film studies a-level
Do you think film studies is a good a-level to take? I want to go on to uni and study English literature but people have told me that the a-levels i want to take (English lit, photography and film studies) would make it seem like I don't care about my education. I am a very academic person, I just consider myself to be creative at the same time. I have thought about taking philosophy but it just seems like so much work and I think it would be hard if i find i'm not that interested in it.
the people told you correctly.
Film studies and photography are both weak Alevels - as in they are fun, but not and sometimes challenging (in terms of work-load certainly) but they are not academically challenging at all. Universities know this, and the top universities will look down on you if you have two very soft subjects out of 3.
I worked in a secondary schools creative department (arts+music+media) for a few years, and from first hand experiance on the staff side, and the student side - they are not great Alevels.
Phillosophy sounds better... but to be honest you need to look at your attitude to education. 'It just eems like so much work' and 'It would be hard if I find i'm not that interested' etc. so what? The high probability is that you will spend your working life doing things that your not passionate about.. and if you want to maximise your chances of actually getting into work that you care about, sacrificing yourself a bit now while your young, is often essential.
Photography is great - but you don't need to study it at school. Its one of my hobbies personally - I love it, but I never studied it. And do you know what? None of my friends that did, ended up as photographers.. most barely even touch a camera now - me though, treating it as a hobby.. I have been working on it for 10 years, own multiple cameras, take them everywhere with me, develop all my own film etc. - because photography (and a lot of creative persuits) if you are passionate about it, you will do it on your own, without a teacher pushing you.. if you love it, you will go out and do it - and with the rise of the internet, and how much information there is to learn photography online, there is no reason at all for it to be one of your Alevel choices. If you want to learn it - get a camera, and go watch some youtube videos as a start. take it from there.
Film is great - but again, most film professionals and hobbiest, don't study film! not at Alevel at least. Even if you want to get into film work, or the BBC or something similar, a good set of academic Alevels with a side-passion of film, would be vastly supirior. Show them that you have your academics nailed, and that in your own time you have the passion for your creative persuits.
---
It sounds like you like english, and then your just picking things that are fun to go with it - which is a very poor idea, and I hope your parents or someone else can give you gidance on this.
If english at university is your goal - then I would say:
English litterature
**humanity subject that involves essay writing**
**your choice**
is a pretty good way.
So, english lit, phillosophy or history, and then art/film etc. would be decent. replace the fun subject with a science/maths if you really want to aim for the top, and are willing to sacrifice more of your happiness.
---
Remember though - sacrifices now, pay off later. most people my age (late 20s) can testify to this.. on average, the kids who put 'fun and what they liked' over 'hard work and useful' - ended up in jobs they hate that don't pay a great deal. The people that worked hard? most are still not in jobs they would ideally choose, but on average they earn more, and are in more respected professions. Work hard now - enjoy the bennifits through your working life, which is far far longer
Film studies and photography are both weak Alevels - as in they are fun, but not and sometimes challenging (in terms of work-load certainly) but they are not academically challenging at all. Universities know this, and the top universities will look down on you if you have two very soft subjects out of 3.
I worked in a secondary schools creative department (arts+music+media) for a few years, and from first hand experiance on the staff side, and the student side - they are not great Alevels.
Phillosophy sounds better... but to be honest you need to look at your attitude to education. 'It just eems like so much work' and 'It would be hard if I find i'm not that interested' etc. so what? The high probability is that you will spend your working life doing things that your not passionate about.. and if you want to maximise your chances of actually getting into work that you care about, sacrificing yourself a bit now while your young, is often essential.
Photography is great - but you don't need to study it at school. Its one of my hobbies personally - I love it, but I never studied it. And do you know what? None of my friends that did, ended up as photographers.. most barely even touch a camera now - me though, treating it as a hobby.. I have been working on it for 10 years, own multiple cameras, take them everywhere with me, develop all my own film etc. - because photography (and a lot of creative persuits) if you are passionate about it, you will do it on your own, without a teacher pushing you.. if you love it, you will go out and do it - and with the rise of the internet, and how much information there is to learn photography online, there is no reason at all for it to be one of your Alevel choices. If you want to learn it - get a camera, and go watch some youtube videos as a start. take it from there.
Film is great - but again, most film professionals and hobbiest, don't study film! not at Alevel at least. Even if you want to get into film work, or the BBC or something similar, a good set of academic Alevels with a side-passion of film, would be vastly supirior. Show them that you have your academics nailed, and that in your own time you have the passion for your creative persuits.
---
It sounds like you like english, and then your just picking things that are fun to go with it - which is a very poor idea, and I hope your parents or someone else can give you gidance on this.
If english at university is your goal - then I would say:
English litterature
**humanity subject that involves essay writing**
**your choice**
is a pretty good way.
So, english lit, phillosophy or history, and then art/film etc. would be decent. replace the fun subject with a science/maths if you really want to aim for the top, and are willing to sacrifice more of your happiness.
---
Remember though - sacrifices now, pay off later. most people my age (late 20s) can testify to this.. on average, the kids who put 'fun and what they liked' over 'hard work and useful' - ended up in jobs they hate that don't pay a great deal. The people that worked hard? most are still not in jobs they would ideally choose, but on average they earn more, and are in more respected professions. Work hard now - enjoy the bennifits through your working life, which is far far longer
The reason why I thought that philosophy would be hard is because I don’t know if I will like it or not, not because I have a bad work ethic (in fact I find it quite rude that you simply assumed I have a bad attitude). I don’t believe that the fact that lots of people have jobs they don’t enjoy, or what ever you were going on about, matters because I am not lots of people and I make my decisions based of what I want to do not what most people do. I really do take into consideration what you said though, and I have taken out a philosophy as book from the library which I’m going to start reading. I personally believe that studying photography is very challenging and there is nothing to say that creative people can’t ‘reach the top’. I think that philosophy or history is probably best for me, from what you have said. Although I do not know if I entirely trust your opinion seeing as you are about 15 years older than me and obviously have some very different values. However thank you for taking the time to write it and you have been really helpful.
Original post by roarchi
The reason why I thought that philosophy would be hard is because I don’t know if I will like it or not, not because I have a bad work ethic (in fact I find it quite rude that you simply assumed I have a bad attitude). I don’t believe that the fact that lots of people have jobs they don’t enjoy, or what ever you were going on about, matters because I am not lots of people and I make my decisions based of what I want to do not what most people do. I really do take into consideration what you said though, and I have taken out a philosophy as book from the library which I’m going to start reading. I personally believe that studying photography is very challenging and there is nothing to say that creative people can’t ‘reach the top’. I think that philosophy or history is probably best for me, from what you have said. Although I do not know if I entirely trust your opinion seeing as you are about 15 years older than me and obviously have some very different values. However thank you for taking the time to write it and you have been really helpful.
go take it then, its ur choice. I agree with the other poster but u can do whatever u want.
Original post by roarchi
The reason why I thought that philosophy would be hard is because I don’t know if I will like it or not, not because I have a bad work ethic (in fact I find it quite rude that you simply assumed I have a bad attitude). I don’t believe that the fact that lots of people have jobs they don’t enjoy, or what ever you were going on about,matters because I am not lots of people and I make my decisions based of what I want to do not what most people do. I really do take into consideration what you said though, and I have taken out a philosophy as book from the library which I’m going to start reading. I personally believe that studying photography is very challenging and there is nothing to say that creative people can’t ‘reach the top’. I think that philosophy or history is probably best for me, from what you have said. Although I do not know if I entirely trust your opinion seeing as you are about 15 years older than me and obviously have some very different values.
However thank you for taking the time to write it and you have been really helpful.
Sorry, if I am a little blunt - but its part of my job in real life, to work with students on their future options, and help them pick the best educational options. I spend a lot of time talking to students and parents about the possible routes ahead of them, and after doing it a while, I loose patience with some of the common things I hear.
I won't go through individual things you said, except one:
"matters because I am not lots of people and I make my decisions based of what I want to do not what most people do."
You should make choices, EXACTLY based on what most people do, and have done before you. You should look at people who work in areas you want to work in - and look at exactly what they did, what they all have in common, and how they all got to their positions. You should look at the averages, the average outcomes of different degree routes, different career paths, and see exactly what most people do, and what works for most people. You are very unlikely to be an exception, so if you can find a route that has worked for a decent number of people, the chances are that it will also work for you.
Inversely, if you follow a path that doesn't work for most people, the high probabilty is it won't work for you.
---
If there is one thing you take away from my post though it should be this:
Life is long, and you will work far longer than you will study. 'Do what you love/like' often fails as advice for students, because doing what you like now - may mean that later your chances of doing what you like, in your working life, are reduced.
Much better advice is: "work out what you would love to do in your adult life.. and make a plan of how to get there" - that may mean not doing it so much now whilst your younger, but hopefully in the end will result in a better life.
---
A good balance, and what I would say, if I were your parents would be - pick one of the creative subjects you love, pick the subject you want to do at university, and then pick a subject that maybe you don't love, but looks good on your university applications. Its a good ballanced option, that works well for keeping future options open, whilst not removing all the things you enjoy.
Original post by fallen_acorns
Sorry, if I am a little blunt - but its part of my job in real life, to work with students on their future options, and help them pick the best educational options. I spend a lot of time talking to students and parents about the possible routes ahead of them, and after doing it a while, I loose patience with some of the common things I hear.
I won't go through individual things you said, except one:
"matters because I am not lots of people and I make my decisions based of what I want to do not what most people do."
You should make choices, EXACTLY based on what most people do, and have done before you. You should look at people who work in areas you want to work in - and look at exactly what they did, what they all have in common, and how they all got to their positions. You should look at the averages, the average outcomes of different degree routes, different career paths, and see exactly what most people do, and what works for most people. You are very unlikely to be an exception, so if you can find a route that has worked for a decent number of people, the chances are that it will also work for you.
Inversely, if you follow a path that doesn't work for most people, the high probabilty is it won't work for you.
---
If there is one thing you take away from my post though it should be this:
Life is long, and you will work far longer than you will study. 'Do what you love/like' often fails as advice for students, because doing what you like now - may mean that later your chances of doing what you like, in your working life, are reduced.
Much better advice is: "work out what you would love to do in your adult life.. and make a plan of how to get there" - that may mean not doing it so much now whilst your younger, but hopefully in the end will result in a better life.
---
A good balance, and what I would say, if I were your parents would be - pick one of the creative subjects you love, pick the subject you want to do at university, and then pick a subject that maybe you don't love, but looks good on your university applications. Its a good ballanced option, that works well for keeping future options open, whilst not removing all the things you enjoy.
Sorry, if I am a little blunt - but its part of my job in real life, to work with students on their future options, and help them pick the best educational options. I spend a lot of time talking to students and parents about the possible routes ahead of them, and after doing it a while, I loose patience with some of the common things I hear.
I won't go through individual things you said, except one:
"matters because I am not lots of people and I make my decisions based of what I want to do not what most people do."
You should make choices, EXACTLY based on what most people do, and have done before you. You should look at people who work in areas you want to work in - and look at exactly what they did, what they all have in common, and how they all got to their positions. You should look at the averages, the average outcomes of different degree routes, different career paths, and see exactly what most people do, and what works for most people. You are very unlikely to be an exception, so if you can find a route that has worked for a decent number of people, the chances are that it will also work for you.
Inversely, if you follow a path that doesn't work for most people, the high probabilty is it won't work for you.
---
If there is one thing you take away from my post though it should be this:
Life is long, and you will work far longer than you will study. 'Do what you love/like' often fails as advice for students, because doing what you like now - may mean that later your chances of doing what you like, in your working life, are reduced.
Much better advice is: "work out what you would love to do in your adult life.. and make a plan of how to get there" - that may mean not doing it so much now whilst your younger, but hopefully in the end will result in a better life.
---
A good balance, and what I would say, if I were your parents would be - pick one of the creative subjects you love, pick the subject you want to do at university, and then pick a subject that maybe you don't love, but looks good on your university applications. Its a good ballanced option, that works well for keeping future options open, whilst not removing all the things you enjoy.
Thanks so much, honestly this is so useful. I think I’m going to look more into history seeing as it is a more ‘academic’ subject and also facilitating. I guess I was just worried about not getting a good grade where I probably would in fs but that really is just quite idiotic and a bit of a cop out. Thanks 😀
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