A-level options need SERIOUS HELP!!

OP

Original post by BTAnonymous

I do suggest taking maths as it is the fundamental subject of everything: you wouldn't exist without maths. Some day you might decide to go into an unexpected sector and having a maths alevel demonstrates lots of skills. Think of it as a back up cushion to fall back onto if your future plans don't fall into plan properly. If you struggle at alevel maths, there's plenty of help available here and from your teachers.

However, I suggest you follow ambitions you love and enjoy so i suggest taking English lit, Maths, Fine art and Graphic design. Drop one of them after AS before going into A2, preferably do not drop maths but it's up to you.

If yore really passionate about something, you will find it a lot easier to succeed.

Thank you, but I don't think I would be doing Maths considering how I did chose it but after my GCSE paper 1 I was completely shattered.

Reply 22

AndrewMP

9

I'm in a similar situation, I'm planning on getting a History degree so of course I'm going a History A-Level but I was also planning on doing a Film Studies and Media Studies A-Level meaning I'd only really have History as an 'academic' subject which wouldn't help with university.

Though I haven't sorted out my crisis yet I can give you advice - Try and have 2 academic or 'facilitating' subjects when you walk out of college/sixth form because that will give you a better chance of doing the English degree. The other one or two A-Level(s) can be anything such as your Graphic Design or Fine Art.

If you don't want to get an English Degree and wish to pursue something such as design at university then I'm unsure - but I know that if you want were to go into the English degree, the university would look for other essay subjects such as Politics, History or Law.

Hope this helps.

Reply 23

OP

Original post by AndrewMP

I'm in a similar situation, I'm planning on getting a History degree so of course I'm going a History A-Level but I was also planning on doing a Film Studies and Media Studies A-Level meaning I'd only really have History as an 'academic' subject which wouldn't help with university.

Though I haven't sorted out my crisis yet I can give you advice - Try and have 2 academic or 'facilitating' subjects when you walk out of college/sixth form because that will give you a better chance of doing the English degree. The other one or two A-Level(s) can be anything such as your Graphic Design or Fine Art.

If you don't want to get an English Degree and wish to pursue something such as design at university then I'm unsure - but I know that if you want were to go into the English degree, the university would look for other essay subjects such as Politics, History or Law.

Hope this helps.

Thanks, am thinking of doing an English degree, is psychology considered a 'facilitating' subject?

Reply 24

AndrewMP

9

Original post by TheAlchemistress

Thanks, am thinking of doing an English degree, is psychology considered a 'facilitating' subject?

Technically no.
Facilitating subjects are:
- English Literature
- History
- Modern Languages
- Classical Languages
- Maths and FM
- Physics
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Geography

BUT If you want an English degree the universities don't just look for facilitating subjects they'll want thinks like English (Essay and analysis based), like I said, History (Both essay based and facilitating, Law (Essay based) or Politics (Essay based) are good options for an English degree.

Reply 25

OP

Original post by AndrewMP

Technically no.
Facilitating subjects are:
- English Literature
- History
- Modern Languages
- Classical Languages
- Maths and FM
- Physics
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Geography

BUT If you want an English degree the universities don't just look for facilitating subjects they'll want thinks like English (Essay and analysis based), like I said, History (Both essay based and facilitating, Law (Essay based) or Politics (Essay based) are good options for an English degree.

I might take geography then, took it for GCSE and worked my socks off.

Reply 26

Scriptzer

11

Original post by TheAlchemistress

Thanks, sadly I love doing art and it seems that I would have to give it up. I was considering doing biology but I can't since the requirement is a 6 (B) in Maths, which am not going to get. There is also the fact that I see myself having a creative job, even if I was to do these a-levels, then at uni I would be completely clueless to what course to pick.

Fair enough, if you haven't done already I'd have a good look around to see what sort of uni course you'd like to do. Generally, I'd think that you'd be still very much able to do a creative job even if you took all STEM subjects, as really it's the degree that would most likely enable that. And as for Biology, I'd definitely ask them if they'd consider letting you on the course. Unless you go to some sort of private school sixth form, I would've thought they'd let you stay on the course for a while and then see how you're doing. Unlikely that they'd stop you from doing the course, provided you show them that you're willing to work hard and are interested :smile:

Reply 27

OP

Original post by Scriptzer

Fair enough, if you haven't done already I'd have a good look around to see what sort of uni course you'd like to do. Generally, I'd think that you'd be still very much able to do a creative job even if you took all STEM subjects, as really it's the degree that would most likely enable that. And as for Biology, I'd definitely ask them if they'd consider letting you on the course. Unless you go to some sort of private school sixth form, I would've thought they'd let you stay on the course for a while and then see how you're doing. Unlikely that they'd stop you from doing the course, provided you show them that you're willing to work hard and are interested :smile:

Thanks 😊😊😊

Reply 28

XLittleSparrowX

12

Original post by TheAlchemistress

What course are you looking to apply at uni? If you don't mind me asking. Also would you consider psychology a 'hard' subject?

Sure, I'm starting to look into a media production course and they seem to only require a media studies A-Level

Judging by how my friends tackled it, it can be hard at parts but the best thing to do is to study it until you understand it, which helped them.

Reply 29

OP

Universities Forum Helper

Original post by XLittleSparrowX

Sure, I'm starting to look into a media production course and they seem to only require a media studies A-Level

Judging by how my friends tackled it, it can be hard at parts but the best thing to do is to study it until you understand it, which helped them.

Think I will go for geography then, because I enjoyed doing it at GCSE, worked my socks off.

Reply 30

artful_lounger

To begin with, outside of STEM and the visual and performing the only courses that regularly require a specific subject to be taken before are History, English Literature, Music, various languages (requiring the named subject most of the time) and sometimes Geography, Accounting, and Economics (requiring Geography or Maths, respectively)

Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, Classical Studies, Linguistics, Archaeology, Philosophy, Business/Management, various Cultural and Regional Studies options, Law, Religious Studies and Theology, Art History, Media and Film Studies, various technical Film and Stage Production courses, Politics, International Relations, PPE, History and Philosophy of Science in Society and related courses, Social Policy, Criminology, Journalism, Creative Writing, Quantity/Building Surveying, many more vocationally oriented IT/Computing courses (i.e. not formal Computer Science)...

I mean there are probably more courses without specific prerequisites than those with, if you go on a per subject basis. Some of the above are somewhat more uncommon (e.g. HPS and Quantity/Building Surveying) but most are fairly common courses, bordering on ubiquitous (e.g. Law or Business/Management).

There is no reason to take STEM subjects if you are not interested in them in the first instance, and frankly if you don't intend on pursuing a STEM degree, then outside of Maths there's little reason to take them at all. Maths does open up some more degree options, as it's required for some Economics/Finance/Accounting courses and preferred for a number of others (such as many PPE courses and some general Business/Management courses - also Land Economy, which only exists at Cambridge, although this may be extrapolated to Quantity/Building Surveying courses generally).

(edited 6 years ago)

Reply 31

The RAR

It depends what job do you want to do, if you want to do a graphic designer designing logos then what you have chosen is fine.

Spoiler

Reply 32

OP

Original post by The RAR

It depends what job do you want to do, if you want to do a graphic designer designing logos then what you have chosen is fine.

Spoiler

Haha but don't game developers earn a lot of money?

Reply 33

The RAR

Original post by TheAlchemistress

Haha but don't game developers earn a lot of money?

It depends how popular your game is, players will need to make in game purchases with real money so the developer can earn money, I NEVER use real money to buy stuff in games so...yeah. If no players will buy stuff from your game then as a game developer you are pretty much ****ed.

Reply 34

OP

Original post by The RAR

It depends how popular your game is, players will need to make in game purchases with real money so the developer can earn money, I NEVER use real money to buy stuff in games so...yeah. If no players will buy stuff from your game then as a game developer you are pretty much ****ed.

Very true.

Reply 35

namelessfeelsx

13

Original post by Hafsahh

I'd recommend you doing one STEM subject. It look very good to university Plus it leaves alot of doors open for you into a lot of fields. You don't need to pursue Biology in university but you will have alot more options.

Is Spanish a STEM subject?

Reply 36

OP

Universities Forum Helper

Original post by namelessfeelsx

Is Spanish a STEM subject?

Yes, it is.

Reply 37

namelessfeelsx

13

Original post by TheAlchemistress

Yes, it is.

Thank you x

Reply 38

artful_lounger