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Further education

You'll find discussions about A Levels and universities on our Further Education forum.

Original poster

Confused over A level choices

234 replies

ihearttc · 07/07/2021 20:25

DS1 has just finished Y11. He is a fairly bright boy and is predicted 6s, 7s and 8s for GCSE. He has picked his a level choices…PE, Geography and Biology. These are some of his best subjects and is predicted 8 in both PE/Biology and a 7 in Geography.

He had his induction day at 6th form this week and PE/Geography are ok, the Biology didn’t go well. He thinks the teacher is great (he taught him before) but the others in the class are just not on his wavelength. I’m aware that sounds really shallow and pathetic but 2 of the boys especially are very hard work and he said he was only in there for an hour and wanted to walk out. There are 10 of them and he said there is literally no one he could talk to. He is rather cool and sporty…they are the complete opposite so I can see why he found it tricky.

Anyway…my question is does he suck it up and just accept the fact that he is going to hate a lesson just to do the subject or walk away and chose something else. He wants to do something sport related…either sports science or become a Secondary PE teacher if that’s relevant.

The other option is his other choices are limited due to timetabling. It would have to either be the biology, Media Studies (which he did for GCSE), a BTEC medical science (which seems not at his academic level) or Maths. The obvious one is maths but he is freaking out over hard it will be and he doesn’t want to fail.

Any thoughts if that makes sense at all?

OP posts:
titchy · 08/07/2021 16:39

Apologies I misread the 10 hours.

The nerdy kids are also year 11, and to be blunt have probably spent their entire school careers being the only nerds in a cohort of 'cool kids'. Cut them some slack too.

I still think if your ds goes in with a positive attitude of seeing them a people rather than 'nerds'/Sheldons/ whatever he'll be a lot happier. It's his attitude to them that's causing his issues, not the fact that they're have particular interests. You never know he may actually become friends with them.

At the end of the day it's 4 hours a week for 50 weeks doing a subject he enjoys that will open many more doors than a second choice will.

That said I agree all young people have had an utterly shit time in the last couple of years, and many may not be yet able to think beyond that yet and look at the bigger picture. Small things can appear very big when one's mindset is like that.

Original poster
ihearttc · 08/07/2021 16:27

@titchy

I don’t think I did say he was going to be with them for 10 hours a week…although everyone seems to be twisting what I’m saying so I’m not sure of anything anymore. There are 10 young people in the class including DS. 9 of them are in a social circle all on their own with similar interests outside school and are very different in terms of personality to DS. That’s not a bad thing per se, it’s just it made him feel very uncomfortable in the lesson as he felt (probably wrongly) that they were mocking him for being there. It might change as the course goes on…but then again it might not and he’s trying to decide on whether it’s worth being unhappy (in his words) for 2 years with a class of people who he has nothing in common with.

Yes it may not be worth worrying about but quite honestly these Y11’s need to be cut some slack, they have had to worry and stress over everything the last 2 years. They’ve missed 2 terms of their GCSE courses and whilst he is fairly bright and able he is questioning whether he is academically and socially able to cope with both the A level and the group of people who will also be studying it.

OP posts:
FinallyHere · 08/07/2021 13:39

it’s honestly not about choosing an A level based on the people in the class. I’m simply querying whether it’s worth being uncomfortable for 2 years to do the subject he wants to do.

I'm not sure what the difference is, between those two things.

I wouldn't encourage anyone to not study their preferred A levels , just because the font like the look of the others in the glass. Especially when the teacher is liked.

The final two years of school is a time when people grow and develop a lot. Who knows what they will all get like in two years. Don't let one hour in their company deflect him.

Good opportunity to build resilience.

thecognoscenti · 08/07/2021 12:20

@Bryonyshcmyony he does want to take it, he just doesn't think the other kids in the class are cool enough to share a room with him.

Bryonyshcmyony · 08/07/2021 12:17

@titchy

And actually not assess himself against them. How's he going to manage a uni if he's with a cohort of expensively educated high achievers?
Probably really well, as he's barely 16 and there's plenty of time before uni for some growing up
titchy · 08/07/2021 12:14

And actually not assess himself against them. How's he going to manage a uni if he's with a cohort of expensively educated high achievers?

titchy · 08/07/2021 12:13

Bryony you're one to talk about not listening - the ds in question DOES want to do Biology. He just doesn't like the kids in the class. Who he'll only share a classroom with for 4 hours a week....

OP I'm not sure why you think he'll be with them for 10 hours a week Confused And there's no group work in Biology.

I'm another suck it up I'm afraid. He is going to come across all sorts of people in life - he shouldn't judge and should learn to see the best in them. Kids often change between school and sixth form anyway.

Bryonyshcmyony · 08/07/2021 11:26

Obviously not taught very well at our school Grin

clary · 08/07/2021 11:25

Ds2 enjoyed biology A level so much (it was a last minute addition/switch from FM) that he is doing a degree in it instead of maths or PE, both of which he had been considering.

Not saying your ds will love it op but not everyone hates it.

Piggywaspushed · 08/07/2021 11:22

@Bryonyshcmyony

I don't know anyone who enjoyed Biology A level. Dd did it for a few weeks and it was deathly.
Likewise I know plenty who do!
Bryonyshcmyony · 08/07/2021 11:08

@thecognoscenti

I'd be encouraging him to grow up and not dismiss people based on him spending an hour with them and deciding they aren't cool enough to study with. How is he going to cope if he's a teacher and believes that his class aren't the right sort of people for him? They're all there because they want to study biology so they do have something in common already. Even if that's all they have - so what?
I'd be listening to him and not encouraging him to take a subject he doesn't feel happy with just to make me feel better about him not liking everyone in his class.
thecognoscenti · 08/07/2021 11:06

I'd be encouraging him to grow up and not dismiss people based on him spending an hour with them and deciding they aren't cool enough to study with. How is he going to cope if he's a teacher and believes that his class aren't the right sort of people for him? They're all there because they want to study biology so they do have something in common already. Even if that's all they have - so what?

Bryonyshcmyony · 08/07/2021 11:05

I don't know anyone who enjoyed Biology A level. Dd did it for a few weeks and it was deathly.

lljkk · 08/07/2021 10:59

DS & DD have not enjoyed biology A-level. DD got A* in everything anyway, but didn't enjoy it (Chemistry & math A-level were fine for her, easy enough). DS will be lucky to scrape a C in Biology A-level. Now that DS is doing biology A-level, I can't believe how boring it is. This is same kid who constantly spouted biology facts at me thru GCSE years which is why I thought A-level biology would suit him.

I'm surprised your son has so few choices in the time table. Shame that.

If I was 16 I couldn't suck up 2 years of a class with classmates that drove me nuts. Unless he has a hunch the annoying lads will drop out early? If he can enjoy media studies, do that instead.

SE13Mummy · 08/07/2021 10:17

@ihearttc

Genuine question…would everyone really “suck it up” for 2 years if it made you feel uncomfortable every day? Cause I’m not sure I could.
I'm not sure I'd advise my DD to 'suck it up' for two years if it made her feel uncomfortable but I'd absolutely encourage her to recognise what she's feeling right now as anxiety, to talk to the teacher to confirm she's going to cope with the course then park it until results day. I'd then encourage her to give it a go in September, knowing I'd support her to change course/setting if it was as awful as the induction session had been.
Bryonyshcmyony · 08/07/2021 10:12

It's not bad advice to give examples of good Sports Science degrees that don't need Biology, @Piggywaspushed

Piggywaspushed · 08/07/2021 10:09

But he does want to do biology : he chose it! The class is making him a bit uncomfortable and that's an issue he can hopefully work through with OP, his teachers, and himself.

Cattitudes · 08/07/2021 09:45

If he is considering teaching then he might also consider how useful his subsidiary subject is as he might end up teaching anything that he has studied at A level as well as PE.

I doubt that all the other 9 get on with each other and as long as he can get on with them we'll enough to ask someone for homework and to do a practical then he won't need to spend loads of leisure time with his class.

Bryonyshcmyony · 08/07/2021 09:40

@Piggywaspushed

bryony that really is not very good advice. Biology is specifically required by enough unis for it to be silly to drop it.
It's not bad advice for someone who wants to do Sports Science but doesn't want to do Biology Confused

Loughborough and Exeter both excellent for Sports Science

Piggywaspushed · 08/07/2021 09:27

Here is Bath Sports Science

You will need a strong performance in a core science (or Psychology) or mathematics subject as part of your entry qualifications. We cannot accept Geography or PE in place of a science subject for this degree

OP's DS sounds like he is on track for good GCSE grades so Bath would be a potentially realistic university to aspire to.
If he drops biology, he cannot apply to Bath.

nicknamehelp · 08/07/2021 09:20

He will probably find once in 6th form and settled his attitude and that of others changes as they mature. My DS lost all his mates going into 6th form but has made great friends with kids he hadn't given the time of day to for the previous 5 years. Yes he might not become great mates with anyone in the class but see it as a learning experience that you have to sometimes learn to get on with people you dont pick to be mates with. I'm sure the teacher will make sure he is included in any group work etc.

SimonedeBeauvoirscat · 08/07/2021 09:11

Over the course of two years, he will find that what now appears to be an impenetrable identikit group of high-achieving swots resolves itself into a series of clearly differentiated individuals, some of whom he might actually have something in common with - enough to be able to share the occasional pleasant remark, at least.

Piggywaspushed · 08/07/2021 09:03

bryony that really is not very good advice. Biology is specifically required by enough unis for it to be silly to drop it.

HasaDigaEebowai · 08/07/2021 08:43

I think the class is relevant. Ds1 is trying to choose between two A levels and is influenced by the fact that one choice is a very small group and half the class is “cool” kids who will mess about and spoil things for the others.

But in his case it doesn’t affect his degree choice since the other subject is actually a better fit anyway.

Bryonyshcmyony · 08/07/2021 08:41

People need to stop being offended for their own children and think more about what the Ops son needs to do to get to a decent uni to read Sports Science. And that doesn't necessarily mean Biology which is very difficult to get an A in anyway.