What a levels would be best for studying psychology at university?

I am sitting my gcses this year and i am still undecided on my third a level.
I am definitely going to do psychology and biology as i have seen that these are beneficial but i am still deciding if english lit is a good choice. I was just wondering if there is any other subjects that would help me with doing psychology at university, and if english would be at all helpful.

Reply 1

Uni of Southampton Students

Official Rep

16

Original post by Username38382929

I am sitting my gcses this year and i am still undecided on my third a level.
I am definitely going to do psychology and biology as i have seen that these are beneficial but i am still deciding if english lit is a good choice. I was just wondering if there is any other subjects that would help me with doing psychology at university, and if english would be at all helpful.

Hello @Username38382929,

Psychology and biology are great options for your A-levels! I would say to pick whichever subject you find interesting for your third choice, as it doesn't matter too much which one you pick, as long as you meet the entry requirements for the universities you plan on applying to.

I'm currently studying psychology in my second year of uni and I did psychology, sociology and film studies at A-level. In my experience, picking something I enjoyed helped me to achieve the grades I was aiming for. And even if the third A-level you pick isn't directly related to psychology, it is likely to include transferable skills or other information that relates. For example, film studies included some psychological theory and lots of skills that can be used in psychology at uni, such as critical thinking and writing.

I would say that English definitely has lots of skills which will be beneficial to studying psychology at university such as writing, communication, critical thinking, organisation, research and creativity.

Good luck with your exams and A-level choice, and let me know if you have any other questions!

Poppy, 2nd Year Psychology Student 😀

(edited 2 months ago)

Reply 2

McGinger

20

Have you actually looked at the 'entry requirements' for Psychology on a range of different Uni websites - start there. Usually, it requires two science (or 'science related') subjects and the 3rd A level subject will not be specified, they just want that 3rd grade. Be aware that that you do not actually need 'an essay-based subject' to study Psychology.

Reply 3

ronaldoswife

8

Original post by Username38382929

I am sitting my gcses this year and i am still undecided on my third a level.
I am definitely going to do psychology and biology as i have seen that these are beneficial but i am still deciding if english lit is a good choice. I was just wondering if there is any other subjects that would help me with doing psychology at university, and if english would be at all helpful.

im having the same questions, what did you end up doing?

A good GCSE maths grade will be more important than an essay based A level.

Psychology degrees include a lot of statistics.

Reply 5

user3748

5

Original post by Username38382929

I am sitting my gcses this year and i am still undecided on my third a level.
I am definitely going to do psychology and biology as i have seen that these are beneficial but i am still deciding if english lit is a good choice. I was just wondering if there is any other subjects that would help me with doing psychology at university, and if english would be at all helpful.

What you're thinking of taking is a perfect mix - English lit will help with your essay skills and will be a nice break from bio!

I think some top unis quite like A level maths because psych actually involves quite a bit of stats (which is totally manageable at A level, you don't need to do A level maths to understand it better), but I'm guessing at uni you've got to analyse data & research findings, which is where maths comes in.

Just something to consider, but I think they'll like that you've got a broad mix - it shows you're good at both science & the arts. You'll have to create arguments and comparisons in lit, and psych often entails comparing different approaches, so I think the two compliment each other.

Hope this helps :smile:

Reply 6

ronaldoswife

8

Original post by user3748

What you're thinking of taking is a perfect mix - English lit will help with your essay skills and will be a nice break from bio!
I think some top unis quite like A level maths because psych actually involves quite a bit of stats (which is totally manageable at A level, you don't need to do A level maths to understand it better), but I'm guessing at uni you've got to analyse data & research findings, which is where maths comes in.
Just something to consider, but I think they'll like that you've got a broad mix - it shows you're good at both science & the arts. You'll have to create arguments and comparisons in lit, and psych often entails comparing different approaches, so I think the two compliment each other.
Hope this helps :smile:

tysm!! appreciated

Reply 7

ronaldoswife

8

Original post by PQ