Changed my mind and want to do English Lit at uni

2

I'm in Y12 and just moved to a new country at the start of the academic year, but will return to UK for uni (still get home fees). I wanted to do English Lit for A-levels, but was worried that the teachers may not be good or right for me, as I'd never met them before and I feel you need good teachers in English to do well. Instead I'm taking History, Maths, Physics and FM (but will drop FM and am deciding whether to keep it as AS or just drop now). I really enjoy History, and picked Physics and Maths so that I would have a wide range of subjects and theoretically be able to go into most subjects I want for uni (of course that hasn't worked out well), and also because a family friend did those subjects (not FM) and went to study PPE at Oxford, and at the time I wasn't sure what subjects to do, or what I want to do when older.
For some courses I looked at my subjects are fine, (Exeter and Sheffield have no specific subjects expect an essay subject which History is), but Warwick, St Andrews and Trinity do. I'm doing an EPQ in a topic related to English/Psychology, so would that help? My GCSE results were 9s in both Lit and Lang

What advice would you all recommend? Should I email the schools and ask if a good EPQ would help my case?
I don't mind studying History at university, but it's tragic now that I've realised English is what I'd actually like to study.

Reply 1

University of Bath

Official Rep

14

Original post

by Coolcats3

I'm in Y12 and just moved to a new country at the start of the academic year, but will return to UK for uni (still get home fees). I wanted to do English Lit for A-levels, but was worried that the teachers may not be good or right for me, as I'd never met them before and I feel you need good teachers in English to do well. Instead I'm taking History, Maths, Physics and FM (but will drop FM and am deciding whether to keep it as AS or just drop now). I really enjoy History, and picked Physics and Maths so that I would have a wide range of subjects and theoretically be able to go into most subjects I want for uni (of course that hasn't worked out well), and also because a family friend did those subjects (not FM) and went to study PPE at Oxford, and at the time I wasn't sure what subjects to do, or what I want to do when older.
For some courses I looked at my subjects are fine, (Exeter and Sheffield have no specific subjects expect an essay subject which History is), but Warwick, St Andrews and Trinity do. I'm doing an EPQ in a topic related to English/Psychology, so would that help? My GCSE results were 9s in both Lit and Lang
What advice would you all recommend? Should I email the schools and ask if a good EPQ would help my case?
I don't mind studying History at university, but it's tragic now that I've realised English is what I'd actually like to study.

Hi there,

As Bath don't offer English courses I'd be unable to advise on how strict these entry requirements are and whether an English-related EPQ would help and so like you said, the best thing you can do is to ring up the admissions teams of the unis that DO specify an English subject at A-Level and ask them what they would/would not accept.

Its good to see you've found a few courses that do not specify English at A-Level and having History will certainly help you with the essay-writing/critical analysis skills you'll need as will your EPQ. Have you also managed to look through YouTube to see Exeter/Sheff campus tour or tourist city vids to see what you think of the places?

On studying History at uni, I would always caution against going into something you don't think you'd fully enjoy, or is your second choice of subject. Uni is a big investment in both your time and money and so its got to be to do something you will love and if that's English lit, then go for it - just be aware as you said that not having this at A-level as a qualification may limit where you can apply to.

I'm hoping this helps a bit, wishing you luck 🙂

Reply 2

ExeterStudentRep

Official Rep

13

Original post

by Coolcats3

I'm in Y12 and just moved to a new country at the start of the academic year, but will return to UK for uni (still get home fees). I wanted to do English Lit for A-levels, but was worried that the teachers may not be good or right for me, as I'd never met them before and I feel you need good teachers in English to do well. Instead I'm taking History, Maths, Physics and FM (but will drop FM and am deciding whether to keep it as AS or just drop now). I really enjoy History, and picked Physics and Maths so that I would have a wide range of subjects and theoretically be able to go into most subjects I want for uni (of course that hasn't worked out well), and also because a family friend did those subjects (not FM) and went to study PPE at Oxford, and at the time I wasn't sure what subjects to do, or what I want to do when older.
For some courses I looked at my subjects are fine, (Exeter and Sheffield have no specific subjects expect an essay subject which History is), but Warwick, St Andrews and Trinity do. I'm doing an EPQ in a topic related to English/Psychology, so would that help? My GCSE results were 9s in both Lit and Lang
What advice would you all recommend? Should I email the schools and ask if a good EPQ would help my case?
I don't mind studying History at university, but it's tragic now that I've realised English is what I'd actually like to study.

Hi @Coolcats3,

The reassuring thing is that Exeter is very flexible when it comes to subject combinations for English. For English degrees here, the requirement is usually one essay-based subject, and History is absolutely fine for that. We regularly have English students who didn’t take A-level English Literature but came in with History, Politics, or similar subjects instead. Your strong GCSEs in English Lit and Lang would also sit very comfortably alongside that.

In terms of the English department itself, it’s one of Exeter’s real strengths. It’s consistently well regarded, with a wide range of modules from traditional literature through to modern, postcolonial, gothic, and interdisciplinary options . Teaching is a mix of lectures and small seminars, and there’s a strong emphasis on discussion, interpretation, and independent thinking. Most students find the transition manageable, even if they haven’t done English A-level, because the department assumes different backgrounds and teaches core skills early on.

Your EPQ would also fit really nicely at Exeter, especially if it’s linked to English. While it won’t replace an A-level, it shows genuine academic interest, independent reading, and critical thinking – all things the English department values. Many Exeter students use EPQs as a talking point in personal statements and interviews.

Overall, from an Exeter point of view, your subject combination would not close the door on English at all. If English is what you’re genuinely drawn to now, Exeter is the kind of place where that background is understood and supported, rather than seen as a disadvantage.

Hope this helps 🙂

Klaudia
University of Exeter Student Ambassador

Reply 3

artful_lounger

Universities Forum Helper

21

Original post

by Coolcats3

I'm in Y12 and just moved to a new country at the start of the academic year, but will return to UK for uni (still get home fees). I wanted to do English Lit for A-levels, but was worried that the teachers may not be good or right for me, as I'd never met them before and I feel you need good teachers in English to do well. Instead I'm taking History, Maths, Physics and FM (but will drop FM and am deciding whether to keep it as AS or just drop now). I really enjoy History, and picked Physics and Maths so that I would have a wide range of subjects and theoretically be able to go into most subjects I want for uni (of course that hasn't worked out well), and also because a family friend did those subjects (not FM) and went to study PPE at Oxford, and at the time I wasn't sure what subjects to do, or what I want to do when older.
For some courses I looked at my subjects are fine, (Exeter and Sheffield have no specific subjects expect an essay subject which History is), but Warwick, St Andrews and Trinity do. I'm doing an EPQ in a topic related to English/Psychology, so would that help? My GCSE results were 9s in both Lit and Lang

What advice would you all recommend? Should I email the schools and ask if a good EPQ would help my case?
I don't mind studying History at university, but it's tragic now that I've realised English is what I'd actually like to study.

You can't change the decisions you made in the past so there's not much point dwelling on those. You need to just focus on the issue at hand - most English lit courses require A-level English literature, especially at stronger English departments (e.g. Oxbridge, Nottingham, UCL, etc).

I would thus suggest aiming to do A-level English lit in a gap year - this will both allow you to meet the requirements for a wide range of unis, and also give you more direct experience of literary analysis and criticism at a higher level. You do a lot more close reading and detailed analysis at A-level (and certainly university) compared to the much more surface level character/theme analysis that can be sufficient to get high grades in the GCSE. So will also be a good litmus test for your interest.

This is realistically the most straightforward and directly solution for you to achieve your goals :smile:

Changed my mind and want to do English Lit at uni

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