Is Philosophy hard?

Hmm... That was the one thing that worried me: I didn't particularly enjoy English this year and I'm waiting for my results. Is this a major problem?

Ground work of meta physics is a great read. I noticed Hume comes up a lot in your course spec so maybe research him find out his views and try to consider how this may relate to your course next year. Just general research on different views will put you in good stead for next year.

I saw you said you hadn't got your results, be careful because I think you need a B in english to take Philosophy at A level. Also it's all essay writing so maybe do a lot of practice tests throughout the year.

I wouldn't say that you have to enjoy the content of English GCSE at all (i.e. the syllabus) - I certainly didn't, I found it chore. But you need a good command of the English language. So if you're confident in your writing skills then Philosophy won't be hard so long as you also have an analytical mind.

So basically as long as I think and can write a decent essay I should be ok?

As long as you can write a decent essay and are good at arguing a point/are persuasive/analytical. Philosophy essays are not like writing a story for English, they are structured, logical arguments in essay form.

Maths but with words?


Also if you click on the first link on any topic on Wikipedia and keep repeating that you will eventually get to the Philosophy page.

Also if you click on the first link on any topic on Wikipedia and keep repeating that you will eventually get to the Philosophy page.

Yes, pretty much Maths with words! Except, if anyone is bad at maths/doesn't enjoy maths - don't let that put you off. I didn't like Maths and didn't take it past GCSE but I did just fine in my Philosophy degree - even in the logic modules (*shudder*)

I've never knew that about Wikipedia - I just tried it with 'Tea' and it worked. It kind of reminds me of when you're a kid and you keep asking an adult a question until you get to ''because that's why'' and no further explanation.

Ok thanks, I'll look into it. Also, is there any advice you would give about Economics?

I wanted to know if the subject was tough as I am struggling to decide between Philosophy or Politics as they are both new to me and I think I enjoy them equally. I would prefer responses from people studying the AQA board but would welcome responses about any others.

Yeah, there is so much stuff to learn about economics, there's a youtube channel called Crash Course which has just started an economics guide so there is a good place to start, I'd start off slowly, looking at determinants of supply and demand and learning the graphs, that would put you well ahead of your classmates. Your teacher will go over it very slowly and learning the slopes of the curves and what causes it will be helpful. Demand curves slope downward whilst supply slope upward. Look up things like equilibrium = market clearing price. Excess demand/supply, contractions/extensions of demand/supply. These things are important in understanding economic theory.

Although it may not apply for anyone else, I personally found it to be a piece of cake. I spent about a week before both the AS units revising and managed an A, whereas for maths, I began revision three months earlier and just about scraped a pass. In all honesty, all it consists of is a bit of your attention and bull-****ting skills.

I wouldn't say that you have to enjoy the content of English GCSE at all (i.e. the syllabus) - I certainly didn't, I found it chore. But you need a good command of the English language. So if you're confident in your writing skills then Philosophy won't be hard so long as you also have an analytical mind.

Hey I got a C overall for English language but a B in philosophy and ethics so, just wondering if I would still be able to cope and btw the B was 4 marks off an A......so BBBA* on my result sheet.

My sixtform requires a B in English language but I did not make the cut and those who do philosophy and ethics in the year above say that it is noting compared to philosophy and ethics at GCSE so, is that actually so?

At GCSE, I really enjoyed this course especially ethics because I liked having debates with regards to abortion, euthanasia, and civil partnership.


Any advice or comments will be appreciated.

Was your English Language grade a high/mid or low C? Did you struggle? If you struggle with writing then it will be an issue but your Philosophy and Ethics B grade suggest that you don't - maybe you just found the topics covered in English Language a bit dull?

I think what matters most is how much you enjoy a subject - so if you enjoy Philosophy and Ethics then don't let your school put you off from studying it at A-Level just because you got a C in English Language GCSE - for the vast majority of colleges that would be sufficient to allow you to study it. So if possible, argue your case for studying it by telling them how enthusiastic about Philosophy you are and emphasizing your B grade.

As for the difficulty - whatever subjects you choose at A-Level, there will be a significant jump in difficulty compared to GCSE. This tends to be due to more in-depth study but also the workload increases. But if you understand the concepts covered at GCSE for Philosophy and Ethics you should be fine so long as you stay on top of the assignments and work hard. It's not like Music A-Level, for example, which is much more intense than the GCSE and demands a much greater understanding. Don't let the older students scare you off - it's more difficult, yes, but it's not impossibly difficult and with a B at GCSE you've got a good grounding in the subject.

I personally found that if you naturally grasp philosophical concepts and you have an inquisitive mind, then you'll be okay and the step up to A-Level is a natural progression into a deeper understanding of the subject and likewise for a degree in Philosophy (I'd recommend at least B at A-level for the degree). The people who struggled at A-Level were the ones who either didn't take it at GCSE and just thought it would be a good 'easy' choice as a fourth AS or people who did it at GCSE but got a C or below. With a B you're perfectly capable and should be given a chance to take it to A-Level.

Thanks for the reply.


Edit: I am not sure whether it was a low C or a high C, nonetheless, I enjoyed philosophy and ethics at GCSE and feel like I under performed in my exams, definitely was capable of that A.

Unfortunately, I did not make the cut for my sixthfrom so, will be going to another one, which is not so good in terms of reputation as a whole.

I wouldn't worry about the reputation of the 6th form - just work hard and make sure you study at home too. I went to a terrible sixth form and managed to get into a Russell Group uni and get a 2.1. Just be determined and work hard and you'll be fine.

Congrats on your results and getting a place at 6th form.

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Thanks.

What do you think i should revise/now before i start philosophy and ethics?

Should i familiarise myself with the basics of it, lie, refresh my mind or?

I want to get a head start.

When I was starting A-Levels I bought the A-level revision guides and just started reading over them in the summer holidays. For Philosophy and Ethics I personally found the Oxford Revision Guides the best because the layout of the pages was really good and the concepts were explained clearly. It didn't actually feel like work/revision to read those guides (except when I used them at exam time) - I found them really interesting and by the time it came to starting my AS classes I knew most of what the teacher was talking about at varying depths since some subjects I found really interesting and did more 'revision' for them.

I usually recommend a book for people who have an offer for Philosophy at university when they ask about preparation, but if you're curious and want to read something other than a text book - like something to read leisurely in the evening then there's a book called 'Think' by Simon Blackburn which is really enjoyable. I read that in the summer before my degree after a gap year after my A-levels and it re-jogged my memory and taught me some new things too. So it's not a book that you won't understand unless you're about to start uni - anyone can pick it up and enjoy it so long as they're interested in Philosophy.