Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Higher education

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

Original poster

Feedback on this A Level Mix

37 replies

FredaFedUpBigTime · 01/12/2021 16:42

DC16 is a good all rounder and it’s proving hard to pick A Levels.

However, he’s settled on Maths, Further Maths, Chemistry and Philosophy. He is predicted 9’s in these.

He says he thinks he wants to do Chemistry at Uni. He’s interested in Law, but doesn’t want to do a law degree, but may do the conversion afterwards.

With this in mind, and perhaps a bit of mind changing later on, do you think that is a good mix for a top Uni to study law at degree level?

OP posts:
titchy · 01/12/2021 16:47

Great combination!

ErrolTheDragon · 01/12/2021 16:52

Sounds good to me. I'm a chemist - on the mathsy side of things. If he does a chemistry degree then the other possible option thereafter which might appeal is being a patent agent.

Megan1992xx · 01/12/2021 16:52

Not sure about doing a Chemistry degree (a risk that you end up in battery chicken set of laboratories doing 'experiments') have you considered Chemical Engineering? A very wide range of career opportunities and a hugely respected profession.

If you do consider it you will need to substitute Physics for Philosophy.

ErrolTheDragon · 01/12/2021 16:57

@Megan1992xx

Not sure about doing a Chemistry degree (a risk that you end up in battery chicken set of laboratories doing 'experiments') have you considered Chemical Engineering? A very wide range of career opportunities and a hugely respected profession.

If you do consider it you will need to substitute Physics for Philosophy.

That's the most bizarre characterisation of chemistry I've come across. ConfusedTo be sure, don't do a chemistry degree if you don't like lab work.
DebIr · 01/12/2021 17:00

Sister did maths, further maths, chemistry and English. Degree and PhD at Oxford uni in chemistry.
Great to have a mix.

Megan1992xx · 01/12/2021 17:15

Makes my point perfectly, if you want to do a Chemistry related degree but want a wider choice of careers that do not leave you stuck in a lab do Chemical Engineering.

GlacindaTheTroll · 01/12/2021 17:19

Double maths and chemistry will be fine for chemistry and most chemical engineering degrees (some expect physics, but I can't remember if they absolutely require it)

Philosophy is a good complement, especially when interested in law, as it's good to have an essay subject tucked in there.

ErrolTheDragon · 01/12/2021 18:48

@Megan1992xx

Makes my point perfectly, if you want to do a Chemistry related degree but want a wider choice of careers that do not leave you stuck in a lab do Chemical Engineering.
There are many career options open to people with chemistry degrees where you're not 'stuck in a lab'. It's just the degree itself where lab work may be a large element. I've done my chemistry from the comfort of my own home for over 25 years.... much nicer than a chemical plant.Grin
Ekofisk · 01/12/2021 18:58

You don’t need physics as well for Chem Eng. Chemistry, maths and FM will be fine.

Megan1992xx · 01/12/2021 19:01

@Ekofisk

You don’t need physics as well for Chem Eng. Chemistry, maths and FM will be fine.
You may not but much of the content in Chemical Engineering is actually related to Physics not Chemistry so Physics A level very appropriate.
Ekofisk · 01/12/2021 19:35

Chem Eng is a lot of maths, hence maths and FM covering those bases.

Imperial, for instance, requires chemistry and maths, and either FM or physics or biology (or business studies / economics).

Cambridge requires physics as well as maths and chemistry as entry is via Nat Sci.

Physics would be useful, but unless OP’s DS has his heart set on Cambridge then the mix he’s chosen will be fine.

astoundedgoat · 01/12/2021 19:38

I know somone with that combo who went on to do PPE at Oxford, a masters in economics at Oxford and is now turning 30 and absolutely MINTING it at a really good and interesting job in London. So from my admittedly highly limited experience I would say that's an excellent combination! :)

Megan1992xx · 01/12/2021 19:41

@ErrolTheDragon you work from home but would you dispute that the majority of chemists work in labs?

ErrolTheDragon · 01/12/2021 19:42

There's absolutely nothing in the OP which suggests her DS would want to choose chem eng rather than chemistry or law (or that he's interested in Cambridge, given that it's NatSci rather than straight chemistry, come to that)

Megan1992xx · 01/12/2021 19:45

Feedback from this A level mix

Perfectly appropriate to suggest alternative perhaps better related degrees. What is the problem do you wish you had chosen it?

ErrolTheDragon · 01/12/2021 19:47

[quote Megan1992xx]@ErrolTheDragon you work from home but would you dispute that the majority of chemists work in labs?[/quote]
I don't know proportions, but certainly a lot don't end up spending much if any time in labs - and of course some people (which may include the OPs DS) enjoy lab work.
Curious to know whether the majority of chemical engineers work on chemical (or other processing ) plants ... not sure most people would find that preferable tbh.
Each to their own!Smile

Ekofisk · 01/12/2021 19:54

I realise that the OP’s son is leaning towards chemistry as a degree, and there’s no indication that he’s interested in Cambridge, but as a thought he might be interested in the option of the history and philosophy of science?

Gardenia22 · 01/12/2021 21:33

Those four subjects look good! He should certainly be in a good position to apply for a Chemistry degree with those.

TakeMeToYourLiar · 01/12/2021 21:37

Errol I did a chemistry degree, realised I didn't much like lab work. Now have a good job jn a related field with no need to set foot in a lab

TizerorFizz · 02/12/2021 09:00

@FredaFedUpBigTime

I’m slightly confused. He says chemistry but you have then asked about Law. So which is it?

My DD did law conversion. Plenty do this after a Stem degree and by this stage Philosophy A level is neither here nor there. If he wants to do Law, I cannot see the need for FM. However if he’s gifted at maths, then he should do it.

The highest paid young lawyers I know have one thing in common: they did the MLaw at Cambridge. So the law conversion is a start. Of course others will go straight from undergrad degree into a city firm but lots of very bright young people do the MLaw and the conversion.

If he wants a very high income (and little time to breathe) City firms pay well! American ones truly want your soul. But they pay well for it! Salaries are at a level before people are 30 that a teacher could only dream of! Teachers work hard but some law firms are on a different planet! I do therefore think it’s necessary to really know what type of person you are. Finance and banking can be similar.

The other law career that’s well paid, but self employed, is being a barrister. Commercial - not crime! So land/property and a huge range of commercial litigation pays very well. The MLaw leads into this avenue of work too.

I cannot comment on chemistry degrees but many stem degrees open door but he will have to decide because 3/4 years on the wrong degree won’t be fun.

Original poster
FredaFedUpBigTime · 02/12/2021 16:43

Thanks for the replies. He is a good all rounder ( predicted 9’s bar one language). He could do a number of A Levels and be fine I think, so I think the choice is important.

He is saying he hopes to go to Oxford or Cambridge, so we need to get the mix right and not regret it later.

His favourite subject is Chemistry, closely followed by RS (but prefers Philosophy side) and he is very good at maths. He’s been told that he only needs to do 3 A Levels and perhaps drop the FM. However, I don’t want him to regret his choices and this has to be a very well informed decision.

I don”t think he’s the man for a lab. I think he’s more suited for law. It’s up to him though. Just trying to give him all the info as he’s just a boy.

OP posts:
TizerorFizz · 02/12/2021 17:18

Chemistry, Maths and Philosophy is absolutely no barrier to a law application at Oxbridge. If he went down this route he wouldn’t need FM. I agree it’s great to have an essay subject for Law. As you know he doesn’t need to do a Law degree to become a solicitor or barrister. He could do Chemistry. However he’s going to have to decide which route into law at university undergrad level because he will need to make applications for internships/mini pupilages to get started. Then job/scholarship applications etc. Law is a massive series of deadlines!

ErrolTheDragon · 02/12/2021 18:42

If he does chemistry at Oxford, it's a 4 year Masters, with the fourth year being a research project. Is he up for that if the long term goal is Law? (Of course, he might find his goals change... the idea of the 4th year research project terrified my teenage self from applying ... but I ended up doing a PhD and turns out I'd have loved to do a research project on my area in the Oxford if I'd got in)

And Cambridge is Natural Sciences; while maths and chemistry plus a non science subject may meet the requirements, it might not make him a competitive candidate and would probably limit his options quite a lot. The implication of the page below is that he'd probably need at least an AS in another science (if such things are even possible in many schools now). There are links to specific requirements by each college from this page, they do vary in detail.

www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/courses/natural-sciences

TizerorFizz · 02/12/2021 18:53

Lots of MFL grads do Law. Same issue. 4 years. But you play to your strengths.

Oxbridge for Chemistry - FM should be in his mix I think.

Blubells · 02/12/2021 19:45

He’s been told that he only needs to do 3 A Levels and perhaps drop the FM.

Most schools consider Maths/Further Maths as one subject and often teach Maths in year 12 and FM in year 13. I definitely wouldn't drop FM - it's not that much more work.