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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To want dd to drop a subject at the end of year 12?

40 replies

Lunchonawagon · 03/10/2019 21:13

Dd currently doing 4 a levels- history, maths, biology and chemistry which she started with the premise of doing maths to AS and then sticking with the others for A2. However, she’s now saying that she really loves all her subjects and wants to opt out of the maths AS exam to do the full a level (have to let the school know), saying that she doesn’t want to stop doing maths and also that she’s much more likely to get a place on her chosen degree (medicine) with maths. My concern though is that she will have much more work than her peers, who’ll be sitting the same exams having had more time to prepare, with less free periods (5 hours a week less) to study in. Am I underestimating her or am I right to be concerned about her mental health and grades next year?

OP posts:
ShutupWesley · 03/10/2019 21:20

If she wants to do Medicine then she needs to get used to the workload. She will be much better off with 4 A-Levels as well as competition for Medicine can be quite tough. Ultimately it's her decision.

seaweedandmarchingbands · 03/10/2019 21:21

How bright is? 4 A Levels is a huge amount and she will - you point out - be competing with people taking only three for a place doing Medicine. She doesn’t need Maths for Medicine either, she needs the grades in Chemistry and Biology, plus a top grade in one more A level.

seaweedandmarchingbands · 03/10/2019 21:22

But I’m sure you know this. Really it depends on how smart she is and how efficient.

june2007 · 03/10/2019 21:25

My sisters did 4. It was more unusual back then. But they did ok. (AABC). Both now in Medeicine.

LolaSmiles · 03/10/2019 21:26

I hope this doesn't sound patronising but have you checked her school/college are actually offering AS levels? Just with the linear course many places aren't offering AS in y12 and A2 as an entity doesn't exist anymore.

I don't think 4 A Levels is the end of the world for a bright and motivated student who wants to do medicine, though maths wouldn't be my choice to drop if I was going to apply for medicine.

Original poster
Lunchonawagon · 03/10/2019 21:27

seaweedandmarchingbands she’s incredibly bright- don’t know where she got it from. All 9s at gcse but that wasn’t without hard work so I don’t see why she’d put herself at a disadvantage and extra stress for something she doesn’t need to do

shutupwesley of course the workload for medicine will be huge but at least then the workload is equal for all the medicine students.

OP posts:
Original poster
Lunchonawagon · 03/10/2019 21:27

lolasmiles yes her school still offers AS exams for maths and languages

OP posts:
nocoolnamesleft · 03/10/2019 21:28

Is there an option for her to do A level maths with statistics? I spent much of medical school wishing I'd done that one instead of pure maths...

senua · 03/10/2019 21:30

Is she also doing work experience? I gather that it is quite important in differentiating between medicine-applicants.

wellingtonsandwaffles · 03/10/2019 21:32

Some universities will put 4 grades in your offer if you are taking 4 subjects. They only expect 3. Sometimes they’ll say “3 grade A, 2 of which need to be subjects X and Y” too so you don’t even have the luxury of a “buffer”. As an ex-teacher I would strongly advise only taking 3. And although it would decrease the diversity, I would drop history as this is much more variable in terms of performance against predicted grades; if you are regularly getting As in practice exams for maths you are very unlikely to underperform on the day, vs a rogue marker / question in a written exam throwing you off.

Original poster
Lunchonawagon · 03/10/2019 21:33

nocoolnamesleft I’m pretty sure her maths course has both pure and applied/statistics elements- just gathering from having seen her two textbooks
senua yes she has some volunteering lined up and will be trying to get work experience for the holidays but I think a lot of the work experience gets done in year 12

OP posts:
Original poster
Lunchonawagon · 03/10/2019 21:35

wellingtonsandwaffles dd won’t drop history as her school doesn’t offer the AS in that and she feels as though it’s a waste of a year if she doesn’t end it with some sort of qualification. I can’t see her dropping it now as she is really enjoying it

OP posts:
AChickenCalledDaal · 03/10/2019 21:35

When does she have to decide? It's pretty early in year 12 so can't you just see how things go. DD is doing four, just started year 13 and is still on top of things. Her good friend dropped the fourth (Maths as it happens) to focus on three. I'd certainly do your research about university requirements before deciding which subject to drop, if any.

LolaSmiles · 03/10/2019 21:39

Lunchonawagon
That's ok. Sometimes on here it's always worth checking as sometimes people seek advice on things that are out of date. It's quite interesting they're still offering it for those subjects.

Like PP, I think history is the better one to drop than maths.

Ginfordinner · 03/10/2019 21:40

But they did ok. (AABC). Both now in Medicine.

You wouldn’t get into medicine with those grades now. AAA is the minimum.
No medical school asks for 4 A levels, not even Oxbridge. If she is capable of achieving AAAA then there is no reason to drop a subject, but medical schools are also as interested in the extra curricular stuff – work experience, volunteering, healthcare experience. So she might be better off doing 3 A levels and getting some extra curricular experience.

veraharen · 04/10/2019 05:47

Maths A2 is not easy, heard from someone whose son go into Oxford. With subjects like chemistry, I wouldn’t risk. There’s a fierce competition for medical schools and even with Maths AS her chances are better IMO.

StopThatCat · 04/10/2019 06:18

There is absolutely no need to do 4 ALevels and I would worry about a school that allows it, TBH. 3 ALevels and the BMAT will be enough!

SleepyKat · 04/10/2019 06:39

DD’s very academic school stopped offering 4 a levels a couple of years ago....unless it was maths and further maths. Said there was no need for it and better to maximise chances of high grades in 3 subjects. They have a lot of kids getting places for medicine and also Oxbridge.

Icantthinkofanewname87 · 04/10/2019 06:43

I did 5 A Levels and it was fine. I got 4 As and a B. I’m really glad I did it and stuck to it. If she genuinely enjoys maths and her other topics she should keep them up - I loved my subjects, hence why it was easy for me to do them all! If she doesn’t genuinely enjoy them it will be a bit more of a slog, but definitely doable. Will pay off in the end too - most people only do 3 A Levels and I’d say it definitely put me ahead on uni applications.

PastTheGin · 04/10/2019 06:47

Have a look at what unis want for medicine. I am pretty sure it’s only 3 A levels, as PP have pointed out already. You dd has to squeeze in some work experience as well, that is more important for medicine.

LellyMcKelly · 04/10/2019 06:47

If she got a string of 9s and she enjoys her subjects then she should go for it.

Icantthinkofanewname87 · 04/10/2019 06:48

I don’t mean this in a horrible way, but I do think that people who say she should do less are just saying that because they or their children did less. It’s like my mum who was genuinely quite annoyed when I did my MA because she hasn’t done one and so claimed they were ‘totally unnecessary’. While people can do well without doing the extras - and I don’t deny that they can - it’s always those who did less saying to do less rather than those who went for it and did the extra. Just something I’ve noticed!

WMPAGL · 04/10/2019 06:57

She sounds very bright so I'd be inclined to let her get on with it. It may not be common but plenty of children take 4 A levels and achieve top grades in all. Your daughter's 9s sound promising.

If it does turn out to be a problem later down the line, worst case scenario is presumably she drops one subject part way through or the school can simply not enter her for one of the subject's exams so she can focus on revision for the other three. They may not be best pleased with that idea of they've been teaching her a subject she ultimately won't have examined, but tough luck I'd say!

I wouldn't overthink this, be put off by doom mongering or concern of doing right by the school more than your daughter by ensuring there's no possibility they might be messed around a bit down the line. She's bright, hard-working and enthusiastic, and there's a simple solution of a rip cord should it not work out!

Ionacat · 04/10/2019 07:14

I think you are right to be concerned and you need to get her to think through the implications carefully especially as she is currently wanting to do medicine which is very competitive. Lots of schools now only allow 3 unless you are doing Maths/Further Maths.
There have been similar posts on here before and I know some medical admissions people posted their advice, it would be worth searching.
I would get your daughter to contact some of the universities that she might be interested in and look at the entry requirements and ask the admission tutors what they want to see - would Maths give her an advantage?
Remind her about the UCAT/BMAT as well.
I would ask the school if there is anyone who has just finished doing 4 A-Levels who they might be able to put her in contact with about the workload. She might feel okay now, but the second year is tough and even if pupils get top GCSE marks they can struggle with Maths and Science in particular. Once she’s got all of the information, you can guide her to an informed choice.

seaweedandmarchingbands · 04/10/2019 07:17

She does sound very bright. I would talk to her teachers. If they think she is smashing 4 A levels and on course for 4 As, she may be able to manage it. If not, it’s a serious conversation about how much she wants to do Medicine, because she is unlikely to get there with less than AAA.