Gcse student but still unsure of what i want to do for a-level

hi so basically im in year 11 and im still unsure of what to do for a-level like my mind changes everyday but i know i want to do maths but idk what else to pick rn my options are maths business economics but i want to drop business and idk anything about economics and rn im going through a phase of wanting to do medicine? has anyone got any advice on what a levels to pick and what not to pick

Reply 1

TriplexA

Original post by HALEE189

Hi there.

For medicine taking Bio + Chem and one other A level (Maths) would virtually all UK med schools open to you based on your chosen A levels.

Colleges usually have adjustment periods for A levels so you can drop and change subjects if you don't enjoy your current ones. They may also have taster days so don't worry :smile:

Best wishes.

(edited 2 years ago)

Reply 2

TazmeenX

abt doing business and economics together, im not sure if unis are fond of that bc theyre quite similar in terms of what they cover and sometimes they dont count both of them-idk this is what ive been told

i reccomend you choose subjects that are going to keep your doors open. for medicine, i know newcastle actually dont have any a-level requirements for med. for some they need chem+bio/physics/maths/psych (only a couple) but usually its chem and bio. do some research into it :smile:

i'm in a similar boat to you but rn i wanna do law. thank god they have little to no subject requirements as u only usually need an essay subject. so rn ive decided on chem, maths, sociology and economics (might change the last one to politics tho)

you can also drop out of a subject within the first week or so if you really dont like it.

id reccomend you do an essay subject, a science (chem perhaps lol) and maths?? idk tho-go w what you will do well in!! its better to have AAA in subjects you love and can do well in rather than idk BBB in subjects you only took bc u felt like u had to

(edited 2 years ago)

Reply 3

HALEE189

thank you so much guys what's your opinion on taking 4 subjects then maybe bio chem maths and economics/politics or should i just leave it at 3 cause it might be too much work or do unis consider the 4th subject or not?

Reply 4

TriplexA

Original post by HALEE189

Doing 4 A levels has little/no advantage (even for medicine!)

A levels require much more commitment than GCSEs so focus on getting those high grades in them.

Best wishes :smile:

Reply 5

artful_lounger

Universities Forum Helper

As above doing four A-levels is not recommended unless two are maths and further maths (due to the synergy and cumulative content between those two subjects). You don't get "bonus points" for taking extra A-levels (except I think one medical school, I always forget which one...), and run the risk of getting lower grades across the board due to spreading yourself too thinly. Unis up to and including Oxbridge (not that the distinciton matters for medicine) are quite clear that three strong grades in A-levels are all that is required and is preferred to 4 more mediocre grades. A*AA>>>A*ABC as far as unis are concerned.

For medical school requirements, see the first post of this thread which outlines the A-level subject requirements for all medical schools in the UK: https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=5611422 Note that with A-level Biology and Chemistry you would be able to apply to any medical school except Cambridge (which requires 3 STEM subjects). Taking a third STEM subject (such as maths) confers no advantage for any medical school except Cambridge, where it is functionally required. Taking an extra A-level as above doesn't confer any advantage for almost all medical schools and most are very clear they only score and consider 3 A-level subjects even if you are taking more.

Outside of the medicine angle, I would not recommend taking A-level Business Studies and A-level Economics together. Many universities do not like this combination due to the overlapping content, and quite a few will only consider one grade from the two subjects towards meeting a 3 A-level offer (and if you are only taking 3 A-levels, that would mean you wouldn't be able to apply to those unis...). You shouldn't take both as a result - just take one or the other. Note if you are interested in studying economics at degree level, A-level Further Maths is very useful for any economics degree, and functionally required if your school offers it for LSE, and likely expected by Cambridge and UCL as well (Oxford don't care as much as economics is only a joint honours course there).