A'Level choices-Geography, Economics & Physics

[everythingisgoingup]

Opinions on these?

DS does not know what he wants to do but these are the subjects he is interested in and predicted a 9 for Geography and Physics.

Likes the look of Economics.

Predicted an 8/9 Maths but doesn't like it enough to do at A'"Level.

Do these work? 😊

Think so, philosophy,economics and politics quite common I think in elite uni's

Did BoJo not study this?

I think we will look at Uni's / careers options and work backwards 😊

No he read Greats - ie classics.

PPE doesn’t usually require Phil A level IME - but I bet you need maths.

@everythingisgoingup if your ds loves geography and plans to pursue that, then his choices are good, and the only caveat is that he may be making the physics harder.

But there have been a few threads lately where ppl’s DC have wanted to take engineering at uni but not taken maths - and are already in the 12 or 13. So I guess that’s why we’re all shouting about it. As long as he goes into it eyes open it’s ok imo.

Economics A level is essay heavy if not essay based.

There are three possible reasons why maths is advised with physics:-

1. Because you need some of the learning that you do in maths A level to be able to do physics A level.
2. Because doing maths A level is the best way to keep your mathematical skills tip top and you need these skills for physics A level.
3. Because you need to be highly mathematical to be able to do physics a level and those who are mathematical nearly always choose to do maths A level (Ie correlation not causation).

I did double maths and physics (and the evil chemistry!) so I’m trying to remember…….

I don’t think 1 is true - or if it is then it is only a very limited amount
I think that 2 is definitely true - mathematical skills fade very very fast (mine have and I do a very mathematical job 😢) although I wonder if doing physics and economics would be helpful here as he would spend a lot of his time with a mathematical base
3 is definitely true but your son sounds suitably mathematical so not a problem

Probably worth having a conversation about this with his physics teacher who will know the current syllabus. You could argue that my vague recollections of the syllabus in the 90s is not perfect knowledge!

For PPE at competitive unis they still need Maths though

Maths at A level can be a lot more interesting for able mathematicians. (And hell on earth for those who struggle.) If he is able to start maths as a fourth, he should. He might be pleasantly surprised.

Maths is essentially a tool. A language, which he needs to know to access higher levels of physics (the mechanics element of maths A level) or economics (statistics). He might as well learn this in school, as the alternative is a reduced range of courses and a first year of University playing catch up.

Be warned that even then many of the most competitive courses for physics and economics will be expecting double maths. But single maths still gives a reasonable choice and geography is then a good fit.

He should start by looking at universities and courses he might be interested in, and their course requirements. A level choice is about taking subjects you like, but it also needs to be about keeping important doors open.

If he can do alevel maths then alevel economics will be relatively easy. I'd swap physics for maths. It's a good range of knowledge to get. He can go into any business degree or economics with those alevels

needmoresleep thanks I think trying it as a fourth may be an option.

We will look at degrees and then see what he seems interested in.

He is good at most things 8/9s at GCSE in terms if predictions which makes it more difficult.

He is good at Maths but prefers the application part: hence the interest in physics and economics.

I din't want to persuade him, he has to study it, but it is about making an informed choice perhaps 🤔

Agree catonacludgy 😊

Sorry CatOnTheCludgy

Thanks all, we have started to look through the University admission criteria and also, and more importantly, which courses interest him.

Fascinating to see the differences between the Uni's 🤔

I appreciated reading everyone's responses and insights, thank you 😊

Has he considered History? It goes very well with Geography and Economics, and as a set those A levels would open up lots of social science degrees and also things like law. I don’t think it’s worth doing Maths if he hates it, just in case he wants to do an Economics degree. Though if he can do it as a fourth and see how it goes, then that would make sense.

At my dc school you can't do physics without maths, put one off doing it but I can see why

And also I did economics at university without a level maths and that was a big mistake! Just because they let you doesn't mean it's a good idea. Both my dc did 4 a levels, with option to drop after a year, this could be a good solution re selling maths.

I would not encourage this combination.

Here are the options I would chose:

Maths, Physics and Economics

or Maths, Economics and Geography

or Maths, Physics and Geography

It isn’t advisable to do either Physics or Economics without Maths.

I would also say that if you want to study Economics at uni then doing Maths A level is more important than doing Economics A level.

With all the above combos you can still do Law. With the Physics Combo you can still do Engineering and some social science degrees. If he isn’t sure, keep options open.

Sorry but I disagree, you do not need alevel maths to do alevel economics. The maths in economics is nowhere near as complicated. There is some of course.
It depends on what to do after, if he's wanting to do an economics degree, then yes definitely do maths alevel.

I agree with @CatOnTheCludgy . My Dd is effortlessly doing economics a level without maths a level and is predicted an A*. Thinks it is her easiest out of economics geography and Spanish. There really isn’t much maths in economics A level. Different story for economics at uni though, I concede.

Mine is also predicted an A* at Alevel without maths A level. I do however wish he'd done it because it would widen his options.

I was talking about doing Economics at uni or PPE. For those, you need Maths. From memory, for Cambridge or LSE you also needed Further Maths. Even Oxford PPE recommends Maths strongly.

So if you are doing Economics just as a third subject and have no interest in doing it at uni, that is fine. Or let’s say you definitely want to do Law and you already have English and History then fine, Economics may make sense especially if the aim is corporate/finance law.

Or if you definitely want to study Geography then you may not need the Maths.

However, the best uni applicants are those who look ahead at the top institutions and their requirements and work their way back from there.

My DC are at selective schools so the kids tend to do things like Maths, Further Maths, Economics and History for PPE/Economics type subjects or Maths, Further Maths, Physics and Computer Science/Chemistry for Science/Computer Science/Maths/Engineering/Medicine type subjects. Those aiming for law tend to be doing English plus History and a Language/Economics/Maths and the schools advise them on those lines from when they choose their A level subjects.

So OP I strongly recommend he tries to at least aim for something that may interest him at uni and work back from there. He sounds like a high achiever and it would be a shame if he cannot get on a top course because of his A level choices. It is very annoying that the uni system works like this and they sort of have to figure it out in Year 11 because it really is so early. However, that is the system we seem to have. And yes, lots of people will pile on and say you don’t really need to do that - but in reality you are competing with others who have done precisely that.

Absolutely agree Araminta, year 11 is the decision making time for your whole career, it is bonkers

Guess this is why Sunak was pushing for maths to 18, it is required for so many subjects at university.

Great post @Araminta1003 yes op he needs to look ahead and make choices accordingly. Geography or sociology or social policy or law at uni? Economics and no maths at A level, all fine.

But if he might want to take econ at uni (btw it is now a very competitive course) then Yy maths A level is needed.

Thanks everyone, I appreciate the discussions about subjects and I agree about the choices being made so early.

We have looked at Uni's over the weekend and my son us looking at subjects and letting it settle in mind 😊