Spanish or Psychology A-level

What are your other A level choices?

What do you see yourself doing after you leave school - if Uni. what subject?

My other A-level choices are Chemistry, Biology and Maths. I want to study medicine at University. I don’t think my fourth option will affect my uni application. I just want to do something I enjoy as a fourth subject at A-level.

You dont need 4 A levels - no-one does.

Here are the entry requirements for each UK Med School - https://www.medschools.ac.uk/media/2951/entry-requirements-document-2023-entry.pdf

Taking 3 STEM subjects will be hard work and you do not need to have the added stress of Psych on top of that - you are risking all your grades. So, either forget any idea of a 4th subject or take Spanish to AS level and drop it after that to focus on the all important 3 grades. Remember, AAA is always going to look better that ABBB - and that could cost you a place at Med School.

Hi, does anyone do Spanish or Psychology A-level? If so, could you please give me a detailed insight about the content you learn and whether you are finding it difficult?
I am currently in Year 11 and am planning to do Chemistry, biology and maths A-level, but I want to take another subject that I really enjoy (which would be either Spanish or psychology because I enjoy both a lot).
What is the workload like?
Did you enjoy it?
Can I still be able to get an A/A* in Spanish A-level despite not being a native speaker?...
(btw I am predicted 9s in both spanish and psychology - not sure if it makes much difference because I heard that the step-up is very high from GCSE to A-Level).
Honestly, I want to take a subject that won't affect my other 3 subjects too much. What would you think is best?

1. Paper 2 for Spanish will be consisting of Spanish essays, that will be based on a novel and film and are only required to be 300 words in Spanish.

2. There is one huge exam for Listening, Reading and Writing worth 50% of the A-Level grade in Paper 1, and most past papers from January 2009 are similar to the questions, so you can practice a lot too.

3. The third paper, is a Oral and Independent Research Project. It is a topic of your choice which you will be asked to to speak about for several minutes to an examiner or your teacher. It is worth 30% and can boost your grade from a B to an A*?! lol

All in all, language A-Levels have got easier, but it is still hard work.

Don't listen to those people who say 4A-Levels won't get you ahead. If you get A*ABA* in Maths, Chemistry, Biology and Spanish, then your Spanish A* grade will be considered by medical schools.

I would not do Psychology, as there is far too much to learn and boring essays too. lol

Omg. Thank you so much. This has helped a lot. Very inspirational lol. So what would be the difference between Spanish AS and Spanish A-level?
Would i still need to do the research project?

Inshallah you consider the FULL A-LEVEL, because you could study Medicine in Spanish speaking countries.

There is no Individual Research Project in AS-Level, but the novel and film are exactly the same.

The following is from the AS AQA SPANISH SPECIFICATION:

Paper 3: Speaking
What's assessed

One sub-theme from Aspects of Hispanic society and one sub-theme from Artistic culture in the Hispanic world.

How it's assessed

Oral exam: 12–14 minutes
60 marks
30% of AS
Questions

Discussion of two sub-themes (6–7 minutes on each) with the discussion based on a stimulus card for each sub-theme. The student studies the cards for 15 minutes before the test begins.

No access to a dictionary during the assessment or during the preparation time.

Students may take the assessment only once before certification.

Thank you. Are you currently a sixth form student? If so, what subjects do you do?

If you get A*ABA* in Maths, Chemistry, Biology and Spanish, then your Spanish A* grade will be considered by medical schools.

1. Paper 2 for Spanish will be consisting of Spanish essays, that will be based on a novel and film and are only required to be 300 words in Spanish.

2. There is one huge exam for Listening, Reading and Writing worth 50% of the A-Level grade in Paper 1, and most past papers from January 2009 are similar to the questions, so you can practice a lot too.

3. The third paper, is a Oral and Independent Research Project. It is a topic of your choice which you will be asked to to speak about for several minutes to an examiner or your teacher. It is worth 30% and can boost your grade from a B to an A*?! lol

All in all, language A-Levels have got easier, but it is still hard work.

Don't listen to those people who say 4A-Levels won't get you ahead. If you get A*ABA* in Maths, Chemistry, Biology and Spanish, then your Spanish A* grade will be considered by medical schools.

I would not do Psychology, as there is far too much to learn and boring essays too. lol

If the offer is for 3 STEM subjects - as required by some Med Schools - the A level in Spanish will be entirely ignored.

If the offer is AAA and you get ABBB because you wasted time and effort doing an extra A level that you never needed, you wont have a place at Med School.

But, Heba is very bright, and will get A*A*AA or greater with ease.

Also, so many applicants from grammar and private schools have 4 A-Levels and some 5 or 6 A-Levels. Just take a look at the statistics for Cambridge and Oxford?

Also, kind of out of context, but how are you finding Ramadan? 😄

But 4, 5 or 6 A levels are of no benefit in getting shortlisted or an offer for medicine. Plus with UCAT, BMAT (or replacement), work experience and interview prep there is a lot to juggle in Yr 13 and we see many people every year who end up with AABB and regret that 4th A level.
OP should do whatever A levels they wish, but not in the mistaken belief it will improve chances of a place for medicine and not if it jeopardises them getting AAA or better

For OXFORD UNIVERSITY ADMISSIONS:

61.7% of applicants taking A-levels were doing/had done 3 A-levels, 32.2% were doing 4 A-levels and approx. 3.4% were doing 5 or more A-levels (though not necessarily all being completed in one academic year).

20.7% of applicants offered alternative qualifications, the most popular of which was the IB (10.1%), with US qualifications (SAT subject tests/AP tests), Canadian qualifications, the Singaporean SIPCAL, and Scottish Advanced Highers representing the next most popular options. 11.7% of applicants who were shortlisted and 8.6% of applicants with an offer studied for qualifications other than A-levels (including the IB).

Taraweeh prayer is difficult with the wet weather and is very long too. But it is not that hot, it is quite cool weather wise, so bearable for the day. I eat enough in the mornings to not get hungry til 4pm. lol How about you?

I am not sure what you are trying to show with that? It just goes to show that >3 A levels are not needed for an application, nor an offer?
I'm guessing >61.7% of them are right handed, but that also has no bearing on the chances of an offer.

As I say, OP should do 4 A levels if they want, but they will add no benefit to an application at almost all med schools, and even then, will just reduce the offer by 1 grade from the standard

For OXFORD UNIVERSITY ADMISSIONS:

61.7% of applicants taking A-levels were doing/had done 3 A-levels, 32.2% were doing 4 A-levels and approx. 3.4% were doing 5 or more A-levels (though not necessarily all being completed in one academic year).