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Can I manage two hours of German lessons per week on top of studying for A - levels?
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Over the summer I started studying German as it could help to have some knowledge of German as I will be applying to study medicine in Germany though my tutor told me today that I would most likely need 2 hours of lessons every week to achieve A2 level by the end of this school year. I am not sure if such a time commitment is worth it as of the four A - levels I chose 3 of them are very demanding (I chose Accounting - Biology - Maths(statistics) - Chemistry) and my counselors told me that I wouldn't need to have any prior German knowledge in order to be accepted and that I would have to do only a year of language. So in summary, if I invest that many hours per week to German will I have enough time to get the grades I need at the A - levels (I need AAA*A*) and if I do will it even be worth it?
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#2
(Original post by Dianum)
Over the summer I started studying German as it could help to have some knowledge of German as I will be applying to study medicine in Germany though my tutor told me today that I would most likely need 2 hours of lessons every week to achieve A2 level by the end of this school year. I am not sure if such a time commitment is worth it as of the four A - levels I chose 3 of them are very demanding (I chose Accounting - Biology - Maths(statistics) - Chemistry) and my counselors told me that I wouldn't need to have any prior German knowledge in order to be accepted and that I would have to do only a year of language. So in summary, if I invest that many hours per week to German will I have enough time to get the grades I need at the A - levels (I need AAA*A*) and if I do will it even be worth it?
Over the summer I started studying German as it could help to have some knowledge of German as I will be applying to study medicine in Germany though my tutor told me today that I would most likely need 2 hours of lessons every week to achieve A2 level by the end of this school year. I am not sure if such a time commitment is worth it as of the four A - levels I chose 3 of them are very demanding (I chose Accounting - Biology - Maths(statistics) - Chemistry) and my counselors told me that I wouldn't need to have any prior German knowledge in order to be accepted and that I would have to do only a year of language. So in summary, if I invest that many hours per week to German will I have enough time to get the grades I need at the A - levels (I need AAA*A*) and if I do will it even be worth it?
If you're finding it too much, you could always drop German or drop one of your four A-levels, as you shouldn't need four. Is there a reason you're studying Accounting? It doesn't seem necessary and as far as I know, it's not a 'well looked upon' A-level, though that may be different in Germany.
Edit: Just a thought though, it may be worth clarifying with your tutor if two hours is the full amount of time you will be expected to spend on your German, or if two hours is just the amount of time you will have sessions. Most language learning requires time spent outside of lessons learning, and that might become too much with four A-levels on top.
Last edited by bluebeetle; 4 months ago
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(Original post by bluebeetle)
Two hours a week should be manageable. Plenty of people do a full set of A-levels and also have a sport or another hobby that takes up about that amount of time, and they manage.
If you're finding it too much, you could always drop German or drop one of your four A-levels, as you shouldn't need four. Is there a reason you're studying Accounting? It doesn't seem necessary and as far as I know, it's not a 'well looked upon' A-level, though that may be different in Germany.
Edit: Just a thought though, it may be worth clarifying with your tutor if two hours is the full amount of time you will be expected to spend on your German, or if two hours is just the amount of time you will have sessions. Most language learning requires time spent outside of lessons learning, and that might become too much with four A-levels on top.
Two hours a week should be manageable. Plenty of people do a full set of A-levels and also have a sport or another hobby that takes up about that amount of time, and they manage.
If you're finding it too much, you could always drop German or drop one of your four A-levels, as you shouldn't need four. Is there a reason you're studying Accounting? It doesn't seem necessary and as far as I know, it's not a 'well looked upon' A-level, though that may be different in Germany.
Edit: Just a thought though, it may be worth clarifying with your tutor if two hours is the full amount of time you will be expected to spend on your German, or if two hours is just the amount of time you will have sessions. Most language learning requires time spent outside of lessons learning, and that might become too much with four A-levels on top.
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#4
(Original post by Dianum)
In my school it's common that all students take 4 A - levels and accounting is the A - level that is gonna give me an easy A* although it may not be necessary and I might drop it if I don't manage. Though about what you said in the edit, two hours is just the time I will spent in the same room with my tutor I will still be expected to do all the homework given and learn new vocabulary on my own that's why if I am to be more accurate I would spent about 6 to 8 hours a week on the German that's why I an concerned
In my school it's common that all students take 4 A - levels and accounting is the A - level that is gonna give me an easy A* although it may not be necessary and I might drop it if I don't manage. Though about what you said in the edit, two hours is just the time I will spent in the same room with my tutor I will still be expected to do all the homework given and learn new vocabulary on my own that's why if I am to be more accurate I would spent about 6 to 8 hours a week on the German that's why I an concerned
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(Original post by redmeercat)
There's no real advantage in doing 4, especially when you're applying for medicine and one of your subjects isn't a science. Perhaps you could take German GCSE instead of doing one of the A levels?
There's no real advantage in doing 4, especially when you're applying for medicine and one of your subjects isn't a science. Perhaps you could take German GCSE instead of doing one of the A levels?
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#6
(Original post by Dianum)
In my school it's common that all students take 4 A - levels and accounting is the A - level that is gonna give me an easy A* although it may not be necessary and I might drop it if I don't manage. Though about what you said in the edit, two hours is just the time I will spent in the same room with my tutor I will still be expected to do all the homework given and learn new vocabulary on my own that's why if I am to be more accurate I would spent about 6 to 8 hours a week on the German that's why I an concerned
In my school it's common that all students take 4 A - levels and accounting is the A - level that is gonna give me an easy A* although it may not be necessary and I might drop it if I don't manage. Though about what you said in the edit, two hours is just the time I will spent in the same room with my tutor I will still be expected to do all the homework given and learn new vocabulary on my own that's why if I am to be more accurate I would spent about 6 to 8 hours a week on the German that's why I an concerned
Explain that you're going to be studying German in your free time because you want to go to Germany for university, and that doing a fourth A-level in accounting is less useful to you than learning German. They should allow you to take just three. Taking four as well as the German as well as (presumably) getting experience in a hospital and doing the other things medical applicants need to do seems like too much.
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(Original post by bluebeetle)
Talk to your school.
Explain that you're going to be studying German in your free time because you want to go to Germany for university, and that doing a fourth A-level in accounting is less useful to you than learning German. They should allow you to take just three. Taking four as well as the German as well as (presumably) getting experience in a hospital and doing the other things medical applicants need to do seems like too much.
Talk to your school.
Explain that you're going to be studying German in your free time because you want to go to Germany for university, and that doing a fourth A-level in accounting is less useful to you than learning German. They should allow you to take just three. Taking four as well as the German as well as (presumably) getting experience in a hospital and doing the other things medical applicants need to do seems like too much.
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#8
(Original post by Dianum)
I might do what you said but I wouldn't count on it. My school when it comes to A - levels forces all students to take 4 of them and after one year of studying A - levels they allow students to drop one of them in return to pick up an easier AS like business management or Greek if they want to. What you just described is unheard of in my school
I might do what you said but I wouldn't count on it. My school when it comes to A - levels forces all students to take 4 of them and after one year of studying A - levels they allow students to drop one of them in return to pick up an easier AS like business management or Greek if they want to. What you just described is unheard of in my school
Of course, if you want to take a more mature approach, you could just tell them that you plan to change sixth forms if you are forced to do a fourth A-level, or get your parents involved.
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(Original post by bluebeetle)
That's frustrating, sounds like they're more interested in results that what's best for their students' future. My school was quite similar and I don't know if I can strictly recommend it, but one girl was allowed to drop A-level General Studies after telling the careers adviser that she would sit in the exam and write nothing to deliberately get a U.
Of course, if you want to take a more mature approach, you could just tell them that you plan to change sixth forms if you are forced to do a fourth A-level, or get your parents involved.
That's frustrating, sounds like they're more interested in results that what's best for their students' future. My school was quite similar and I don't know if I can strictly recommend it, but one girl was allowed to drop A-level General Studies after telling the careers adviser that she would sit in the exam and write nothing to deliberately get a U.
Of course, if you want to take a more mature approach, you could just tell them that you plan to change sixth forms if you are forced to do a fourth A-level, or get your parents involved.
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#10
(Original post by Dianum)
Idk I feel like the best option at this point is to just reduce the hours of German with the tutor to one hour since it's not a requirement to know German in order to get accepted it just helps if you do since you will be forced to sit one year of German language at the uni anyway. Though I have to agree with you that my school is not very flexible when it comes to A - levels though from what I heard it's one of the better ones in the area so it might not be great to switch.
Idk I feel like the best option at this point is to just reduce the hours of German with the tutor to one hour since it's not a requirement to know German in order to get accepted it just helps if you do since you will be forced to sit one year of German language at the uni anyway. Though I have to agree with you that my school is not very flexible when it comes to A - levels though from what I heard it's one of the better ones in the area so it might not be great to switch.
I hope everything goes well for you with your A-levels and your German!
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(Original post by bluebeetle)
It's probably worth asking the school and seeing if they can make an exception, but yeah, otherwise dropping down to one hour seems sensible.
I hope everything goes well for you with your A-levels and your German!
It's probably worth asking the school and seeing if they can make an exception, but yeah, otherwise dropping down to one hour seems sensible.
I hope everything goes well for you with your A-levels and your German!
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