Is it possible for me to do 3 A-levels instead of 4?

I'm doing chemistry, biology, math and product design
I only chose product design because I enjoyed it last year for GCSE. But this year there is too much stress and it keeps me away from revising other subjects so I want to drop it but I don't want to choose another subject. I want to apply for medicine so product design is not needed.


So can I do 3 subjects?
Will I get more frees?

Yes you will get more frees, however you shouldn't drop a subject just for the frees.

However if it is giving you a stressful time then by all means drop it if it means you won't be able to do as well in your other, actually relevant subjects.

Additionally, it depends on the policy of your school, some are chill with you just dropping to 3, others may expect you to pick up another subject, or show that you will do better in another subject, see your head of 6th form.

You can do 3 A-levels and you'll get more frees.

Btw I'm not dropping for frees
I'm unable to revise for other subjects because there is a lot of coursework that I have to do for PD and later on when we start making the product I will have to go to school during weekends and after school.

Yes you will get more frees, however you shouldn't drop a subject just for the frees.

I have no lunch break on Tuesdays and Wednesdays because I did 4.

I strongly disagree lol.

I'm doing chemistry, biology, math and product design
I only chose product design because I enjoyed it last year for GCSE. But this year there is too much stress and it keeps me away from revising other subjects so I want to drop it but I don't want to choose another subject. I want to apply for medicine so product design is not needed.

So can I do 3 subjects?
Will I get more frees?

Thanks for the advice Huma

Our school doesn't offer health and social care. Last week was the deadline for changing the subjects. I think I should just do 3 A levels.

Yes you will get more frees, however you shouldn't drop a subject just for the frees.

However if it is giving you a stressful time then by all means drop it if it means you won't be able to do as well in your other, actually relevant subjects.

Additionally, it depends on the policy of your school, some are chill with you just dropping to 3, others may expect you to pick up another subject, or show that you will do better in another subject, see your head of 6th form.

You just need 3 subjects minimum at A Level. I don't do Medicine but product design seems somewhat irrelevant so I'd drop it. Maths, Biology and Chemistry will get much more stressful later on in the year let alone product design. Three high grades is better than 4 mediocre grades, not to mention the competitiveness of Medicine today.

Yes you'll get more free periods as the product design lessons would be removed assuming your timetable won't change but 'free' periods are meant for you to independently study.

It's still september so you should be able to drop it.

dosen't you college recommend u do three , thats like the number 1 thing they keep telling you

Yeah of course you can just do three.

Yes!!
I've just started AS Level and I dropped a subject in the first week and don't regret it one bit.
Most universities look for 3 A Levels anyway. Plus you'll have a better chance of getting better grades and experience less stress with one less subject.
All the best.

Hi if you want to do medicine in Uni, then do not do product design. Its not needed, choose something else that you would like and is not so stressful maybe? Like health and social care maybe? I think have a talk to your tutor and ask them, what you should do; they are there to help at the end of the day. I think you should change from product design personally, if you don't like it. Do something maybe more relevant to medicine.

Today I went to school and asked head of Post 16 and my tutor, they said I can't drop PD and the school policy is that year 12 students should do minimum 4 AS subjects even though I explained to them how stressing it is and can't cope with this.

wow that's messed up, tell them that uni's only require 3 so why butcher your As results (plus potentially your predicted grades) for no reason

She said that this year you have 5 subjects less than last year, I don't see why are you finding it so difficult