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A level latin or English lit?

eva.l.xox

I'm currently choosing my a levels and I've decided on history, psychology and either latin or English lit, which one do people recommend most?

(edited 10 months ago)

Reply 1

ohdearieme

Here's some advice I would give:
1. If you plan on going to university, is there a specific course you want to study? If so, look at the A Level requirements for that course on several universities. You might be able to find one large document that has all the requirements for every university for that specific course.

2. What do you enjoy more? You're going to be putting a lot of time and effort into these A Levels. Make sure it's something you already have an interest in.

3. Consider the workload. And do your research.
I was stuck between choosing Spanish or English Literature when I was choosing my A Levels. Although I enjoyed GCSE Spanish, when I looked up student experiences, they said that you need to be near fluent in order to get a high grade. The jump between GCSE and A Level is quite large for every subject, but I knew that the leap from GCSE Spanish to A Level was one that I wasn't motivated enough to make. That, and with the Spanish A Level course taught at my sixth form, you needed to deliver a presentation where they ask questions at the end, and write essays in Spanish. As someone who doesn't enjoy presentations, I chose English Literature.

I did Biology, Chemistry and English Literature for A Levels. English Lit allowed me to take a break from my science subjects because it demanded a different, more creative way of thinking and helped me develop writing and critical thinking skills which are transferable skills. Your other A Level subjects seem pretty essay-heavy. Depending on the course structure, perhaps Latin has a little less essay work?

4. Consider what you'll learn.
Although I would have loved to learn more Spanish, I am glad I chose English because I have always loved writing. I valued deconstructing the author's works and learning from them to improve my writing more so than learning Spanish. I still love learning languages, I just love writing more.

5. It is up to you.
Don't let other people dissuade you or discourage you from choosing one over the other. Some might argue than one subject is more useful than the other, but ultimately you should choose what you enjoy and what you think is right for you. I think Latin is pretty cool and would have loved the opportunity to study it.

Hope you come to a decision that you're happy with. Best of luck with your A Levels! :smile: