What do you think of these A level choices?

I don't think it matters much here that Psych counts as a science, if he has Maths and Biology anyway. I don't think there are many courses that generically require their 3rd subject to be a science. It's more relevant (1) when the candidate only has one or none of Maths/Phys/Chemistry/Biology and the course requires one or two sciences or (2) as a bit of insight into scientific methods for students specialising elsewhere. I'm happy to be corrected.

He has plenty of time to decide if he is not interested, but if he sticks with 2 of Maths/Chem/Biol they will tick the science box enough for most courses, and he can afford to go more off piste with his 4th choice.

I am a Psychology teacher. If your son genuinely has no interest in it, his grade is going to be low and it is going to be a slog. People think Psychology is all 'fun' - but it isn't. Yes, it is fun but the questions are finickity and there is a HUGE amount of content. We are a science and it is not an easy option. The students in my class who have taken it because they think it's 'easy' or because their friends take it and they need a third are all struggling (regardless of how much extra help I offer them!)

Yes fair enough.
Tho again, if you wanted to do the E or the M of Stem you might well need physics for engineering and FM for maths, at least in the most popular unis. Also chemistry degree would be out - but I infer that’s not likely anyway.

Sounds ok, Psychology is a science - which I actually didn't know until DD did it.
If he goes for Med the lack of Chemistry may be an issue though, DD is doing a STEM at Uni and her lack of Chem means she has to work harder

My DC did Chemistry, Biology, Psychology and school said they wouldn’t get any BioChem offers without Maths. They got 5 and are at a top 2 UK Uni, taking BioChem with Psych as an option. Incidentally the workload for psych is more than for Bio or Chem, and the work itself less interesting.

Sounds like a good selection to me.

@pinotnow DD2 did chem, bio and psych. She didn't love psych tbh but reasoned (correctly) it would be easier than maths. She has 2 STEM degrees including a particularly impressive Masters so I reckon your DS is making a good choice.

I am assuming your DS is now in the autumn term of Y11 and expected to crystallise A level options after Christmas?

Why not get the GCP Psychology study book (for the relevant exam board) and print off some recent A level exam papers? Sit down and flick through these with your DS.

This may help him make a more informed decision. This approach certainly helped my DC when deciding 'can I see myself studying this syllabus and answering these kinds of questions in an exam?'

Well ,yes Stem degrees.

Presumably with those choices the ds is not thinking of English lit or Spanish etc

Maths, bio and psych is quite a common set. I don't think Psych will close any doors that History would keep open IYSWIM - apart from History itself. It's such a popular course, fits with everything and steers a course between essays and science which I think makes it generally a sound choice.

However it's only November and he doesn't need to make a final choice untill August. I would be encouraging a more open mindset at this stage, rather than carving himself a channel for his third and fourth choices. He's got plenty of time to find out more about Psych before he commits to it. It can be v hard for young people this age to be flexible, but it needs encouraging. De-catastrophising lower grades and having a plan B worked out will also be important.

He should certainly think about university choices now as it would be a pity to rule a university course out as he didn't do the subject. History and German (mentioned) are two of mine. I did English lit too. (Am a lawyer). I don't know what you need for medicine. My twins were just about the last year doing the 4 AS levels and then the 3 A levels the year after. They both did one of their A level subjects at university and then converted to law after.

Just to say - maths, bio and psych don’t mean any degree is open to you, but maybe the PP means STEM degrees - tho even that isn't true, as lack of phsyics and FM mean some engineering and maths degrees are closed.

Obvs those choices also close loads of other degrees – Eng lit, MFL and others. That may well be fine tho. All A level choices close off some HE avenues.

Wrt MFL A levels – yes, students will need to know about political and social issues, and will need to be able to write about a book and a film, but that’s what’s taught in sixth form! I'm sure lots of things are taught in every subject that are needed at end of year 13. I'd be sorry if anyone were put off MFL bc they thought "but I don't know (at age 15/16) about the politics or literature of Germany".

Hi @pinotnow !

Son doing GCSEs next summer? I really wouldn't worry, at least not just yet. Let him just focus on getting the best GCSEs he can.

For A Levels, what really counts is GCSE grades and how he - and you - feel about the advice teachers offer after A Level results come out. In terms of career focus, a lot will also depend on how his own thoughts evolve and change during Year 12. Chemistry is the 'link' science and is useful or essential for nearly all STEM degrees. Maths goes with any university subject and is good for any career choice; yes, as suggested above, languages can be hard but they are also richly rewarding, in wider life and for life and, possibly, in a career as well. But remember that the most important 'subjects' for a successful modern career include empathy, relationship building, teamwork, flexibility, adaptability, resourcefulness, creativity, practical problem solving, hard work, resilience.

I've posted before that, in Year 11, our daughter was dead keen on a particular set of A Levels (5 of them!), a specific university subject and a specialist University for a particular career choice. She eventually did 4 A Levels and, by the end of Year 12, she had fallen in love with a completely different university subject and changed to a completely different target university. Then, by the end of her university first year vacation, she had completed the professional summer internship she had always wanted, only to discover that the dreamed of career was not for her, after all! She is now doing higher studies in her university subject, she is overseas and, hopefully, on track to be an academic who also has work in a related profession. Kids, eh!

But then isn't that what youth is for, after all? To try things, to change your mind,to do U turns?

There are about ten medical schools which will take that combination (Bio, Maths, Psych) without Chemistry including Sheffield, Manchester, Newcastle.

It's a good back up if Chemistry is too hard. Realistically is medicine on the cards without top grades at GCSE

My DS did A levels this year. He got a high 7 in his Maths and high 6 in his Physics GCSE. He insisted he wanted tu take these subjects but the step up to A level is huge and he struggled massively. He had tutoring and worked medium hard but very low morale. He got Ds. He chose Maths and Physics because he wanted to work in automotive industry but the grades are not good enough.

I would go with the overlap of what he enjoys most and what he is best at. That's where he'll get the best grades.

I must praise you in the first instance for even getting to have a conversation with your teenage DS about anything academically related. Our Yr11 DS barely makes an utterance about education despite being in top sets at grammar. We do ask, he's mono syllabic responses are irksome, at least you son is engaging about subjects he's interested in. We have absolutely no idea whatsoever. Urgh

I am pretty sure you could apply to do any degree with maths bio and psychology. Apart from medicine where you need chem

And yes MFL need a grasp of a whole lot of stuff the language, literature, history politics etc

I did maths psychology and English and did a maths degree - indeed in my first year doing law we could pick other social science subjects politics/psychology etc so it certainly opens up social sciences

I agree, maths bio and psych = three sciences. Meant to sat that psych is usually accepted as a science by unis

Chemistry is one of the most fun A levels. If your ds is good at maths and likes science then he may well want to stick with that rather than psychology as it opens more doors.

They're great choices. So what if he doesn't want to become a Psychologist? Picking A level subjects don't mean anyone wants to work in that area as a career. What a shitty comment from the teacher though. Also inaccurate. Whatever he picks he'll have three sciences. And actually because Psychology is so popular it may be slightly easier to get a good grade in.

The choices sound totally fine and would leave open lots of uni options inc biology and related subjects, some med degrees (some don’t need chemistry) and some engineering degrees as well (many need physics but not all). Not sure what you mean by "not enough traditional STEM" - not enough for what?

I would be concerned tho wrt psych – it’s very popular and also a frequently dropped choice. Not sure if it’s dull, hard work or just not what people think. If he’s shown no interest before then it’s a bit left field. Fits well with bio and maths tho.

German A level would be great but then it’s my subject so I would say that! Small classes also good – DD in a very small French A level class said it was good bc they got so much speaking practice. But if he doesn’t get on with others in the class then that’s a potential issue.