Should I go ahead with my A level choices?
Scroll to see replies
If you enjoy humanities, do humanities.
The chances are if you take sciences and don't enjoy them you won't get an offer to do medicine as you won't get the grades. Also it's easy to spot who is passionate about their subjects and who isn't in a med interview.
On the other hand, if you take humanities and do well in them you will be able to get offers from pretty much wherever you choose. Degrees in the humanities still have great prospects and are incredibly versatile.
You don't have to have your life planned out. Take the A levels you enjoy, do as well as you can in them and then pick a degree you enjoy. Education isn't purely a pathway to a career, or a competition, if you treat it that way you'll end up either struggling and/or having a bad experience throughout Sixth Form/Uni due to these career focused decisions.
The chances are if you take sciences and don't enjoy them you won't get an offer to do medicine as you won't get the grades. Also it's easy to spot who is passionate about their subjects and who isn't in a med interview.
On the other hand, if you take humanities and do well in them you will be able to get offers from pretty much wherever you choose. Degrees in the humanities still have great prospects and are incredibly versatile.
You don't have to have your life planned out. Take the A levels you enjoy, do as well as you can in them and then pick a degree you enjoy. Education isn't purely a pathway to a career, or a competition, if you treat it that way you'll end up either struggling and/or having a bad experience throughout Sixth Form/Uni due to these career focused decisions.
Original post by Tinka99
I love GCSE History and Philosophy and Ethics and would also prefer subjects such as Law, Economics, Government and Politics and English Lit.
English lit, History, Politics and Economics - do that and you're sorted. So many degree choices from that.
Original post by Tinka99
I have the ability to get the topic grades in these but just hate the subjects also I planned on studying medicine.
Go ahead with those if you want.
Here's something you won't be told often:
You won't know what you enjoy until you've had to work for it (which few will be lucky enough to have experienced by 15).
Take me for example- used to think I was a humanities person, but had a change of heart last minute and chose maths, physics, comp sci and economics.
I hadn't done maths since year 10 as I took it a year early (bad decision).
Guess which one I dreaded the most? MATHS.I had to catch up on a YEARS work in a term.
But boy was that experience worth it- I managed to get so good and enjoy it that I've since picked Further maths (started during christmas holiday).
You'll be surprised how many people drop out of their subjects a week in- so you can always abandon those plans if you absolutely hate them- but keep in mind that you may just not enjoy them yet.
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by jamestg
English lit, History, Politics and Economics - do that and you're sorted. So many degree choices from that.
What can I do with those choices?
Original post by Tinka99
I love GCSE History and Philosophy and Ethics and would also prefer subjects such as Law, Economics, Government and Politics and English Lit.
These are all very good subjects to take at A-level. You don't need to to study sciences to have 'good' career prospects.
Medicine is vocational; you study medicine and it is highly likely that you will have little choice but to become a doctor.
Subjects like Philosophy, English Literature and History are highly respected and they open quite a few doors. Doing a degree in these subjects shows you have critical thinking skills and can write well.
You mentioned Law, a lot of people take a conversion course after their degrees in the subjects I mentioned and you can't say that Law doesn't pay well.
One thing of note, don't do Economics past AS if you don't do Maths; Economics degrees require A level Maths but not Econ. Econ degrees also get rather mathsy so you need to consider that.
EDIT: I really should have said 'don't plan to do an Econ degree without Maths'. Doing an Economics A level without maths is fine if you aren't going to carry on further.
(edited 8 years ago)
Why don't you mix your options up, half humanities which you enjoy then the others science and maths, in that way you can reach the opportunities you wanted. Don't spend 2 years on subjects you hate, you won't enjoy sixth form and you won't enjoy learning.
Original post by Tinka99
I am in year 11 and have chosen Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Maths and also hold 4 sixth form offers to study these. I have the ability to get the topic grades in these but just hate the subjects also I planned on studying medicine.
I am a person who loves the humanities side than science, but I am afraid to do A levels in the humanities fearing I won't get the same opportunities with a humanities or law degree as I would with a science degree.
I am a person who loves the humanities side than science, but I am afraid to do A levels in the humanities fearing I won't get the same opportunities with a humanities or law degree as I would with a science degree.
Hi there,I'm sure you've already heard that the gap between A level and GCSE is a great big step. It's hardly a step it's more like a leap, well If you can leap from the UK to New Zealand, then you'll be fine. So I can tell you class yourself as quite the scientist, but really that wont get you into a science degree ie. med school,as long as you've got 5/6 As at GCSE you'll be fine. Sorry to be a pessimist but I really advise for you to do two sciences max. You'll still find them tough-you have to keep your head down in books or else your career will end up down the bog.So I strongly advise you to do 2 sciences and 2 humanities, because quite frankly you want your hair at the end of A levels. Cutting the sarcasm, I know people who winged GCSE and came out with straight As/A*s but when they got to A levels they picked subjects like you've suggested and lets just say if A levels were like hurdles they face-planted at the first, got back up and broke their nose on the second.Do yourself a favor, choose wisely, you don't need that many sciences and the maths for medicine. And you only need 3 subjects for the new A level spec for most med schools.I'm here if you need me NK
Original post by Tinka99
What can I do with those choices?
Humanities can lead onto a plethora of options. Have you ever had a look at a university's course list? 2 thirds will probably be humanities or social science related (at a typical uni). Also, keep in mind employers really don't care what degree you have (unless it's a specialised job) as long as you have one from a half decent university.
Original post by Tinka99
I am in year 11 and have chosen Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Maths and also hold 4 sixth form offers to study these. I have the ability to get the topic grades in these but just hate the subjects also I planned on studying medicine.
I am a person who loves the humanities side than science, but I am afraid to do A levels in the humanities fearing I won't get the same opportunities with a humanities or law degree as I would with a science degree.
I am a person who loves the humanities side than science, but I am afraid to do A levels in the humanities fearing I won't get the same opportunities with a humanities or law degree as I would with a science degree.
I should imagine that in years to come you will regret this choice. Also, you will be let down when applying for university because your lack of enthusiasm for the sciences, especially if you have an interview where this will be obvious. Also, you would get better A Level results by doing subjects you truly love.
Above all, go with what your heart is telling you to do.
Original post by Tinka99
I am in year 11 and have chosen Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Maths and also hold 4 sixth form offers to study these. I have the ability to get the topic grades in these but just hate the subjects also I planned on studying medicine.
I am a person who loves the humanities side than science, but I am afraid to do A levels in the humanities fearing I won't get the same opportunities with a humanities or law degree as I would with a science degree.
I am a person who loves the humanities side than science, but I am afraid to do A levels in the humanities fearing I won't get the same opportunities with a humanities or law degree as I would with a science degree.
So why are you applying for medicine? You are aware medicine is biology at a very advanced level and you'll need top grades to even get in.
I'd suggest doing subjects you like as A levels pretty much kills any enjoyment you may have in a subject anyways, and is much worse for if you hate a subject.
Original post by Tinka99
I love GCSE History and Philosophy and Ethics and would also prefer subjects such as Law, Economics, Government and Politics and English Lit.
Just wanted to ask I'm 13 and picking GCSEs I'm gonna do philosophy and history OcR andAQA are they good, I love humanities and I've got 2 as in RS and geography and an A* in history so I'm planning to do all 3 humanities and ICT plus the core , I either want to go into law or medicine (parents prefer)
Posted from TSR Mobile
What you're encountering is academic culture's tendency to favour Big Science. In Big Science there is big money - the rest can be filled in. This is, to say the least, frustrating for people working in the Humanities. It is not however sufficient cause for those individuals to abandon their work (unless their department really gets too poor, which is happening in some places but that's another story). Basically, the same applies to you. Don't let yourself to be intimidated by it - pursue the things you're interested in and the rest will become apparent later! (And don't forget about the Social Sciences!)
Original post by Tinka99
I am in year 11 and have chosen Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Maths and also hold 4 sixth form offers to study these. I have the ability to get the topic grades in these but just hate the subjects also I planned on studying medicine.
I am a person who loves the humanities side than science, but I am afraid to do A levels in the humanities fearing I won't get the same opportunities with a humanities or law degree as I would with a science degree.
I am a person who loves the humanities side than science, but I am afraid to do A levels in the humanities fearing I won't get the same opportunities with a humanities or law degree as I would with a science degree.
Hi! Do the subjects you love! As you will enjoy studying them more, and although the career/job prospects may not be as wide, you can research. In the long run, would you do a job you enjoy or a job you hate? You can still earn decent money from some humanities careers. Follow your heart and not your mind, you will be happier in the end even if you struggle a bit
If I go into law I would do a levels in history philosophy economics ang government and politics, but I'm still in year 8 choosing GCSEs for year 9 so I'll do core then ict and 3 humanities
Posted from TSR Mobile
Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by HedgehogsRulz
Go ahead with those if you want.
Here's something you won't be told often:
You won't know what you enjoy until you've had to work for it (which few will be lucky enough to have experienced by 15).
Take me for example- used to think I was a humanities person, but had a change of heart last minute and chose maths, physics, comp sci and economics.
I hadn't done maths since year 10 as I took it a year early (bad decision).
Guess which one I dreaded the most? MATHS.I had to catch up on a YEARS work in a term.
But boy was that experience worth it- I managed to get so good and enjoy it that I've since picked Further maths (started during christmas holiday).
You'll be surprised how many people drop out of their subjects a week in- so you can always abandon those plans if you absolutely hate them- but keep in mind that you may just not enjoy them yet.
Here's something you won't be told often:
You won't know what you enjoy until you've had to work for it (which few will be lucky enough to have experienced by 15).
Take me for example- used to think I was a humanities person, but had a change of heart last minute and chose maths, physics, comp sci and economics.
I hadn't done maths since year 10 as I took it a year early (bad decision).
Guess which one I dreaded the most? MATHS.I had to catch up on a YEARS work in a term.
But boy was that experience worth it- I managed to get so good and enjoy it that I've since picked Further maths (started during christmas holiday).
You'll be surprised how many people drop out of their subjects a week in- so you can always abandon those plans if you absolutely hate them- but keep in mind that you may just not enjoy them yet.
I think this happend to me with Maths also.
I wasnt that good/enthusiastic in primary school and high school with maths. Then worked at it last 3 months before exams ended up with a B at gcse, but started to enjoy it anyway. Decided to do it for a-levels now I am doing well and loving C1,C2 but not S1. One day I will get the passion for S1
Original post by Tinka99
I am predicted AAA at GCSE in the Sciences and also been told by my teachers that considering my ability A level would not be too unrealistic to me. I keep on hearing that science has better prospects but I hate the sciences and Maths with passion. In the real world I can't only live on my passion I need a real job with the degree and unsure if a humanities or law degree would provide the same opportunities.
Sorry to burst your bubble but gcse really are not an indication of whether you'll succeed at A levels really. Chemistry and maths especially are significantly more challenging at A level and I honestly don't think gcse's reflect them well. Although AAA is good, people get A*s in these subjects and then crumble at A level.
Please choose subjects you like and don't just go for medicine due to it's reputation.
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by SuperHuman98
One day I will get the passion for S1
Nobody gets passionate about S1.
Original post by SuperHuman98
I think this happend to me with Maths also.
I wasnt that good/enthusiastic in primary school and high school with maths. Then worked at it last 3 months before exams ended up with a B at gcse, but started to enjoy it anyway. Decided to do it for a-levels now I am doing well and loving C1,C2 but not S1. One day I will get the passion for S1
I wasnt that good/enthusiastic in primary school and high school with maths. Then worked at it last 3 months before exams ended up with a B at gcse, but started to enjoy it anyway. Decided to do it for a-levels now I am doing well and loving C1,C2 but not S1. One day I will get the passion for S1
aha, please get back to me when you do start enjoying s1 and tell me how you did it.
..
I'll be waiting..
Quick Reply
Related discussions
- University options
- A level remark
- Is it possible to go from N5 Spanish to crashing Higher French??
- Advice on third subject choice?
- Is it possible to turn these grades around
- a levels needed for mechanical engineering?
- College won't let me resit my A-Levels
- University of Strathclyde, Stirling or Glasgow Caledonian best to go to for Law?
- Should I apply to LSE?
- Universities for Actuarial Science
- a level biology
- Still waiting on one response - do I withdraw it?
- How should I go about clearing?
- Computer Science NEA Survey!
- Taking a gap year and resitting A-levels? (for law)
- Applying to uni questions
- A-Level Mathematics Advice
- how many a levels do i do?
- Mechanical or aerospace engineering
- A-Level Choices
Latest
Trending
Last reply 11 hours ago
Edexcel A Level Politics Paper 1 (9PL0 01) - 21st May 2024 [Exam Chat]A-levels
10
Trending
Last reply 11 hours ago
Edexcel A Level Politics Paper 1 (9PL0 01) - 21st May 2024 [Exam Chat]A-levels
10
