Good A level choices?

[zippydoodade]

DD currently in Yr11 has no idea on what she wants to do career / uni wise at present, but wants to take English, Film Studies and Art A levels.

I would really appreciate your opinion on:

1. is this a good combination? Are English and Film Studies too similar?

2. if DD decides not to take Art at Uni, will having an Art A Level disadvantage her getting a place at a top Uni to take eg English? (Not Oxbridge but next tier down for example)

No help from school and Uni websites vague. Thanks!

To add to Piggy's post - Film studies is offered at pretty much all the Russell Group universities much lived by Mumsnet. Just read about the Southampton course and it sounds great! Kings College London and Bristol too

Yes, although of course FS isn't a pre requisite before someone jumps to point that out! It did massively help my students in their interviews this year, though. Warwick and Manchester both interview for their highly competitive film degrees. Leeds and Lancaster ask sometimes for essays.

Your DD isn't at a Grammar School beginning with T, is she?

I’ve taught English Lit, English Lang, Lang/Lit, Media and Film at A Level and Film is the hardest and the most interesting course of them all IMO. I studied English Lit at uni so always thought that would be the one I liked the most but Film just encompasses so much, and it’s so engaging! We get in to some amazingly interesting discussions in lessons.

No not a T (unfortunately as you sound like a great teacher)!

Happy to stand corrected @Piggywaspushed. I don't doubt that the FS course is every bit as rigorous as other subjects. My dd does GCSE drama and it has certainly been at least as demanding as her other more traditional academic subjects. I was merely under the impression that some universities were less keen on the less traditional subjects, but happy to accept that my information may be out of date.

DD is doing a degree in Eng lit and funnily enough we were discussing the other day how she is not going to choose a film as the text (!) for one of her assignments - because she doesn't know all the terminology - in a way that she probably would if she had done film at A level! So it may be useful!

TBH it is more about grades that subjects; unis have done away with facilitating subjects anyway. Art is a massive thief of time but she knows that if she is doing GCSE. I assume she loves it and is talented? If she may want to continue with it then surely it is a no-brainer (though I bow to the knowledge of those who say you don't need it).

What other options instead of film? Humanity? DD did A level geography and things to do with it often come up in her degree and in everyday life.

Agree with piggy btw - study of films (well, one film) in A level MFL (my subject) is very limited and superficial.

I love listening to Film lessons (they use our lecture theatre which is next to my office). My worry was the syllabuses can be similar (or so I've been told by an English teacher !). Love hearing a Tarantino film being played at full volume next door. Once listened to a lesson on camera angles and I can now not watch a scary film without seeing how they have positioned the camera.

It's not my school zippy as I am at a comprehensive. The school I hinted at has an amazing film dept though!

I don't think there is an overlap at all, unless writing essays is considered overlap.

I think it is only Oxbridge now alexa and even then its fine in combo with, say, Eng Lit. I do find it faintly amusing that someone earlier said Art was a good choice, but not film. Both are fine.

Unis can be out of date. They still outlaw the ( amazing and rigorous) comes Alevel , even though it has not existed since about 2015. I taught both. Comms was an issue for a few unis ; never came up against any from film.

@zippydoodade

Trout. That sums it up brilliantly, thank you!

Titchy surely most people choosing Art Foundation have taken A level art? Would be hard to get a good quality portfolio together on your own?

The point of Art foundation is to build a portfolio because one A level won't give anywhere near a broad enough portfolio for an Art degree. (Kids that do 3 creative A levels - art, textiles and photography for example, or kids that do the BTEC extended diploma in art generally will have built up a decent enough portfolio so can go straight to degree.)

So the question becomes 'is Art A level enough for an Art foundation, or will drawing, painting, modelling etc in spare time be enough'? That I can't answer, but I'd have thought it was possible.

That's not necessarily correct, titchy. My dc did Art A level and her classmates went onto a mix of Foundation Diplomas and degrees (this was 2019 entry, so pretty recent)

OP, my dc did Art, Eng Lit and History A levels is doing an humanities degree at Oxford

@Crummles

That's not necessarily correct, titchy. My dc did Art A level and her classmates went onto a mix of Foundation Diplomas and degrees (this was 2019 entry, so pretty recent)

OP, my dc did Art, Eng Lit and History A levels is doing an humanities degree at Oxford

That's quite impressive if they managed to get a decent degree portfolio together from just one Art A level!

very interesting thread! DS2 is struggling for a 3rd choice too. He has no idea what he wants to do.

so far he opted for maths, economics, and is toying with biology as his third. I've no idea if biology fits with the other 2.

It is, but it is also possible for particularly dedicated and talented Art students!

I don't think subject need to 'fit' . Unless they want to study something with specific entry requirements they should do what interests them, and they are good at .

Piggywaspushed
that's mine and DH thinking too, DS literally doesn't have a clue though and chose biology because he thought it be good to have science, and out of the 3 that was his strongest. But he's still unsure, he could take either English but he hate them both

I think he'll eventually do something in economics/ politics or business, because although he doesn't see it himself, he's very interesting in this stuff, along with itching to be old enough to dabble in stocks.

He really shouldn't do something like English out a misguided notion that it is useful or important . That stops after GCSE . Likewise, sciences if there is no interest! Does his school offer politics?

Tbh there's no point having a science unless you think you might do it as a degree. Something like politics, geography, sociology might be a better fit if he's thinking of social sciences.

On question 1, they sound a good combination to me.

On question 2, no, art A level won't disadvantage her. I know someone with art A level who went on to study English at Oxford

Employers are often old fashioned and want to see 2 or 32 of what we used to call facilitating (hard) subjects. So the ones mentioned are fine for someone who will not get very high grades anyway and does not want a highp aid career.

If she does however then keep English and pick 2 other harder ones. Eg I did English, History and German. By means do art at AS in lower sixth however or have art as a 4th A level.

Facilitating is not a synonym for hard xenia.

@Xenia I would say that this is true for law, finance, property and some consulting firms (they will definitely look for traditional subjects) but the more creative industry probably won't care. I guess it depends on what she wants to do. If she wants to be a hardcore barrister then don't do art or film studies but if she wants to go into something more creative it won't matter 🤷‍♀️

All A Levels were reformed by 2015. Any considered not hard enough were dropped. Perhaps employers need to update themselves.

Thank you piggy and titchy

talking to him again, he enjoys biology and doesn't want to rule out some kind of sciency career.

So I guess his choices are just right for him. as they are all stuff he likes and enjoys. he just doesn't know what he wants to do in the long run.