A level: biology, chemistry, maths, and art = too much work?
Hello guys, I am thinking of doing these subjects at a level(well, definitely the sciences and maths, not sure about art), and many people have been saying that they require mountains of work(especially chemistry, biology and art) , is it really that much?
I don't really mind doing extra work for any of them but I am a bit scared about art, as many people who I know are amazing scientists(straight A* people) took art alongside science subjects and ended up with "B"s, or they ended up "sacrificing" their art level(basically, not doing enough work in order to revise for the more important subjects).
How much work do you have to do for art A level (roughly how many hours per week and number of pieces of work?) and is it going to take up most of your time and you won't have enought ime at the end to work on other subjects as well?
I am if it's too much work, is taking one of the following subject instead of art better (to be able to achieve your full potential):
physics, german, further maths, geography
I would appreciate any advise and thank you all in advance!
(and btw, my school is doing OCR for all of them, I think, except for maths, german I think).
I don't really mind doing extra work for any of them but I am a bit scared about art, as many people who I know are amazing scientists(straight A* people) took art alongside science subjects and ended up with "B"s, or they ended up "sacrificing" their art level(basically, not doing enough work in order to revise for the more important subjects).
How much work do you have to do for art A level (roughly how many hours per week and number of pieces of work?) and is it going to take up most of your time and you won't have enought ime at the end to work on other subjects as well?
I am if it's too much work, is taking one of the following subject instead of art better (to be able to achieve your full potential):
physics, german, further maths, geography
I would appreciate any advise and thank you all in advance!
(and btw, my school is doing OCR for all of them, I think, except for maths, german I think).
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They all take a lot of work, every A-level. They're all about the same level in passing, with maths requiring a LOT of practice, and also biology and chemistry requiring a lot of work. But do you really think about whether it is worth taking art, as it doesn't seem to fit much, hence why those people you know struggled, as you can't really do them in balance.
Art takes up A LOT of my time.
I take Bio, Eng lit and Art, and there is soo much work. Every school does it differently though. For AS I did two units (one fat A3 sketchbook each with some work outside it too like sketches, canvases etc, plus a final piece for each one), PLUS the exam unit which is another A3 sketchbook and a final piece that is timed (you get 8 hours - I made a dress). I got As in each module but it was a hell of a lot of work. A2 is the same but they expect even more work, but instead of doing 3 big sketchbooks for all the modules & exam put together, you do an essay in place of one. It's going to be tough to get an A this year but I need it...
I take Bio, Eng lit and Art, and there is soo much work. Every school does it differently though. For AS I did two units (one fat A3 sketchbook each with some work outside it too like sketches, canvases etc, plus a final piece for each one), PLUS the exam unit which is another A3 sketchbook and a final piece that is timed (you get 8 hours - I made a dress). I got As in each module but it was a hell of a lot of work. A2 is the same but they expect even more work, but instead of doing 3 big sketchbooks for all the modules & exam put together, you do an essay in place of one. It's going to be tough to get an A this year but I need it...
Art is a LOT of work. i would say to concentrate on the maths, chemistry and biology. however, if u really like it and u really want to do it, then go for it. anyways, u can drop in in A2 if u decide that u dont want to do it anymore
Every A-level is difficult, even the supposed 'doss' subjects. But the type of work that you have to do varies. If you're good at essay writing and like doing coursework, it's a good idea to do English, and if you like everything to be dependant on the exam, take stuff like maths and the sciences. With A-levels, it is a good idea to have complimentary subjects, so art is the odd one out, and has a very heavy load of coursework.
At the end of the day, it really depends on what you enjoy, because if you enjoy a subject despite whatever workload it might have, it will be worth it.
At the end of the day, it really depends on what you enjoy, because if you enjoy a subject despite whatever workload it might have, it will be worth it.
Well, what do you want to do at uni? Personally, I don't think Art is worth it unless a) you really, really love it, b) you are really, really good at it or c) it is relevant to your future degree (art, architecture etc). Otherwise, it would definitely eat up your time - my friends who take it seem to be doing just art all the time! If you're just going to do a subject you can get an A in, do something else.
Out of the sciences Biology definitely has the biggest workload - the whole A-level is pretty much a memory game and mark-scheme-second-guessing. However, if you keep up with the work in class and make sure you learn the syllabus properly, and in chunks, it really isn't that bad.
Maths is pretty light on workload. You just need practice but other than that you can get away with little work. Chemistry's not that huge either - you have a lot of understanding to do, and a fair bit of rote-learning, but not as much as bio.
I *personally* would replace Art with something else - again, it depends on your future direction. Languages are always fantastic though; well respected and definitely very very useful in future life too. It depends on your aptitude at languages of course, but the workload's pretty light in my experience. German's awesome!
Further Maths' workload is entirely dependent on your mathematical ability. I'm finding it OK, but it does take up a lot of my time as I'm not naturally intuitive or mathematically inclined; however, if you have natural ability for maths Further Maths would be just as light a workload as maths.
Physics, I speculate, would probably be the same kind of difficulty and workload as Chemistry, though can't speak for it personally.
Geography also appears to be similar to bio in that there's a lot of things to rote-learn, especially case studies; but unlike bio there seems to be a lot of essays to do which I think adds to the workload. But everyone who does it says it is quite easy.
Out of the sciences Biology definitely has the biggest workload - the whole A-level is pretty much a memory game and mark-scheme-second-guessing. However, if you keep up with the work in class and make sure you learn the syllabus properly, and in chunks, it really isn't that bad.
Maths is pretty light on workload. You just need practice but other than that you can get away with little work. Chemistry's not that huge either - you have a lot of understanding to do, and a fair bit of rote-learning, but not as much as bio.
I *personally* would replace Art with something else - again, it depends on your future direction. Languages are always fantastic though; well respected and definitely very very useful in future life too. It depends on your aptitude at languages of course, but the workload's pretty light in my experience. German's awesome!
Further Maths' workload is entirely dependent on your mathematical ability. I'm finding it OK, but it does take up a lot of my time as I'm not naturally intuitive or mathematically inclined; however, if you have natural ability for maths Further Maths would be just as light a workload as maths.
Physics, I speculate, would probably be the same kind of difficulty and workload as Chemistry, though can't speak for it personally.
Geography also appears to be similar to bio in that there's a lot of things to rote-learn, especially case studies; but unlike bio there seems to be a lot of essays to do which I think adds to the workload. But everyone who does it says it is quite easy.
wow, soo much work.
I am just considering art because I enjoy it but it sounds liek sooo much work, (and plus, I have art projects and etc outside of school which deals with another aspect - computer graphics, haha).
How much work is involved in A level art when compared to gCSE art? Say, if GCSE art requires, say 100 units(of time), how much does A level art require, 300?
Thanks.
I am just considering art because I enjoy it but it sounds liek sooo much work, (and plus, I have art projects and etc outside of school which deals with another aspect - computer graphics, haha).
How much work is involved in A level art when compared to gCSE art? Say, if GCSE art requires, say 100 units(of time), how much does A level art require, 300?
Thanks.
yg110uk
wow, soo much work.
I am just considering art because I enjoy it but it sounds liek sooo much work, (and plus, I have art projects and etc outside of school which deals with another aspect - computer graphics, haha).
How much work is involved in A level art when compared to gCSE art? Say, if GCSE art requires, say 100 units(of time), how much does A level art require, 300?
Thanks.
I am just considering art because I enjoy it but it sounds liek sooo much work, (and plus, I have art projects and etc outside of school which deals with another aspect - computer graphics, haha).
How much work is involved in A level art when compared to gCSE art? Say, if GCSE art requires, say 100 units(of time), how much does A level art require, 300?
Thanks.
A billion.
Lol, only kidding. But it does take up a LOT of time, and if you've got other really heavy subjects, you might end up having to sacrifice the grades in one to do well in another.
Oh nooooo!! *dies*
*ahem*, I seriously don't know what to do for the fourth A level, and os yes, I am purely trying to choose one which i think I can get an A on(since I am doing sciences and maths at the end anyways). And I am planning to take that A level all the way through as well.XD
I enjoy all of the subjects I've listed, may be german and geography more but I am not as good at them as physics or maths or even Religious studies!XD *laughs in shame*
And about further maths, how much is it harder than the normal maths (sorry about all these qusetions, I am really indecisive at the moment).
*ahem*, I seriously don't know what to do for the fourth A level, and os yes, I am purely trying to choose one which i think I can get an A on(since I am doing sciences and maths at the end anyways).
And I am planning to take that A level all the way through as well.XDI enjoy all of the subjects I've listed, may be german and geography more but I am not as good at them as physics or maths or even Religious studies!XD *laughs in shame*
And about further maths, how much is it harder than the normal maths (sorry about all these qusetions, I am really indecisive at the moment).
I did GCSE art and it was absolutly ridiculous. I really love it, BUT i couldn't see it as a career or a job or degree out of it, so i was going to drop it after gcse whether i got an A* or a U. In the end, I got an A* (somehow lol) but the workload was just stupid. One reason is becuase our Head of Art is also the head of OCR Art of whole Exam board aswell (haha, no strings pulled there :P) so, of course, he would put mega pressure on us. Still i think i found it ridiculously hard, and ive seen ma mates go in everyday, all day, full day during study leave just to do their art work. so its up to you, if you think you would enjoy it, prepared to do the work load, then go for it. Although personally i would take something else like English or a language like Excalibur said, along with your sciences.
good luck
good luck
yg110uk
Oh nooooo!! *dies*
*ahem*, I seriously don't know what to do for the fourth A level, and os yes, I am purely trying to choose one which i think I can get an A on(since I am doing sciences and maths at the end anyways). And I am planning to take that A level all the way through as well.XD
I enjoy all of the subjects I've listed, may be german and geography more but I am not as good at them as physics or maths or even Religious studies!XD *laughs in shame*
And about further maths, how much is it harder than the normal maths (sorry about all these qusetions, I am really indecisive at the moment).
*ahem*, I seriously don't know what to do for the fourth A level, and os yes, I am purely trying to choose one which i think I can get an A on(since I am doing sciences and maths at the end anyways).
And I am planning to take that A level all the way through as well.XDI enjoy all of the subjects I've listed, may be german and geography more but I am not as good at them as physics or maths or even Religious studies!XD *laughs in shame*
And about further maths, how much is it harder than the normal maths (sorry about all these qusetions, I am really indecisive at the moment).
According to my teacher, 'further maths is just the same as normal A-level maths- you're doing the same stuff over and over again, but there's just more of it'. Whether or not this is true, well, I dunno, but she's pretty experienced so if she says that, I'm encouraged to believe her.
for me, art gcse = 100 units
a-level = 1,000 units i.e. about 10x as much workload.
i find myself concentrating so much on art, as i feel i can always improve a piece of work, so there is NEVER a time when you have finished building a portfolio. I find it quite draining (timewise) but i guess that will depend on the effort you put in, what grade you are aiming for & i guess your ability, (btw i got A at gcse & A at a/s level, so same grade but MUCH more work and effort was put in.)
...but, if you want to take art alongside the 'more academic' subjects you have listed, as a 'break' from the science/maths then by all means do so if you enjoy art. just be careful not to let it distract your attention from your other subjects if they are the ones you propose to take further, like by doing a science based degree
a-level = 1,000 units i.e. about 10x as much workload.
i find myself concentrating so much on art, as i feel i can always improve a piece of work, so there is NEVER a time when you have finished building a portfolio. I find it quite draining (timewise) but i guess that will depend on the effort you put in, what grade you are aiming for & i guess your ability, (btw i got A at gcse & A at a/s level, so same grade but MUCH more work and effort was put in.)
...but, if you want to take art alongside the 'more academic' subjects you have listed, as a 'break' from the science/maths then by all means do so if you enjoy art. just be careful not to let it distract your attention from your other subjects if they are the ones you propose to take further, like by doing a science based degree
yg110uk
Oh nooooo!! *dies*
*ahem*, I seriously don't know what to do for the fourth A level, and os yes, I am purely trying to choose one which i think I can get an A on(since I am doing sciences and maths at the end anyways). And I am planning to take that A level all the way through as well.XD
I enjoy all of the subjects I've listed, may be german and geography more but I am not as good at them as physics or maths or even Religious studies!XD *laughs in shame*
And about further maths, how much is it harder than the normal maths (sorry about all these qusetions, I am really indecisive at the moment).
*ahem*, I seriously don't know what to do for the fourth A level, and os yes, I am purely trying to choose one which i think I can get an A on(since I am doing sciences and maths at the end anyways).
And I am planning to take that A level all the way through as well.XDI enjoy all of the subjects I've listed, may be german and geography more but I am not as good at them as physics or maths or even Religious studies!XD *laughs in shame*
And about further maths, how much is it harder than the normal maths (sorry about all these qusetions, I am really indecisive at the moment).
If you want a solid subject with a high possibility of getting an A, I wouldn't recommend Art at all. IMO I think your best bet is geography, which appear to have a lot of factual content (i.e. put the work in = better grade, which can't be said for more creative subjects), or if you're good at it, physics. Languages can vary a bit more as you may have a really bad day at the oral or come across a key word that you can't even guess the meaning of, etc. Having said that, if you put the work in languages too aren't too bad!
Further Maths.. again depends. FP1 was just an extension of C1/C2 really and isn't bad at all. FP2 is a bit more difficult and requires a bit of practice and to an extent natural ability imo. Mechanics is apparently more difficult out of the options; stats is boring but easy and decision is not maths.
plopSDCSDC
I did GCSE art and it was absolutly ridiculous. I really love it, BUT i couldn't see it as a career or a job or degree out of it, so i was going to drop it after gcse whether i got an A* or a U. In the end, I got an A* (somehow lol) but the workload was just stupid. One reason is becuase our Head of Art is also the head of OCR Art of whole Exam board aswell (haha, no strings pulled there :P) so, of course, he would put mega pressure on us. Still i think i found it ridiculously hard, and ive seen ma mates go in everyday, all day, full day during study leave just to do their art work. so its up to you, if you think you would enjoy it, prepared to do the work load, then go for it. Although personally i would take something else like English or a language like Excalibur said, along with your sciences.
good luck
good luck
I'm currently taking GCSE art and I have exactly the same opinion on it, I'm finding it hard to get all the work completed as there does tend to be alot to be done. I'm obviously failing and at the moment i'd rather pass my other gcses as I personally think they will be more beneficial to me. However I do despise people like you, who end up with A*s in the subject.
I personally think you should re consider taking art as the work load does tend to be stressful to keep up with especially if your someone who likes alot of time to complete your work. Like plopSDCSDC suggested maybe consider taking a language I think that would be better.
Well I am currently doing Chemistry, Biology and Maths A levels, (having dropped English Literature at AS). Maths is a fair amount of work, but is not that difficult (so far), just involves tonnes of past papers. Chemistry is very difficult and I found that made it more work. Biology is really not too bad.
I got by fine with those three. I don't know about art, but people do say it's a lot of work. You can always drop one when you reach A level if it gets too much.
I got by fine with those three. I don't know about art, but people do say it's a lot of work. You can always drop one when you reach A level if it gets too much.
Thank you so much for the help everyone, I understand more about the A levels now.
I don't mind memorising lots facts but accordign to my teachers and friends, I am more of a problem solver and creative person.
And about the subjects, I guess they are as follows for me for now(GCSE level):
Art - One of my best subjects, but my art style has changed so much now that it's more towards computer graphics area rather than fine art(and my school only does fine art for A level :/l) and I don't enjoy painting that much. :/
Further maths - I usually achieve more than 90% in exams, but sometimes in the 80s.I enjoy maths a lot but I am a bit scared to take two maths at A level(I don't know why though).
Geography - For exams, I usually get above 85%, and according my teacher, my am best at courseworks, but I do really badly in map skills ones (a very low A, like a B).
German - Last year's year 10 mock, I got 85%, so I am not sure. :/ A levels are much harder right? So I don't think I am going to get an A.
Physics - It varies a lot for me, I can sometimes achieve as high as 100% and on bad days, as low as 75%. Hehe, inconsistency plagues me in physics.
I guess I could always consider other subjects like RS(I guess I just have to do more memorising).
Please help.>_<
Thank you all so much again. m(.__.)m
I don't mind memorising lots facts but accordign to my teachers and friends, I am more of a problem solver and creative person.
And about the subjects, I guess they are as follows for me for now(GCSE level):
Art - One of my best subjects, but my art style has changed so much now that it's more towards computer graphics area rather than fine art(and my school only does fine art for A level :/l) and I don't enjoy painting that much. :/
Further maths - I usually achieve more than 90% in exams, but sometimes in the 80s.I enjoy maths a lot but I am a bit scared to take two maths at A level(I don't know why though).
Geography - For exams, I usually get above 85%, and according my teacher, my am best at courseworks, but I do really badly in map skills ones (a very low A, like a B).
German - Last year's year 10 mock, I got 85%, so I am not sure. :/ A levels are much harder right? So I don't think I am going to get an A.
Physics - It varies a lot for me, I can sometimes achieve as high as 100% and on bad days, as low as 75%. Hehe, inconsistency plagues me in physics.
I guess I could always consider other subjects like RS(I guess I just have to do more memorising).
Please help.>_<
Thank you all so much again. m(.__.)m
If you don't like fine art as much then why not consider doing graphics that might suit you more?
ElectricOceans
I'm currently taking GCSE art and I have exactly the same opinion on it, I'm finding it hard to get all the work completed as there does tend to be alot to be done. I'm obviously failing and at the moment i'd rather pass my other gcses as I personally think they will be more beneficial to me. However I do despise people like you, who end up with A*s in the subject. I personally think you should re consider taking art as the work load does tend to be stressful to keep up with especially if your someone who likes alot of time to complete your work. Like plopSDCSDC suggested maybe consider taking a language I think that would be better.
I personally think you should re consider taking art as the work load does tend to be stressful to keep up with especially if your someone who likes alot of time to complete your work. Like plopSDCSDC suggested maybe consider taking a language I think that would be better.You..."despise"...me...
*cry*, I'm sorry i existed then, I'll just politly ask my mother if i can humbly crawl back up her womb and "de-age" myself back to an embryo and vanish. lol, jokes haha, nah but seriousy , you never know, you could surprise youself with an A* in Art. if you despise me, some of my mates get like straight A*s, who don't even try, slack around all day, go out all the time and stuff lol and one of my year above mates just got an offer from Oxford any he's like that lol.but yeah i think GCSEs can be surprisngly be easier, but thats just me... I don't and wouldn't want to take Art again even if i reconsidered about 100 times because i've seen all ma mates work and they practically live in the department lol. The amount and intensity of their work is just so intimidating now in what they do for A level. I'm just relieved i dropped it, even i like art ,drawing,painting, as a hobby , but not to do as a subject at school/sixth form, even uni.
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