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What sort of jobs could my A-levels lead on to

I've chosen my A-Levels and, though I have a vague idea of what I want to do career wise, I'd like to see which areas my A-Levels could lead towards.

I'll be doing Philosophy, Religious Studies, English literature, Ancient History, and Critical Thinking (as an additional course). I think I'd like to do a degree in Ancient Philosophy.

So what careers could these possibly lead on to?
Reply 1
Law possibly (you'd need really high grades in all of these though)
Reply 2
Critical thinking isn't worth the paper it's written on. As for the rest, they sound like the subjects of a journalist, or possibly even a teacher. With your degree, my advice is to not restrict yourself to ancient philosophy - until you have really studied a subject (which only happens at university), you don't know enough about it to specialise. A general philosophy course will allow you to do a lot of ancient philosophy, whilst also giving you the option to change your mind at a later stage.
Reply 3
Original post by tory88
Critical thinking isn't worth the paper it's written on. As for the rest, they sound like the subjects of a journalist, or possibly even a teacher. With your degree, my advice is to not restrict yourself to ancient philosophy - until you have really studied a subject (which only happens at university), you don't know enough about it to specialise. A general philosophy course will allow you to do a lot of ancient philosophy, whilst also giving you the option to change your mind at a later stage.


Critical Thinking was offered as an enrichment course (it was the only one on offer that would get me an extra AS-Level)

Thanks for the advice on the degree, I'm quite open to a lot of areas, but Philosophy is an area I'd like to head in.
No offence mate, but what do you intend to do AFTER philosophy? It's all good and well studying a subject you love and are interested in, but after that? Philosophy is not in-demand, you will end up accumulating a debt that, well, wasn't worth accumulating in the process.
If you can, at least swap out Critical Thinking, and in its place, do something useful, aka STEM subjects (they are the most useful subjects like it or not, or the Russell Group's facilitated subjects. I'd advise doing A-level Maths if you can.
Reply 5
Original post by The_Dragonborn
No offence mate, but what do you intend to do AFTER philosophy? It's all good and well studying a subject you love and are interested in, but after that? Philosophy is not in-demand, you will end up accumulating a debt that, well, wasn't worth accumulating in the process.
If you can, at least swap out Critical Thinking, and in its place, do something useful, aka STEM subjects (they are the most useful subjects like it or not, or the Russell Group's facilitated subjects. I'd advise doing A-level Maths if you can.


We can do enrichment courses, and Critical Thinking is the only one that gives an AS Level. If I dropped it, alternatives would be things like a certificate in animation.

I was under the impression that History and English Literature were enough university-wise.

I was hoping to be a teacher, with the knowledge that it would allow me to have an area where a degree in Philosophy might be useful.
Original post by SamHine
We can do enrichment courses, and Critical Thinking is the only one that gives an AS Level. If I dropped it, alternatives would be things like a certificate in animation.

I was under the impression that History and English Literature were enough university-wise.

I was hoping to be a teacher, with the knowledge that it would allow me to have an area where a degree in Philosophy might be useful.


You'd be better off with a certificate in something else - a more useful subject.

You have made good choices with History and Literature. Religious Studies is ok... but I might have swapped this for something like a language if you are an artsy type person, or maths.

Critical Thinking is a complete waste of your energies. Will the college not allow you to pick 4 AS-levels rather than 3 and an enrichment (which coincidentally gives you an AS-level).
Reply 7
Original post by The_Dragonborn
You'd be better off with a certificate in something else - a more useful subject.

You have made good choices with History and Literature. Religious Studies is ok... but I might have swapped this for something like a language if you are an artsy type person, or maths.

Critical Thinking is a complete waste of your energies. Will the college not allow you to pick 4 AS-levels rather than 3 and an enrichment (which coincidentally gives you an AS-level).


I did ask about a language, but I didn't choice one for GCSE (something I regret) which means they won't allow me to do a language for A-Level.

I am doing 4 AS levels, and Critical Thinking. I will get 5 AS levels, which is why I choose it enrichment course - it's two lessons a week and better than a lot of the other enrichment courses they offer.
There are only a couple of named joint subject Ancient Philosophy/Philosophy in the whole of the UK at undergrad level - Cardiff and Royal Holloway. Other general Philosophy degrees will all contain optional units related to this area.

There are no connected jobs to this degree. No-one advertises in the Job Centre 'Wanted -Philosopher'. For examples of what some Philosophy graduates have done see http://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/Philosophy.htm

Doing a joint or combined subject degree will give you many more career options. Examples - http://www.trinitysaintdavid.ac.uk/en/courses/undergraduatecourses/a-zcourses/baphilosophyandmedievalstudies/ OR http://www2.hull.ac.uk/fass/humanities/philosophy/undergraduate-studies/interdisciplinary-honours/ethics,-religion-and-education.aspx

Finally, read this - http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki/help_choosing_a_subject
(edited 10 years ago)

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