Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

A level choices, History, Art, RS and Biology a good mix?

37 replies

Chumhum · 06/12/2014 09:22

Dd has to apply to the sixth form at her school by the end of term and after attending an information evening these are the A levels she'd like to do. Art and History were absolute, there were a few options in her mind for the other two slots and based partly on how much she enjoys a subject and how interesting they sounded on the information evening she chose the other two.

She isn't complete sure what she wants to do in the long term, at the moment it's likely she'll do an art degree but we all feel that she should give herself options if she changes her mind in the next couple of years. She's predicted A stars across the board at GCSE so is a bright girl. She's our oldest so we've not been through this except for our own A levels donkeys years ago so I'd appreciate any views.

OP posts:
sunnyfrostyday · 07/12/2014 18:30

I did history, geography and biology (many many moons ago...Grin ). Was planning a geography degree.

The biology was really hard for me (ok at science, but I hadn't appreciated how much chemistry was involved). I got a B, which I was very pleased with in the end. (and ended up doing Law).

I think she would be better with a language tbh.

Coconutty · 07/12/2014 17:58

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

happygardening · 07/12/2014 11:57

Probably a bit late in the day now and might not be available but what about the IB? DS2 doesn't have any plans as yet for what he wants to study at university and in retrospect he would have been more suited to the IB, we realised to late to apply to anywhere worthwhile.

Bonsoir · 07/12/2014 11:52

I would swap the biology for maths.

RiversideMum · 07/12/2014 11:15

I agree that biology sits oddly with the rest and without maths will be a dead end in terms of progressing anywhere else with it. Is there another history type subject at her school - eg classical civilisation? Or if she is dead set on art is there something like photography that would sit well with it?

OnlyOwl · 07/12/2014 11:01

Biology teacher here who as a general rule strongly recommends not doing biology without at least one other science/maths. It's not that your DD couldn't do it - some do - but the vast majority haven't picked the other sciences because they're not good at them and don't like them but think biology is the easiest, which they soon find out isn't the case at all at A Level!

Every year we get students with this combination discovering they don't like biology A Level, it's really hard and they just aren't motivated/able to do well. They then struggle for ages before finally dropping to AS, which is not at all easy either.

Seeing this combination of three arts + biology in my class lists is my personal nightmare - but occasionally one does surprise me and really take to it, so perhaps your DD is that exception :)

Singleandproud · 06/12/2014 10:27

I work for a Sixth Form and what we recommend is even if you don't know exactly what you want to do after A levels it is good to look at the UCAS website at courses you might be interested in as some will state that you must have a certain subject, a lot of our students who do not do the research before deciding have to do a third year - where spaces aren't always guaranteed. We also other Swop not Drop so students can change their chosen subject up to the October half term and students often end up on completely different programmes than the one they initially applied for.

Sparklingbrook · 06/12/2014 10:20

It would be so much easier if he had more of an idea of what he wants to do after A Levels but he really doesn't. the mocks start on Monday so I am hoping that might narrow things down a bit more.

Original poster
Chumhum · 06/12/2014 09:43

Biology was a surprise to me too, she'd talked about either a language, English lit and RS until the information evening. I don't think she'd ever go the science route, she's more a humanities/arts person but she felt that a language at A level would be dull and purely based on enjoyment opted for biology. I think she's hoping that it makes her look well rounded.

If have opted for English lit myself, it sounded so good.

OP posts:
Sparklingbrook · 06/12/2014 09:29

We have a similar dilemma. DS1 hates Biology and Physics but loves Chemistry which he is getting A* grades in.

So we have History, English, German and Chemistry as his four. No idea what he wants to do post A level. Got til February to decide.

hellsbells99 · 06/12/2014 09:25

Biology without another science or maths isn't much good if she decides she wants to go in that direction. My DDs' school don't recommend biology on its own.

SweepTheHalls · 06/12/2014 09:24

The biology is rather a curve ball in that mix !