I cant decide what a levels to do

Im picking my a levels and i know i want to do art but for my other 2 choices im torn between 3

History, dance and sociology

I do History a gcse and really like it its definitely one of my favourite subjects and i get good enough grades like 4s and 5s
But ive heard at a level its really hard if you are at the level i am

I love dance and i am good at it but im already at a dance program out of school and i will be able to use that if i want to go to auditions in the future so is taking it for a level pointless

Ive never taken sociology but it seemed like something that would really interest me and was the reason i concidered doing a levels in the first place

Reply 1

BigFriendlyKid

Original post

by Eva furey

Im picking my a levels and i know i want to do art but for my other 2 choices im torn between 3
History, dance and sociology
I do History a gcse and really like it its definitely one of my favourite subjects and i get good enough grades like 4s and 5s
But ive heard at a level its really hard if you are at the level i am
I love dance and i am good at it but im already at a dance program out of school and i will be able to use that if i want to go to auditions in the future so is taking it for a level pointless
Ive never taken sociology but it seemed like something that would really interest me and was the reason i concidered doing a levels in the first place

a levels are more written than practical so im not sure if dance will be the subject for you. correct me if a level dance has a practical element to it though since i don't take it. i personally take a level sociology and all you have to do is remember key sociologists and case studies. as for history i cant give you advice on that since i don't take it and i hated doing it as gcse, barely scraping a 4 for some reason.

Reply 2

Kingston Eve

Official Rep

Original post

by Eva furey

Im picking my a levels and i know i want to do art but for my other 2 choices im torn between 3
History, dance and sociology
I do History a gcse and really like it its definitely one of my favourite subjects and i get good enough grades like 4s and 5s
But ive heard at a level its really hard if you are at the level i am
I love dance and i am good at it but im already at a dance program out of school and i will be able to use that if i want to go to auditions in the future so is taking it for a level pointless
Ive never taken sociology but it seemed like something that would really interest me and was the reason i concidered doing a levels in the first place

Hey @Eva furey,

One way to decide what A-Levels are right for you is to look at some university courses that might interest you and see what their subject requirements are. For example, I also chose to study Art at A-Level (alongside Economics, Chemistry and English Lit), but I had made up my mind before then that I was going to pursue a degree within the arts and knew that particular subject would be the most useful to me. 🙃

Do you have any particular university courses that stand out to you, or any career pathways you're currently hoping to pursue?

Best of luck,
Eve (Kingston Rep).

Reply 3

Chester Student

Original post

by Eva furey

Im picking my a levels and i know i want to do art but for my other 2 choices im torn between 3
History, dance and sociology
I do History a gcse and really like it its definitely one of my favourite subjects and i get good enough grades like 4s and 5s
But ive heard at a level its really hard if you are at the level i am
I love dance and i am good at it but im already at a dance program out of school and i will be able to use that if i want to go to auditions in the future so is taking it for a level pointless
Ive never taken sociology but it seemed like something that would really interest me and was the reason i concidered doing a levels in the first place

Hi there,

It can be really difficult to choose A-Levels!

I agree with the Kingston Rep, as it is useful to work backwards if you know where you want to end up. I found UCAS and Prospects to be very useful resources for this, so hopefully they can help you too.

It sounds like you've already made a choice between those three, if dance is something you are content to continue outside of your studies. From there, if you are unsure about history and sociology, I would definitely take a look at where each subject could lead and whether or not that would interest you!

I hope this helps,

Isabella
Fourth-Year Geography with a Year Abroad Student

Reply 4

bobthesloth

Original post

by Eva furey

Im picking my a levels and i know i want to do art but for my other 2 choices im torn between 3
History, dance and sociology
I do History a gcse and really like it its definitely one of my favourite subjects and i get good enough grades like 4s and 5s
But ive heard at a level its really hard if you are at the level i am
I love dance and i am good at it but im already at a dance program out of school and i will be able to use that if i want to go to auditions in the future so is taking it for a level pointless
Ive never taken sociology but it seemed like something that would really interest me and was the reason i concidered doing a levels in the first place

Dance Alevel or at least my exam board AQA is 50% theory 50% practical. however the practical isn’t simply marked on who can kick higher ect it’s all about being creative and imaginative especially for the choreography component. If studying dance further at uni or a drama school is something you’d be interest in i would advice taking dance Alevel simply because it’s so different to club dance so you’ll pick up new skills and most unis even if it’s conservative still has an aspect and f theory work looking at practitioners and famous dance company’s so if you’ve never studied the theory part i think it’d be good to get a head up on that before going to study it at a degree level.
I wouof advice against history only because of what you’ve said. i don’t take it myself but my friend does and never stops complaining about how hard it is and she got a 9 at GCSE so no offence to you but i’m not sure it would be something you’d be able to keep up with given your GCSE grades.
i also don’t take sociology so can’t advise on this but it’s sort of known as the “nowhere” subject coz it’s very difficult to get a job that would require you to take this however if you’re interested in it and like you said it’s the reason you want to take alevels then by all means take it, you might love it.
this wasn’t an option you suggested but have you considered drama? if you did want to study dance at uni they often look for an aspect of drama in you’re audition and i think nearly all straight dance courses have a module on physical theatre which is basically movement with acting so that could be useful to you.

Reply 5

Clearing and Applications Advisor

Original post

by Eva furey

It sounds like you want to take Art, History and Sociology but you’re worried about history being difficult and sociology being a leap into the unknown?

How strict are the colleges/sixth forms that you’re looking at on letting you switch your choices in the summer (or even a few weeks into the autumn term)?
If they’re flexible then you can apply and get offers now but set aside time in the summer to get ahead a bit so you are prepared for history and don’t risk falling behind and you know a bit more about sociology and know if you’re going to enjoy it.

Reply 6

charlotte4567989

Original post

by Eva furey

Im picking my a levels and i know i want to do art but for my other 2 choices im torn between 3
History, dance and sociology
I do History a gcse and really like it its definitely one of my favourite subjects and i get good enough grades like 4s and 5s
But ive heard at a level its really hard if you are at the level i am
I love dance and i am good at it but im already at a dance program out of school and i will be able to use that if i want to go to auditions in the future so is taking it for a level pointless
Ive never taken sociology but it seemed like something that would really interest me and was the reason i concidered doing a levels in the first place

I’m currently on my second year studying sociology and I think it’s good it’s so much content to learn but the actual content is quite easy but it really depends on your teachers as I have one really good one and another awful one that I can’t learn from so i’d see how other people in your school find it before picking it

Reply 7

Peach_rose34

Original post

by Eva furey

Im picking my a levels and i know i want to do art but for my other 2 choices im torn between 3
History, dance and sociology
I do History a gcse and really like it its definitely one of my favourite subjects and i get good enough grades like 4s and 5s
But ive heard at a level its really hard if you are at the level i am
I love dance and i am good at it but im already at a dance program out of school and i will be able to use that if i want to go to auditions in the future so is taking it for a level pointless
Ive never taken sociology but it seemed like something that would really interest me and was the reason i concidered doing a levels in the first place

A level history is rough with a massive workload. I can’t deny it’s incredibly interesting but my god it makes me cry sometimes and I got a 9 at gcse.
It depends how hard you’re willing to work id say.