4 A-Levels?

I'm currently doing my GCSE's, and oh boy they have not been going too great.

I blame the stress, i've gone from being a straight 7/8 target student, to barely a 5 in some subjects. There are some extenuating factors for this too, but i dont think they'd qualify for anything. (Mostly medical, and i dont mind talking about them, if you can help in seeing if they may qualify for anything)?

Honestly i'm very upset about it, and looking at what i've done so far, here's my hopeful predictions for my results.

English Literature - honestly at this point in hoping for a pass
English Language - same for this one (i'm retaking next year when i have stuff sorted)

Maths - 4/5
Science - 5
Religious Studies - hoping for a pass

Spanish - 9
French - 7/8
Art - 7/8
History 7/8
Resistant Materials - 7/8

I plan on taking four a-levels next year, whithout having to drop one later on, which my school is allowing due to the fact that a Spanish a-level will be easier to obtain because it's my native language (I don't have to attend all the calsses for the spanish a-level, just the course realted study ones)

My choices for a-level are

Spanish
Art
Resistant Materials
English Literature (however after the disaster of the GCSE, i doubt they'd even let me into the sixth form, either that or I may switch to psychology or French)

After A-levels i want to do a foundation course in Fine Arts, and then go on to study Fine Arts at university.
Heck I may even try for Oxford. I just hope that my less than ideal GCSE grades won't affect my chances. I really do feel as though I'd do better at a-level as i can study what i enjoy instead of the being forced to study the subjects i'm not good at .

I guess I want to know if taking four a-levels will imporve my chances of acceptance into university (as I understand now you can usually only take three a-levels?), hopefully overlooking the bad grades?

Reply 1

Sinnoh

With A-level grades it's usually quantity > quality. 4 A-levels is unlikely to give you much of an advantage. The exceptions to that are something like A*AAA instead of A*A*A.

Reply 2

Kaaseon

Original post by Sinnoh

With A-level grades it's usually quantity > quality. 4 A-levels is unlikely to give you much of an advantage. The exceptions to that are something like A*AAA instead of A*A*A.

First off can I Just say, loving the username and profile photo.

And yes, my hopeful target grades would be A* A* A A (maybe another A* depending on how much work I put in) so potentially A* in spanish, A* in art, A* in Resistant materials, with Pyschology/French being the lowest grade.

I'm just very unsure, as to how to go about things now, because I'm a high achiever, and this GCSE period has been a huge let down.

Reply 3

!aaaaa!

I wouldnt be worried about not taking four a-levels as 3 a-levels seems to be getting more popular than 4 within sixth forms etc, especially because the new structure of levels means that you cant drop a subject after year 12 and still get an AS qualification. If you you get the required grade for english lit and think that you will be able to manage you time effectively enough to do 4 a-levels then id say go for it even if having four a levels doesnt necessarily improve your chances of acceptance.
good look with your GCSE's Im sure you'll do great! :smile:

Reply 4

tdag

Original post by Kaaseon

I do 4-A Levels in Maths and 3 sciences and I can tell you it's a lot of work.
Since you're natively Spanish, it should be very easy for you so I would say take the 4. You can also do an AS privately at your school if you pay at the end of Yr12 Unis don't like to admit it but sometimes that's all they have between selecting you or another student. Just make sure you can handle it.

(edited 5 years ago)

Reply 5

Kaaseon

Original post by !aaaaa!

Ahh thank you, i'm certainly trying my hardest (I say as i continue to procastinate tomorrows exams)...
I think i'd definitely like to take the four a-levels, even if they don't really make a difference when it come's to acceptance into university.

Reply 6

Kaaseon

Original post by tdag

Oooh I bet.
Maths and 3 Sciences, gosh darn do I have a lot of respect for you right now (despite not knowing you). I suck at the more academic subjects, so even thinking about taking them pains me a bit.

Hopefully I will end up taking the four a-levels, just maybe not one in english literature, i pretty much flopped that exam (the poetry section literally left me wrecked, which was upsetting because it was super easy, and I should have been able to do it, but on the day it just didn't happen, and at the time i didn't have the extra time needed to perform to my best.)

Now the question to ask is wether i should take Psychology or French?

Also if it's not too much trouble, would you mind explaining the difference between a-levels and AS(?), are they different things, because i'm still slightly unsure about how they work?

Reply 7

tdag

Original post by Kaaseon

Ah English, my old enemy. And don't sweat it too much the English that matters is Language, as long as you think you can pass you're in the clear. We all have that one day, just try not to think about it too much.

Psychology or French. I don't have much knowledge but I know two of my mates dropped out of psychology "cus it wasn't what they thought it would be".

A-Levels.
Basically an A-level is split into AS and A2. AS - stuff you learn in year 12. A2 - stuff you learn in year 13.
Before, you had to take an AS at the end of yr12 and it would be half an A-Level. Now the government has scrapped that and you have to do the tests at the end of yr13 assessing AS AND A2. You can still do an AS but you have to pay for it and do it privately at your school

(edited 5 years ago)

Reply 8

!aaaaa!

Original post by Kaaseon

I know what you mean, I should be revising for for my chemistry exam tomorrow but nope i'm wasting time on tsr instead :smile:

also I'm doing a level psychology, there is quite a bit of content but i really enjoy it and would recommend it to anyone who has an interest in it.

Reply 9

Sinnoh

Original post by Kaaseon

Heh thanks. I was surprised the username was even available.
It's important to remember some universities do place some weighting to GCSE results, some don't at all. You'll really have to check the admissions info for the courses you're interested in. Oxford definitely does place GCSE results at high importance, not sure about Cambridge.
Resistant materials is a very niche-sounding subject that I've personally never heard of before and I've never seen it mentioned on lists of required/accepted/not accepted subjects. So I think having the other 3 in this case is a safe bet, because they are quite common and recognised in comparison.