A Level Advice

OP

Arghhh! Just read through it and seen all my spelling mistakes! Please ignore these, the thought of fish and chips caused me to type to quickly and then forget to check! Its worth it though, my chips are lovely :smile:

Reply 2

I really think you need to decide if you want to do Natsci or History. They are not very closely related subjects!

It's not that unusual for Natsci students to have 2 science A-levels and one arts A-level, but they might ask why you want to do a science degree if the majority of your A2s are in arts.

I don't know how common it is for history students to have 2 science A2s, but probably wouldn't matter as you have 3 arts subjects.

I'd advise you to take maths if you can't decide, as it is useful for any science and many careers eg jobs which take any degree often ask for 'nummerate graduates'.

In very rare cases (really a handful each year) students do get EE offers. but these are only given to outstanding students who will get AAA anyway (or better) to prevent them from being tempted to go elsewhere.

If you are looking for 'easy offers' you are applying to the wrong university. Even those who get slightly lower offers of AAB are usually predicted (and often obtain) AAA. In your case, if you were applying for Natsci without 3 sciences, you would probably get a higher offer. Not sure about History but I am sure a historian will post for you. Do you honestly think that it's all a lie and really Cambridge is really easy to get in to so some stranger on the internet will be able to tell you how to get a CCC offer?

You could always apply for Natsci then if you like you can switch to History and Philosophy of scicen for your part 2, to combine both your interests.

Reply 3

OP

I do appreciate how hard it is to get into Cambridge. By 'easy offers' I mean colleges such as Christs which offer 1/3 of its places 'easy places' as the prospectus puts it. I was just curious as to whether or not many other colleges offered this!

Do you think it would be helpful for me to say do:

Chemistry A2
Maths A2
Music A2
History A2

and then either:

Physics AS and Lit As

OR

Lit A2

Or Physics A2.

Reply 4

Scottus_Mus

I do appreciate how hard it is to get into Cambridge. By 'easy offers' I mean colleges such as Christs which offer 1/3 of its places 'easy places' as the prospectus puts it. I was just curious as to whether or not many other colleges offered this!

I have never even heard of this. What is an 'easy place'??? Knowing christs this will mean a 3A offer instead of 4! Christs is really hard to get into and has a reputation for being the hardest working college where the students work all day and all night and have no life (not a stereotype I have found among any Christs students though!).

I was thinking that to give yourself the best chance take 2 sciences, 2 arts and maths at AS. At the end of AS decide what you want to study at uni and take maths plus 2 sciences if you want to do natsci or maths plus two arts if you want to do history.

This isn't a definitive guide though. People do get in with bizarre A-level combinations. I know someone who did classics with A-level Latin, Greek and Chemistry. You just don't want to look like you are indecisive about whatever subject you apply for, because they like people to adore their subject. If you apply for History with two arts subjects, and it comes down to a choice between you and another student who did 4 arts subjects, they might choose the other student because they seem more committed to arts. At some uni's though no doubt you would have an advantage because the value a breath of subjects more.

At the end of the day we can't really say if you will get in with any combination of subjects. It's a mystery to those of us who got in (I did Biology, Chemistry, Maths and Physics at A-level. Of the 12 bio Natscis in my year in my college, one had Biology, Chemistry, Geography, another had that plus french, and all the rest of us had either 3 sciences, two sciences plus maths or the same as me. I don't know about the physical science Natscis, but most of them had further maths. that's just my experience and i'm sure other people will share theirs.)

Reply 5

OP

Thanks very much for your help! I shall use what you have said to help me filling in my A Level options. It a bit horrible that Cambridge need a clear passion in one subject as I adore both History and Science. I think my preferance lies with science becasue my interests lie in the world of academia. I'd feel that science could offer me more challanges and stimulation and that I could push myself to the front of my chosen specialsm and open new doors which I do not feel would be possible in history.

Reply 6

Please don't make your choices based on my experience alone!

Have you considered applying to a US university? In the US you can study many unconnected courses, thus combining history and science would be easy.

My sister is at Lancaster studying combined honours Geography and French. She was studying just geography but in her first year she had to take two 'minor' subjects. She took French and politics (as she did A-levels in these subjects.) and enjoyed French so much she changed degrees. There are other universities in the UK which offer similar flexibility. The Cambridge tripos system does allow students to pass part 1 and do part 2 in a totally different area, but I imagine history->natsci and vice versa is pretty rare.

Reply 7

Squishy

11

Scottus_Mus

Thanks very much for your help! I shall use what you have said to help me filling in my A Level options. It a bit horrible that Cambridge need a clear passion in one subject as I adore both History and Science. I think my preferance lies with science becasue my interests lie in the world of academia. I'd feel that science could offer me more challanges and stimulation and that I could push myself to the front of my chosen specialsm and open new doors which I do not feel would be possible in history.

There's an old saying..."history repeats itself. Historians repeat each other." :smile:

Not that it isn't an interesting subject, but I think history is something you can read and enjoy in your own time...on the other hand, it's harder to run your own laboratory if you're really interested in science. And besides, HPS is always an option in the NatSci Tripos.

Reply 8

OP

Yer, good point. I think Science is the subject for me! Thanks for all your help! Can anyone else offer any more advice? I would love as much feedback as possible! Thanks xxx

Reply 9

H&E

3

Scottus_Mus

Yer, good point. I think Science is the subject for me! Thanks for all your help! Can anyone else offer any more advice? I would love as much feedback as possible! Thanks xxx

I had a similar predicament at your stage (between History and Maths); by the end of my AS year, the answer (History) became very obvious. Hopefully you should find the same thing happens - as you study each subject at more depth, it should become easier to see which you prefer.

btw: I got into Oxford, for history, with History, Physics, Maths and Further Maths A2's. Someone I know with the same A2's got into Cambridge, again for history. It really does take all sorts.

Reply 10

EconLou

12

Scottus_Mus

Yer, good point. I think Science is the subject for me! Thanks for all your help! Can anyone else offer any more advice? I would love as much feedback as possible! Thanks xxx

If you were do science I think the majority of applicants will have 3 sciences/maths a A Level, and it not uncommon for people to have 3 science and maths of even furthur maths. have you looked on the Cam website, they can probably offer the best advice out of all of us.

Reply 11

OldMan

babyballerina

I have never even heard of this. What is an 'easy place'??? Knowing christs this will mean a 3A offer instead of 4! Christs is really hard to get into and has a reputation for being the hardest working college where the students work all day and all night and have no life (not a stereotype I have found among any Christs students though!).

In fact Christs are known for giving a lot of EE offers in the way that all colleges used to. While the offer might be easy, that doesn't me getting one is easy though! I suspect that if you get one of these offers, then chances are you will walk the 3As in any case!

Reply 12

H&E

3

Louise_1988

If you were do science I think the majority of applicants will have 3 sciences/maths a A Level, and it not uncommon for people to have 3 science and maths of even furthur maths.

That is a factor worth considering; indeed, it is the reason why AAAA offers for NatSci are not infrequent, as many successful applicants study four relevant subejcts.

Reply 13

OP

I've had a look on their site! They said that 2 Science/Maths is the minumum requirement. However, after looking at most of the colleges undergraduate admission specifications most require 3 Science/Maths and state that applicants of comparable ability taking 3 will gain a place over those taking two!

I think I should do science I got full marks in all my coursework and modules at GCSE. So just await the results of the final papers and anticipate A*A* (Double Award).

Would you advise maths with mechanics or maths with statistics? Thanks for your help. Scottus xxx

Reply 14

OP

Does anyone know which college would be best for Nat Sci? I understand that all colleges have a large influx of pupils but is their a single college that stands out above the others?

Reply 15

OldMan

Scottus_Mus

Would you advise maths with mechanics or maths with statistics? Thanks for your help. Scottus xxx

Well, if you do the more Biological Sciences then the Stats is very useful. Suspect it might also help with the physics side, but don't know. The mechanics would certainly not help particularly for Bio. / Chemical options

Reply 16

Squishy

11

Scottus_Mus

Would you advise maths with mechanics or maths with statistics? Thanks for your help. Scottus xxx

Mechanics, definitely. It gets you thinking about concepts more, and Cambridge favours mechanics over other areas of applied maths. Any statistical techniques you need will be taught to you.

As for colleges, you should just pick one you think you would be happy at.

Reply 17

I did maths with mechanics but only because I did physics so it fitted in with the timetable! I couldn't do stats because it was on at the same time as Physics. Most bio-Natsci's had maths woth stats, but I didn't seem to matter that much. I found that the maths course in first year (Quantitative Biology) was by far the easiest course of my entire degree!

Reply 18

OldMan

babyballerina

I did maths with mechanics but only because I did physics so it fitted in with the timetable! I couldn't do stats because it was on at the same time as Physics. Most bio-Natsci's had maths woth stats, but I didn't seem to matter that much. I found that the maths course in first year (Quantitative Biology) was by far the easiest course of my entire degree!

True, and even easier with stats! Meant I could skip 9am Saturday morning lectures without too much trouble.

Reply 19

OP