How do you pick A levels when you don't enjoy any of the subjects

I also dropped French at a level. It’s probably changed since I was there but whereas gcse had a total focus on language, a level had quite a large French literature/ film component. Worth checking the syllabus if she’s not interested in English lit.

OP- What does she like, in general?

To be academically good but not to enjoy any subject is quite a big thing. Does she have enthusiasm for anything in her life? That might point the way towards some 'new ' A levels, or a BTEC she can excel in.

I was very good at French and got an a* at gcse...hated it at a level!! Dropped it after about a term!

Doesn't sound like your daughter should be doing any a levels if there's nothing she'd enjoy!

Mine picked subjects she had a vague interest in (good GCSE results), did them for two terms, dropped out, worked in a cafe for a while, got an NHS apprenticeship and is now at university doing a foundation healthcare course to move onto a full degree. We got a lot of comments (including on here) that she was ruining her life by not doing A levels but it's worked out amazingly, she had 18 months of solid work experience In a challenging situation that has massively increased her maturity and independence and now is doing something that she cares about, and is enjoying university life knowing what it's like to work full time.

Assign should read PASSION

Op

I would be a little concerned by 16 year old had absolutely no “assign” in her life. No subject whatsoever she enjoys and it would seem no vocational type activity (where cooking, hair, make up, health, creative) appeals to her.

How does she seem in herself?

Then don't pick A levels. WHat does she want to do? Animal care, child care, nursing? All have get BTEC options. why are you only considering A levels - they are certainly not right for everyone.

French is a given, not because she enjoys it, but because she's good at it and her predicted grade is a 9. She doesn't like anything else

At that age it's fine not to rush. She's got time to find her way.

I decided to get a job after my gcse's, my parents supported me as I was so headstrong. I had a string of top GCSE's , but I didn't want to study, it sounds like your DD is the same, no-one isn't interested in anything else, but she may be sick of studying.

After two years of working ( fun , but dead end jobs in a record shop, working at a music festival, intern at a video production company, etc I decided to go back to college and do A levels and went onto a top university.

Stephen Fry failed his A Levels, went on the run with a stolen credit card and spent 3 months in prison. He then re-took his A levels and went onto Cambridge and stardom.

Its not all or nothing at 15/16, take a step back, if she's not interested in any A levels, why are you even having the conversation??

There are many different ways of choosing A-levels, whether they are facilitating subjects, if you like a subject or if you are good at a subject. A lot of people work backwards from what job they want to do , then which uni/degree they want, then which A-levels they need to get there. The ideal would be if they can do solid A levels that they like and good at, that leads to a good degree. In reality it is a mix of those factors. A-levels can be seen as a means to an end.

If it were my daughter, I would advise her to pick something "useful" and she would get decent grades at, to keep doors open. I think it is especially important if she doesn't know what she wants to do (which is very normal). I think vocational subjects and apprenticeships are great for those who know what they want to do, but it can be limiting to those finding their way.

Career advise is important at this point, to see what subjects are required for different paths.

What does she want to do afterwards? Uni?

Has she had any decent career advice from the school yet? Buy this stage my DS1 had been offered lots of different tests and lots of chats and lots of advice and lots of online checks opportunities to find out what they may like. Has your dd not had this?

Don't do A'levels if she doesn't like any of them! What does she want, and what does she need to get, in order to get there?

But you need to be careful what you do decide and it doesn't hinder you in anyway. Now we are all more aware of these choices, back in the day most people never even had any careers advice. but now they're more aware. that if you want to do something sport science at say Loughborough University, they normally demand a science particularly biology. I only mention that because Ds1's ex-girlfriend wanted to go to Loughborough and missed out because she didn't have a science she didn't know that she was supposed to take biology. So don't let that happen.

Silly not silky! Sorry

It's a, massive jump from GCSE to alevel in French. You go from reading a silky wee paragraph to reading an entire book in french. All the tenses, lots if vocab. It's really a big stretch.

I would look into an apprenticeship for her.
What is she into outside of school?

Google whether your local colleges and sixth forms have open days/open evenings as those would be really good to go to. But if you've missed them, contact them anyway and ask for info.

Just echoing what everyone else is saying. Ds (in year 12 now) was the same - apart from History (which he didn't take in the end for other reasons) and Business, he hated the academic subjects. He's chosen Business, Sociology and Criminology and for the first time in his life he's coming home and telling me about what he's learning. They're really interesting 'real life' subjects and there's debate involved, which he enjoys.

Dd did Psychology and Religion, Philosophy and Ethics alongside History. She really clicked with RPE and got an A star.

It's got to be better getting As and Bs in these sorts of subjects, even if it rules out some jobs, than getting lower grades in traditional subjects and hating sixth form!

She shouldn’t be doing A Levels if she genuinely isn’t interested by any of her subjects. She needs to research vocational qualifications, look at what local colleges offer, and start working out what she does want to do. Not just shuffle on to A Levels because that’s what everyone else does!

I picked subjects I was good at rather than what I enjoyed. When the work got harder I didn’t have enough interest in it to sustain me. You can handle something that’s boring - but when it’s hard AND boring you end up failing.

Not to mention that boring A-levels lead to a boring job in the subjects you studied, then a boring job for life. You must must must study something you enjoy if you want to achieve success and have a happy life.

Have a look at apprenticeships and BTEC (the latter is easier, more coursework focused and still get you into uni). Or A-levels like business or graphic design or anything else that isn’t available at school.

When I was that age I struggled to know what I wanted to do when I was older because I had no experience of the world of work, my only experience was school and arranged around school subjects.

How many adults do you know with jobs? Could you arrange for her to visit as many companies/as many of those adults at work as possible, or if visiting is tricky, get them to send through info, "a day in my life" kind of thing. I sort of knew about jobs which directly related to subjects I liked, so designer/illustrator, and jobs which I'd come across in the world like teacher/doctor/chef/postman/etc but things like a HR department, project management, quality control, research and development of specific things - those things were totally missing from my understanding of work, and in hindsight it would have been really useful to know about them. I was approaching work from the standpoint of what skills I have and what type of work would suit me, without really knowing what jobs exist. Instead you can try approaching from an interest point of view - what's her favourite brand or product, does she have a hobby?

Let's say that she loves a specific computer game - there are hundreds of jobs involved in producing a computer game, from the conceptualising to the art to the coding to the testing to the engagement with the community to the marketing to the events management to the translation etc etc - loads and loads of varied roles. Or if she likes rock climbing - there will be hundreds of roles associated with that, from a trainer to a competitive climber to somebody making and designing new types of ropes and harness, safety testing the ropes and harnesses, making/designing the clothing, mapping out routes, running an indoor hall, designing, building, repairing indoor walls.

Does she like French? What about an exchange year in a French school or even Canada? That's the norm across Europe, it just doesn't seem to be done in the UK. Despite the name there is no requirement to have a foreign student in exchange. It might be expensive if done through a private company, though if you are on a low income and she is very good at French she might qualify for a scholarship.

I agree with looking at local colleges as they often offer much more of a range of courses than the usual A levels - there are courses in travel and tourism, animal sciences, so many things. Colleges often have great careers advisers as well. Get her to give her local college a call and go in and see someone.

But if she doesn't really enjoy anything much, she's stuck with six subjects she's not particularly keen on - including compulsory maths and a science. You can't swap out either of those for something more interesting, you can only swap out the one that she might find more interesting for another subject that she almost certainly wouldn't.

My dd was pretty uninspired when it came to choosing A-Levels (she had already ruled out other options) Her school didn't have a sixth form so she looked at the local college, she has actually picked up geology and environmental science, so it doesn't have to be anything that they did at GCSE. She seems to really be enjoying environmental science, but I know that not many places offer it.

Her strongest subject was photography at GCSE but she wasn't at all interested in carrying that on. She doesn't really know what she wants to do next, but I just tell her that she doesn't have to make a decision and she can always change her mind.

What is she interested in out of school?

What does she like? Does she have any career ideas?

I would steer well clear of French. If she doesn't enjoy it at GCSE she'll hate it at A level.

Mine just started a T-level, two days a week in work placement, two days a week in college, 1 day at home. Equivalent to three A-levels in terms of UCAS points but so far making her much happier than being in school doing A-levels would have done.

What does she enjoy doing outside school?
Does she have a part time job, or a hobby, or a tendency to fume about world affairs? In other words, can you see anything that gets her going, and that might lead backwards to what she should try post-GCSE?

(Id agree that a language A-level could be awful if she hates literature.)

MGL specialist here. French A level is a great choice, but I would echo those who say it is really challenging. The new GCSE is much better prep for it than the old one, and 9 would be an excellent grade, but if she is not keen on taking it further I wouldn’t advise it.

A level MFL involves a paper worth 20% which consists of two essays in French on a book and on a film; students also have to do a research project and write a presentation (so, another essay) on it for their speaking exam. It’s not easy and French is especially hard to get a high grade in. If she is not keen on literature and analysis it’s a poor choice.