Are A Levels harder than a degree?
I was in my Geography lesson at college and the subject of degrees got brought up and the teacher said that a degree is easier than doing a levels. I know this may depends on the subject of the degree but is this true in most cases or was she just trying to make us work harder?
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Teachers have been saying this for decades. My dad said they told him this at school too.
Everyone knows its a complete and utter lie. They just say it to motivate you and to make you feel good.
From that perspective, I suppose there's nothing wrong with it.
They often say stuff like "Degrees are not harder, they just have more content"
Ask anyone who had read biology or chemistry even at undergraduate level - half of what you get taught at school science is an absurd oversimplification.
I didn't take Economics A level, but looking at the kind of things in it - it's nothing like BSc level work. A whole A-level is something akin to maybe a cut down version of one or two modules of one year of your degree.
Everyone knows its a complete and utter lie. They just say it to motivate you and to make you feel good.
From that perspective, I suppose there's nothing wrong with it.
They often say stuff like "Degrees are not harder, they just have more content"
Ask anyone who had read biology or chemistry even at undergraduate level - half of what you get taught at school science is an absurd oversimplification.
I didn't take Economics A level, but looking at the kind of things in it - it's nothing like BSc level work. A whole A-level is something akin to maybe a cut down version of one or two modules of one year of your degree.
Well I guess it gets harder as you go on!Good luck! I have just started doing a levels, and I am in shock with how much harder it is than gcse!
Original post by Katiee224
Only if you're off to study TV production at London Met...
brutal hun
I do maths, and I would agree that a levels are harder, because there's less room for silly mistakes.
At a level you need 90% to get an a*, whereas to get a first at degree level you only need 70%, so you can get away with a lot more and still receive the top grade. This, combined with the fact that most people just want you to have a 2:1 to get a graduate job, definitely makes degree exams easier.
(That being said, it would surely depend on what university you go to - I'm not in one of the top unis for maths!)
At a level you need 90% to get an a*, whereas to get a first at degree level you only need 70%, so you can get away with a lot more and still receive the top grade. This, combined with the fact that most people just want you to have a 2:1 to get a graduate job, definitely makes degree exams easier.
(That being said, it would surely depend on what university you go to - I'm not in one of the top unis for maths!)
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by Telllo
I do maths, and I would agree that a levels are harder, because there's less room for silly mistakes.
At a level you need 90% to get an a*, whereas to get a first at degree level you only need 70%, so you can get away with a lot more and still receive the top grade. This, combined with the fact that most people just want you to have a 2:1 to get a graduate job, definitely makes degree exams easier.
(That being said, it would surely depend on what university you go to - I'm not in one of the top unis for maths!)
At a level you need 90% to get an a*, whereas to get a first at degree level you only need 70%, so you can get away with a lot more and still receive the top grade. This, combined with the fact that most people just want you to have a 2:1 to get a graduate job, definitely makes degree exams easier.
(That being said, it would surely depend on what university you go to - I'm not in one of the top unis for maths!)
which uni are you at out of interest?
Original post by wilson27
I was in my Geography lesson at college and the subject of degrees got brought up and the teacher said that a degree is easier than doing a levels. I know this may depends on the subject of the degree but is this true in most cases or was she just trying to make us work harder?
Depends on the subject perhaps. For STEM? Definitely not as I tore my hair out during my first year
Original post by Katiee224
which uni are you at out of interest?
King's
Original post by Telllo
I do maths, and I would agree that a levels are harder, because there's less room for silly mistakes.
At a level you need 90% to get an a*, whereas to get a first at degree level you only need 70%, so you can get away with a lot more and still receive the top grade. This, combined with the fact that most people just want you to have a 2:1 to get a graduate job, definitely makes degree exams easier.
(That being said, it would surely depend on what university you go to - I'm not in one of the top unis for maths!)
At a level you need 90% to get an a*, whereas to get a first at degree level you only need 70%, so you can get away with a lot more and still receive the top grade. This, combined with the fact that most people just want you to have a 2:1 to get a graduate job, definitely makes degree exams easier.
(That being said, it would surely depend on what university you go to - I'm not in one of the top unis for maths!)
You doing maths and you found A levels harder? I enrolled for maths and switched to Engineering after 3 weeks. I could not follow anything in Pure.
Original post by IYGB
You doing maths and you found A levels harder? I enrolled for maths and switched to Engineering after 3 weeks. I could not follow anything in Pure.
I just think that although maybe the content is slightly harder, getting a good grade at the end is easier at university due to the fact you can get more of the paper wrong, and still get a first.
I guess it depends on how we're defining hard.
(edited 7 years ago)
It depends on your learning style. The structure of A-levels really didn't fit well for me as somebody who gets anxiety under high pressure situations. My degree allowed me to take a lot of stress of myself by achieving good grades on assignments meaning I had less pressure for exams.
The content of my degree of course was a lot harder but I managed to do a lot better in it.
The content of my degree of course was a lot harder but I managed to do a lot better in it.
It will depend on your degree choice, your university, and your A Levels.
A Levels are difficult. They are a massive step up from GCSE, but help massively when it comes to university. The struggle is worth it if you go to HE because it'll prepare you.
Degrees are not easy at all though. If you did the subject at A-level, you may find it somewhat easier than some other people if the content is repeated, but there is much more independent study and more expectations for you to work hard.
However, you should choose a degree in something you feel passionate about - this makes it easier than if you HATE the subject at university, just in that the subjects you dislike at A Level are harder.
I am going into my second year of university, and I don't think my first year was easier. There was more freedom, less contact hours, and more opportunities to do social things, but the academics was by no means simple. Assignments are challenging, library books can sometimes be illegible, and some lecturers are completely awful. I had a lot of mental health issues too, which made coping with university much more difficult. But with a bit of perseverance, you can do it.
A Levels are difficult. They are a massive step up from GCSE, but help massively when it comes to university. The struggle is worth it if you go to HE because it'll prepare you.
Degrees are not easy at all though. If you did the subject at A-level, you may find it somewhat easier than some other people if the content is repeated, but there is much more independent study and more expectations for you to work hard.
However, you should choose a degree in something you feel passionate about - this makes it easier than if you HATE the subject at university, just in that the subjects you dislike at A Level are harder.
I am going into my second year of university, and I don't think my first year was easier. There was more freedom, less contact hours, and more opportunities to do social things, but the academics was by no means simple. Assignments are challenging, library books can sometimes be illegible, and some lecturers are completely awful. I had a lot of mental health issues too, which made coping with university much more difficult. But with a bit of perseverance, you can do it.
Original post by Telllo
King's
I would regard King's as easily in the top 20 in the UK
Maybe people say this because when you're doing alevels you're in college 5 days a week, usually all day. However at uni you have much more free time but no ones pushing you to do any work, you do it in your own time. Idk that's how I feel, it's not as stressful as you're just expected to get on with it. The content however is much harder than what was studied at alevel, so it's not easier in that aspect.
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