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Opinions on taking 4 a levels

right now, i am thinking of taking maths, econ, English lit + theatre studies. my form is due in tomorrow. is taking 4 levels a huge mistake? will I regret the workload? i know I can always drop one after some time, but I am so interested in all 4, esp. because I don't know my future career path: finance or law :smile:

Reply 1

RtheBotanist

I'm in year 13 and study Biology, Chemistry, Maths and Geography, and got A*, A*, B, A* respectively in the autumn mocks without putting in an insane amount of work, though maths is lagging worryingly behind due to a current total of almost no outside-school revision. I'd say that if you either have a great work ethic, or are just very academic, 4 shouldn't be a problem. However, maths requires more out-of-lesson practice than most other subjects where revision the night before tests generally works.

You say you're genuinely interested in all of these four choices, so I'd suggest that you go for it. My only recommendation is that you put extra work into maths from the very beginning, because it's very common for even highly intelligent students (well, the lazier ones) to trip up during year 13 even if they know and understand all the content.

(edited 3 years ago)

Reply 2

McGinger

Pointless. Don't do it.

No University requires more than 3 A levels and you dont get extra brownie points for doing 4.
A levels are a major step-up from GCSEs - you are expected to do a great deal more independent study/extra reading - and 3 subjects is usually the most that even the brightest can cope with. Even starting 4 with the view to drop 1 late is not a good idea - its distracting and just wastes time.

You risk getting lower grades because you have taken on too much - this could mean losing a University place in August..
AAA will always look better than BBBB.

Reply 3

Muttley79

Original post by holyguac

I'm surprised that your school will allow this. The only way we allow 4 is if Maths/FMaths are chosen.
Don't take 4 ...

Reply 4

McGinger

If you want something 'extra' - look at doing an EPQ in Year 12 : https://www.careerpilot.org.uk/information/a-levels/why-do-an-extended-project-qualification-epq
Then you are still taking only 3 main subjects.

Reply 5

holyguac

Original post by McGinger

thanks

what about ucas points?

Reply 6

hajima

Don't listen to the people that reply to any similar query with "it's pointless" or "universities don't require more than 3" etc, they're missing the point in doing 4 and overstate its difficulty. As someone that's taking 4 A-Levels now, it isn't impossible and I wouldn't automatically recommend against it as long as you absolutely love the subjects you're doing. Even though it is an increasingly small proportion of students, lots still do 5 or more A-Levels; it really isn't as black or white as people make it out to be.

(edited 3 years ago)

Reply 7

holyguac

Original post by RtheBotanist

being completely blatant, would you consider yourself an academic... were u always getting top grades in ur class?
If u don't mind me asking, what did you get at GCSE for bio, chem, maths + geo ?
If GCSEs are still to take place, without being cocky, I am almost certain to get an 8 in drama IF not a 9.For maths, my teacher says I will 100% get a 7, although I'm not too sure if this is to boost my confidence. The other two will hopefully be a 6, maybe a 5..... so I'm not a HUGE academic, but I do understand things + I am 100% willing and able to put in the effort for maths because 1, I enjoy it, 2, I KNOW the difficulty will be INSANE. I am certain I want Maths, Econ and English Lit. The one I am contemplating is taking drama too.... thoughts would be appreciated, thanks 😊😊

Reply 8

McGinger

Original post by hajima

they're missing the point in doing 4 and overstate its difficulty

Every year whilst checking A level results at a well-known RG University I would see hundreds of students losing their Uni place because they had taken four subjects and underachieved in all four subjects. Don't be one of them.

Reply 9

hajima

Original post by McGinger

You must've had some divine intervention that allowed you to draw a causal link between taking 4 A-Levels and underperforming, it couldn't possibly be that A-Level predictions are famously unreliable in the first place.

Reply 10

RtheBotanist

Original post by holyguac

To be fair, for my four current A levels I got 9, 9, 8, 9 at GCSE respectively in the order you state them in, and with low effort. My results were 9999998886. It seems like you are struggling a little more, but with enough enthusiasm and a healthy work ethic you should be able to cope and do absolutely fine with 4. It also depends on what grades you're hoping for to meet uni requirements. AABB (or higher) might be a reasonable set of results to hope for if you put in the work, whereas A*A*AA or higher might be a tad less attainable. It is important to remember that with 4, you can drop one pretty much whenever you like (unless your sixth-form/college is much stricter than mine). Many people here dropped their 4th fairly quickly and with no adverse effects.

Ultimately, we can't make the decision for you. If you see A levels just as a means to an end, or have problems studying outside school, maybe go for 3. If you are far more curious about your subjects and are good at extra work, 4 would be a totally valid choice. Universities don't really care, so go for whatever choice you think will maximise your enjoyment of A levels while not messing up your grades.