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A-level choices!

Hi,

I was just wondering, from anyone else's personal experience, whether the below A-level subjects would be helpful for lit and lang at Oxford?

I would like to do: Literature, Spanish, Re and Biology.


However, it may be useful to know that, RE and Lit clash! So do English language and Spanish, if I did choose to do language as well.

Resultantly, I can only do politics, art, health and social or chemistry in the third block instead of RE or perhaps swap biology out and choose history, drama, psychology or criminology.

There are a few other options like PE, economics, computer science, sport, product design and business in either of these two subject blocks, but I don't think they would be as useful!


I hope the 'blocks' information makes enough sense too!!
Hey so no personal experience but I have researched subjects picking subjects and admissions stuff a lot recently and I love a puzzle so I can have a shot at this:

so for Oxford Lit and Lang degree you need English lit, its their only mandatory subject so that’s non-negotiable

That means from what I can tell for the third block you have to do English lit rather than RE or anything else

Then for the another block: Bio, history, drama, psychology or criminology

Another block can be Spanish, it’s in advisable to do Lit and Lang together

Do you wanna do 4? For a humanities degree it’s really not needed unless your school makes you do 4, 4 is only really advisable if you wanna do further maths which you don’t


So in conclusion, you would do Spanish, Lit and one out of bio, History, drama psychology or criminology. what you do depends on your interests and grades. I dont understand the option blocks you have fully, if I’ve got anything wrong then please clarify and I’ll try help. Hope this was useful!
Original post by Dollsunified
Hi,
I was just wondering, from anyone else's personal experience, whether the below A-level subjects would be helpful for lit and lang at Oxford?
I would like to do: Literature, Spanish, Re and Biology.
However, it may be useful to know that, RE and Lit clash! So do English language and Spanish, if I did choose to do language as well.
Resultantly, I can only do politics, art, health and social or chemistry in the third block instead of RE or perhaps swap biology out and choose history, drama, psychology or criminology.
There are a few other options like PE, economics, computer science, sport, product design and business in either of these two subject blocks, but I don't think they would be as useful!
I hope the 'blocks' information makes enough sense too!!

Psychology would be a good essay option!
Reply 3
Original post by DerDracologe
Hey so no personal experience but I have researched subjects picking subjects and admissions stuff a lot recently and I love a puzzle so I can have a shot at this:

so for Oxford Lit and Lang degree you need English lit, its their only mandatory subject so that’s non-negotiable

That means from what I can tell for the third block you have to do English lit rather than RE or anything else

Then for the another block: Bio, history, drama, psychology or criminology

Another block can be Spanish, it’s in advisable to do Lit and Lang together

Do you wanna do 4? For a humanities degree it’s really not needed unless your school makes you do 4, 4 is only really advisable if you wanna do further maths which you don’t


So in conclusion, you would do Spanish, Lit and one out of bio, History, drama psychology or criminology. what you do depends on your interests and grades. I dont understand the option blocks you have fully, if I’ve got anything wrong then please clarify and I’ll try help. Hope this was useful!

Hi, tysm for responding!


I will of course do lit, as that's where my passion lies, along with Spanish :smile:

In the biology block I only have history, drama and psychology, but I didn't do GCSE drama or history and psychology wasn't offered. Since I have been predicted all 9s, I think maybe choosing a new subject, like how most A-level content is new anyway, wouldn't be too difficult anyway. In the other block is art, which I did do as a GCSE and did incredibly well in, but isn't really worth it as it as an A-level as it is so stressful if it isn't my main focus. In the art block I also have politics, chemistry and the others are H&SC and PE, which don't seem to fit in with my personal preferences really.

I think the slight issue possibly is that we do four subjects, yet there is only one class for each other than psychology!!

Maybe I do go with biology and chemistry, or maybe one of them and do politics or psychology?

Overall, I'm a little unsure whether doing two sciences would be entirely helpful, but maybe it would be alright as only three are needed? I would also have to ask about politics as I don't really know about how enjoyable it would be.

Thanks again :smile:
Reply 4
Original post by StudyGirlGrammar
Psychology would be a good essay option!

Oooh, yes, I have heard this before! Do you have any experience with it (what is it like, is it enjoyable, does it have a wide essay structure that you can use across subjects etc)?

Ty!! :smile:
Original post by Dollsunified
Hi, tysm for responding!
I will of course do lit, as that's where my passion lies, along with Spanish :smile:
In the biology block I only have history, drama and psychology, but I didn't do GCSE drama or history and psychology wasn't offered. Since I have been predicted all 9s, I think maybe choosing a new subject, like how most A-level content is new anyway, wouldn't be too difficult anyway. In the other block is art, which I did do as a GCSE and did incredibly well in, but isn't really worth it as it as an A-level as it is so stressful if it isn't my main focus. In the art block I also have politics, chemistry and the others are H&SC and PE, which don't seem to fit in with my personal preferences really.
I think the slight issue possibly is that we do four subjects, yet there is only one class for each other than psychology!!
Maybe I do go with biology and chemistry, or maybe one of them and do politics or psychology?
Overall, I'm a little unsure whether doing two sciences would be entirely helpful, but maybe it would be alright as only three are needed? I would also have to ask about politics as I don't really know about how enjoyable it would be.
Thanks again :smile:

In my opinion doing four a levels is a lot of work and doing two science subjects as part of this when your main focus is very far from science would be ludicrous tbh (I dont mean that rudely just honestly). I would say Lit, Spanish, Politics/Psychology and maybe Bio if you want a science, perhaps drop it later if you are able to though. I have done GCSE Politics and I would be happy to answer any questions about that if that would help, Im aware it’s possibly different from a level in content and that! Happy to help if you need any more advice!
Reply 6
Original post by DerDracologe
In my opinion doing four a levels is a lot of work and doing two science subjects as part of this when your main focus is very far from science would be ludicrous tbh (I dont mean that rudely just honestly). I would say Lit, Spanish, Politics/Psychology and maybe Bio if you want a science, perhaps drop it later if you are able to though. I have done GCSE Politics and I would be happy to answer any questions about that if that would help, Im aware it’s possibly different from a level in content and that! Happy to help if you need any more advice!

Thanks again!

Yeah, with regards to there being four options, we drop one in year 13 and cash it in as an AS level. So we have to do four, so maybe if I do Spanish, lit, biology and politics?
Original post by Dollsunified
Thanks again!
Yeah, with regards to there being four options, we drop one in year 13 and cash it in as an AS level. So we have to do four, so maybe if I do Spanish, lit, biology and politics?

Sounds like a strong combination! Best of luck with the rest of your exams!
Original post by Dollsunified
Oooh, yes, I have heard this before! Do you have any experience with it (what is it like, is it enjoyable, does it have a wide essay structure that you can use across subjects etc)?
Ty!! :smile:

Haha nope sorry i dont im in year 11 🙂

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