Choosing A Levels

[Chives]

How are you managing to do GCSEs without science?

In January 2009 I was critically ill and not far from death. Turned out it was type 1 diabetes, off school for around 2-3 months. School refused to allow me to do GCSE Sciences even though I know with enough work I could have done them.

 

[Chives]

That's utterly stupid, did you not fight your case?

No. At the time me and my family where so bogged down in the diabetes we weren't really thinking of anything else. I chose GCSE Sciences, but was dragged in by head of department and told I can't do them, they where very nice about it, Forcing me to do entry level sciences which is an utter waste of my time.

 

[Chives]

That sounds terrible Chives mate. Sorry to hear.

Indeed, I now suffer the consequences with 3 less GCSE's than everyone else which is sure not to help in the future. Still a nice positive interim report yesterday with 4 B's and 1 C, despite 75% attendance in year 10 and 85% this year. Things are improving and I am currently going from strength to strength.

 

[Chives]

Work hard at AS. )

I plan to, It would have been very difficult for me to even think about sixth form had it not been for me working hard this year, I don't plan to get there and then squander the opportunity!

 

[Chives]

OP update 5/3/11

 

[Chives]

stict to the centre. Physics, Chemistry, English, Languages and Mathematics. Only way to go

Why?

Chives if you think you are sufficently capable at Maths it should be an absolute must for any A-Levels studies. It will keep more doors open to you when choosing a degree and large corporate employers rate numeracy and mathemetics extremely highly.

I am terrible at maths, so it's a no I'm afraid.

 

[Chives]

I've not read it all but I noticed you said that you didn't want to do English because it was all about analysing and not writing speeches and instead want to do history, which is very much about analysing.

Might I point out that there isn't really a degree about writing speeches and alike and if there was it wouldn't be worth anything.

Take your degree to match your future job not the other way around. You will be in uni for 3-4 years but you will be doing your job for the rest of your life.

Furthermore there are a lot of degree's and a levels not worth doing. Luckily when it comes to a level only the top few actually hold it against you for taking some of the subjects.

Be smart about what you choose to do at uni. In the real world its not what you learnt in your degree that matters but how high up the ladder it is.

For example you take classics, history and English. A classics degree is history but in the ancient era, it has about half the work load and is more about socialising than learning. As a result it cannot stand up to history and English at all. History is a well respected subject but it is still trumped by English because it has a higher work load.

Pick the job you want to do, then pick the degree which is top in its field. It is a pity you can't do science because science majorly trumps almost all other a levels and degrees.

Maths at A level is a big deal also, as has been pointed out. It is not that hard, they dumbed down the sciences so much at college it's a joke. Physics doesn't even contain maths any more. I have taught several people to do A level maths in my spare time as I do a maths degree.

You raise a good point about English, I'm basing that of what my teacher has said to me about it.
I'm looking at Degrees on the UCAS website now, something like International Relations & Journalism sounds good, seeing as I would like to (unlikely I know) enter journalism when I'm older, would a Degree like that be a good option?

 

[Chives]

This is interesting, the school has linked us to a site called "kudos". The website asks you over 100 questions and then gives you a list of good career options based from that, this is what I got.
Editorial Assistant
Insurance Claims Inspector
Computer Programmer
Human Resources Officer
Excise Officer
Medical Secretary
Training Officer
VAT Officer
Magistrates' Court Assistant
Public Relations Officer
·[FONT=&quot] Credit Manager [/FONT]
·[FONT=&quot] Credit Controller [/FONT]

·[FONT=&quot] Insurance Loss Adjuster[/FONT]

Thoughts on these? The qualification Level I entered was A Level, GCSE and Degree which brought up these jobs.

 

[Chives]

What a levels and degree did you actually put in though?

It doesn't ask you to specify subjects, just qualification Level, goes from Entry Level > GCSE (D-G) > GCSE (C-A*) > A-Level > Degree

 

[Chives]

http://russellgroup.ac.uk/uploads/Informed-Choices-final_3.pdf

Might be of help to you.

Ah yes, my teacher showed me this when she was trying to promote geography. Thank you.

 

[Chives]

Oh I just remembered, geography is another good one.

I'm taking that
Well the Russell group has a list of recommended subjects, it says to have a "wide range of options" that you should take at least 2 out of a list that is in that linked PDF, I have 2 subjects out of that list..

 

[Chives]

International election observer. Hoping to move into slightly more policy/project management stuff in the next few years and go back to the USA to do my MA.

Your degree is what you make of it. My room mate just got interviewed on Press TV (huge TV station) about the women's domestic violence shelter she runs, a couple more work for MPs in Parliament, one is working out in Africa doing sports rehabilitation for kids, another few doing UN internships.

The world can be your oyster with an International Relations degree, you just need to put the work in to achieve that. My course in third year was only 8hrs a week contact time, but I filled the rest of my time with extra-curricular stuff and studying/working on my dissertation to get a first.

Wow I like the sound of that, I'm heavily interested in international relations to. Funnily enough I was looking on the ucas website at international relations degrees earlier.