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A-level subject choices - history or maths

I am so indecisive so this is stressing me out. I have my other 2 choices sorted (bio and chem) but idk whether to take maths or history. I loved the history content at GCSE level (I got a 9) and I'm on the fence about pursuing it as a career however I would also like to pursue a career in either dentistry or forensics. Yes, I am aware maths isn't necessary but it comes naturally to me and I was able to get a 9 at GCSE so I wouldn't mind doing A-level maths. I have thought about taking 4 A-levels but it's not worth it as Uni's only tend to look at 3 so now I have this issue.

Anyone got some advice? :smile:
Reply 1
Do you know what the topics for A-level history would be? Are you interested in them as well?
Reply 2
Original post by Sinnoh
Do you know what the topics for A-level history would be? Are you interested in them as well?
Yes, I forgot to mention this
Original post by Evaa831
I am so indecisive so this is stressing me out. I have my other 2 choices sorted (bio and chem) but idk whether to take maths or history. I loved the history content at GCSE level (I got a 9) and I'm on the fence about pursuing it as a career however I would also like to pursue a career in either dentistry or forensics. Yes, I am aware maths isn't necessary but it comes naturally to me and I was able to get a 9 at GCSE so I wouldn't mind doing A-level maths. I have thought about taking 4 A-levels but it's not worth it as Uni's only tend to look at 3 so now I have this issue.
Anyone got some advice? :smile:

As someone who also thought about doing 4 A-levels, avoid it at all costs! It is not worth the effort whatsoever.

I personally did Maths, Chem and Eng Lit. I think a humanity complements two STEM subjects really well and it's very enjoyable (as well as impressive, lots of people commit to only STEM or only humanities). From my personal observations, it's not enough to have been good at Maths at GCSE to succeed at A-level the jump is big if you haven't done Further Maths GCSE and the sheer number of hours you have to put in means you need to actually enjoy it. However, History also had a reputation at my school for being one of the hardest options and all A-levels are difficult to some extent.

You absolutely need to care about your subjects at least a bit in order to remain sane throughout Sixth Form so I'd say follow what interests you most. If you have any more specific questions abt A-level Maths (or anything else) feel free to ask!
Reply 4
Original post by infinitejester
As someone who also thought about doing 4 A-levels, avoid it at all costs! It is not worth the effort whatsoever.
I personally did Maths, Chem and Eng Lit. I think a humanity complements two STEM subjects really well and it's very enjoyable (as well as impressive, lots of people commit to only STEM or only humanities). From my personal observations, it's not enough to have been good at Maths at GCSE to succeed at A-level the jump is big if you haven't done Further Maths GCSE and the sheer number of hours you have to put in means you need to actually enjoy it. However, History also had a reputation at my school for being one of the hardest options and all A-levels are difficult to some extent.
You absolutely need to care about your subjects at least a bit in order to remain sane throughout Sixth Form so I'd say follow what interests you most. If you have any more specific questions abt A-level Maths (or anything else) feel free to ask!

I have done a few lessons in school on further maths but nothing too crazy lol but thank you for your advice! It’s definitely given me a new perspective as I’ve been told A-Level maths was somewhat similar to GCSE 😭 (someone definitely set me up)

Did either of your other A-level subjects have that crazy jump from GCSE or was it manageable?
Original post by Evaa831
I have done a few lessons in school on further maths but nothing too crazy lol but thank you for your advice! It’s definitely given me a new perspective as I’ve been told A-Level maths was somewhat similar to GCSE 😭 (someone definitely set me up)
Did either of your other A-level subjects have that crazy jump from GCSE or was it manageable?

To be fair, none of the jumps from GCSE to A-level were unmanageable, but I had the advantage of FM which helped for Maths. I do remember having to put some effort into Chemistry at the very beginning, but that was mostly bc our teacher tested us in the first week using real AS exam questions 😭.

Teachers (and other students) tend to go on about how difficult the transition to A-level is, but as someone who has always been quite academically inclined I didn't actually struggle with any of my subjects in the beginning of Y12. The jump is something to keep in mind, as plenty of people do find it difficult, but don't let it put you off a subject entirely! With a bit of hard work you'll be absolutely fine.

Best of luck with your results today!
(edited 3 months ago)
Reply 6
Original post by infinitejester
To be fair, none of the jumps from GCSE to A-level were unmanageable, but I had the advantage of FM which helped for Maths. I do remember having to put some effort into Chemistry at the very beginning, but that was mostly bc our teacher tested us in the first week using real AS exam questions 😭.
Teachers (and other students) tend to go on about how difficult the transition to A-level is, but as someone who has always been quite academically inclined I didn't actually struggle with any of my subjects in the beginning of Y12. The jump is something to keep in mind, as plenty of people do find it difficult, but don't let it put you off a subject entirely! With a bit of hard work you'll be absolutely fine.
Best of luck with your results today!

Thank you clearing that up and thank you!! 🥳

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