A Level Drama or Psychology?

[TidyBush]

I'm asking this for DD1. She's about to start 6th form and is really torn about her chosen subjects.

Originally she chose English Language, English Literature, Music and German. She then went right off German and swapped it for Drama.

She knows that she wants to study music at uni maybe as a joint honours with an as yet unknown subject.

She loves music and performing arts but is worried that Drama is a 'weak' A level that doesn't have much status when applying for uni places.

So she's now torn about whether to drop drama and take psychology for A level, but she doesn't really know much about the course content.

Does anyone out there teach any of the these subjects or assess uni applications and could give any advice?

TIA

I teach Drama. A Level is quite demanding - study of pre and post 20th century playtexts, an element of practical work, study of practitioners such as Stanislavski and Brecht.

I don't have any knowledge of pyschology A Level, but would imagine that both will be viewed similarly by universities.

You may well get a lot of posters advising you to push your DD to o back to German, but I have never had a student turned down by virtue of the fact that they are doing Drama A Level.

IMO she should take whichever she feels she will enjoy most, as she is more likely to achieve a high grade in a subject she enjoys.

I did a music degree and studied English Literature, Theatre Studies & Music & History A Levels.

My dh teaches voice at degree level. If she wants to study music depending on where she is applying a lot will go, not just on her grades but on her instrument/voice audition.

I would say tht drama is a very useful subject to have if studying music, obvously with my instrument being voice there was a lot of cross over but many instrumentalists also chose to do modules in music and drama.

If anything I find it unusual that she is doing English Language and English Literature. We would not have been allowed to choose both of those in my day. I would drop the Engligh language myself.

I was going to suggest the same thing elphiethropp, eng lang is not well regarded so i think she'd do well doing music drama, eng lit and psychology. wouldn't make her do German if she's not that keen.

Loshad are you my daughter . She's just announced that she's now thinking of dropping Eng Lang to do psychology and keeping drama!

I did A level psychology and loved it....fascinating stuff that you remember for a lifetime. Gives you a good insight into life, people, behaviour. Viewed well at university. Best to look at her ultimate goal...if she wanted to teach drama, or become an actress, then drama would be useful.

Well, now it sounds as if she has the best of both worlds. I hope that she enjoys it...I look back with great joy at my A levels...it makes you feel as if you are really beginning to be, and be treated like, an adult....

Tidybush - would be funny but 40 was south some years ago good decision TBD

If she is looking at teaching as a possible futire career then music teachers who can offer some drama are more indemand. MAny schools are moving towards the BTech performing arts courses rather tnan single subject for GCSE for example.

I teach A level Psychology (and also Biology). I love it (obviously) and think it is very good for developing critical thinking skills. I think it is probably viewed as equivalent to Drama by good universities, but I don't think it's "softer" than Biology TBH. However, my opinion doesn't in terms of university admissions of course. I would say that one of the problems with Psychology is that it isn't always what the students are expecting. We have a reasonably high attrition rate in the first term, because people have made the wrong choice. To succeed in Psychology at A level I think you have to have the writing skills of English and the humanities, but you also have to be confident with scientific method (and a bit of scientific content, but most A level psychologists seem to bluff that bit ).

Thanks for all of your input, it's really useful.

TFM can I ask - why do you think so many students misunderstand the course?

I'm asking because when DD and I were discussing it yesterday and I was talking to her about things like behaviourism, Freud, etc she said that those were the things they'd looked at in the AS Critical Thinking course she did in Y11.

She did also say that the course was taught by a Psychology teacher and that she (DD) thinks she's "done rubbish" in the exam.

So, is there quite a cross over between Psychology and CT?

I don't teach Critical Thinking. I meant critical thinking (lower case - skill rather than sunject ).

I think if your DD knows about behaviourism and psychodynamics, then she has a head start on my students, many of whom choose it just because it is a bit different to what they've done before. Most of the students in my school tend to do it alongside English and humanities subjects, and the idea that they have to think scientifically (ish) is a bit of a surprise to them. And the ones who are doing it alongside the sciences are miffed at the demands on their extended writing skills. I rather love it for its crossover appeal, but some do find it hard to manage both things.

I don't think Drama & Theatre Studies is a weak A-level in itself, but coupled with English Literature, it might be a bit diluted?

Music and Drama is a good combo. I don't really think much of Psychology.

She should do what she enjoys.

English Lit plus Drama/Theatre Studies is a fairly classic combination, IME. Plenty take it - they compliment rather than dilute each other. No one would suggest that Maths and Physics would dilute, and I think the Eng Lit/Drama thing is similar.

TheFallenMadonna Ah that's the problem with meanings being misunderstood online .

I did get the difference between CT and ct (IYSWIM) but I wondered if you knew if there is a vast difference between CT and Psychology, as what DD described to me as Critical Thinking sounded more like things I'd studied for my degree when I covered educational psychology.

Does that make sense?

I know nothing about Critical Thinking.

No problem - DD (and I) thank you anyway, your advice has been really useful.