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Hate A-Level Subject

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(edited 5 years ago)
What is psychology like, i was thinking of doing it at a level but you have changed my mind
Reply 2
Original post by idkthename
What is psychology like, i was thinking of doing it at a level but you have changed my mind


Hey,

It depends on what kind of person you are because some people still do enjoy it so donโ€™t be put off by what Iโ€™m saying if you genuinely want to do it. But make sure you research exactly what is going to be on it so youโ€™re not thrown off; This depends on the exam board.

Iโ€™m on AQA and its split up into Research Methods, Approaches, Memory, Social, Psychopathology, Attachments, Biopsychology and a few others in the second year.

Research Methods is worth 25% of the overall grade and includes things like observations, sampling techniques, types of experimental designs and experiments. 10% of that 25% is maths related but only GCSE standard (Not that hard).

In each of the other modules, there are a lot of case studies that you have to know and evaluate (write essays on the strengths and / or weaknesses of the experiment).

There are elements of research methods within the exam questions (You might have to identify the type of experiment or work with data throughout.) A lot of it is interesting but the things that come alongside it and what you have to do with it is what makes me hate it.

I just dont really like Biology or Maths so itโ€™s like a burden to me. If you enjoy science (Biology in particular) then you might enjoy it.

As I said, donโ€™t let me put you off, just make sure you fully understand what the course includes so you donโ€™t regret it afterwards.
(edited 6 years ago)
Original post by valid_scc
Hey,

It depends on what kind of person you are because some people still do enjoy it so donโ€™t be put off by what Iโ€™m saying if you genuinely want to do it. But make sure you research exactly what is going to be on it so youโ€™re not thrown off; This depends on the exam board.

Iโ€™m on AQA and its split up into Research Methods, Approaches, Memory, Social, Psychopathology, Attachments, Biopsychology and a few others in the second year.

Research Methods is worth 25% of the overall grade and includes things like observations, sampling techniques, types of experimental designs and experiments. 10% of that 25% is maths related but only GCSE standard (Not that hard).

In each of the other modules, there are a lot of case studies that you have to know and evaluate (write essays on the strengths and / or weaknesses of the experiment).

There are elements of research methods within the exam questions (You might have to identify the type of experiment or work with data throughout.) A lot of it is interesting but the things that come alongside it and what you have to do with it is what makes me hate it.

I just dont really like Biology or Maths so itโ€™s like a burden to me. If you enjoy science (Biology in particular) then you might enjoy it.

As I said, donโ€™t let me put you off, just make sure you fully understand what the course includes so you donโ€™t regret it afterwards.


I like biology but im not the best at it, and im great with maths . Ill research it and see but thanks a lot for the info
Hi,

I know exactly how you feel rn and it is the worst :/// The same thing happened to me last year (I'm in year 13 atm) but with geography. I hated it so much and I just couldn't face another year doing it- this was a combination of my teacher, the spec and the exams. I only fully 'realised' this in April of last year because that's when my intense revision for AS exams began and as soon as I started feeling this way, I went to my teacher and the head of tutors in my college. Long-story short, they said they could do nothing for me and that I either had to continue with geography or choose another college (to my horror!).

This was a huge disaster because I knew I was definitely going to go university and therefore needed a minimum of 3 a levels to apply. Again, long-story short, after thinking for ages, I found a solution. I am Arab so speak, read and write in Arabic and Edexcel does Arabic Language as an A-Level SO my plan was to do my AS exams (my college makes us do the external AS exams which means that if we are doing four A-Levels, we can drop one of them in A2 and get a qualification out of them) in my three current subjects (maths, chem and geo) and try my best to ace my geography so I could drop it and have a separate AS qualification in A2. Then, pick up Arabic in A2 and do an intensive 1 year course of both AS and A2 work (someone I knew was doing this at a Saturday School in a centre).

Anyway, I managed to get an A in geography for AS which meant I had a solid result to put on my UCAS and then I dropped geo. The college weren't happy about me dropping geo and doing an A-Level outside of college but to be quite frank, it's not really their problem. To fill the hours I am not doing in college, I have filler sessions where I can do whatever work I need to. So by the end of A2, I'll have 3 A-levels in maths, chem and arabic, an AS in geography and EPQ (something I picked up this year.).

Now, I'm aware you will probably not be able to pick up a language like I did BUT I might have a solution. Something I tried with my college but didn't push at it because of my Arabic A-level idea- persuade them to let you drop psychology then pick up a 'lighter' subject like Religious Studies or Sociology that you can take both AS and A2 classes next year . This will require a lot of work and mean that you are cramming a two year course into one year in addition to your other A2 subjects but that's what you'll have to do if you really don't want to carry on with psychology.
This will only work if you truly beg and tell them that you just can't continue with psychology and can't drop it because you'll need three A Levels to apply for university. But ideally, you need to decide right now whether you want to go to uni as you mentioned that you weren't sure yet.

**NOTE: Not all unis need 3 A-Levels. Most of the Russel-Group Unis and certainly Oxbridge, require 3 A-Levels, but many unis nowadays look at how many UCAS points you have so that could just mean doing your AS psychology exam and dropping it next year then picking up EPQ or another AS next year. Again, you really need to decide whether you want to go to uni now and then proceed accordingly**

Hope this helps and please ask any questions if you are confused or need further advice :smile:
Reply 5
Original post by idkthename
I like biology but im not the best at it, and im great with maths . Ill research it and see but thanks a lot for the info


Yeh just research it and see what you think. Best of luck!
Original post by Himyar48
Hi,

I know exactly how you feel rn and it is the worst :/// The same thing happened to me last year (I'm in year 13 atm) but with geography. I hated it so much and I just couldn't face another year doing it- this was a combination of my teacher, the spec and the exams. I only fully 'realised' this in April of last year because that's when my intense revision for AS exams began and as soon as I started feeling this way, I went to my teacher and the head of tutors in my college. Long-story short, they said they could do nothing for me and that I either had to continue with geography or choose another college (to my horror!).

This was a huge disaster because I knew I was definitely going to go university and therefore needed a minimum of 3 a levels to apply. Again, long-story short, after thinking for ages, I found a solution. I am Arab so speak, read and write in Arabic and Edexcel does Arabic Language as an A-Level SO my plan was to do my AS exams (my college makes us do the external AS exams which means that if we are doing four A-Levels, we can drop one of them in A2 and get a qualification out of them) in my three current subjects (maths, chem and geo) and try my best to ace my geography so I could drop it and have a separate AS qualification in A2. Then, pick up Arabic in A2 and do an intensive 1 year course of both AS and A2 work (someone I knew was doing this at a Saturday School in a centre).

Anyway, I managed to get an A in geography for AS which meant I had a solid result to put on my UCAS and then I dropped geo. The college weren't happy about me dropping geo and doing an A-Level outside of college but to be quite frank, it's not really their problem. To fill the hours I am not doing in college, I have filler sessions where I can do whatever work I need to. So by the end of A2, I'll have 3 A-levels in maths, chem and arabic, an AS in geography and EPQ (something I picked up this year.).

Now, I'm aware you will probably not be able to pick up a language like I did BUT I might have a solution. Something I tried with my college but didn't push at it because of my Arabic A-level idea- persuade them to let you drop psychology then pick up a 'lighter' subject like Religious Studies or Sociology that you can take both AS and A2 classes next year . This will require a lot of work and mean that you are cramming a two year course into one year in addition to your other A2 subjects but that's what you'll have to do if you really don't want to carry on with psychology.
This will only work if you truly beg and tell them that you just can't continue with psychology and can't drop it because you'll need three A Levels to apply for university. But ideally, you need to decide right now whether you want to go to uni as you mentioned that you weren't sure yet.

**NOTE: Not all unis need 3 A-Levels. Most of the Russel-Group Unis and certainly Oxbridge, require 3 A-Levels, but many unis nowadays look at how many UCAS points you have so that could just mean doing your AS psychology exam and dropping it next year then picking up EPQ or another AS next year. Again, you really need to decide whether you want to go to uni now and then proceed accordingly**

Hope this helps and please ask any questions if you are confused or need further advice :smile:


Is arabic your first language?

I thought most unis didn't accept an A-Level in your own language?
Reply 7
Original post by Himyar48
Hi,

I know exactly how you feel rn and it is the worst :/// The same thing happened to me last year (I'm in year 13 atm) but with geography. I hated it so much and I just couldn't face another year doing it- this was a combination of my teacher, the spec and the exams. I only fully 'realised' this in April of last year because that's when my intense revision for AS exams began and as soon as I started feeling this way, I went to my teacher and the head of tutors in my college. Long-story short, they said they could do nothing for me and that I either had to continue with geography or choose another college (to my horror!).

This was a huge disaster because I knew I was definitely going to go university and therefore needed a minimum of 3 a levels to apply. Again, long-story short, after thinking for ages, I found a solution. I am Arab so speak, read and write in Arabic and Edexcel does Arabic Language as an A-Level SO my plan was to do my AS exams (my college makes us do the external AS exams which means that if we are doing four A-Levels, we can drop one of them in A2 and get a qualification out of them) in my three current subjects (maths, chem and geo) and try my best to ace my geography so I could drop it and have a separate AS qualification in A2. Then, pick up Arabic in A2 and do an intensive 1 year course of both AS and A2 work (someone I knew was doing this at a Saturday School in a centre).

Anyway, I managed to get an A in geography for AS which meant I had a solid result to put on my UCAS and then I dropped geo. The college weren't happy about me dropping geo and doing an A-Level outside of college but to be quite frank, it's not really their problem. To fill the hours I am not doing in college, I have filler sessions where I can do whatever work I need to. So by the end of A2, I'll have 3 A-levels in maths, chem and arabic, an AS in geography and EPQ (something I picked up this year.).

Now, I'm aware you will probably not be able to pick up a language like I did BUT I might have a solution. Something I tried with my college but didn't push at it because of my Arabic A-level idea- persuade them to let you drop psychology then pick up a 'lighter' subject like Religious Studies or Sociology that you can take both AS and A2 classes next year . This will require a lot of work and mean that you are cramming a two year course into one year in addition to your other A2 subjects but that's what you'll have to do if you really don't want to carry on with psychology.
This will only work if you truly beg and tell them that you just can't continue with psychology and can't drop it because you'll need three A Levels to apply for university. But ideally, you need to decide right now whether you want to go to uni as you mentioned that you weren't sure yet.

**NOTE: Not all unis need 3 A-Levels. Most of the Russel-Group Unis and certainly Oxbridge, require 3 A-Levels, but many unis nowadays look at how many UCAS points you have so that could just mean doing your AS psychology exam and dropping it next year then picking up EPQ or another AS next year. Again, you really need to decide whether you want to go to uni now and then proceed accordingly**

Hope this helps and please ask any questions if you are confused or need further advice :smile:


Hello,

Thank you so much for your reply! I didnโ€™t think about UCAS points, only grades. The thing is, my college are not putting us in for the external AS exams which means I wonโ€™t gain any UCAS points from it. There is only one of my subjects that will gain me UCAS points.

I have an idea of what I want to do in uni but itโ€™s not set-in-stone (itโ€™s definitely not psychology). My main concern is that Iโ€™ll have to stick with science-related subjects in the future and for the rest of my life preventing me from being creative.

I do English Language and Media alongside Psychology but because psychology is the most heavy-weighted, for some reason I feel like I have to continue it past college (Which I know isnโ€™t the case but my mind wanders too far).

If I was to gain UCAS points from it, I probably would have done what you said. The annoying thing is that the department, at one point, said they were putting us in for the external exams but they changed their mind last minute (When I began to panick).

Anyway Iโ€™m glad it worked out for you in the end, best of luck in uni (if youโ€™re going) and thanks again for the help! :smile: I appreciate it
Original post by Bill Nye
Is arabic your first language?

I thought most unis didn't accept an A-Level in your own language?



1.

Nope English is my first language. I have a GCSE in Arabic also. I did contact all the unis I applied to just to double-check about doing Arabic as I am ethnically Arabic and all but one, which was the University of Birmingham, said that even if it was my first language, it wouldn't matter because it's still a qualifying A-Level. The only A-Level most unis won't accept is General Studies.

Original post by valid_scc
Hello,

Thank you so much for your reply! I didnโ€™t think about UCAS points, only grades. The thing is, my college are not putting us in for the external AS exams which means I wonโ€™t gain any UCAS points from it. There is only one of my subjects that will gain me UCAS points.

I have an idea of what I want to do in uni but itโ€™s not set-in-stone (itโ€™s definitely not psychology). My main concern is that Iโ€™ll have to stick with science-related subjects in the future and for the rest of my life preventing me from being creative.

I do English Language and Media alongside Psychology but because psychology is the most heavy-weighted, for some reason I feel like I have to continue it past college (Which I know isnโ€™t the case but my mind wanders too far).

If I was to gain UCAS points from it, I probably would have done what you said. The annoying thing is that the department, at one point, said they were putting us in for the external exams but they changed their mind last minute (When I began to panick).

Anyway Iโ€™m glad it worked out for you in the end, best of luck in uni (if youโ€™re going) and thanks again for the help! :smile: I appreciate it



Ah no! Such a shame they don't do external exams- my college actually stopped doing them this year because they are too expensive to keep running when most of us don't even get qualifications out of it.

You seem like a bright student and you have a very logical reason as to why you want to drop psychology. Some advice from me would be to do what you love and from what I have heard, it's being creative. You shouldn't feel obliged to go into a 'sciencey' subject in the future. Having said that, it is important to be realistic with where different degrees can take you in terms of your future career. If it means doing something you enjoy less but will get you a good job, I would go ahead with it and then keep the thing I love (in your case being creative), as a hobby and a passion i do outside of work/uni.

Wish you all the best and hope that whatever you decide to do, is the right decision for you!
Search a level psychology and click on ibz mo's video. I went on it just now to get an idea and both the people in the vid said they didnt like AS but the second year was great and they loved it and they both got a*
Original post by valid_scc
Hello,

I'm currently in year 12 at Sixth Form doing the new linear A levels (You do exams at the end of the second year and only do progression exams in the first year). I'm having a lot of problems with one of my subjects, Psychology, because I am quickly falling out of love with it.

I've realised that it's something I definitely don't want to do however i'm in a bad position: I don't think I can drop it because it is linear (Meaning the exams are at the end of the second year so I would get no AS qualification if I dropped it). I feel so isolated and lonely when doing it because it's not what I thought it would be and none of my friends do it.

I'm much more of a creative person and the thought of going down a scientific route literally makes me want to throw up.

I have tried so hard to enjoy it and focus on the things I like about it but it's always in the back of my mind and I hate the idea of going to the lesson; I mainly hate the Biological and Mathematical side of it because I have absolutely no interest in these areas. I find it so hard to enjoy things or even concentrate on anything else because i'm thinking about Psychology all of the time.

It is definitely my own fault because I should have done more research into the subject however at the beginning of the college year, I changed my options a lot so I didn't really know what I wanted to do; I only knew what I didn't want to do.

I've looked around the site and noticed that a lot of other people have felt the same way about Psychology but i'm just wondering what my options are? Do I try my best to finish the course as I've only got 15 months of it left? Although I can't stand the idea of continuing it for another academic year and would literally have to drag myself through it.

I have pretty much been taught all of the content except Biopsychology and Attachment (We've just started attachment) but I know how much more difficult A2 is and i'm worried there's going to be a lot more Biology and Maths involved. I'm constantly having to reassure myself that I like it when deep down I know i'd rather not do it; I'm always looking for other people that do it so I feel less isolated and try to enjoy it with them (If that makes sense).

Honestly, I have done as much as I can to settle myself down but now I get anxious even thinking about the subject. I've done a lot of research so i'm not just coming on here without doing anything to find things out for myself. I'm doing well in all of my subjects but it feels like a chore getting anything done for Psychology. My teacher is very over-dramatic and also gives me anxiety; I'm always on edge in lessons.

If I was to drop it, i'd probably need to restart all of the A levels due to the fact that they're linear. The careers officer at my Sixth Form said that I could continue with an AS but I don't want to do that because, obviously, universities require 3 full A levels to get in (Eventhough i'm still undecided if I want to go or not). However if I was to restart the A levels, i'd still pick the same 2 that I currently study but with a different 3rd option; Wouldn't this just be pointless?

The Sixth Form had the option to let us sit an actual stand-alone AS exam in Psychology so we could drop it if we wanted to and pick up another AS however the department went against this.

What should I do? I try my best to avoid the thought of having to continue it but then feel more anxiety knowing the problems i'll face trying to drop it.

Any help / advice is appreciated,
Thank you.


If its that bad and you will get a poor grade then drop it and do an A level in a year. Alternatively do an AS and then finish off A2 elsewhere.

Theres nothing that says you have to go to uni immediately.

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