Good website for finding degree courses?

[Theroadt]

All the obvious ines require you to go through course by course to see requirenents for entry. Is there one where you can input your A level subjects and up pop the courses that will accept those? My son is at the end of Y12 with Maths Physics and Chrmistry, but Maths has been awful so we are on the cusp of him re-doing Y12 but dropping Maths. Problem is most science degrees seem to need it (understandably, and especially for Physics of course).He is considering keeping Maths as AS level and taking that next year so hd has something.

Science degrees don’t need maths as such, usually just another science - and the net is pretty wide (geog, psych etc)

Physucs without maths a level is unusual and said to be challenging. Sone schools don’t allow it. One dc in ds’s year did it. Is he finding physics ok but not maths?

Anyway not what you asked - but I am thinking a physics degree while not liking maths would be really difficult. There is a website, I am thinking unifrog? where you put in subjects and it suggests options.

Thank you so much for taking the time to respond. Will check out unifrog. He was interested in Chemistry (this year has sucked all the joy out of Physics for him).

So if he does chem and physics he should be good (does he have or plan a fourth a level?).

Just checked Nottingham at random and only chem is actually needed for chem bsc. Warwick requires chem and another science from a list inc biology physics geology and more.

What are your sons aspirations and interests?

If he is struggling with maths I wonder if University course with significant maths (many of the sciences) is a challenge. In my experience their interests and self motivation needs to be the deciding factor over what to do after school.

I say this as someone who watched dux medal (top academic student in the graduating year in Scotland) winning school boy head into university (due to peer pressure and school pressure, not me) and dislike it. He went from 95%+ in everything to nearly failing an engineering degree and having mental health issues due to it.

I’m sorry to hear of your experience - it’s awful having to watch and support it makes you feel so hopeless. Yes I agree there is an issue with doing any science with wobbly maths (or no maths), which is partly why I want to brainstorm what degrees he could do… he doesn’t have a clear idea of what career he might want, which makes it more complicated to unravel and work up a plan. I guess I’m at the gathering-intel stage. His confidence is at such a low ebb at the moment he is not actively doing this research himself - I feel I need to “pump prime”. Thank you for taking the time to give some thoughts & respond, really appreciated.

The UCAS site allows you to input a maximum or minimum UCAS tariff but don't think you can sort by A level subjects as well. Pretty sure the comparison sites show average points or similar. Apart from Physics most science degrees don't require A level maths but may be harder for someone finding the maths hard.

My experience of watching mine and their friends is that it is a very young age to start having to make big career decisions. And University is such a huge cost.

Mine, and a few of their friends, are thriving doing things that interest them and frankly 'living life'. They are earning - one so much he has bought a car and starting to save for both travel and house deposit. They have both travelled or are travelling, and both aim to travel again and this has brought them huge joy and interest. They both are happy, healthy and (of course I would say this) lovely people.

With hindsight I just do not buy into the school -> university pressure that so, so many schools and communities/culture in the UK pushes youngsters with no life experience into....

Could he just take a year or two out and work / travel / find himself?

A lot of the biosciences don't require maths though. DD2 did biomedical science for her first degree - she did biology, chemistry and psychology for A levels. She did do further maths GCSE and stats GCSE but has never required maths beyond that level.

Ds does biological sci and I think he finds his A level maths useful; but in no way would he say it was essential.

What is his plan for a third A level if he drops maths?

Try also the whatuni.com website which allows you to input A levels subjects and (possible) grades and a degree course and it suggests suitable level unis.

I agree. It’s a huge cost, unless it’s a degree they are really interested in for its own sake, or required for a career they really want to pursue. Just for the sake of it is an expensive way to fill time ime. Just gathering options atm

That’s they key question. I was thinking biology (for the reason you give), psychology, or (because he has a genuine interest) politics. Obviously his decision, just gatheringo info atm