PSYCHOLOGY UNI STUDENTS please help!

You don't need biology to do psychology at uni so if you're bad at it and don't enjoy it then it would be better to do something else. It will be much better to get high grades than lower grades with biology.

I am currently studying Psychology with criminology, I started off doing English, Psychology, Spanish and maths (I was also doing a GCSE on the side) and then dropped maths to an AS as I was struggling, didn't need it and wanted to focus on getting 3 good grades rather than 4 average ones. Taking psychology definitely helped as everything done in first term was very much what I had done in A level psych. English Language also helped quute a lot.

Hope this helped somewhat x

Hi,
Thank you for the advice! This does really help.
It's definitely a good point about doing subjects which I can get higher grades with rather than doing Biology and getting lower grades so I reckon I will completely leave it out, and I don't enjoy it too much anyways.

Glad to hear that Psychology was helpful for you as I was keen on it! Also I feel relieved that you also took a language since I didn't want to let that go either haha.

If you don't mind me asking just one last question, do you think these A-level options sound good/suitable? That is; Psychology, History, Spanish.

I also want to do a type of Criminal Psychology degree; either Forensic Psychology or Criminology. Good luck with your degree!

Thank you so much again

It can be helpful for some unis to have two science-based subjects

Thanks for the advice.
Do you know if they must be science science like biology, chemistry, physics or could they be social sciences like psychology or sociology?

Thanks for the advice.
Do you know if they must be science science like biology, chemistry, physics or could they be social sciences like psychology or sociology?

Hi, any social sciences course at A levels, relevant to the degree of psychology & criminology would help. It doesn’t have to be exactly the same. Even with Health and Social care for example you can get on to a course for the Psychology with Criminology at University. It’s more about the UCAS points, and the relevance to the subject you wish to do at University. Do not do options you’re not comfortable with, or just for the sake of ‘standing out’. Even Psychology is sufficient at A Levels, and you can do 2 other courses which you enjoy at College. Also, your personal statement is always looked at before receiving an offer. So, showcasing your passion to Psychology with Criminal justice aspects would be the extra brownie points. Doing stuff you enjoy, will definitely help you on the long-run, it’s not like Medicine for example or Pharmacy where you need to do specific A levels. Social sciences are far more flexible, and you should do what you enjoy in relevance to this.

Here are a couple of examples from top universities:

Bath - "We are looking for study that shows ability in both numeracy and essay-based subjects. Examples of numerical subjects could include Mathematics, Statistics, any science, Economics or Psychology. Examples of essay-based subjects could include Economics, English Literature, History, Philosophy, Psychology, Sociology or Religious Studies. If you study qualifications in a narrow range of subjects (such as A levels), you will ideally have three subjects from each of the above categories."

UCL - "To include at least one, preferably two subjects from: Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics and Psychology."

So if you are aiming high, you should probably take psychology and another numerical science. Personally, I think biology and maths are the most useful subjects, although universities don't have these as specific requirements.. I'm an admissions tutor and psychology lecturer FWIW.

Thank you for being so thorough with your advice! This does really help.
I think I'll follow the suggestions of doing courses I enjoy. and therefore possibly Psychology, History and Spanish. There isn't really any courses relevant to Criminology at the school I'm attending, but I could consider Sociology possibly.
A lot to think about...
Thanks again