Choosing between A level History or Sociology
I've already applied for English literature, biology and art and design at A level but would like to do another, I'm finding it difficult to choose between history and sociology. at gcse I've done food and nutrition, DT, history, art and the other core subjects. I really enjoyed history so thought about continuing it, but I've become interested in sociology as well as I think that it would be interesting and probably help with aspects of English literature. I'm not exactly sure what I want to do but have thought about going into writing or something medical like nursing or midwifery, so I thought sociology may also help with that?
Any opinions would be useful, or what the courses were like to take at a level. 👍
(I'm also dyslexic so am wondering if I will be able to handle four a levels🤔 hopefully I can)
Any opinions would be useful, or what the courses were like to take at a level. 👍
(I'm also dyslexic so am wondering if I will be able to handle four a levels🤔 hopefully I can)
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Tbh I'm just worried about the workload of 4 A levels especially the ones you are planning to take but I dont know your capability to handle them so if you can think you can handle it, go for it but please bear in mind the workload. I do History A level rn, if you have any specific questions, feel free to ask but it is interesting though
I do sociology, and overall it’s very interesting And you learn a lot. however There’s a **** ton of content to memories and essays.
Original post by PetitePanda
Tbh I'm just worried about the workload of 4 A levels especially the ones you are planning to take but I dont know your capability to handle them so if you can think you can handle it, go for it but please bear in mind the workload. I do History A level rn, if you have any specific questions, feel free to ask but it is interesting though
thanks for the reply, What topics are you doing?
Original post by Acl#28
thanks for the reply, What topics are you doing?
I do Tudors (all of them) and Weimar/Nazi Germany
Original post by PetitePanda
I do Tudors (all of them) and Weimar/Nazi Germany
oh right, that's a bit different to what I would be doing, I think it's on the tsar Russia and something else
Original post by Jäger35
I do sociology, and overall it’s very interesting And you learn a lot. however There’s a **** ton of content to memories and essays.
thanks for replying, I wonder if I could do it as an AS level instead? as there will be a lot to remember in English as well🤔
Original post by Acl#28
thanks for replying, I wonder if I could do it as an AS level instead? as there will be a lot to remember in English as well🤔
Why would you want to do it at an AS? There's no point in 4 A levels or 3 A levels and an AS. But yes you can do it as an AS but that's a waste of time and effort you can put in your other 3 A levels.
Original post by PetitePanda
Why would you want to do it at an AS? There's no point in 4 A levels or 3 A levels and an AS
what do you mean? I could do my top three a levels and then another as an as level in the first year, then in the second I could focus on the other three.
usually what you learn in the first year is an AS level, then if you do well in it you can continue onto a full A level, well it's what I thought anyway
Original post by Acl#28
what do you mean? I could do my top three a levels and then another as an as level in the first year, then in the second I could focus on the other three.
usually what you learn in the first year is an AS level, then if you do well in it you can continue onto a full A level, well it's what I thought anyway
usually what you learn in the first year is an AS level, then if you do well in it you can continue onto a full A level, well it's what I thought anyway
Because what's the point in learning an AS if you arent going to continue it at A level? You could use the time of that AS to focus more on your other 3 A levels if you didnt do an AS.
Original post by PetitePanda
Because what's the point in learning an AS if you arent going to continue it at A level? You could use the time of that AS to focus more on your other 3 A levels if you didnt do an AS.
I'd still get a qualification in that subject, my whole problem is choosing between the subjects I like so I'd think of it as a sort of compromise
Totally unashamedly biased here - Sociology all the way! I studied Lit , Sociology & Philosophy for my A Levels. An amazing combination which complimented one another so well. It’s a varied, interesting, and thought provoking subject which allows you to view the world around you in such a nuanced way. You’ll start to assess, consider & observe the societal norms, cultures & values we take for granted daily. I’ve studied Sociology from GCSE, through to A Level, BA, and soon an MPhil. So feel free to drop me a message with any questions!
Original post by Acl#28
I'd still get a qualification in that subject, my whole problem is choosing between the subjects I like so I'd think of it as a sort of compromise
Yeah but what if you do badly in that subject and does your school even do AS exams? I think you should do 4 if you dont know what to choose but drop one if you dont like one or keep going if you like all of them. I only suggest 4 a levels if someone can handle the workload and is genuinely interested in all 4, instead of getting a extra qualification.
i wouldn't recommend doing 4 a levels unless you really need to or want to. take subjects you think you'll enjoy the most and perform the best in. a levels are so much work. sociology can be useful for medical stuff or midwifery but you can demonstrate your understanding of care/society in non academic forms ie. through work experience. not doing sociology won't stop you from pursuing midwifery etc if your other choices fit the requirements.
Original post by Jäger35
I do sociology, and overall it’s very interesting And you learn a lot. however There’s a **** ton of content to memories and essays.
Agreed. I take both History and Sociology. May sound a bit biased, but I absolutely love history when I found it pretty average at GCSE because I now study the USA from 1865 to 1975 (economy, society, both world wars, foreign policy, etc) and the Wars of the Roses which is the depth study and it’s really interesting too!! There’s also coursework for history which counts for 20% of the final grade, so if that suits your style then maybe take that into account
As for sociology, as one of the above users said, it’s really interesting but there are A LOT of theorists to remember which can be overwhelming at times, at least in my view. But the actual content is quite repetitive and really simple to understand e.g. middle-class pupils are more likely to achieve at GCSE than working-class pupils due to the fact that the elaborated speech code (basically more sophisticated) is used by teachers, textbooks and in exams. I study education, research methods and families and households, then in year 13 we’re doing crime and deviance. Both subjects are heavily essay-based and I’d personally recommend history because I find it more enjoyable and every lesson is different, but it depends on your career prospects and what YOUR gut is telling you good luck!! XxOriginal post by PetitePanda
Yeah but what if you do badly in that subject and does your school even do AS exams? I think you should do 4 if you dont know what to choose but drop one if you dont like one or keep going if you like all of them. I only suggest 4 a levels if someone can handle the workload and is genuinely interested in all 4, instead of getting a extra qualification.
I'm thinking of going to a sixth form college, I'm pretty sure that they do AS levels as they do a really wide range of things. thanks for the advice, I think i probably will just stick to four A levels anyway and see how I go.
Original post by elephantblue
Totally unashamedly biased here - Sociology all the way! I studied Lit , Sociology & Philosophy for my A Levels. An amazing combination which complimented one another so well. It’s a varied, interesting, and thought provoking subject which allows you to view the world around you in such a nuanced way. You’ll start to assess, consider & observe the societal norms, cultures & values we take for granted daily. I’ve studied Sociology from GCSE, through to A Level, BA, and soon an MPhil. So feel free to drop me a message with any questions!
thanks for replying, that's really useful 😊
And please don’t let your dyslexia hold you back. My friend takes 4 A levels, he’s dyslexic too, and he says he’s coping find so far and hopefully that will continue!! My best advice to you would be to trial both history and sociology during your first week at sixth form because my new school let me test both English Lit and History, so I opted for History in the end! And if you’re still undecided by then, then see how you cope with keeping both up and you can drop one at any time if it gets tough x
Original post by Acl#28
I'm thinking of going to a sixth form college, I'm pretty sure that they do AS levels as they do a really wide range of things. thanks for the advice, I think i probably will just stick to four A levels anyway and see how I go.
Good luck
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