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I have no clue what to pick for A-level, help?!

I thought I had finally come to the decision of studying English Lit, Psychology and Philosophy when I was given summer work and realised Philosophy involves a lot of religion. I'd like to replace it with something such as Economics or Business to give myself more variation but am worried it will be too difficult for me. I am predicted at least a 7 in maths but am usually better at essay subjects. Advice is highly appreciated. Thanks.
Reply 1
Original post by peppengo
I thought I had finally come to the decision of studying English Lit, Psychology and Philosophy when I was given summer work and realised Philosophy involves a lot of religion. I'd like to replace it with something such as Economics or Business to give myself more variation but am worried it will be too difficult for me. I am predicted at least a 7 in maths but am usually better at essay subjects. Advice is highly appreciated. Thanks.

Economics has maths involved and is essay based in some ways.
so I wouldn’t worry too much about finding economics difficult for you . ( not that I’m saying you’ll ace it or you’ll flop if you don’t like essays but you would still need to work hard of course and it seems something that’s suited for you)
Reply 2
Original post by Qway
Economics has maths involved and is essay based in some ways.
so I wouldn’t worry too much about finding economics difficult for you . ( not that I’m saying you’ll ace it or you’ll flop if you don’t like essays but you would still need to work hard of course and it seems something that’s suited for you)


Did you take Economics? If so, what did your course involve and did you find it interesting? Thanks for the help!
You can always switch courses in Year 12 some sixth forms will let you change up until the October half term. It will mean extra work to catch up, but it’s more than possible and people do it all the time. You want the best A level grades possible, but equally if you’re stuck studying a subject you really hate for two years, you’re going to be miserable and that will be reflected in the grade you receive, so I wouldn’t choose another essay subject if you don’t really want to do it.

Do you have an idea of what you want to study at university/what career you want to go into? If you know you’re not really interested in persuing Economics/Business further down the line and have another subject in mind that would be of more use to you that you think you will enjoy, then I would go with that. Make sure you look at the specifications for the subjects though if you haven’t already (on the exam boards’ websites), as this will give you the clearest indication of whether you’re going to like the content.

I’d wait until Results Day/enrolment at the sixth form/s and talk to subject staff there. If you meet the entry requirements for Economics/Business (specifically your maths grade) then there’s no reason you wouldn’t be capable of doing it. Very few people can do well in their A levels without putting extra work in, so don’t think you’ll be the only one who has to practise/revise as they go, because that’s just the sensible thing to do. :smile:
Original post by peppengo
I thought I had finally come to the decision of studying English Lit, Psychology and Philosophy when I was given summer work and realised Philosophy involves a lot of religion. I'd like to replace it with something such as Economics or Business to give myself more variation but am worried it will be too difficult for me. I am predicted at least a 7 in maths but am usually better at essay subjects. Advice is highly appreciated. Thanks.


Business is easier than philosophy or economics and the latter two are probably as ‘difficult’ as each other, they’re both regarded on the same level
Reply 5
Original post by riannon2001
You can always switch courses in Year 12 some sixth forms will let you change up until the October half term. It will mean extra work to catch up, but it’s more than possible and people do it all the time. You want the best A level grades possible, but equally if you’re stuck studying a subject you really hate for two years, you’re going to be miserable and that will be reflected in the grade you receive, so I wouldn’t choose another essay subject if you don’t really want to do it.

Do you have an idea of what you want to study at university/what career you want to go into? If you know you’re not really interested in persuing Economics/Business further down the line and have another subject in mind that would be of more use to you that you think you will enjoy, then I would go with that. Make sure you look at the specifications for the subjects though if you haven’t already (on the exam boards’ websites), as this will give you the clearest indication of whether you’re going to like the content.

I’d wait until Results Day/enrolment at the sixth form/s and talk to subject staff there. If you meet the entry requirements for Economics/Business (specifically your maths grade) then there’s no reason you wouldn’t be capable of doing it. Very few people can do well in their A levels without putting extra work in, so don’t think you’ll be the only one who has to practise/revise as they go, because that’s just the sensible thing to do. :smile:


My Sixth Form will let me change but only if it corresponds with their class schedule.
I've always considered law for the future but I have a nasty habit of being very lazy and I realize that a law degree requires a lot of dedication. I'm also interested in Social Sciences and so would consider that.
Initially, I considered Biology but found the GCSE course gruelling so didn't want to do another two years of it.
I guess it all depends on my results, I'm very tempted to just chose my top three subjects no matter what they are :smile:

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