picking humanities + science a levels (pharmacology/neuroscience/econ/politics)

hey this is my first post, and i’m feeling really unsure about which a levels to pick since the deadline is coming up fast and i’m stuck between humanities and sciences. i’ve always been more comfortable with essay-based subjects, but over the past couple of years, i’ve started enjoying stem more, and i don’t want to just go for ‘safe’ options if i’m interested in something else. im looking to have a broad combo which allows me to apply to as many uni courses as possible.
i just did this test from my skl called the morrisby test which is supposed to be good at showing u ur target careers and degrees and i got high compatibility with finance + banking, which makes me think i should maybe take maths a level bc i do kind of enjoy maths but id say its the subject i struggle with the most. im not sure if its worth it to get maybe an a or even a b in maths when i could pick something like politics or english and get an a* but stop myself from applying to maths degrees.
i’d really appreciate any advice on which a levels i should consider ruling out, or if anyone has insights into careers in pharmacology, neuroscience, politics, or economics as i don’t know much about them.
my predicted gcses are 9s in english, physics, chemistry, spanish, french, history, geography, and music, and an 8 in maths. i’m interested in careers like diplomacy, international law, or something that mixes psychology/neuroscience with humanities.
i know i want to take history, and i’m aiming for 3 a levels. here are my options:
- english lit: it’s a safe option since english is my best subject and the department is great, but i’m not planning to study it at uni. i want something more practical, like international politics or a science-based course.
- economics: seems interesting and practical, but i’m not sure about microeconomics, and i don’t take maths (only core maths). what social science/science degrees could i apply to with econ and not maths/chem if i dont pick it?
- politics: i like the idea of it, but i don’t enjoy learning about political thinkers. it’s kind of similar to history, so i’m not sure if it’d be broad enough
- french/spanish: languages are important for diplomacy and law, but i’m not super passionate about them, but it’d be a safe choice and would keep me writing essays like i would in english but with the practical addition of being able to speak another language
- chemistry: i’m really interested in chemistry, especially organic chem, and would like to keep this as an option for science degrees. but i’m wondering if taking two essay-based subjects might limit my options. could econ + core maths make my application stronger? what degrees could i apply to with chem + 2 essay based subjects? (human sciences?)
i’m also thinking about doing an epq, core maths, or an as level language (though i’ve heard as languages aren’t that useful). if i don’t take chemistry, i could do a science-based epq, but i can’t do both an epq and core maths or an as level language.
sorry this is so long, but as u can see i have no idea what to pick apart from history. the more i talk to teachers, the more confused i get, so any advice would be amazing. thanks so much for reading!

Hey because a levels are challenging I would stick with essay based subjects if that is what you are good at. Plus with a levels it’s much easier for you if you go with similar subjects as it makes revision 100% easier. I did History, Politics and Religion and am now doing a history degree. I thoroughly enjoyed history and politics but personally not religion. If you’re interested in a career in international law but also psychology then I would opt to do History, Politics, Economics and Psychology which would cover both those bases no matter what combination you take. Hope this helps! 🫶

hey this is my first post, and i’m feeling really unsure about which a levels to pick since the deadline is coming up fast and i’m stuck between humanities and sciences. i’ve always been more comfortable with essay-based subjects, but over the past couple of years, i’ve started enjoying stem more, and i don’t want to just go for ‘safe’ options if i’m interested in something else. im looking to have a broad combo which allows me to apply to as many uni courses as possible.

i just did this test from my skl called the morrisby test which is supposed to be good at showing u ur target careers and degrees and i got high compatibility with finance + banking, which makes me think i should maybe take maths a level bc i do kind of enjoy maths but id say its the subject i struggle with the most. im not sure if its worth it to get maybe an a or even a b in maths when i could pick something like politics or english and get an a* but stop myself from applying to maths degrees.

i’d really appreciate any advice on which a levels i should consider ruling out, or if anyone has insights into careers in pharmacology, neuroscience, politics, or economics as i don’t know much about them.

my predicted gcses are 9s in english, physics, chemistry, spanish, french, history, geography, and music, and an 8 in maths. i’m interested in careers like diplomacy, international law, or something that mixes psychology/neuroscience with humanities.

i know i want to take history, and i’m aiming for 3 a levels. here are my options:
- english lit: it’s a safe option since english is my best subject and the department is great, but i’m not planning to study it at uni. i want something more practical, like international politics or a science-based course.

- economics: seems interesting and practical, but i’m not sure about microeconomics, and i don’t take maths (only core maths). what social science/science degrees could i apply to with econ and not maths/chem if i dont pick it?

- politics: i like the idea of it, but i don’t enjoy learning about political thinkers. it’s kind of similar to history, so i’m not sure if it’d be broad enough

- french/spanish: languages are important for diplomacy and law, but i’m not super passionate about them, but it’d be a safe choice and would keep me writing essays like i would in english but with the practical addition of being able to speak another language

- chemistry: i’m really interested in chemistry, especially organic chem, and would like to keep this as an option for science degrees. but i’m wondering if taking two essay-based subjects might limit my options. could econ + core maths make my application stronger? what degrees could i apply to with chem + 2 essay based subjects? (human sciences?)

i’m also thinking about doing an epq, core maths, or an as level language (though i’ve heard as languages aren’t that useful). if i don’t take chemistry, i could do a science-based epq, but i can’t do both an epq and core maths or an as level language.

sorry this is so long, but as u can see i have no idea what to pick apart from history. the more i talk to teachers, the more confused i get, so any advice would be amazing. thanks so much for reading!

hey! someone who takes history, physics and fine art here!
dont deep the morisby too much - it told me to be a fish farmer.
dont take anything youre not passionate about, alevels are difficult and taking something that you wont enjoy will make it even harder. - if you dont like them dont take spanish or french, the value that it would give you when applying to university will not make up for the dislike you would have from studying them.
taking history and politics together can be useful as there is alot of overlap that will help you succeed in both.
sounds like you would most enjoy taking history, politics and chemistry. just from reading your post. this would be a gret combo for going into law, diplomacy international law or any humanities subjects.
what you mention about maths does hold alot of truth though. it will be more difficult to get into a science subject without it.
if your school allows it you could consider taking 4 alevels to begin with and drop your least favourite around christmas (or just take them all) this would mean you could take the combo above and maths. this would drastically open the opportunities for science subjects.
doing the EPQ is excellent as not only would it bring you grade bands up for some universities when apply, but it will give you something to talk about in your personal statement and interview!
hope this helped 👍️

hey! someone who takes history, physics and fine art here!
dont deep the morisby too much - it told me to be a fish farmer.
dont take anything youre not passionate about, alevels are difficult and taking something that you wont enjoy will make it even harder. - if you dont like them dont take spanish or french, the value that it would give you when applying to university will not make up for the dislike you would have from studying them.
taking history and politics together can be useful as there is alot of overlap that will help you succeed in both.
sounds like you would most enjoy taking history, politics and chemistry. just from reading your post. this would be a gret combo for going into law, diplomacy international law or any humanities subjects.
what you mention about maths does hold alot of truth though. it will be more difficult to get into a science subject without it.
if your school allows it you could consider taking 4 alevels to begin with and drop your least favourite around christmas (or just take them all) this would mean you could take the combo above and maths. this would drastically open the opportunities for science subjects.
doing the EPQ is excellent as not only would it bring you grade bands up for some universities when apply, but it will give you something to talk about in your personal statement and interview!
hope this helped 👍️

Hey because a levels are challenging I would stick with essay based subjects if that is what you are good at. Plus with a levels it’s much easier for you if you go with similar subjects as it makes revision 100% easier. I did History, Politics and Religion and am now doing a history degree. I thoroughly enjoyed history and politics but personally not religion. If you’re interested in a career in international law but also psychology then I would opt to do History, Politics, Economics and Psychology which would cover both those bases no matter what combination you take. Hope this helps! 🫶

Incidentally I'd note for pursuing a career in diplomacy - you can enter the FCDO with any degree as I understand (you don't need a degree in politics or international relations) and just need a 2:2 or above, unless applying specifically for economics-tracks in e.g. the Fast Stream (which would require a degree with 50% economics content).
Languages might be useful for that route but realistically I suspect the only languages that would actually make a difference in terms of applying for roles would be relevant, difficult languages e.g. Chinese, Arabic, Russian or similar, studied to degree level. Common Western European languages like French, German etc are probably less useful as I suspect they're a) easier to train people in after they are on the job and b) probably less demand for roles requiring those languages (well, maybe French as more demand for certain overseas roles in Africa?), and even less useful at only A-level standard. I believe there are plenty of roles in the FDCO that don't require any language experience anyway as well.

wow thats so interesting, for some reason i was sure you needed fluency in another language to enter the career! if i can pick it up later or while on the job i would def reconsider the a level. for international law do you know if its the same?

hi thanks so much for the advice, i would loveeee do to psychology a level but my school only offers it as an elective which is rly annoying. history politics econ is definitely what im leaning towards (or maybe english lit or a language) so its makes me feel better that u think it would be a good option asw! how did you find the balance between real-world political scenarios and learning about political thought systems, did you have to learn more about ideologies or would you say it was about 50/50??

I would expect any kind of legal matter would not risk a non-language specialist (i.e. a lawyer) deal with matters of translation and would rather have in house or contract out translators whose jobs and training is in translating to and/or from the target language in question.
You seem to have some idea that everything requires some hyperspecific background to enter into and thats simply not how the working world works by and large. People at the "top" of their careers likely will have developed a variety of skills but it's unliekly they would have had most or even any of those when they started out.
When you leave uni you aren't going to be going directly into being the ambassador for UK diplomatic mission abroad nor are you going to be leading legal cases in the ICJ or something. You're going to be doing scut work which is mostly going to be formed of: meetings, emails, spreadsheets. That's what 90% of careers are, certainly at least at the beginning, with small variations on the exact details of whats going on in those.
Focus on picking some A-levels that you are confident you can do well in and actually enjoy studying. From that, continue to a degree you are confident you can do well in and enjoy studying. Then apply to the glut of grad scheme which grads from any discipline apply to and hopefully get a(n) offer(s) for a job, and even better if due to you pursuing the things you do well in and enjoy doing, is something you can do a good job at and would enjoy doing by virtue of your background..

what about what i said made you think i didn't understand that entry-level jobs don't have the same responsibilities as established ones? i didn't mean for that to come across because it's not the case, i just thought because of the international nature of diplomacy and international law it would at least be strongly recommended that you have proof of speaking another language, which i don't think is unreasonable

At the starting point you're not likely to be responsible for being the representative for this country speaking with people from the country you are based in from a professional capacity, where you might need language skills. You're probably going to be doing either essentially admin type work within the embassy with and for your English speaking colleagues or consular work with British people living in that country or people applying for visas who probably will need to speak English or have an interpreter.
Also bear in mind you can work in the FCDO and not end up on an overseas posting at all and be based in London (or Scotland or Milton Keynes now as well I think).
And as noted, if you're not doing the language to degree level I don't see it's neither here nor there anyway.
My point is you seem to be assuming this skills would be used in all capacities at all levels in those areas and this suggests you seem to believe the work done at the outset is that which someone at the height of their career would do.

how are u finding taking only 1 science? are u thinking about science related degrees or something more like architecture where art might be really helpful

hey this is my first post, and i’m feeling really unsure about which a levels to pick since the deadline is coming up fast and i’m stuck between humanities and sciences. i’ve always been more comfortable with essay-based subjects, but over the past couple of years, i’ve started enjoying stem more, and i don’t want to just go for ‘safe’ options if i’m interested in something else. im looking to have a broad combo which allows me to apply to as many uni courses as possible.
i just did this test from my skl called the morrisby test which is supposed to be good at showing u ur target careers and degrees and i got high compatibility with finance + banking, which makes me think i should maybe take maths a level bc i do kind of enjoy maths but id say its the subject i struggle with the most. im not sure if its worth it to get maybe an a or even a b in maths when i could pick something like politics or english and get an a* but stop myself from applying to maths degrees.
i’d really appreciate any advice on which a levels i should consider ruling out, or if anyone has insights into careers in pharmacology, neuroscience, politics, or economics as i don’t know much about them.
my predicted gcses are 9s in english, physics, chemistry, spanish, french, history, geography, and music, and an 8 in maths. i’m interested in careers like diplomacy, international law, or something that mixes psychology/neuroscience with humanities.
i know i want to take history, and i’m aiming for 3 a levels. here are my options:
- english lit: it’s a safe option since english is my best subject and the department is great, but i’m not planning to study it at uni. i want something more practical, like international politics or a science-based course.
- economics: seems interesting and practical, but i’m not sure about microeconomics, and i don’t take maths (only core maths). what social science/science degrees could i apply to with econ and not maths/chem if i dont pick it?
- politics: i like the idea of it, but i don’t enjoy learning about political thinkers. it’s kind of similar to history, so i’m not sure if it’d be broad enough
- french/spanish: languages are important for diplomacy and law, but i’m not super passionate about them, but it’d be a safe choice and would keep me writing essays like i would in english but with the practical addition of being able to speak another language
- chemistry: i’m really interested in chemistry, especially organic chem, and would like to keep this as an option for science degrees. but i’m wondering if taking two essay-based subjects might limit my options. could econ + core maths make my application stronger? what degrees could i apply to with chem + 2 essay based subjects? (human sciences?)
i’m also thinking about doing an epq, core maths, or an as level language (though i’ve heard as languages aren’t that useful). if i don’t take chemistry, i could do a science-based epq, but i can’t do both an epq and core maths or an as level language.
sorry this is so long, but as u can see i have no idea what to pick apart from history. the more i talk to teachers, the more confused i get, so any advice would be amazing. thanks so much for reading!

Let me just say at GCSE, you’re already thinking about what you want to do, that’s great but also it can be daunting. As someone who did finance at A level through LIBF, and now studying banking and finance at Bangor uni. If you are a little unsure of the “economics” I am not going to beat around the bush here, it will be hard! As you will be learning new mathematical models, new theoretical models to analyse a stock or bond for example. If I had to give you one piece of advice when it comes to either finance or economics (as this is my area) I would say learn the finance FIRST! Before learning any “mathematical models” I know you said you was more “English strong” vs maths strong but so was I. If economics is offered at your school/college, I urge you to take it, not only is looked upon by employers, but it’s also a life skill that you will use throughout your life. Now to answer your question about microeconomics, I would say yes there is a lot of maths but there is also decision making (psychology) if you can learn the maths which is pretty straightforward if you pay attention, this shouldn’t be a problem. Hope this helps you not only for A level but for university choices. If you want to know more, feel free to reply to this post.

thanks so much! thats so helpful and right now im leaning towards econ. do you know if economics is looked at as a maths-based a level for any unis??