Would you let your child choose “easier” A-levels to get better grades?

[ainawatson]

My child is about to start sixth form and we're having a bit of a disagreement about subject choices.
They're considering subjects they genuinely enjoy and feel confident they can get good grades in, but I'm wondering whether they should choose more traditionally academic or “useful” subjects instead to keep more university and career options open.
Would you prioritise enjoyment and the chance of higher grades, or choose subjects based more on future career prospects?
Interested to hear what other parents and students would do!

Their choice to be honest and their future, you can give your thoughts on their choices but there’s no point forcing them to chose what you want them to do as they likely won’t be as engage with subjects they don’t want to be doing. Let them make their own decision!

They should pick their best/favourite subjects.

I did sciences and found them easy. Humanities would have been my nightmare!

@Stowickthevast Thanks, that’s reassuring to hear. I think part of the issue is just getting used to the workload and being more independent. He did reasonably well at GCSE, but I’m wondering if he’s finding the jump particularly hard in Chemistry.
Did your DD ever need any extra help with the subjects she found harder, or did she mostly manage through school and her own revision?

Thanks, there’s actually a lot of useful advice here. I hadn’t thought about keeping a learning log or getting him to talk through what he’s learnt — I think that could help him feel a bit more in control. I’ll definitely give him a few more weeks to settle in too. Did you find the learning log made much difference with the students you’ve taught?

He’s doing English Literature. I didn’t realise how different it could be from GCSE, so that probably explains some of the struggle. Did you find the jump in Lit quite big when your child started A-levels?

I agree, I definitely want him to have a say in what he studies. I just worry that at this stage he doesn’t really know what the workload will be like. Did your children ever change their minds about a subject after starting A-levels?

That’s interesting! I think my DS is more comfortable with the science side too, but English Lit is the one I’m wondering about. Did you find the sciences stayed fairly manageable throughout, or did the workload increase a lot later on?

I thought on your other thread you said he was doing English language.

Anyway the poster you quote here says eng lang not lit is the one that is very different from GCSE. Eng lit is very much the GCSE at a higher level, but Eng lang A level is utterly different (and I agree v interesting).

I have found the learning log helps students in two ways. First, it encourages productive study. If the student does no studying, they have nothing to put in the log and they feel bad. An empty log therefore encourages them to create the time to study. For students who are also working, the log often prompts them to block out time to study in their digital diary. Second, by writing down what they have done, students feel a sense of achievement and that spurs them on to do more. To put it another way, a full log makes them feel good. As your DD's study supervisor, it will also enable you to check he is doing enough and give him a hard time if he isn't. I hope he agrees to do one (it is not an onerous task) and that it is useful for both of you.

If he's more comfortable with sciences, why didn't he choose physics or biology instead of English Literature?

English Literature A level requires detailed textual analysis; awareness of how individual authors have used language to convey meaning; insight into character and motivation; an understanding of social, political and historical context; and the ability to formulate your own opinions and write about them in a structured, engaging and fluent way. Is your DS going to enjoy doing those things?

My DD didn't need extra help really but she went to a very academic school where she had slight imposter syndrome so I think was always keen to ensure she kept up with her peers.

She's really enjoying English so far, it's not that different to GCSE as Clary says but in greater depth and (to her) more interesting texts. But she did very well at GCSE and is good at essay subjects.

Anecdotally I've heard that Chemistry is very hard.

Yes, he is doing English Literature. English Language was actually my preference, but he changed his mind and chose Literature instead. I didn’t realise quite how different A-level Literature could be from GCSE, so I can understand why he’s finding the transition difficult. Hopefully he’ll get more comfortable with it as the year goes on!

That’s really helpful, thank you. I hadn’t thought about the learning log as something that could actually motivate him to study rather than just being a record of what he’s done. I can see how having something written down would also give him a sense of progress, especially when he feels like he isn’t getting anywhere. I’ll definitely suggest he gives it a try for a few weeks and see how he gets on.

English lit A level is very similar to GCSE (obviously in a lot more depth) as I and PPs have said (I said this in the post you have quoted!). I just hope your DS is better at reading comprehension than you seem to be.

<argues with fog> <gives up>

That’s reassuring to hear about English, especially as he’s generally quite strong at essay-based subjects too. I think the extra depth is probably what he’s finding challenging at the moment, rather than the subject itself. Chemistry does seem to come up a lot when people talk about difficult A-levels though! Hopefully he’ll settle into everything once he gets used to the workload. Did your DD find the transition to A-levels difficult at first?

Thank you, your words made me feel so much better.

He actually is more comfortable with sciences, but English Literature was his choice in the end. I had initially suggested English Language, but he changed his mind. He enjoys reading and is quite good at writing, so I’m hoping the detailed analysis will become more enjoyable for him once he gets used to the A-level standard. He’s only just started, so I think it’s probably too early to know whether he’ll really enjoy all those aspects yet.

Do you think English Literature was the right choice for him in the long run, or would English Language have been more practical?

It depends on what he wants to do next. English literature is more respected academically and is an essay subject so a better bet if he wants to do a humanities degree but English Language is more practically useful and would stand him in better stead if he goes down a STEM route.

As someone with a couple of degrees and decades working in chemistry, I really don’t think there’s likely to be a significant difference between the virtues of English lit and Lang.
Probably not worth overanalysing at this stage, best let the lad settle into his chosen courses and see if he hits his stride

I agree with you. He really enjoys reading. Hopefully he will do it.

This is really reassuring to hear, especially from a STEM background. Thank you.