help me pick a 4th a level? please help!
okay so my current options i have chosen are psychology, sociology, philosophy and english lit and lang. thing is, to do psychology you need a level 5 in maths, and as i do foundation paper that is a prospect quite far out of reach for me - not impossible, but i definitely need a back up.
so far my ideas for a replacement do not go beyond photography, film studies or history. i know nothing of film studies but it seems decent, and photography looks pretty good but i feel it would get draining. as for history, i hated it in year 9 and dropped it for GCSE but it might be different for a level. i was also thinking perhaps health and social care?
can anyone who takes either history, health and social, photography or film studies tell me what it's like? or can anyone recommend any subjects that go nicely with philosophy, english and sociology? thank you!
so far my ideas for a replacement do not go beyond photography, film studies or history. i know nothing of film studies but it seems decent, and photography looks pretty good but i feel it would get draining. as for history, i hated it in year 9 and dropped it for GCSE but it might be different for a level. i was also thinking perhaps health and social care?
can anyone who takes either history, health and social, photography or film studies tell me what it's like? or can anyone recommend any subjects that go nicely with philosophy, english and sociology? thank you!
Original post by whoknowsreally
okay so my current options i have chosen are psychology, sociology, philosophy and english lit and lang. thing is, to do psychology you need a level 5 in maths, and as i do foundation paper that is a prospect quite far out of reach for me - not impossible, but i definitely need a back up.
so far my ideas for a replacement do not go beyond photography, film studies or history. i know nothing of film studies but it seems decent, and photography looks pretty good but i feel it would get draining. as for history, i hated it in year 9 and dropped it for GCSE but it might be different for a level. i was also thinking perhaps health and social care?
can anyone who takes either history, health and social, photography or film studies tell me what it's like? or can anyone recommend any subjects that go nicely with philosophy, english and sociology? thank you!
so far my ideas for a replacement do not go beyond photography, film studies or history. i know nothing of film studies but it seems decent, and photography looks pretty good but i feel it would get draining. as for history, i hated it in year 9 and dropped it for GCSE but it might be different for a level. i was also thinking perhaps health and social care?
can anyone who takes either history, health and social, photography or film studies tell me what it's like? or can anyone recommend any subjects that go nicely with philosophy, english and sociology? thank you!
I took History A level, but this was about 5 years ago now and I did enjoy it in school. It's a lot of essay writing though.
What about Religious Studies? It' really gets you thinking about other people's situation which might help you with sociology. Sorry I haven't studied anything you're asking about.
Original post by whoknowsreally
okay so my current options i have chosen are psychology, sociology, philosophy and english lit and lang. thing is, to do psychology you need a level 5 in maths, and as i do foundation paper that is a prospect quite far out of reach for me - not impossible, but i definitely need a back up.
so far my ideas for a replacement do not go beyond photography, film studies or history. i know nothing of film studies but it seems decent, and photography looks pretty good but i feel it would get draining. as for history, i hated it in year 9 and dropped it for GCSE but it might be different for a level. i was also thinking perhaps health and social care?
can anyone who takes either history, health and social, photography or film studies tell me what it's like? or can anyone recommend any subjects that go nicely with philosophy, english and sociology? thank you!
so far my ideas for a replacement do not go beyond photography, film studies or history. i know nothing of film studies but it seems decent, and photography looks pretty good but i feel it would get draining. as for history, i hated it in year 9 and dropped it for GCSE but it might be different for a level. i was also thinking perhaps health and social care?
can anyone who takes either history, health and social, photography or film studies tell me what it's like? or can anyone recommend any subjects that go nicely with philosophy, english and sociology? thank you!
You don't need 4 A levels, universities will only look at 3 and your application will not be any more competitive if you take 4 A levels.
Original post by whoknowsreally
okay so my current options i have chosen are psychology, sociology, philosophy and english lit and lang. thing is, to do psychology you need a level 5 in maths, and as i do foundation paper that is a prospect quite far out of reach for me - not impossible, but i definitely need a back up.
so far my ideas for a replacement do not go beyond photography, film studies or history. i know nothing of film studies but it seems decent, and photography looks pretty good but i feel it would get draining. as for history, i hated it in year 9 and dropped it for GCSE but it might be different for a level. i was also thinking perhaps health and social care?
can anyone who takes either history, health and social, photography or film studies tell me what it's like? or can anyone recommend any subjects that go nicely with philosophy, english and sociology? thank you!
so far my ideas for a replacement do not go beyond photography, film studies or history. i know nothing of film studies but it seems decent, and photography looks pretty good but i feel it would get draining. as for history, i hated it in year 9 and dropped it for GCSE but it might be different for a level. i was also thinking perhaps health and social care?
can anyone who takes either history, health and social, photography or film studies tell me what it's like? or can anyone recommend any subjects that go nicely with philosophy, english and sociology? thank you!
I take History and it's good fun, but a lot of work. Not only is there a lot of content to learn, you also need to master essay technique in order to get good grades. If you hated History in Year 9, however, I wouldn't say you'd love it at A Level - it's not a walk in the park, and I would not have been able to put up with History if it weren't for the passion I have for it. It would also be a lot of work on top of your other A Levels, all of which are heavily essay based. Are you not allowed to take just 3 A Levels? That's not necessarily a bad thing
with philosophy, english and sociology, I recommend psychology, economics or classical civilisation
don't take history unless you really like it, there is a lot of content (as with all a levels) you will need to learn in memorise in AS level alone.
don't take history unless you really like it, there is a lot of content (as with all a levels) you will need to learn in memorise in AS level alone.
Original post by carrotstar
What about Religious Studies? It' really gets you thinking about other people's situation which might help you with sociology. Sorry I haven't studied anything you're asking about.
religious studies is combined with philosophy at my college, they don't offer both. otherwise this would definitely be an option
Original post by APersonYo
You don't need 4 A levels, universities will only look at 3 and your application will not be any more competitive if you take 4 A levels.
it's compulsory at my college to do 4 if your target grades at GCSE are a certain level.
Original post by whoknowsreally
it's compulsory at my college to do 4 if your target grades at GCSE are a certain level.
Oh wow?? Really?? That's a bit weird of your college. Personally, I wouldn't recommend doing four. But let me come up with some suggestions.I'd recommend sociology, philosophy, English lit/ English Lang or history, or film studies.
Personally, I would mainly recommend taking the 'traditional subjects' as they are more highly valued over subjects such as film studies. None the less, film studies...according to my cousin has been regarded as quite easy. The reason why I picked this subject combo is because they are ESSAY subjects. Once you have mastered the ability to write essays, all of these subjects will become EASY for you as such. History tends to be regarded as quite a hard essay subject though... a lot of memorising is required.
(edited 6 years ago)
Original post by Rex Onocrotalus
I take History and it's good fun, but a lot of work. Not only is there a lot of content to learn, you also need to master essay technique in order to get good grades. If you hated History in Year 9, however, I wouldn't say you'd love it at A Level - it's not a walk in the park, and I would not have been able to put up with History if it weren't for the passion I have for it. It would also be a lot of work on top of your other A Levels, all of which are heavily essay based. Are you not allowed to take just 3 A Levels? That's not necessarily a bad thing
yeah, i have a passion for essay writing so that's alright for me but not sure on history
it's probably a risk to do if i'm not completely in love with it you're right. thank you! && we have to do 4 at my college
Okay definitely dont do History if you hated it in school. Trust me, there is too much work if you dont enjoy it and it wont be a massive change in college. The workload is a big difference in college so don't pick anything you're not interested in. I thought I could do Biology because I got an A at GCSE and had a bit of an interest and I did awful because I just couldn't get myself to love it fully or tolerate it and I never really did in school either.
Health and social care is also lots and lots of assignments meaning lots of essays. It can get draining too but it is interesting.
Photography is a lot more practical and it will take up a lot of your time however it can offer you that break from all your other subjects which are all mostly essay-based I did art as one of my alevels alongside biology, philosphy and psychology and it was so good to have a break from writing essays and doing something creative but it did take up most of my time. Photography students would often work in our department and i know its similar to them however if you enjoy it youll enjoy spending time doing it so it will be worth it. But yes it definitely gets draining and tiring and you just want it to be over sometimes!!!
Film studies sounds so cool honestly! That would be really interesting and I'd probably go for that if I were you.
At the end of the day, dont stress too much on your 4th choice You just need to make sure you do good in your favourite 3 as you can drop the subject you hate at the end of the year- as I did with biology. Xx
Also: I made sure to do work in my 3 AS subjects and then didn't do any work at all for Biology resulting in a U but I dont regret it one bit and I was so happy to get rid of it in A2! My other 3 I got ABB, as I did couple days of revision before each exam which I wouldnt advise!!!
So whatever you decide to choose, it wont be end of the world and you can drag through it and concentrate on the other 3 more
Health and social care is also lots and lots of assignments meaning lots of essays. It can get draining too but it is interesting.
Photography is a lot more practical and it will take up a lot of your time however it can offer you that break from all your other subjects which are all mostly essay-based
I did art as one of my alevels alongside biology, philosphy and psychology and it was so good to have a break from writing essays and doing something creative but it did take up most of my time. Photography students would often work in our department and i know its similar to them however if you enjoy it youll enjoy spending time doing it so it will be worth it. But yes it definitely gets draining and tiring and you just want it to be over sometimes!!! Film studies sounds so cool honestly! That would be really interesting and I'd probably go for that if I were you.
At the end of the day, dont stress too much on your 4th choice
You just need to make sure you do good in your favourite 3 as you can drop the subject you hate at the end of the year- as I did with biology. XxAlso: I made sure to do work in my 3 AS subjects and then didn't do any work at all for Biology resulting in a U but I dont regret it one bit and I was so happy to get rid of it in A2! My other 3 I got ABB, as I did couple days of revision before each exam which I wouldnt advise!!!
So whatever you decide to choose, it wont be end of the world and you can drag through it and concentrate on the other 3 more
(edited 6 years ago)
As someone who just finished studying History at A Level - it's completely different to pre-GCSE history. It varies slightly between exam boards, but you're encouraged to develop your own opinion instead of regurgitating facts. And even if your school takes A Level modules you've already covered before (like the Tudors or WW2 or something along those lines), you cover it in way more depth, which is fun - if you actually like it, which sounds pretty risky to me for you since you have a history of disliking it.
I don't do photography either, but I did Art GCSE and my friends continued on to do A Level Art and/or Photography, and it's incredibly intensive. Art was my hardest GCSE by far, and I am incredibly proud of the fact I received a C in it because of that difficulty. But either way, Photography is a lot of long-term effort, it's not a subject you can cram for in the last few months of Year 13 by any length of the imagination. If neither of those options sound nice to you, then you'd probably prefer Health and Social or Film Studies.
I don't do photography either, but I did Art GCSE and my friends continued on to do A Level Art and/or Photography, and it's incredibly intensive. Art was my hardest GCSE by far, and I am incredibly proud of the fact I received a C in it because of that difficulty. But either way, Photography is a lot of long-term effort, it's not a subject you can cram for in the last few months of Year 13 by any length of the imagination. If neither of those options sound nice to you, then you'd probably prefer Health and Social or Film Studies.
Health and social care and history I didn’t take so I can’t help you on those ones. However, Photography and Film studies are two A-levels I am just about to start the second year in. They’re both really incredible subjects that you can enter without GCSE's in similar subjects to back you up.
Film studies is basically the analysis of films. You watch a variety under different subject titles such as ‘British horror’ or ‘Comedy’ ready for your exam. You do two pieces of coursework in the year but mainly it’s what you can take from a film using micro and macro features plus other promotional and financial features that you focus slightly less on in AS. This subject with the essay styled writing also l works very well with English, but I also know friends who take this and also philosophy who have also told me the same thing!
Photography, on the other hand, I find as my relief subject. The entire year is coursework and you learn so much about studio photography, film photography and so much more. You really get to do some independent work on this subject, where you develop most of your photos in the darkroom, learn to use photoshop and get taught how to set up a photography studio yourself.
But overall take what you want. These are my opinions on subjects that I take and you may not feel the same. Good luck in what you choose but don’t rip your hair out, you can always change your mind!
Film studies is basically the analysis of films. You watch a variety under different subject titles such as ‘British horror’ or ‘Comedy’ ready for your exam. You do two pieces of coursework in the year but mainly it’s what you can take from a film using micro and macro features plus other promotional and financial features that you focus slightly less on in AS. This subject with the essay styled writing also l works very well with English, but I also know friends who take this and also philosophy who have also told me the same thing!
Photography, on the other hand, I find as my relief subject. The entire year is coursework and you learn so much about studio photography, film photography and so much more. You really get to do some independent work on this subject, where you develop most of your photos in the darkroom, learn to use photoshop and get taught how to set up a photography studio yourself.
But overall take what you want. These are my opinions on subjects that I take and you may not feel the same. Good luck in what you choose but don’t rip your hair out, you can always change your mind!
The only reason to do 4 A-levels is to take Further Maths along with Maths and two other subjects. There is no benefit in doing more A-levels with any other combination.
In terms of the other choices, Film Studies is basically English Lit except with films rather than books/plays/poems. There are some differences as a result of the change of media but the nature of the analysis is similar. History A-level I understand is very different from GCSE and tends to be more liked than GCSE History (which was referred to as "Hitler studies" at my school...). It's a very academically rigorous A-level and well received by universities as a result. Photography is a visual art A-level; as with all of these varying subjects, it will involve a lot of work outside the timetabled hours, and requires technical, creative, and essay writing skills to excel in (don't discount the latter in particular - there is a lot of writing from my understanding).
However it is worth noting if you really didn't get along with history previously, as other posters stated even the change of pace in A-level style may not be enough to carry you through; and a higher grade in another subject you're more interested in will be better for applications. It may be worth discussing this with the A-level History teacher(s)/6th form coordinator at your school/college about that particular choice. It's hard to offer more specific advice without knowing what your particular interests are and what you may want to do after 6th form (and by any means, university isn't the only option, and for some careers isn't even a useful/relevant pathway).
In terms of the other choices, Film Studies is basically English Lit except with films rather than books/plays/poems. There are some differences as a result of the change of media but the nature of the analysis is similar. History A-level I understand is very different from GCSE and tends to be more liked than GCSE History (which was referred to as "Hitler studies" at my school...). It's a very academically rigorous A-level and well received by universities as a result. Photography is a visual art A-level; as with all of these varying subjects, it will involve a lot of work outside the timetabled hours, and requires technical, creative, and essay writing skills to excel in (don't discount the latter in particular - there is a lot of writing from my understanding).
However it is worth noting if you really didn't get along with history previously, as other posters stated even the change of pace in A-level style may not be enough to carry you through; and a higher grade in another subject you're more interested in will be better for applications. It may be worth discussing this with the A-level History teacher(s)/6th form coordinator at your school/college about that particular choice. It's hard to offer more specific advice without knowing what your particular interests are and what you may want to do after 6th form (and by any means, university isn't the only option, and for some careers isn't even a useful/relevant pathway).
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