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Need help choosing a levels

I've been struggling recently with choosing my A-levels and it has been making me go insane. The subjects I will definitely do are maths, physics and further maths but I'm struggling to choose my fourth a-level. My main career goal is to go into engineering; the other careers I'm considering are economics and computer science.

When I checked on the Cambridge website it said 62% of those who do engineering take chemistry so it would be a sensible option to take it and people also say that it is a good a-level to do in general.

Software engineering is a career I want to go to because it has good pay and my parents advised me to take it but i don't love coding. The Cambridge website said that 64% of people who did computer science at their uni took computer science at a level. Sometimes I really enjoy computer science but sometimes I don't.

I'm considering a career in economics because I have really enjoyed it so far in GCSE so I was thinking about taking it for a level. The Cambridge website said that 93% of people who took economics did it at a level.

I also read some people say that engineering is a good career as you can switch to IT and finance. What fourth a-level should I choose that would allow me to keep all 3 options available to do at uni or in the future as a career? I will really appreciate the advice you give me, thank you. BTW I know I have quoted stats from Cambridge but I am looking at other possible universities.

Reply 1

Ask anyone who has completed university and is in the market/employed - unless necessarily required by the university course, it makes no difference what you choose. You are better of selecting what you are most likely to score highly in.
Choose whichever subject of the ones you listed that you’ll be able to excel in best and enjoy the most 🙂

Reply 3

Yea don't do what I did and pick the ones your clever older brother did as I am now suck doing Maths, Physics and Computer Science. Pick ones you find interesting and are good at 4hrs of revision on something you like is much easier than on something you dislike.
(edited 1 year ago)

Reply 4

I think you should pick economics as your 4th option and go into engineering. From the combo you gave + eco you can get into both an economic career and engineering. Plus I’ve heard that the computer science job market is very oversaturated however there are still many jobs that aren’t specific to just CS in IT. Furthermore even if you end up deciding that you want to switch from engineering to IT there are lots of transferrable skills from it. And…you don’t have study CS at uni to learn how to code, with programmes/bootcamps that you can sign up/pay for aswell that will teach you how to code. So in conclusion I would say if you really want to go to uni to and study engineering pick economics. If not CS :smile:

Reply 5

Original post
by The Samurai
I've been struggling recently with choosing my A-levels and it has been making me go insane. The subjects I will definitely do are maths, physics and further maths but I'm struggling to choose my fourth a-level. My main career goal is to go into engineering; the other careers I'm considering are economics and computer science.
When I checked on the Cambridge website it said 62% of those who do engineering take chemistry so it would be a sensible option to take it and people also say that it is a good a-level to do in general.
Software engineering is a career I want to go to because it has good pay and my parents advised me to take it but i don't love coding. The Cambridge website said that 64% of people who did computer science at their uni took computer science at a level. Sometimes I really enjoy computer science but sometimes I don't.
I'm considering a career in economics because I have really enjoyed it so far in GCSE so I was thinking about taking it for a level. The Cambridge website said that 93% of people who took economics did it at a level.
I also read some people say that engineering is a good career as you can switch to IT and finance. What fourth a-level should I choose that would allow me to keep all 3 options available to do at uni or in the future as a career? I will really appreciate the advice you give me, thank you. BTW I know I have quoted stats from Cambridge but I am looking at other possible universities.

Hi, I just want to know how have you been studying for GCSE economics?

Reply 6

Original post
by cjgani
Hi, I just want to know how have you been studying for GCSE economics?

I use flashcards and do a 6 marker at least once a week

Reply 7

Original post
by The Samurai
I've been struggling recently with choosing my A-levels and it has been making me go insane. The subjects I will definitely do are maths, physics and further maths but I'm struggling to choose my fourth a-level. My main career goal is to go into engineering; the other careers I'm considering are economics and computer science.
When I checked on the Cambridge website it said 62% of those who do engineering take chemistry so it would be a sensible option to take it and people also say that it is a good a-level to do in general.
Software engineering is a career I want to go to because it has good pay and my parents advised me to take it but i don't love coding. The Cambridge website said that 64% of people who did computer science at their uni took computer science at a level. Sometimes I really enjoy computer science but sometimes I don't.
I'm considering a career in economics because I have really enjoyed it so far in GCSE so I was thinking about taking it for a level. The Cambridge website said that 93% of people who took economics did it at a level.
I also read some people say that engineering is a good career as you can switch to IT and finance. What fourth a-level should I choose that would allow me to keep all 3 options available to do at uni or in the future as a career? I will really appreciate the advice you give me, thank you. BTW I know I have quoted stats from Cambridge but I am looking at other possible universities.


Are you sure you even want to do 4? It won't really affect getting into unis and might hinder your progress in other subjects.
If you really want to tho just pick the one you think you will genuinely enjoy - like i do maths, fm, physics and then also DT kind of just for fun and because I love the work so it doesn't feel like effort like other subjects

Reply 8

Original post
by The Samurai
I've been struggling recently with choosing my A-levels and it has been making me go insane. The subjects I will definitely do are maths, physics and further maths but I'm struggling to choose my fourth a-level. My main career goal is to go into engineering; the other careers I'm considering are economics and computer science.
When I checked on the Cambridge website it said 62% of those who do engineering take chemistry so it would be a sensible option to take it and people also say that it is a good a-level to do in general.
Software engineering is a career I want to go to because it has good pay and my parents advised me to take it but i don't love coding. The Cambridge website said that 64% of people who did computer science at their uni took computer science at a level. Sometimes I really enjoy computer science but sometimes I don't.
I'm considering a career in economics because I have really enjoyed it so far in GCSE so I was thinking about taking it for a level. The Cambridge website said that 93% of people who took economics did it at a level.
I also read some people say that engineering is a good career as you can switch to IT and finance. What fourth a-level should I choose that would allow me to keep all 3 options available to do at uni or in the future as a career? I will really appreciate the advice you give me, thank you. BTW I know I have quoted stats from Cambridge but I am looking at other possible universities.

Cambridge isn't the place for Engineering - the course doesn't prepare you for working in industry ... you don't need Chem unless you are looking at Chem Eng.

You don't need Economics to read Economics either. CS doesn't look a sensible choice given what you write.

Pick something you'll enjoy and do well in.

Reply 9

Original post
by The Samurai
I've been struggling recently with choosing my A-levels and it has been making me go insane. The subjects I will definitely do are maths, physics and further maths but I'm struggling to choose my fourth a-level. My main career goal is to go into engineering; the other careers I'm considering are economics and computer science.
When I checked on the Cambridge website it said 62% of those who do engineering take chemistry so it would be a sensible option to take it and people also say that it is a good a-level to do in general.
Software engineering is a career I want to go to because it has good pay and my parents advised me to take it but i don't love coding. The Cambridge website said that 64% of people who did computer science at their uni took computer science at a level. Sometimes I really enjoy computer science but sometimes I don't.
I'm considering a career in economics because I have really enjoyed it so far in GCSE so I was thinking about taking it for a level. The Cambridge website said that 93% of people who took economics did it at a level.
I also read some people say that engineering is a good career as you can switch to IT and finance. What fourth a-level should I choose that would allow me to keep all 3 options available to do at uni or in the future as a career? I will really appreciate the advice you give me, thank you. BTW I know I have quoted stats from Cambridge but I am looking at other possible universities.

Do economics if you enjoy it the most trust me. I do it and it's not too bad if you have a maths brain. Trust me dont take one if your not 100% sure you like it because you will become unmotivated and it will be a painful 2 years

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