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A-level options advice...

I will be going into sixth form next year and I am concerned since I'm still not entirely sure what subjects to take. My main interests are Physics and Maths which I am taking for definate (Already received A* on 3 units of physics and I got an A* in maths) and I've temporarily chosen English Literature and Chemistry to study alongside these although I'm feeling conflicted between choosing Chemistry and Biology or possibly both.

Primarily, I am concerned that taking all 3 sciences will lack the variety to appeal to Universities- is this the case?

Also, my biological interest in mainly in Phytochemistry and Medicine anyway and I know that these quite obviously include more chemistry anyway so would Biology be important?

Maths is certainly not a problem, as I already said earlier, and I am currently studying for my Further Maths GCSE, so if Chemistry contains more maths that wouldn't be problematic for me.

Ultimately, I'm probably verging towards a career in Physics either way, but I don't want to completely discard the interest and opportunity that Biology still holds for me.

If you could just spare some advice about doing all three sciences simultaneously and what kind of opportunities that has brought to you having Biology, Chemistry and Physics A-level then I would be grateful.

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 1

student_slasher

I take chemistry physics Product design further maths and critical thinking
at gcse I also took further maths (which was called additional maths back then) I got an A* for normal maths and an A for the gcse furthermaths.

Honestly, only take further maths A level if you got an A* or A** at gcse if you didn't you'll be fine if you can or are prepared to master a unit every month (which will seem retardedly hard at first). So just to warn you, unless you're a maths prodigy that course will strees the hell out of you.

I dont think there is much of a problem with taking the three sciences, people take it to become a doctor. Ideally universities like to see you having a humanities subject (but if you get A's and A*'s anyway it wont matter)
Seeing as you want to go down the physics route, I'd say maybe drop biology for something like computing or something similar (but that's just down to opinion and tastes in subjects).
Physics A level is nice to me, Unit 1 will seem more confusing at first because of quarks and interactions but if you just read a bit on it and look at the questions on it in exams you'll find it easier.
Chemistry for me is a meh subject. Unit 1 was fun and easy but unit 2 is not for the faint hearted or for those with a weak memory.

Primarily you should study subjects you enjoy. I made the mistake of picking furthermaths when instead I could have been studying music tech (because I'm a music producer in my free time) so I would of been having fun whilst studying. Having boring subjects for 2 years will stress you out, and believe me it really isn't worth it.

Reply 2

piguy

You definitely shouldn't be concerned about studying all three sciences with no other variety - plenty of people do it, and it will mean you have a wide choice for subjects at uni anyway - I'd research which universities and courses you might be interested in, but:

Some universities offer Natural sciences (most notably cambridge, durham and Nottingham), where you start off with studying 2 or 3 in the first year, and then specialise properly in the 3rd (at cambridge this is the only route to study sciences other than medicine) and usually you're allowed to take biological options without having done biology at A-level as it's one of the subjects that does change quite a lot at university (there's a much bigger split like organic vs physical chemistry), so you wouldn't be at much disadvantage if you got interested in biology and hadn't chosen it at AS. I don't study it myself, mainly as what I've observed from my friends, biology a level is really content heavy and takes a lot of time and effort to do well in (unlike maths or physics), and unless you really enjoy all aspects (cell biology, zoology, environmental biology - you'll probably have to do the dreaded fieldwork in some dreary place), at some point you'll get fed up.

I'd advise to take the top three subjects that you need to do to study your main interest(s), which is probably maths, physics and chemistry (does your school offer further maths? as that's probably more useful for physics than chemistry), and then choose the subject you most enjoy for your fourth option - a great thing about a level is you get to study what you really like and enjoy, so it would be a shame if you chose biology to make your options slightly wider if you didn't like it as much as something else; remember though that if you do all sciences, your last opportunity to formally study an art (i.e. english) will have ended in year 11 when you're 16 - you'll never have the opportunity to improve (among other things) you're writing skills and techniques.

I'm studying physics, chemistry, english lit. and latin (+ further maths off-timetable) - with the intention of applying to read physics next year. I really enjoyed english this year, it was a nice contrast to the sciences and the texts studied at AS are so much better than GCSE (usually aimed to cover people across the spectrum). Also, my classes actually had different people in them... you'll probably get bored seeing the same faces if you study all three sciences as well.

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 3

LucyTheWeird

Original post by Piguy

I'm studying physics, chemistry, english lit. and latin (+ further maths off-timetable)

How long do you get on Further Maths? Is it just as much as you would get if it was on timetable?
The main differentiating factor between the 6th forms I'm choosing between is that in one, further maths is off-timetable, at lunch and after school. In the other school I get the full amount of time on it.
How much of a difference would it make?

Reply 4

piguy

Original post by LucyTheWeird

My school does further maths weirdly - a kind of combination to the two sixth forms you mentioned - in L6 we do the full A level maths (C1-4, M1 and S1) which is rather easy so it only takes up one 'block' but we get lunch time lessons, and then in the U6 maths and further maths takes up two subject 'blocks' as usual to do FP1-3 and M2-4...

If you do further maths off-timetable, it'd probably mean you could take an extra a level, which might be handy and more fun... honestly most of maths and further maths doesn't take much effort, it's only in the upper 6th that it becomes more difficult, but then you'll have dropped a subject (or two) for U6 anyway so you'll have more time to devote to further maths. In terms of UCAS it might show more motivation if you had to do further maths off-timetable, and if you do Physics A level, about half of it (the kinematics side) overlaps with the mechanics modules for maths, so you'll have less work to do if you take both.

But further maths at A2 definitely need a lot of time, especially FP2 and FP3, even if you find normal maths A level a joke and find off-timetable maths in L6 fine (usually the case :wink:

) , so unless you really want to do another A level (if that's allowed), it's probably best to go to the sixth form that offers it properly (remember further maths is right at the edge of the most difficult maths you can do at school, so the teaching might be worse if the school can't even offer it full on as there aren't enough experienced teachers for it).

Also if you're interested in applying for maths at cambridge, if you get an offer, they might offer you their STEP easter course in preparation for STEP (the very difficult exam you have to pass to fulfil their conditional A level offers, see http://www.admissionstestingservice.org/our-services/subject-specific/step/about-step/; it's never to early to start preparing for it!), which are immensely helpful for anyone and hard to get a place for, unless you go to a school that isn't able to give help with it, which is usually the case for schools that only offer futher maths off-timetable, but that's still a bit of a weedy excuse to go for the other sixth form in my opinion...

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 5

LucyTheWeird

Thanks for the advice, it's really helpful because I really have to decide! Looks like I'm going to stay at my school (fully timetabled FM) even though the travel costs are more expensive (£22 a week) - but there is a cheaper option; sadly a bus filled with annoying year 7s.. But yeah I think it'll be worth it :-) thanks again