A level History,good or bad?

For the past few days I had mixed feelings about A level history because some people tell me that they love the subject but then some people say that it was not worth picking it and that now they regret their decision.
I wanted to pick A level history (along with law and English lit) because I checked the topics which my school will cover and I really liked them however I am hesitating because I didn't do GCSE history (because so many people picked it in my school so few people couldn't do it,including me)
Would I struggle or should I just go for it ?

Reply 1

george0909

im in the exact same position, but i’m 99% sure i’m going to choose it

Reply 2

username4097242

Original post by george0909

im in the exact same position, but i’m 99% sure i’m going to choose it

wbu do you also want to choose it because you enjoy it ??

Reply 3

999tigger

Original post by vickkyyx

1. Talk to the teacher.
2. Look at the spcification i.e periods you will study and see if the periods interest you.
3. History tends to suit people who are interested in events and the past plus understanding what motivated them and why the reacted the way they did in their decision making. You need an inquiring mind that is able to focus and think about the why of events and see the consequences.
4. Check to see what degree course/ career you might be interested in.
5. It is a well respected subject by unis.
6. If you dont have an inquiring mind and want to explore what happened or simply arent interested in things past, then some people find it boring as they simply dont get it.
7. Be warned it has a very high volume of work to get through and if you arent interested then it will be a very long 2 years. If you are interested then you tend to wnat to know more and find it interesting.

So the answer is good for some and the worng choice for some others.
8. Not doing GCSE shouldnt be a disadvantage as learning moves more from just remembering facts to looking at the wider picture and understanding events in more depth. It is a step up.

(edited 5 years ago)

Reply 4

george0909

Original post by vickkyyx

wbu do you also want to choose it because you enjoy it ??

yesss, the topics that my school do are revolutions in europe and civil rights in the USA and i find those both really interesting. i’d say go for it if i was you. can you change your options after a few weeks at your school if you dont like them?

Reply 5

username4097242

Original post by george0909

yeah I think so anyway thank you x

Reply 6

Know Your Enemy

Not to put you off but you're guaranteed to struggle a bit. Everyone struggles with the jump from GCSE to AS and it will take a bit of time to adjust to the workload and depth of content. The exam technique required at AS is way greater than the skills needed at GCSE. I took History as a GCSE and even I struggle with the exam technique at AS because most people take time to adapt to the transition. That said, you should be able to do well providing you're prepared to do wider reading and put the work in. Guess it depends on the exam board.

I'm assuming you cover different periods at A-Level so I don't see why you'd be put at a disadvantage content-wise. Idk whether your school would consider you if you didn't take History at GCSE as all schools are different, but I'd speak to them and let them know you're considering it. You could also have a look at the spec.

Like I said, it is difficult and people who do History at GCSE struggle, but I doubt this would put you at a major disadvantage as I took Business as an A-Level without having done it at GCSE (school doesn't offer it at that level). It's up to you to either take the advice or consider something else.