A Level Choices

so i just completed GCSEs and am struggling to choose A Levels. i got 999888775 and plan to do a degree apprenticeship in law or go to a russell group uni for law. i'm definitely doing A Level Law because i really enjoy the subject. i also want to do A Level Psychology.
my main struggle is picking between wjec level 3 criminology and A Level Maths. i know they're very different subjects, but i have different reasons for each. i definitely have more of an interest in criminology, but the only thing pulling me back is the fact that not all unis accept it as it's not exactly an a level, and it's not a traditional subject - it's seen as more light. with maths, i got a 9 at gcse and it's one of my stronger subjects, i did enjoy it at gcse level a lot i got 220/240. its obviously preferred by unis but i definitely have more of a passion in criminology. i do think i can perform better in crim but i'm really unsure which one to pick. my school doesnt let us do 4 so unfortunately i have to pick now. i'm also doing an epq so if i choose maths, i can always do criminology for my epq but idk i'm just really indecisive and need someone else's opinion, thank you.

Hi kayaa.08!
I think you definitely have the right idea with the Level 3s - Russel group unis especially are quite picky about A-Levels. Some universities (like us) will calculate entry requirements based off UCAS points, so BTECs and A-Levels would be treated the same, but Russel groups tend to have specific grades to meet - e.g., AAA* at King's College London and AAA at Oxford, where even having a Level 3 grade being a D or D* still might put you at a disadvantage. It's atypical for Oxbridge to accept BTECs/Level 3s as, like you mention, they're seen as less academic.
Doing an EPQ in Criminology or the area of Law you're particularly interested in (which I'm assuming is criminal law!) is a great way to show your genuine interest in the subject, but I'd have a close look at the specific universities you're aiming for, as some don't consider EPQ (as it's a typical way to boost UCAS points, which is not how they rate their entry requirements). I'll link KCL's LLB here so you can have a look yourself: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/law-llb
I've had a quick look online where it seems Oxbridge do value EPQ which might help you stand out in such a competitive course, so it's worth looking at your university options and evaluating whether you think an EPQ would be worth it, or if you should just focus on doing your best at A-Levels.
Also, congratulations on your GCSE results, they're fantastic! I'm sure you'll do great in whatever subject you pick
And if you have any questions about A-Level Psychology let me know as I got an A* and I'd be happy to help you out!
Best,
Alex
Student Ambassador

Hi Alex, student ambassador.
Thank you so much for your time and response, it means a lot to me. You're definitely right about RG unis being picky with btecs and what you said definitely aligns with what I found out when i looked into it. Criminology although it's a level 3. it's a level equivalent and still graded with letters like A*, A, B etc it's a bit of a different subject. But yes I think i'll definitely choose maths as it's a facilitating subject that's preferred by unis. Well done on getting an A* in psychology that's great!! Whatd you do to revise, what was your schedule? And as someone just about to start the course, what can i do to stay ahead from the start and not fall behind? I really want to get As and any advice is appreciated! One again thank you so so much.
Regards,
Kaya

Hi Kaya,
Thanks a lot! I'd say my love for the subject definitely helped my motivation to study haha but I still have all my A-Level stuff so I can tell you a bit about how I studied!
College is so different to secondary school because you have much more free time - it's important that you make the most of it and don't let it waste away! I had 3 hours a day (one hour for each subject) Mon-Thurs, scheduled anywhere between 9 and 4. In these gaps, I scheduled two hours of studying outside of class each day, and I decided what to study when based on my timetable for the week and when I would have work due in - e.g., I had Psych work handed out on Monday that was due for Wednesday, so I'd make sure to schedule at least one of my two hours on Monday or Tuesday. (Make sure to always schedule some healthy break times though!) You might need a little more or a little less than two hours, depends on how fast you work! I had to schedule 3 hours for my Politics A-Level because I found it particularly challenging.
Doing my work as early as possible meant I had that bit of extra scheduled study time to revise content we had already covered to make sure I stayed familiar with it. This is so important! When you get into your second year, everything you did in your first year will feel so far away - if I didn't have time to study past content during the week, I'd do it on Friday or on the weekend, but this was usually only in my second year. It's worth getting a diary and writing down all your past topics and seeing how you can spread them throughout your weeks to work at a consistent pace rather than cramming.
One thing that also really helped was past papers - looking over past papers shows you exactly what types of questions to expect - finishing diagrams, short answer questions remembering facts or criticisms of certain studies, and long essay questions where you'll need to remember several facts and evaluations are some examples. My teacher would mark these for us and give them back, and I used these to properly track my progress for different topics. But make sure you know what exam board your college uses as their papers are all different! I used AQA, so if you use Edexcel you might have to tweak these methods a bit.
Typically when we learnt about an experiment - e.g., Pavlov's dogs, I'd write down all the facts I could remember about it on a blank piece of paper, and then underneath the facts I'd write whether it was a strength or a weakness of the study and why. If it was a weakness, I always elaborated on what that means for the experiment (i.e., are the results still valid or are they so biased they have become meaningless?) and I'd write a small suggestion on how this could be fixed, if I could come up with one. This covered all types of questions I could be asked about the experiment. Free recall on a blank piece of paper will always be more challenging than answering exam questions, as the question itself will prompt your memory. This helped me feel like the exams were actually easier than my revision!
Also, if you like using flashcards, there's a free app on Windows called Anki which has been an absolute lifesaver for me and I continue to use it in my degree. It will change how often you see a certain flashcard based on how difficult you found it.
That's as much as I can really say without getting into specific content, but once you start your Psych A-Level, if you struggle with a specific topic I'll be here to help
Best of luck!
Alex

Take Maths. The Crim qualification has limited academic content and lacks credibility with top Law Unis, and there is far too much overlap with an A level in Law - you will just get bored.

thanks so much for this! seriously appreciate you taking the time to write all that out. it’s honestly really helpful and made me feel a bit less stressed about psych. definitely gonna use these tips when i start a levels next week, especially the part about anki that's so so useful!! glad to know what actually worked for someone who got an a*, so yeah, big thanks and i will definitely reach out if i struggle on a topic specifically

I'm so glad I could help! Don't want anyone stressing out about my favourite subject haha there's lots to love with Psychology Good luck starting college and yes of course I'm always here if you need a hand! Added a photo of the Anki logo so you make sure to download the right one and I don't accidentally give you a virus lol

Hope all goes well!
Alex

so i just completed GCSEs and am struggling to choose A Levels. i got 999888775 and plan to do a degree apprenticeship in law or go to a russell group uni for law. i'm definitely doing A Level Law because i really enjoy the subject. i also want to do A Level Psychology.
my main struggle is picking between wjec level 3 criminology and A Level Maths. i know they're very different subjects, but i have different reasons for each. i definitely have more of an interest in criminology, but the only thing pulling me back is the fact that not all unis accept it as it's not exactly an a level, and it's not a traditional subject - it's seen as more light. with maths, i got a 9 at gcse and it's one of my stronger subjects, i did enjoy it at gcse level a lot i got 220/240. its obviously preferred by unis but i definitely have more of a passion in criminology. i do think i can perform better in crim but i'm really unsure which one to pick. my school doesnt let us do 4 so unfortunately i have to pick now. i'm also doing an epq so if i choose maths, i can always do criminology for my epq but idk i'm just really indecisive and need someone else's opinion, thank you.

Good afternoon,
Generally speaking criminology would be more beneficial for law careers. But if you are thinking more about your grades at a level you will be best choosing the course which you are better at. This is a really personal decision, and both will be suitable for the career you are doing.
If you have any questions please let me know.
All the best,
Ella
Bsc Ecology

i'm not too concerned about overlap as i am very passionate about law and crim, but yeah the main factor holding me back, as you mentioned, is the fact that it lacks credibility with top law unis. do you think it'll be beneficial if my epq is about criminology anyway?

An EPQ is always just an optional add-on - they will always be far more interested in your 3 main subjects.