What A-levels should I pick
Currently towards the ending of my igcse with a combination of subjects I loathe, how do I pick a levels subjects I'll love ? I'm interested in creativity, writing in terms of the culture critiquing opinionated niche also visual arts , mood boarding on Pinterest too (lol) and also very interested in history so that my be a possible option and I'm considering business in the mix of this. Any advice would be really helpful.Tthank you.
Reply 1
History, something like art and business? Choose subjects you enjoy 🙂
Reply 2
You might want to look at subjects like history, history of art, media studies etc?
Reply 3
Original post
by erica90210Currently towards the ending of my igcse with a combination of subjects I loathe, how do I pick a levels subjects I'll love ? I'm interested in creativity, writing in terms of the culture critiquing opinionated niche also visual arts , mood boarding on Pinterest too (lol) and also very interested in history so that my be a possible option and I'm considering business in the mix of this. Any advice would be really helpful.Tthank you.
I think in english literature a level you can be very opinionated and critical, while exploring society and culture very creatively in depth. It's also a really respected and versatile a-level. Although PLEASE don't pick it if you dislike reading a lot, and check with your school what books you would be studying to make sure. Same goes for history, you study very in depth for just a few topics so make sure those topics truly appeal to you.
Reply 4
Original post
by erica90210Currently towards the ending of my igcse with a combination of subjects I loathe, how do I pick a levels subjects I'll love ? I'm interested in creativity, writing in terms of the culture critiquing opinionated niche also visual arts , mood boarding on Pinterest too (lol) and also very interested in history so that my be a possible option and I'm considering business in the mix of this. Any advice would be really helpful.Tthank you.
Hi,
Based on your interests, you could consider subjects like Art and Design, English Literature or Language (or a combined option), Business, Sociology and Politics.
It’s also worth looking at the specific modules each subject covers at A-level to see which interest you, as this can vary depending on the exam board.
You may also want to think about how the subjects complement each other and university entry requirements, e.g subjects that involve essay writing, analysis and critical thinking tend to go well together.
Hope this helps,
Tayba
Student Rep
Reply 5
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First, figure out what subjects are available for you to take, literally just get a long list.
•
Second, cross out all the subjects you've already taken and hated and subjects you don't find interesting.
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If you're not sure leave the subject on the list.
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Third, highlight the subjects you think you'll find interesting or are drawn to at first glance. This is going to be your starting point.
Now the main stuff. Research the course, in order they show up on your list or in order of what you think you'd like most (start with the highlighted subjects).
By research I mean look at the spec (what topics are taught), what do the exam questions or coursework look like. This information will help you narrow your list down even more ie. get rid of the subjects that you don't see yourself doing. If you still have too many subjects and need to cut the list down more, see what people that took the course have to say. Maybe friends that are currently taking it or took it last year, maybe there are videos on YouTube or something. Obviously these peoples experiences might not map up to what you'll experience but it'll give you more information to think about. Maybe there are books that are recommended to be read before you start the course by a teacher, look into these books, online or library etc.
History is an all-rounder. Teaches you how to understand texts, but also people, this is an important skill, it'll show people (uni application, apprenticeship, work) that you have interpersonal skills ('soft skills' as they say in the workforce). To put it simply, it's proof that you can work in a team. Some alternatives to history are philosophy or religious studies. These 2 are similar, but philosophy focuses on "someone once said that people think and live like this" and religious studies focus on "there's this text that tells people to act and think this way". (Don't quote me, I didn't take either for a-levels)
For creative subjects, see if you can do a level 3 BTEC. The coursework will be a main part of how you get your final grade, there won't be any written exams, just a showcase of a project you prepared for the final submission. From what I know there should be a wide range of choices for this, traditional Art, Art & Design, Photography, Design & Technology, Metalwork, Engineering, Production Arts, Performing Arts, Music, Marketing (might go well with Business?), there's also Business. This is just some of the interesting ones I found on the Person BTEC page. You'll probably be restricted by what your school is teaching unless the 'igcse' is an online gcse thing and your home schooled?? it could also be a typo...
MOST IMPORTANTLY: you should be able and allowed to change the subjects in the first 2-4 weeks of starting them, double check this, ASK. Just because you choose to study a subject now, does not mean that you have to stick with it forever!!! If you hate it, please change it.
And just some extra advice, you're free to disregard it if you want
. Think about what you want to do after your a-levels. If it's university, what are you drawn to, what a-levels would be useful for the uni course? but this might be useless and your a-levels will decide what you do in the future. Remember there are also apprenticeships or going straight into work. Again, this is just an add on, can be ignored.Zuzanna (Lancaster Student Ambassador)
Reply 6
Original post
by erica90210Currently towards the ending of my igcse with a combination of subjects I loathe, how do I pick a levels subjects I'll love ? I'm interested in creativity, writing in terms of the culture critiquing opinionated niche also visual arts , mood boarding on Pinterest too (lol) and also very interested in history so that my be a possible option and I'm considering business in the mix of this. Any advice would be really helpful.Tthank you.
Hi,
If you're finishing IGCSEs with subjects you don't enjoy, the best way to choose A levels you'll actually love is to follow things you already gravitate toward: creativity, Art/photography?, crutiquing english literature/history?. I have added some suggestions linked to the type of things you are interested in. Have a further look!
Trenyce (Kingston rep)
(edited 1 month ago)
Reply 7
Y13 here so hopefully this expertise should be relevant enough,
But if you're interested in creative subjects I'd say Art - HOWEVER some schools (depending on if yours does it or not), also offer a Photography course that's said to be highly creative if you're interested in that route. What many people don't talk about for creativity is the option to do an E. P. Q, or Extended Personal Qualification. What that's essentially about is that you spend two years researching a topic you're passionate about and producing a piece of work by the end of it with a step-by-step process of how you got from start to finish for the entire thing, so that could be one. I know for mine I'm doing something on Mythology and it's so fun, so you can choose what you're interested in. Warning: the E.P.Q is worth only half an A-level (no clue how that works) but it does help you get into Uni easier as it displays your knowledge of skills you'd use in day-to-day uni life.
For writing, I'd recommend English Literature - and before you say it, it's nothing like GCSE Literature. I know for A Level you are still required to study poems, plays and books but the questions in the exam are more generic based (meaning they give you a prompt saying how this theme is conveyed or this character is portrayed or those How far do you agree questions, and for those you can write about literally ANYTHING!) Even better is that for P2, aside from the Unseen Section A, you get to choose what texts you want to use to answer the questions for the rest of the paper, instead of sticking to a whole 'I need to use this play for this section because the question says'. Literature, in my humble experience, also allows you the option of more creativity though use of the coursework element where you use the critical lenses to evaluate a novel and play of your choosing. However, for the poetry coursework you can write your own poem in the style of a chosen poet and write a short evaluation of what critical lenses you wanted to show through your poem, so that also links with the creativity aspect in a way.
For visual arts, you can either choose an A-level in Media studies or Drama (HIGHLY RECOMMEND). I don't know much about Media A-Level but I do know that for Drama, you still have your same exams as GCSE, only more in detail, however you work in a smaller group and are there with people who actually want to be there instead of those GCSE students who took it for a doss and you never got any work done.
For History - YES ABSOLUTELY GO FOR IT! It's harder than GCSE sure, with you having to learn loads more but that's A-Level for you. Even better, you get tasked with writing a coursework just like Literature and E. P. Q where you evaluate a historical period you love and evaluate it like you'd see in a history book written by a professional historian, so that's cool.
Hope this helps!
But if you're interested in creative subjects I'd say Art - HOWEVER some schools (depending on if yours does it or not), also offer a Photography course that's said to be highly creative if you're interested in that route. What many people don't talk about for creativity is the option to do an E. P. Q, or Extended Personal Qualification. What that's essentially about is that you spend two years researching a topic you're passionate about and producing a piece of work by the end of it with a step-by-step process of how you got from start to finish for the entire thing, so that could be one. I know for mine I'm doing something on Mythology and it's so fun, so you can choose what you're interested in. Warning: the E.P.Q is worth only half an A-level (no clue how that works) but it does help you get into Uni easier as it displays your knowledge of skills you'd use in day-to-day uni life.
For writing, I'd recommend English Literature - and before you say it, it's nothing like GCSE Literature. I know for A Level you are still required to study poems, plays and books but the questions in the exam are more generic based (meaning they give you a prompt saying how this theme is conveyed or this character is portrayed or those How far do you agree questions, and for those you can write about literally ANYTHING!) Even better is that for P2, aside from the Unseen Section A, you get to choose what texts you want to use to answer the questions for the rest of the paper, instead of sticking to a whole 'I need to use this play for this section because the question says'. Literature, in my humble experience, also allows you the option of more creativity though use of the coursework element where you use the critical lenses to evaluate a novel and play of your choosing. However, for the poetry coursework you can write your own poem in the style of a chosen poet and write a short evaluation of what critical lenses you wanted to show through your poem, so that also links with the creativity aspect in a way.
For visual arts, you can either choose an A-level in Media studies or Drama (HIGHLY RECOMMEND). I don't know much about Media A-Level but I do know that for Drama, you still have your same exams as GCSE, only more in detail, however you work in a smaller group and are there with people who actually want to be there instead of those GCSE students who took it for a doss and you never got any work done.
For History - YES ABSOLUTELY GO FOR IT! It's harder than GCSE sure, with you having to learn loads more but that's A-Level for you. Even better, you get tasked with writing a coursework just like Literature and E. P. Q where you evaluate a historical period you love and evaluate it like you'd see in a history book written by a professional historian, so that's cool.
Hope this helps!
Reply 8
Original post
by erica90210Currently towards the ending of my igcse with a combination of subjects I loathe, how do I pick a levels subjects I'll love ? I'm interested in creativity, writing in terms of the culture critiquing opinionated niche also visual arts , mood boarding on Pinterest too (lol) and also very interested in history so that my be a possible option and I'm considering business in the mix of this. Any advice would be really helpful.Tthank you.
It depends on what your 6th form/ college offers but I personally did history of art as one of my a levels and its so interesting - your interests could align with something like english lit, history of art and history?
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