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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

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Original poster

Career options - which A levels for DS2 (yr 11) - help!

25 replies

mumof3teens · 26/09/2006 18:29

My DS2(age 15)has to choose his A level options before Xmas and is really unsure what he would like to do for a career. He has always "fancied" Law but how does he find out more about it?(He has looked on Uni websites for the requirements). He has also thought about studying Maths with a view to doing something in the city! He has recently been thinking about Medicine or Dentistry. As you can see his "choices" so far would all require completely different A levels. His favourte subjects are Maths, History and the sciences. As far as I can see, Maths, Further Maths, Chemistry, Biology and perhaps History at AS level would give him a good base set of A levels, but would these be too Science based?

OP posts:

TheBlonde · 26/09/2006 18:38

Nothing wrong with Science!

FillyjonktheBananaEater · 26/09/2006 18:39

i'd go for sciences

arts you can pick up later. sciences harder.

Of his choices, medicine is (I think) the only one that he needs to do really young, he can do a years law conversion from...anything really.

tamum · 26/09/2006 18:40

Very good choice I would have thought, though maybe not History unless he has stacks of time on his hands. If he does sciences he can still do Law or go into the City, but if he does Arts it will be impossible (pretty much) to go into Medicine or Dentistry.

shimmy21 · 26/09/2006 18:49

Maths is great for a whole range of things too (like medicine) so maths and sciences together give him loads of options.

I'd say the most important thing though is to choose subjects he is confident he can do well and/or enjoy. No point doing something just because he wants to be a doctor/lawyer/florist or whatever and then hating the subject. By the time he gets to choose his uni he'll probably have changed his mind about his career anyway.

Original poster

mumof3teens · 26/09/2006 19:18

Thanks everyone - v useful. He is doing Maths A level a year early so may as well do Further Maths in yr 13. Ds1 did Maths, F Maths, Biol, Chem & Music (& Gen Studies )and is doing Med (but always knew that he wanted to be a Dr). I know that Maths is classed as a Science, hence the suggestion of History (which he really likes)to add "breadth".As shimmy21 says, he will probably have changed his mind about what he wants to do by yr 13 anyway! Didn't realise that about Law FJTBE.

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Lilymaid · 26/09/2006 20:36

For law there are no real A Level requirements though if you are doing sciences they might like some evidence of ability at writing (History would be good). Many of the better universities require potential students to sit the LNAT test when they apply to university - I'd look at the sample tests for that.
Maths and physics are still considered good subjects if you want to get into analysis in the City. He might also consider Economics AS/A Level (or degree). My DS1 took Economics, Maths and Physics A Level (plus History, Music Technology and General Studies AS). He found Economics A Level extremely easy compared with Maths and Physics. (General Studies was utterly pathetic - he managed to get a good A having forgotten to attend the only class the school ran to prepare students for it).

alibubbles · 26/09/2006 22:11

My DD is going to do a Law conversion course.She is just starting the last year of her degree course in French ( all studied in Paris)

Her A Levels were Maths - done in a year, a year early too, Physics, French and German

A barrister that she did work experience with told her to do either what she enjoys and what she does well at.

Original poster

mumof3teens · 27/09/2006 09:08

Thanks again for the advice. Just don't want him to close off any options at this early stage, as he is so unsure about what he wants to do. DS3 has to choose his GCSE options before Xmas also but thats another story....(bit easier too)

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saggarmakersbottomknocker · 27/09/2006 09:15

A couple of our local colleges are introducing the International Baccalaureate this September. Maybe that's worth a look too if it's being offered locally.

Judy1234 · 27/09/2006 23:02

If he's wnating to do medicine or dentistry then he needs to do the science A levels so the best way to keep options open would be physics, chemistry, biology and maths I would have thought. He will need mostly As to do most of those options so if he will only do well in arts subjects then pick those and do law etc. but you can do law with sciences too.

CarolinaMoon · 27/09/2006 23:09

well, you need very good grades for both Law and Medicine, so imho it is worth picking the subjects he thinks he will do best at.

If he fancies law as a career, it's just a one-year postgraduate conversion course after any degree, arts or science.

If he wants to study law at undergraduate level, he would probably need some way of showing he could cope with the vast amount of reading and essay-writing involved.

sallyrosie · 29/09/2006 11:55

Just a thought, but medicine at the minute in this country is a pretty unstable and unpredictable career choice, there are lots of very unhappy junior docs around out there.
I'd become a dentist.
As for A levels - do something he is interested in. Sciences if wants to do dentistry/medicine.

incy · 29/09/2006 12:10

I would say if DS may work in the city as a career then economics is a good a/as level choice and goes well with maths. If ds chooses economics degree at uni then he will need maths a level so if he is not sure at moment then keep the maths (he can do economics as a degree at uni without having done economics a level.) I am an economics teacher and must say it is rare for a student not to enjoy it although I would say it is not an 'easy' a level.

incy · 29/09/2006 13:21

Sorry, didn't read bit about medicine - if he wants to kep options open re medicine then stick to the sciences as A levels. They (as with maths) are very well respected A levels and so if your son is capable of passing them, I think he should stick to these. He can always change his mind when applying for degree - if he decides he wants to work in the city or law he will not need A level law or economics to get on a law or economics degree course - just good grades at A level. However, medicine insists pretty much on the sciences at A level so choosing sciences would keep his options open either way for another two years. Sounds a clever boy - you must be v. proud !

Lilymaid · 29/09/2006 14:15

mumof3teens
If DS2 is keen on doing medicine he needs to think about doing some medicine related activities in the 6th Form. DS' school had a Medics Club and his friends did work or observations at hospitals, nursing homes, GP surgeries etc. Medical schools like to see a real commitment to the subject so these experiences are of interest to them.

beckybrastraps · 29/09/2006 14:18

Wow - that is early! I chose my A levels on the day I started in the sixth form.

Original poster

mumof3teens · 29/09/2006 15:57

Thanks everyone - what a fantastic response. incy - yes I am v proud of him and DS1 & DS3 they are really great lads (biased) and like most Mums just want them to be happy and doing things they really enjoy. Economics is an interesting option & is actually offered by the school (very narrow range of subjects offered). Lilymaid - yes - been through the med work experience with DS1 who worked weekends at a Nursing home from 16, arranged shadowing of Consultant, WE days at local Hosp, Medlink etc etc.
beckybrastraps - yes it is very early - we actually have a meeting next Wed about the options, which all need to be done and dusted by Xmas.

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Judy1234 · 15/10/2006 21:54

My brother for medicine did physics, chemistry, biology and maths (and further maths - not sure if they still have that one these days, but you certainly need science A levels. Try to find somewhere (hopefully his own school ) which is helping them do the new medical school extra entrance test too.

Original poster

mumof3teens · 20/10/2006 09:16

well, went to the sixth form evening last night. We were allowed to visit 5 subject areas. DS2 had more or less decided to go for Maths/further maths, Biol ad Chemistry (and he will jave to do Gen Studies)but wasn't sure about the extra one. He decided to just concentrate on the extra subject and of course wanted to do all of them! So he has really no idea at all now - he liked Spanish, History, RS and Economics. Fantastic - back to square one!

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incy · 21/10/2006 13:38

Economics and maths go well together - fab subject (but I am biased as an economics teacher!)

Blondilocks · 21/10/2006 13:47

My friend studied law & did german, english, french & geography.

For law and business type things it doesn't seem to matter what you do - more the grades you get. Obviously some earlier study in something relevant is always useful but not the end of the world if you haven't got it.

I did accounting & economics for my degree & had never studied those before. I did do maths which was very useful, but there were people on my course who didn't do maths.

Looking at uni prospecuses online is a good way of guaging the requirements for certain things.

Also it's worth remembering that you can still persue an interest in a topic without having a formal qualification - for example you can continue to have an interest in history without studying it formally.

fizzbuzz · 21/10/2006 13:57

I am a teacher in an 11-18 secondary. The choices he makes now are not fixed in stone. We still have peole drifting in and out of AS level classes up until October.

Blandmum · 21/10/2006 14:06

TBH if he wants to do medicine there is no such thing as 'too much science'

I am a science teacher in secondary and teach a lot od A level classes. I think it is great when kids want to do sciences.

Here comes the 'if'

If they love science! There is a huge jump between GCSE and AS .....I know that this is also true of all other subjectsso the kids have to love the things they study. You also have to be prepared to work hard and think at AS level....not something bright kids have to do much ar GCSE

If he wants to do Physics at AS then having maths is a significant advantge.

Trying to do AS biology without AS chemistry is also hard.....since we cover a lot of biochmeistry in the foundation part of the course.

If her is serious about wanting to do medicine it is a slo a good idea that he gets some experience. We jus sent a charming young man to read medicine, as well as gettigng 4 A grades at A level he also had to show his dedication by working as a volenteeer in a geriatric care home for a year. Comepetition is so great, the uns are looking for extras that life the kids above the others applying.

shewhoneverdusts · 25/10/2006 11:46

I just wanted to say, you are so right MB. I did the gcse human biology last year and got an A, this year am struggling to get my head round the AS level, there is so much more biochemistry involved. One of the others students is a University Chemistry Lecturer, Im sure he looks at me and shakes his head with disbelief that anyone can be so dim .

Original poster

mumof3teens · 28/10/2006 18:52

Thanks all. MB and SWND - as I mentioned earlier, DS1 is in 2nd year at Med school, so have been through all of that once - he did Maths,further Maths, Biol,Chem,Music and G Studies at A level + nursing home for 2 years etc etc! DS2 doesn't think he would like to do Med now - is really leaning towards Law again (will probably change his mind several times more yet!). He definitely wants to do Maths, F Maths and Physics so far. Watch this space....

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