doesn't makes that subject a natural science. (Science is just an abbreviation for natural science.)

Original post by Laurenafenete

My friend when I did economics constantly complained about graphs and the maths in the subject
I also said in my statement I think, highlighting that I was not sure if it was or not. I was going on the logic that geography and psychology are considered sciences at A level and they both have essays

Reply 22

Original post by ServantOfMorgoth

Psychology and Geography are NOT considered science at a level. You really need to get your information together. They're both social sciences and are not a part of STEM ie social sciences are not really science, they just have that name.

Just because science is used as a shorthand for natural sciences, does not make social science "no real science".

Reply 23

Original post by Nathanielle

Just because science is used as a shorthand for natural sciences, does not make social science "no real science".

Social sciences are not real science

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Reply 24

Original post by ServantOfMorgoth

Social sciences are not real science

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Source? (You probably won't find one and no, I don't mean school curricula, but works dealing with the definition of science and scientific work.) Or asked in another way: From what experience working in research do you draw your conclusions, that the social sciences are no "real" science?

Reply 25

Original post by Nathanielle

Source? (You probably won't find one and no, I don't mean school curricula, but works dealing with the definition of science and scientific work.) Or asked in another way: From what experience working in research do you draw your conclusions, that the social sciences are no "real" science?

Using statistics to make predictions with heavy confirmation bias doesn't mean social science use the scientific method. Who has time to waste to actually research whether or not it's actually a "real" science

Reply 26

Original post by ServantOfMorgoth

Using statistics to make predictions with heavy confirmation bias doesn't mean social science use the scientific method. Who has time to waste to actually research whether or not it's actually a "real" science

Using statistics to make predictions is not, what makes a science a science. Or do you want to say, that a lot of Mathematicians or also Theoretical Physicists are not doing real science? Not being able to use all methods science proposes, does not make something automatically not scientific.

Reply 27

Original post by ServantOfMorgoth

They MAY consider you but it's a big maybe to be honest. You'd have to have like virtually perfect grades and did they remove UMS now? So I don't think they'll know of you got 99% or not. So I'd advise not applying to them to study engineering without further maths

No you do not need further maths for engineering if you are not applying for oxbridge. I applied to do physics and apart from oxford you do not need further maths so dont worry op. Any further maths mentioned will be covered in the degree

For example Electrical engineering at Imperial requires you to take A level maths and physics but another 3rd a level in a range of subjects inc Economics, history, languages...
Obvs you need to get the grades for all the A levels
Link to the page: http://www.imperial.ac.uk/study/ug/courses/electrical-engineering-department/electrical-electronic-engineering/

Reply 28

Original post by Laurenafenete

No you do not need further maths for engineering if you are not applying for oxbridge. I applied to do physics and apart from oxford you do not need further maths so dont worry op. Any further maths mentioned will be covered in the degree

For example Electrical engineering at Imperial requires you to take A level maths and physics but another 3rd a level in a range of subjects inc Economics, history, languages...
Obvs you need to get the grades for all the A levels
Link to the page: http://www.imperial.ac.uk/study/ug/courses/electrical-engineering-department/electrical-electronic-engineering/

Umm, I was talking about Cambridge and Oxford...

Reply 29

Original post by ServantOfMorgoth

Umm, I was talking about Cambridge and Oxford...

and Op clearly stated that they did not want to go to oxbridge and so did I in my statement

Reply 30

Original post by Nathanielle

Using statistics to make predictions is not, what makes a science a science. Or do you want to say, that a lot of Mathematicians or also Theoretical Physicists are not doing real science? Not being able to use all methods science proposes, does not make something automatically not scientific.

Social scientists are accused of being "soft," of trafficking in theories so lacking in precision and predictive power that they don't deserve to be called scientific.

http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/cross-check/is-social-science-an-oxymoron-will-that-ever-change/

Come again?

Reply 31

Original post by Laurenafenete

and Op clearly stated that they did not want to go to oxbridge and so did I in my statement

They specifically asked me about Oxford...

Reply 32

I forgot the press the reply button adding @servantofmorgoth latest reply
For Op just ignore this bit

The initial post from OP
Getting straight to the point for my A level options I have chosen:

Maths, Physics , Economics and Spanish and an EPQ. I am interested in doing an engineering degree at Uni(well respected.)The areas i am interested in are Mechanical, Electrical and Computer Science. However I don't want to confine myself to completely science/maths subjects because I want to keep my options open as I am interested in a number of other areas including Economics, Law and Business. On the other hand though I don't want to find in 2 years that the subjects I have chosen are unsuitable for engineering. I know Economics has some value by universities for engineering but will never be as good as further maths, for which I would have to do full A level maths in the first year then Full A level further in the second year which I am not mathematically good enough to do, although I am predicted A/A* for IGCSE Maths. single AS further maths is no longer an option at my school. I am not really aiming at Oxbridge but maybe Imperial , Bristol or UCL? I was thinking chemistry maybe more advantageous but I've heard it isn't as interesting as Economics and is very difficult. In addition to this the only relevant technology subjects would be DT or Electronics and I don't really see any advantage in DT and I know Electronics is similar to physics. However they are probably unlikely to let me change more than 1 maybe 2 at a push. So yeah a range of opinions would be useful?

Another Quote from Op later on in the thread....

Essentially not oxbridge. I am not interested in a "General Engineering Degree", I would like to specify.

My latest previous statement for OP
No you do not need further maths for engineering if you are not applying for oxbridge. I applied to do physics and apart from oxford you do not need further maths so dont worry op. Any further maths mentioned will be covered in the degree

For example Electrical engineering at Imperial requires you to take A level maths and physics but another 3rd a level in a range of subjects inc Economics, history, languages...
Obvs you need to get the grades for all the A levels

It is very important to read the whole statement and not skim read

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 33

Original post by ServantOfMorgoth

Social scientists are accused of being "soft," of trafficking in theories so lacking in precision and predictive power that they don't deserve to be called scientific.

http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/cross-check/is-social-science-an-oxymoron-will-that-ever-change/

Come again?

The link does not seem to work, because the article I got to, does confirm my point, not yours ... :confused:

In addition it is a very short article, not bad, but not exactly, what you would read, to get an idea, about what science is and what not. It is a blog post, wanted to create a thought, ... not wanting to proove or explain something. I don't demand a paper, but no, not convinced and I see not, how the article supports your point.

Edit: You created links to two different blog posts ... read both ... even more confused ... you do realize, that (as stated under the posts), that they are meant to be provocative? Just provocating thoughts, not explaining something? And alone the use of hardies and softies makes the whole post, not something, you can use to proove your argument....

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 34

Original post by Laurenafenete

I forgot the press the reply button adding @servantofmorgoth latest reply
For Op just ignore this bit

The initial post from OP
Getting straight to the point for my A level options I have chosen:

Maths, Physics , Economics and Spanish and an EPQ. I am interested in doing an engineering degree at Uni(well respected.)The areas i am interested in are Mechanical, Electrical and Computer Science. However I don't want to confine myself to completely science/maths subjects because I want to keep my options open as I am interested in a number of other areas including Economics, Law and Business. On the other hand though I don't want to find in 2 years that the subjects I have chosen are unsuitable for engineering. I know Economics has some value by universities for engineering but will never be as good as further maths, for which I would have to do full A level maths in the first year then Full A level further in the second year which I am not mathematically good enough to do, although I am predicted A/A* for IGCSE Maths. single AS further maths is no longer an option at my school. I am not really aiming at Oxbridge but maybe Imperial , Bristol or UCL? I was thinking chemistry maybe more advantageous but I've heard it isn't as interesting as Economics and is very difficult. In addition to this the only relevant technology subjects would be DT or Electronics and I don't really see any advantage in DT and I know Electronics is similar to physics. However they are probably unlikely to let me change more than 1 maybe 2 at a push. So yeah a range of opinions would be useful?

Another Quote from Op later on in the thread....

Essentially not oxbridge. I am not interested in a "General Engineering Degree", I would like to specify.

My latest previous statement for OP
No you do not need further maths for engineering if you are not applying for oxbridge. I applied to do physics and apart from oxford you do not need further maths so dont worry op. Any further maths mentioned will be covered in the degree

For example Electrical engineering at Imperial requires you to take A level maths and physics but another 3rd a level in a range of subjects inc Economics, history, languages...
Obvs you need to get the grades for all the A levels

It is very important to read the whole statement and not skim read

She only added that after I replied. When she just had essentially not oxbridge I assumed she meant if they're the only ones she can't apply to without FM so I answered on that basis.

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Reply 35

Original post by ServantOfMorgoth

She only added that after I replied. When she just had essentially not oxbridge I assumed she meant if they're the only ones she can't apply to without FM so I answered on that basis.

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Apart from oxford, there are no universities that offer Engineering that require you to do Further maths.

Reply 36

Original post by Laurenafenete

Apart from oxford, there are no universities that offer Engineering that require you to do Further maths.

Why are you repeating yourself over and over

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Reply 37