Should I risk doing four sciences at AS-Level?

Hey everyone!
I've been torn on a decision lately, ( as levels have just started this week and I have been given an offer.) Basically with the school I'm at, I am basically forced to do A Level Maths, Physics and Chemistry. As my timetable is a lot more free than most students, I was given a chance to do A Level Biology on top of those other three. However I won't be able to do the Biology course in the normal way.

As a result of the constraints of the school I would have to do the Biology as a mixture of self-studying,practicals at another campus of the school, with guidance and some materials provided by the Biology teacher at the other campus.

I 'know' I say I was forced to pick the first three, but to be honest I've always loved the sciences (meh for maths.) Biology used to be my favourite subject at the IGCSE level. I was hoping to take four AS levels for a few reasons.

1.) I'm still not so sure which science I actually feel to specialise in, since Physics and Chemistry have a lot more depth in A Level. Doing all four sciences was a way to find which one I actually do like more than the other two/three.

2.) Many universities in the UK are looking for three A Levels and usually seek students who did at least 4 AS levels. This prospect scared me as I would only be able to do 3 AS levels, only having 4 if i decided to go through with Biology. I do know that universities could make exceptions if the school i'm at explains they were not able to provide 4 AS levels, however this pretty much limits or blocks an attempt if I do cement my interest in ''medicine,'' over ''engineering/astrophysics/(whatever else.)

----The other options to use for a fourth AS level have very little to do with my past studies: Business Studies and Computer Science, -im not sure if I'll enjoy business studies since it removes a lot of the topics that i like from Economics.

4.) As you can see i'm not exactly sure of my future career. I intented to do four as levels of the sciences to open my options. But this was before i found out i'd have to learn biology in a very different way.

5.) As it stands i'm already feeling the shock of Maths AS levels (the trigonometry bit,) but I've dedicated time to actually understand the concepts at home and with the teacher if I need to go over it more slowly.

I know A Levels are monstrously hard compared to IGCSE which is why i'm doubting to do biology as a home study + these three arduous subjects.

For clarification my IGCSE grades for subjects were:

Mathematics A*
Economics A*
History A*
English as a second language A* (im a native speaker but my school didnt have EFL)
Coordinated Sciences A*A* (in year 10 i did the triple sciences, I moved to this school and was limited to do only Co-ord Science.

Thanks for reading this :biggrin:

(edited 6 years ago)

Reply 1

Mekkiii

I dont see any value in doing 4 alevels atm, i dont think any uni requires them and just doing well in 3 seems desirable enough.

You do seem smart so im sure you prob can do it, i just dont see any reason to do so.

Reply 2

Jumpman89

Original post by Mekkiii

I'd be wary of this. I went to UCL for Law and they told me i'd need a pass in a 4th AS to go there

Reply 3

thelegend66

Hmm, I've seen a notice put out by UCL, stating that for courses from 2017 and onwards, there will be no more AS level requirements, and since Medicine often uses the fourth AS level as a requirement, changes will have to follow in that requirement. I have seen the same response in many of the larger universities explaining the need to put that inability of the school to do 4 AS levels so that they avoid giving those who did only 3 an unfair disadvantage.

I guess if I did the Biology at school like a normal student I wouldn't have many doubts on taking it. Has anyone done AS level biology and would comment on this type of situation I have?

Though so many universities want both Biology and Chemistry for the Medicine courses T_T.... arghhh i can't decide if im going down the physics/bio path D: