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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that doing an A level in Psychology isn't enough to get into Uni

133 replies

Poppyanddaisy55 · 26/02/2020 12:04

My dd leaves school this summer. She is clever and has the potential to get good GCSE results if she puts the effort in.
She has all of a sudden decided she would like to study psychology. Then have the potential in the future to become a psychologist. Our local college has an a level course but it says it might not be enough to get into Uni? Anyone any experience in this? She has already been accepted on another course and I would hate for her to turn it down and work so hard to find it's not good enough.

OP posts:
ZarkingBell · 26/02/2020 16:49

If she's getting mainly 6,7,8 I would think three A levels a better option than a BTEC unless really focussed on that area, which she's not.

Three A levels give you more options. One A level is not much use these days.

I've got a son heading for an extended BTEC L3 in a topic he passionate about and wishes to make a career in. He already knows he'll need a Merit, Merit, Merit (MMM) or a Merit, Merit, Pass (MMP) to go to a local uni to study it at degree level. They ask for CCC-CDD at A level.

lazylinguist · 26/02/2020 16:54

If 3 A Levels seem like too much work for her, I'm not sure how she thinks she'd cope with a degree course tbh.

TigerLillie · 26/02/2020 16:59

My daughter has applied to do Psychology at University. She needs 3 A levels. The highest is AAB. Lowest BBB

RustyBear · 26/02/2020 16:59

DD did Psychology at Exeter; she only decided she wanted to do Psychology after starting the A-level course; before that she'd intended to do English, so her A levels were English Language, English Literature (separately) History, Psychology & General Studies (which was pretty irrelevant really)
If she had intended to do Psychology when she was choosing her A levels, she would probably have done sciences, as she found several courses wanted at least one science subject, luckily Exeter didn't.
I think her offer from Exeter was AAB (this was the year before A* came in) and her insurance was Psychology & Criminology at Portsmouth, with BBC

She didn't in the end go into a psychology career, her jobs have been in recruitment & HR, though she has now turned into an Implementation and Transformation Analyst with a big recruitment company.

Devlesko · 26/02/2020 17:00

She could do an access course, that's enough for uni, our local college offer it. It's a straight entry to degree.
Check out what the uni's say, mine is taking two and at 16 has offers already.
All Higher ed institutions vary, they don't all look for the same.

Wonkybanana · 26/02/2020 17:07

She could do an access course, that's enough for uni, our local college offer it. It's a straight entry to degree.

The access course is only open to students aged 19+. So a good option for older students wanting to go into HE but who didn't go the A level/BTEC route, maybe left school after GCSEs, but it's not available to the OP's daughter now. However it's something to think about if the DD really doesn't know yet what she wants to do. She can take time out but still have a route into a degree in a few years (or more - some of our Access students are aged 40+).

Original poster
Poppyanddaisy55 · 26/02/2020 17:13

Just to add I'm not suggesting my dd isn't academically capable of studying 3 a levels she likely is but going by school work she is not great at studying at home. But I guess that is typical teenage behaviour when forced to do subjects she's not particularly interested in. Having said that I would hate her to start the a levels then say she doesnt want to do the work after all...

OP posts:
Nonnymum · 26/02/2020 17:19

Is the course just 1 A level. That seems very light. A level psychology is fine but she needs to take another 2 A levels with it. Most Universities will ask for 3 A levels or A level equivalent. If she wants to do Psychology at University she will be better taking A levels than a travel and tourism qualification.

Noodlenosefraggle · 26/02/2020 17:28

So she would need grade B in 3 a levels? And a normal level 3 qualification wouldn't be enough on it's own as it's not extended?
The extended diploma gives you 3 A levels. The normal one is only 2 A levels so it wouldn't be enough. With Btec its lot of work throughout the 2 years but with A levels if you have a child that isn't motivated, you could end up moaning at her for 2 years because she hasn't got the pressure of exams until the end of 2 years and then find at the end ots too hard to catch up.. Also you have to be a bit more motivated at college than in school as it's a more 'grown up' atmosphere.

Fifthtimelucky · 26/02/2020 17:30

@RustyBear Your daughter did have a science A level because she had psychology!

My daughter is currently studying psychology at Exeter university. Any university psychology course will want at least one science subject at A level. Like yours, the only science A level my daughter has is Psychology (she was also originally more interested in doing English) but that didn't stop her getting 5 psychology offers from RG universities (either AAA or AAB)

OP: Just to agree with what others have said about the importance of maths. All the universities we looked at stipulated at least a B at GCSE and one or two insisted on at least an A. My daughter is not brilliant at maths and definitely finds the statistics element the most difficult part of the course.

Chochito · 26/02/2020 17:33

For A Level psychology your daughter would need an A Level in a science subject or Maths (Biology is popular) and a good Maths GCSE grade, OP. She'd also need to be a decent essay writer, and have 2 other A Levels (in any subject).

She doesn't need Psychology A Level.

www.ucas.com/undergraduate/subject-guide-list/psychology

Bluntness100 · 26/02/2020 17:35

I’m surprised she doesn’t know she needs to do three a levels. This should have been explained to her in school. In fact it should be common knowledge.

I’d worry she didn’t know this. I doubt she’d even get funding for one.

Three is the norm, some students do more, four or five, but three is standard.

GPwife2411 · 26/02/2020 17:36

The number one reason people are unable to progress to 2nd year in our Russell group psych degree is inability to pass the maths (stats) module. Basically it is now impossible to become a psychologist - or even to study the degree - without decent skills in maths.

Has she visited the British Psychological Society website? It's very helpful.

RustyBear · 26/02/2020 17:36

@Fifthtimelucky - as far as I remember (and DD was 30 last week, so this is going back about 12 years) a lot of places she looked at wanted either any second science or a specific one - pretty sure Bristol was one she was put off applying for. It may have changed in the last decade. She did get offers from all her universities, but apart from Portsmouth, they were all the same and she chose Exeter because she liked it best. (Both DH and I went there, but I doubt if that influenced her much!)

motheroftwoboys · 26/02/2020 17:52

my son didn't want to do A Levels so went to college to do the Btech in Uniformed Public Services. While he was doing it he decided he wanted to do a Law Degree as he enjoyed that module. I told him he didn't have a chance of getting in but he applied to 5 good universities and got offers from all of them if he got MMM in his Btec - which he did. I work in a school and I have to say I was surprised at how much less work the Btec seemed to be and how it seemed to be a much easier route to Uni.I thought he would struggle but he got a 2.1 (just a couple of marks short of a 1st)

Original poster
Poppyanddaisy55 · 26/02/2020 18:57

So back from the open evening. Just spoke briefly to some course tutors. She is fancying doing a level psychology, criminology and sociology. Apparently these 3 fit together well? Will they give her good options for the future whether or not she decides to go down the psychology degree route? 1 tutor said the criminology is fairly easy and hinted english might be better as it's her best subject at GCSE but dd isn't as keen.

OP posts:
Hercwasonaroll · 26/02/2020 18:59

They do pigeon hole her somewhat, I'd recommend a broader subject like English in case she changes her mind.

Rosehip10 · 26/02/2020 19:02

BTECs are often pushed by certain colleges and they are letting many down. They are not appropriate for further academic study in the main.

LIZS · 26/02/2020 19:03

Criminology and Sociology are not perceived as rigorous enough for some courses and not essential as many schools do not offer them. She needs something more traditional such as English, maths or a humanity in the mix.

GPwife2411 · 26/02/2020 19:03

Some universities would likely take that combination of A-levels, ours would not. A typical offer this year was AAB for maths, biology and history or AAA for English, psychology and biology.

millymoo1202 · 26/02/2020 19:04

My daughter was interested in this and we went to a few uni open days and it turned out the degree was quite science based and really you aren’t qualified to do much with it. She decided on social work and is loving it

SpillTheTea · 26/02/2020 19:05

I would do psychology or sociology, not both. A science or English added in would give her more options.

Nduja · 26/02/2020 19:05

psychology, criminology and sociology

I wouldn't.

Maths, English, Biology etc... yes!

HermioneWeasley · 26/02/2020 19:11

Definitely wouldn’t do 3 social science a levels. She needs to do broader subjects and choose whether she’s going an arts or science route

strawberrylipgloss · 26/02/2020 20:14

Her current choices sound very limited in career and degree choice. Unless she knows that she wants to work for the police or something I'd not do that combination. English or maths is a smarter choice. She has GCSE Statistics and a lot of social sciences need statistical analysis.

My dd is a year older and planning to do a psychology degree. The courses that she's looked at all have compulsory neuroscience and statistics modules so she's hoping that studying maths and biology now at a-level will mean it's easier at uni