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Should I take A-level chemistry?
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livvvv99
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#1
Hi, I need help in deciding whether I should take A-level chemistry or not as opposed to English Literature.
(As a little disclaimer you can only take three subjects at my sixth form)
The current subjects I am definitely intending to do at my sixth form are:
-Biology
-Psychology
I have always been interested in biology, in fact, it has always been my favourite science out of the three, but before I got my GCSE results last week I was under the impression that I would be unable to take A-Level biology due to my current grade in maths at the time, which was a C. However, I managed to get a B in my GCSE maths which now means I can take biology along with the rest of the sciences. (For GCSE biology I achieved a grade A (Unit 1: B, Unit 2: B, Unit 3: A* and practical coursework: A)
Looking at biology related degrees online I can see that A-level chemistry is required for the majority of them, which makes me question whether I should take chemistry on as well as biology. Although it is not my favourite science I still prefer it over physics and I got a B grade overall in my GCSES. (Unit 1: A, Unit 2: A, Unit 3: C and practical coursework: A) This brings me to my question of, will I still be able to cope with chemistry at AS and A2 level, being a B grade student at GCSE level? I have heard from numerous people that chemistry is a really hard A-level.
My alternative to chemistry would be English Literature which I also got a B grade for at GCSE level. (Unit 1: B, Unit 2: C, coursework: A)
If I were to find chemistry hard and swap it for English Literature within the first two weeks of sixth form would I still be able to pursue a biology related degree/career?
(As a little disclaimer you can only take three subjects at my sixth form)
The current subjects I am definitely intending to do at my sixth form are:
-Biology
-Psychology
I have always been interested in biology, in fact, it has always been my favourite science out of the three, but before I got my GCSE results last week I was under the impression that I would be unable to take A-Level biology due to my current grade in maths at the time, which was a C. However, I managed to get a B in my GCSE maths which now means I can take biology along with the rest of the sciences. (For GCSE biology I achieved a grade A (Unit 1: B, Unit 2: B, Unit 3: A* and practical coursework: A)
Looking at biology related degrees online I can see that A-level chemistry is required for the majority of them, which makes me question whether I should take chemistry on as well as biology. Although it is not my favourite science I still prefer it over physics and I got a B grade overall in my GCSES. (Unit 1: A, Unit 2: A, Unit 3: C and practical coursework: A) This brings me to my question of, will I still be able to cope with chemistry at AS and A2 level, being a B grade student at GCSE level? I have heard from numerous people that chemistry is a really hard A-level.
My alternative to chemistry would be English Literature which I also got a B grade for at GCSE level. (Unit 1: B, Unit 2: C, coursework: A)
If I were to find chemistry hard and swap it for English Literature within the first two weeks of sixth form would I still be able to pursue a biology related degree/career?
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shawn_o1
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#2
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#2
Chemistry is very much relevant as you said, if you really wanted to study that course you would try as hard as you can to achieve a high grade. English Literature on the other hand has zero relevance.
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[email protected]
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#3
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#3
(Original post by livvvv99)
Hi, I need help in deciding whether I should take A-level chemistry or not as opposed to English Literature.
(As a little disclaimer you can only take three subjects at my sixth form)
The current subjects I am definitely intending to do at my sixth form are:
-Biology
-Psychology
I have always been interested in biology, in fact, it has always been my favourite science out of the three, but before I got my GCSE results last week I was under the impression that I would be unable to take A-Level biology due to my current grade in maths at the time, which was a C. However, I managed to get a B in my GCSE maths which now means I can take biology along with the rest of the sciences. (For GCSE biology I achieved a grade A (Unit 1: B, Unit 2: B, Unit 3: A* and practical coursework: A)
Looking at biology related degrees online I can see that A-level chemistry is required for the majority of them, which makes me question whether I should take chemistry on as well as biology. Although it is not my favourite science I still prefer it over physics and I got a B grade overall in my GCSES. (Unit 1: A, Unit 2: A, Unit 3: C and practical coursework: A) This brings me to my question of, will I still be able to cope with chemistry at AS and A2 level, being a B grade student at GCSE level? I have heard from numerous people that chemistry is a really hard A-level.
My alternative to chemistry would be English Literature which I also got a B grade for at GCSE level. (Unit 1: B, Unit 2: C, coursework: A)
If I were to find chemistry hard and swap it for English Literature within the first two weeks of sixth form would I still be able to peruse a biology related degree/career?
Hi, I need help in deciding whether I should take A-level chemistry or not as opposed to English Literature.
(As a little disclaimer you can only take three subjects at my sixth form)
The current subjects I am definitely intending to do at my sixth form are:
-Biology
-Psychology
I have always been interested in biology, in fact, it has always been my favourite science out of the three, but before I got my GCSE results last week I was under the impression that I would be unable to take A-Level biology due to my current grade in maths at the time, which was a C. However, I managed to get a B in my GCSE maths which now means I can take biology along with the rest of the sciences. (For GCSE biology I achieved a grade A (Unit 1: B, Unit 2: B, Unit 3: A* and practical coursework: A)
Looking at biology related degrees online I can see that A-level chemistry is required for the majority of them, which makes me question whether I should take chemistry on as well as biology. Although it is not my favourite science I still prefer it over physics and I got a B grade overall in my GCSES. (Unit 1: A, Unit 2: A, Unit 3: C and practical coursework: A) This brings me to my question of, will I still be able to cope with chemistry at AS and A2 level, being a B grade student at GCSE level? I have heard from numerous people that chemistry is a really hard A-level.
My alternative to chemistry would be English Literature which I also got a B grade for at GCSE level. (Unit 1: B, Unit 2: C, coursework: A)
If I were to find chemistry hard and swap it for English Literature within the first two weeks of sixth form would I still be able to peruse a biology related degree/career?
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Laurenafenete
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For especially AS chemistry on AQA there is quite a lot of biology overlap so taking chemistry AS would help you a lot with biology A level too. Also compared to english lit it fits better with the other two A levels.
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-sashadasha-
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#5
I was in a similar situation as you, where I liked biology so did human biology at A level (i preferred the human side to biology) and wasn't sure to take chemistry or not as it went well with biology but wasn't necessarily my favourite. I ended up taking it and after 2 weeks considered dropping it because I did not understand moles, but the day before the dropping date I finally got my head around it and kept the subject and ended up getting an A in it at AS (B at the end of my 2 years). I would say definitely consider it because it can be an interesting subject and seems to fit well with your other subjects, but if you really don't enjoy it then go for literature.
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Azarashi
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#6
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#6
(Original post by livvvv99)
Hi, I need help in deciding whether I should take A-level chemistry or not as opposed to English Literature.
(As a little disclaimer you can only take three subjects at my sixth form)
The current subjects I am definitely intending to do at my sixth form are:
-Biology
-Psychology
I have always been interested in biology, in fact, it has always been my favourite science out of the three, but before I got my GCSE results last week I was under the impression that I would be unable to take A-Level biology due to my current grade in maths at the time, which was a C. However, I managed to get a B in my GCSE maths which now means I can take biology along with the rest of the sciences. (For GCSE biology I achieved a grade A (Unit 1: B, Unit 2: B, Unit 3: A* and practical coursework: A)
Looking at biology related degrees online I can see that A-level chemistry is required for the majority of them, which makes me question whether I should take chemistry on as well as biology. Although it is not my favourite science I still prefer it over physics and I got a B grade overall in my GCSES. (Unit 1: A, Unit 2: A, Unit 3: C and practical coursework: A) This brings me to my question of, will I still be able to cope with chemistry at AS and A2 level, being a B grade student at GCSE level? I have heard from numerous people that chemistry is a really hard A-level.
My alternative to chemistry would be English Literature which I also got a B grade for at GCSE level. (Unit 1: B, Unit 2: C, coursework: A)
If I were to find chemistry hard and swap it for English Literature within the first two weeks of sixth form would I still be able to peruse a biology related degree/career?
Hi, I need help in deciding whether I should take A-level chemistry or not as opposed to English Literature.
(As a little disclaimer you can only take three subjects at my sixth form)
The current subjects I am definitely intending to do at my sixth form are:
-Biology
-Psychology
I have always been interested in biology, in fact, it has always been my favourite science out of the three, but before I got my GCSE results last week I was under the impression that I would be unable to take A-Level biology due to my current grade in maths at the time, which was a C. However, I managed to get a B in my GCSE maths which now means I can take biology along with the rest of the sciences. (For GCSE biology I achieved a grade A (Unit 1: B, Unit 2: B, Unit 3: A* and practical coursework: A)
Looking at biology related degrees online I can see that A-level chemistry is required for the majority of them, which makes me question whether I should take chemistry on as well as biology. Although it is not my favourite science I still prefer it over physics and I got a B grade overall in my GCSES. (Unit 1: A, Unit 2: A, Unit 3: C and practical coursework: A) This brings me to my question of, will I still be able to cope with chemistry at AS and A2 level, being a B grade student at GCSE level? I have heard from numerous people that chemistry is a really hard A-level.
My alternative to chemistry would be English Literature which I also got a B grade for at GCSE level. (Unit 1: B, Unit 2: C, coursework: A)
If I were to find chemistry hard and swap it for English Literature within the first two weeks of sixth form would I still be able to peruse a biology related degree/career?
As I just finished with all 3 science at AS level, I think that Chemistry is harder than Biology yes, but not impossible at all. Additionally, all sciences are interlinked in some way, knowing the techniques and skills in Chemistry would also be useful in Biology. Having Chem would also open up more choices for you at uni and in later life.
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livvvv99
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#7
(Original post by -sashadasha-)
I was in a similar situation as you, where I liked biology so did human biology at A level (i preferred the human side to biology) and wasn't sure to take chemistry or not as it went well with biology but wasn't necessarily my favourite. I ended up taking it and after 2 weeks considered dropping it because I did not understand moles, but the day before the dropping date I finally got my head around it and kept the subject and ended up getting an A in it at AS (B at the end of my 2 years). I would say definitely consider it because it can be an interesting subject and seems to fit well with your other subjects, but if you really don't enjoy it then go for literature.
I was in a similar situation as you, where I liked biology so did human biology at A level (i preferred the human side to biology) and wasn't sure to take chemistry or not as it went well with biology but wasn't necessarily my favourite. I ended up taking it and after 2 weeks considered dropping it because I did not understand moles, but the day before the dropping date I finally got my head around it and kept the subject and ended up getting an A in it at AS (B at the end of my 2 years). I would say definitely consider it because it can be an interesting subject and seems to fit well with your other subjects, but if you really don't enjoy it then go for literature.
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livvvv99
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#8
(Original post by Laurenafenete)
For especially AS chemistry on AQA there is quite a lot of biology overlap so taking chemistry AS would help you a lot with biology A level too. Also compared to english lit it fits better with the other two A levels.
For especially AS chemistry on AQA there is quite a lot of biology overlap so taking chemistry AS would help you a lot with biology A level too. Also compared to english lit it fits better with the other two A levels.
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-sashadasha-
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#9
(Original post by livvvv99)
I remember when my teacher began unit 3 GCSE chemistry I really struggled with moles and titration calculations, luckily none of these appeared on the actual exam. I do sometimes enjoy the chemistry content which does not involve calculations, but I was able to just grasp moles etc. before the exam. Do these calculations get much harder at AS level in comparison to GCSE?
I remember when my teacher began unit 3 GCSE chemistry I really struggled with moles and titration calculations, luckily none of these appeared on the actual exam. I do sometimes enjoy the chemistry content which does not involve calculations, but I was able to just grasp moles etc. before the exam. Do these calculations get much harder at AS level in comparison to GCSE?
so I don't really remember GCSE calculations. AS is harder at first to grasp but the only equations that you learn are actually pretty simple, as long as you understand how to use them but they are simple and easy to rearrange. Its A2 when the equations are more complicated but if you were to carry it on at A2 you would have a better understanding of chemistry by then anyway.If you do take up chemistry and need any help just drop me a message
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livvvv99
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#10
(Original post by -sashadasha-)
Tbh when my A level chem teacher told me we've done moles before I had no idea we even done moles at GCSE so you've probably got a better advantage over me
so I don't really remember GCSE calculations. AS is harder at first to grasp but the only equations that you learn are actually pretty simple, as long as you understand how to use them but they are simple and easy to rearrange. Its A2 when the equations are more complicated but if you were to carry it on at A2 you would have a better understanding of chemistry by then anyway.
If you do take up chemistry and need any help just drop me a message
Tbh when my A level chem teacher told me we've done moles before I had no idea we even done moles at GCSE so you've probably got a better advantage over me
so I don't really remember GCSE calculations. AS is harder at first to grasp but the only equations that you learn are actually pretty simple, as long as you understand how to use them but they are simple and easy to rearrange. Its A2 when the equations are more complicated but if you were to carry it on at A2 you would have a better understanding of chemistry by then anyway.If you do take up chemistry and need any help just drop me a message
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Laurenafenete
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#11
(Original post by livvvv99)
My sixth form does OCR AS Chemistry, do you know if there is still a lot of biology overlap with this exam board?
My sixth form does OCR AS Chemistry, do you know if there is still a lot of biology overlap with this exam board?
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livvvv99
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#12
(Original post by Laurenafenete)
I cant be certain for sure as I did AQA and Chemistry and physics not chemistry and biology. (I dont like biology very much :/) But I'm pretty sure there will be some overlap, especially with the organic side of chemistry.
I cant be certain for sure as I did AQA and Chemistry and physics not chemistry and biology. (I dont like biology very much :/) But I'm pretty sure there will be some overlap, especially with the organic side of chemistry.
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tcameron
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#13
(Original post by livvvv99)
My sixth form does OCR AS Chemistry, do you know if there is still a lot of biology overlap with this exam board?
My sixth form does OCR AS Chemistry, do you know if there is still a lot of biology overlap with this exam board?
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livvvv99
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#14
(Original post by tcameron)
I did OCR chemistry and biology AS. Chemistry will certainly help you with Biology as there is quite a bit of overlap but not much, so you can do Biology successfully on it's own. However I think biology and chemistry go so well together, it makes sense to do both.
I did OCR chemistry and biology AS. Chemistry will certainly help you with Biology as there is quite a bit of overlap but not much, so you can do Biology successfully on it's own. However I think biology and chemistry go so well together, it makes sense to do both.
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