CS or Chemistry a level?
hey guys,
I am currently taking math, fm and physics a level. I want to pick up a fourth as i found it very maneagable doing 3. I want to do engineering science at oxford and possibly specialise into software/information engineering. should i pick up chemistry or CS a level? I really love chemistry and i am not that keen i could do well in CS a level. However if i don't get into oxford i maybe want to do a math and computing degree at imperial or ucl. Will i still be able to do well in this degree let alone get in if i do chemistry as a 4th rather than computing?
Thanks
I am currently taking math, fm and physics a level. I want to pick up a fourth as i found it very maneagable doing 3. I want to do engineering science at oxford and possibly specialise into software/information engineering. should i pick up chemistry or CS a level? I really love chemistry and i am not that keen i could do well in CS a level. However if i don't get into oxford i maybe want to do a math and computing degree at imperial or ucl. Will i still be able to do well in this degree let alone get in if i do chemistry as a 4th rather than computing?
Thanks
(edited 1 month ago)
CS has the additional hurdle which is only 20% of your grade but takes 80% of your time, a painful part of the course.
I don't do chem but I've heard the grade boundaries are pretty high, but also that if you do enough practice it's very simple as the questions are repetitive.
^^ again this is just hearsay not my personal opinion on chemistry
I don't do chem but I've heard the grade boundaries are pretty high, but also that if you do enough practice it's very simple as the questions are repetitive.
^^ again this is just hearsay not my personal opinion on chemistry
Original post by akashDTV
hey guys,
I am currently taking math, fm and physics a level. I want to pick up a fourth as i found it very maneagable doing 3. I want to do engineering science at oxford and possibly specialise into software/information engineering. should i pick up chemistry or CS a level? I really love chemistry and i am not that keen i could do well in CS a level. However if i don't get into oxford i maybe want to do a math and computing degree at imperial or ucl. Will i still be able to do well in this degree let alone get in if i do chemistry as a 4th rather than computing?
Thanks
I am currently taking math, fm and physics a level. I want to pick up a fourth as i found it very maneagable doing 3. I want to do engineering science at oxford and possibly specialise into software/information engineering. should i pick up chemistry or CS a level? I really love chemistry and i am not that keen i could do well in CS a level. However if i don't get into oxford i maybe want to do a math and computing degree at imperial or ucl. Will i still be able to do well in this degree let alone get in if i do chemistry as a 4th rather than computing?
Thanks
You don't need a CS a level to get into Imperial /UCL for CS. You only need Maths and Further maths.
However, if you don't think you'd do well in CS A-level, I would strongly suggest you reconsider if Computer Science is the right thing for you. CS a level is relatively straightforward compared to CS at uni.
Oh, and by the way, computer science at UCL or Imperial is as competitive if not more so than engineering at Oxford. Even with 4A* predicted the chance of rejection is high. So they are not really back up options.
Original post by Rob Bellic
You don't need a CS a level to get into Imperial /UCL for CS. You only need Maths and Further maths.
However, if you don't think you'd do well in CS A-level, I would strongly suggest you reconsider if Computer Science is the right thing for you. CS a level is relatively straightforward compared to CS at uni.
Oh, and by the way, computer science at UCL or Imperial is as competitive if not more so than engineering at Oxford. Even with 4A* predicted the chance of rejection is high. So they are not really back up options.
However, if you don't think you'd do well in CS A-level, I would strongly suggest you reconsider if Computer Science is the right thing for you. CS a level is relatively straightforward compared to CS at uni.
Oh, and by the way, computer science at UCL or Imperial is as competitive if not more so than engineering at Oxford. Even with 4A* predicted the chance of rejection is high. So they are not really back up options.
Hi thanks for responding,
sorry i phrased that quite badly. It is not necessarily that i dont enjoy CS or would find it very difficult (really with any subject if you practice enough you can get good and there are areas i especially enjoy such as programming) , its just i can see myself doing better in chemistry and i would probably enjoy it a bit more. Especially since my school didn't give the option for CS gcse. I am quite keen in the software engineering field and also am quite good at maths which is why i am interested in a math and CS degree rather than pure CS.
I should really be asking: do I still have a solid chance of getting into a math and CS degree doing chemistry instead of CS a level assuming I do well in all my other subjects (esp math and fm)
I know a lot of people say that you don't need CS for CS degrees but i want to know if that is really true. Its similar to how unis say that you don't need 4 a levels but in fact i spoke to someone from cambridge who told me that most people do 4 a levels and it is better as u would get WAY more workload at uni.
Thanks
(edited 1 month ago)
Original post by akashDTV
Hi thanks for responding,
sorry i phrased that quite badly. It is not necessarily that i dont enjoy CS or would find it very difficult (really with any subject if you practice enough you can get good and there are areas i especially enjoy such as programming) , its just i can see myself doing better in chemistry and i would probably enjoy it a bit more. Especially since my school didn't give the option for CS gcse. I am quite keen in the software engineering field and also am quite good at maths which is why i am interested in a math and CS degree rather than pure CS.
I should really be asking: do I still have a solid chance of getting into a math and CS degree doing chemistry instead of CS a level assuming I do well in all my other subjects (esp math and fm)
I know a lot of people say that you don't need CS for CS degrees but i want to know if that is really true. Its similar to how unis say that you don't need 4 a levels but in fact i spoke to someone from cambridge who told me that most people do 4 a levels and it is better as u would get WAY more workload at uni.
Thanks
sorry i phrased that quite badly. It is not necessarily that i dont enjoy CS or would find it very difficult (really with any subject if you practice enough you can get good and there are areas i especially enjoy such as programming) , its just i can see myself doing better in chemistry and i would probably enjoy it a bit more. Especially since my school didn't give the option for CS gcse. I am quite keen in the software engineering field and also am quite good at maths which is why i am interested in a math and CS degree rather than pure CS.
I should really be asking: do I still have a solid chance of getting into a math and CS degree doing chemistry instead of CS a level assuming I do well in all my other subjects (esp math and fm)
I know a lot of people say that you don't need CS for CS degrees but i want to know if that is really true. Its similar to how unis say that you don't need 4 a levels but in fact i spoke to someone from cambridge who told me that most people do 4 a levels and it is better as u would get WAY more workload at uni.
Thanks
you will still have a good chance to get into maths and CS without CS at A-Level. for imperial, your TMUA and PS will be very very important, so make sure to practise a lot and also to demonstrate your interest through an impressive PS
I love chem, I would defo reccomend it, go for it!!
Computer Science is very fun if you're a certain type of person. In my order to do well though it's not just about knowing the content, it's about being able to think in a certain type of way, which is what makes CS such a useful and respected qualification.
In terms of assessments the NEA is time consuming, the coding is demanding and can be quite a challenge for beginners and the content is not too bad.
Overall I'd definitely recommend CS if you're looking for a challenge and are willing to spend a lot of time in order to tackle problems where the thinking required may not come naturally for you. However as a fourth subject you may find it too demanding l.
In terms of assessments the NEA is time consuming, the coding is demanding and can be quite a challenge for beginners and the content is not too bad.
Overall I'd definitely recommend CS if you're looking for a challenge and are willing to spend a lot of time in order to tackle problems where the thinking required may not come naturally for you. However as a fourth subject you may find it too demanding l.
Take chemistry. Computer science will provide you with no advantage whatsoever in either scenario, even if you decide you want to do CS or JMC at uni. As mentioned by someone else already, the coursework is a huge time commitment and if you are not 100% certain/passionate about computer science I would strongly recommend against it. Unis are well aware that most students do not get access to A-Level CS, and even if they do the teachers usually aren't that good, so in turn do not really care whether or not you took it for A-level. Chemistry on the other hand will open up some doors. Not to mention that if you are super passionate about computer science, you can self-learn most of the interesting stuff in a few weeks anyway (and skip all the crap like binary normalisation and memorising the functions of CPU registers). Frankly most of the interesting stuff isn't even in A-level computer science.
Original post by KWad
Take chemistry. Computer science will provide you with no advantage whatsoever in either scenario, even if you decide you want to do CS or JMC at uni. As mentioned by someone else already, the coursework is a huge time commitment and if you are not 100% certain/passionate about computer science I would strongly recommend against it. Unis are well aware that most students do not get access to A-Level CS, and even if they do the teachers usually aren't that good, so in turn do not really care whether or not you took it for A-level. Chemistry on the other hand will open up some doors. Not to mention that if you are super passionate about computer science, you can self-learn most of the interesting stuff in a few weeks anyway (and skip all the crap like binary normalisation and memorising the functions of CPU registers). Frankly most of the interesting stuff isn't even in A-level computer science.
Oh, look at you, crushing A-levels like they're a walk in the park. Just casually throwing in a fourth subject because, you know, why not? 🙄
So, you're torn between Chemistry and Computer Science. You love Chemistry but think CS could be useful if Oxford doesn't throw open its ivory gates. Decisions, decisions...
Here's the deal: You're already a superhuman juggling Math, Further Math, and Physics. Adding Chemistry, which you actually enjoy, might make this academic circus more bearable. Plus, loving a subject means you'll probably ace it, and who knows, Oxford might appreciate the passion.
On the other hand, Computer Science would make you look like a software wizard when you apply for those Math and Computing degrees at Imperial or UCL. But if you hate it, dragging yourself through CS classes might turn you into a sleep-deprived zombie, muttering algorithms in your dreams.
Pick Chemistry if you want to enjoy life a bit more and still have an impressive lineup. Pick CS if you’re ready to dive into the deep end of code and binary for the future benefits.
Whatever you choose, you'll still be a rockstar. Now, go forth and conquer!
So, you're torn between Chemistry and Computer Science. You love Chemistry but think CS could be useful if Oxford doesn't throw open its ivory gates. Decisions, decisions...
Here's the deal: You're already a superhuman juggling Math, Further Math, and Physics. Adding Chemistry, which you actually enjoy, might make this academic circus more bearable. Plus, loving a subject means you'll probably ace it, and who knows, Oxford might appreciate the passion.
On the other hand, Computer Science would make you look like a software wizard when you apply for those Math and Computing degrees at Imperial or UCL. But if you hate it, dragging yourself through CS classes might turn you into a sleep-deprived zombie, muttering algorithms in your dreams.
Pick Chemistry if you want to enjoy life a bit more and still have an impressive lineup. Pick CS if you’re ready to dive into the deep end of code and binary for the future benefits.
Whatever you choose, you'll still be a rockstar. Now, go forth and conquer!
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