A-level choices to keep options open

[stubiff]

My DS (literally) has no idea want he’d like to do for A-levels or beyond. Only given is not English Language.
He doesn’t really have a favourite subject(s) or passion.
He is probably around the GCSE 7 (poss some 8’s) mark, ability-wise, fairly consistent across the subjects.

So, he’ll probably be looking at choices to keep his future options as open as possible.

Please could you recommend some combos using the following groups:

1. Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Psychology, Computer Science
2. Business Studies, Economics, English Lit, History, Politics, Religious Studies, Spanish, Classics
3. Drama, Design & Technology, Physical Education

Some rules:
Please could you provide some rationale for the combo(s), especially if you break the rules (which I’m sure some will!).
Min 1, max 2 from group 1.
Min 1, max 2 from group 2.
Min 0, max 1 from group 3.
If you suggest a Maths combo, please could you also suggest a non-Maths one.
English Lang will not be chosen.
Biology, Geography and any subject not mentioned will not be chosen, either because it is not available or wasn’t chosen at GCSE.

Appreciate it is a wide/varied ask, but thank you very much, in anticipation.

Loads more good advice again @stubiff . Also sensible comments from you!

Agree with views on maths - as piggy says, no use keeping open doors to (for example) engineering (maths alone won’t do that anyway) or economics if that’s not of interest.

Ds took maths after a fairly easily gained 8 at GCSE; found it challenging and while it was useful for his current STEM degree, he got a B - could have been an A with hard work but a B was all he needed. So I agree maths with a 7 may not be the best plan.

There are indeed many jobs out there for those of us with no science A levels! I don’t even have physics O level.

What grade is he likely to get for Spanish GCSE btw? I am sceptical tbh about the native speaker factor. Otoh A level MFL is a big step up and a lot of work.

@clary
Bearing in mind we haven't had mocks yet, it's hard to say for def. I think he'd be hoping for an 8.

Obv, all this conv is a lot easier/would make more sense, after mocks!

We had this same issue with my kid. No real idea what she wanted to do at uni but vaguely spoke about either Psychology, Law or English Lit.

At A Level she's ended up doing Maths, Eng Lit and Geography. Maths to keep her options open, Eng Lit because she loves it and Geography because her brother told her it was easy.

We did a bit of research into the entry requirements of uni courses and tried to work backwards. I'm willing to bet money on her doing Eng Lit degree then a possible Law conversion course now she's started 6th form but a few months ago this wasn't the case.

I'm a bit nervous about the Maths, she did really well at GCSE in getting a high 8 (and she also took further maths GCSE in which she got an 8) but I know it's a leap up at A Level. I think biology would have been a better fit but what can you do when they don't want to do it?

@MaybeMaybeNotish Oh to have a vague list of 3 degree subjects!

10 subjects would be a fine start OP. Although now that the subtext is ‘not STEM’ that’s a pretty big step in itself. ‘Not Maths’ will be even bigger. Nothing wrong with getting there through exclusion

Will your DS have the opportunity to take Core Maths alongside his three A-levels? A useful addition if his choices are non-STEM. If not, then Psych or, to a lesser extent, Econ as the third A-level would demonstrate quantitative abilities.

Maths is the most important as it opens the most doors. To do science and engineering degrees you will need at least one more science but ideally 2/further maths. To do an essay based degree you do need at least one essay based a level but they are less prescriptive.

Whilst it's not helpful, at this stage you need him to think science/non science as that's the big divide but not absolute(business studies though would be fine from science a levels)

Ideally stick with 3 or at least 2 of the traditional harder. facilitating subjects, no matter what people say. Eg my lawyer sons did geography and history and then one did economcis and the other classical civilisation. I did English lit, history and German and am also a lawyer. Doctor sibling did biology, chemistry, maths and further maths.

English lit, History and as it has to be one from group 1 psychology might be a good combination.

Or if he is good at science physics chemistry (and it would be rare to do a group 2 one with those 2 however so something like maths would be better).

Don't do any of group 3.

Hmmm! Drama goes well with English Lit and History. PE was taken by DDs friend who is a doctor. Design and Technology is fine for engineers doing maths and physics. It’s always combinations that matter with subject specific A levels plus what you want to do with them.

Great that he's putting some thinking in. Hope the next few months, and mocks, start to bring some clarity. My youngest had I think 2 definite A levels and then a long list that took ages to whittle down, and ended up adding a 4th subject chosen off a shortlist of three on top of the subjects he first chose!

DD did English, History, Maths. Now studying English literature but I was amused at the spreadsheet tinkering going on this summer to keep track of how much time she needed to get through next year's reading list. Maths has also had some relevance to a summer internship she's just done. But she did get straight 9s at GCSE and like many mention, found A level maths a definite step up. So yes, maths is a very useful subject if you have the ability to do it. I find core maths a very interesting option for those for whom A level maths might be slightly too stretching, or for whom a different set of subjects makes most sense.

Our advice to DT’s was to pick the subjects they enjoyed the most - no point being stuck studying courses you don’t enjoy - more likely to drop out and/or do badly.

Spanish and history (his 2 favourites) with English lit might be good. A very common combination and similar to my English lit, history and German.

Spanish and history are two traditional "facilitating subjects". My twins' school said avoid maths unless you are good at it as they had so many boys pushed into it by parents saying you must do maths who then did badly - you are either very good at it or not. If you are very good then I think it does have quite a lot of A stars. I suspect it has a wider spread on average than some other A levels.

I think maths has more As and A stars than other subjects. It’s right or wrong and mostly taken by students who are good at it. 40.9% of girls got Astar/A and for boys it was 42.5%. For FM, it’s 55.4 and 59.7%. Figures for 2023.

8 in Spanish means A level should be fine as he will have the basic knowledge that it assumes and builds on.

Yay for him choosing MFL A level as sadly very few boys do so. That's been true for a while as well - my old MFL HoD was male and said he had a great time at uni as nearly everyone on his course was female. Not that that should be a criterion! (I'm sure it wasn't his either btw).

After your later post it doesn't sound as if he wants to do any of the subjects in group 1. Don't push him tp do them if they're not his thing.

History, Spanish and Economics looks like a good mix to me.

I know you said he is keen to stay at his current school but worth giving serious thought to IB at sixth form for keeping options open in a child who is generally a good all rounder.

@PerpetualOptimist No, Core Maths is not available.

@Britneyfan Nearest IB school is 40 miles away. There aren't that many in the country, so being near one is a bit pot luck.

@clary Let's not get ahead of ourselves by saying he's chosen Spanish! If he chose today, I think he would though.

@stubiff 😂😂 I am just excited! Not enough people at all choose MFL

Has he actually looked at what's available at the local college? They usually have a much bigger range of subjects and qualifications (including A-levels).

@clary Glad someone is excited, need to pass that on to DS!

Going to try to talk to him tonight in the car after picking up from a football match - captive audience and all!
Will try to get him to narrow down the current GCSE subjects.
New A-level subjects will be later (CS, Psych, Econ, Business, RS & Politics), and some career quizzes.
One step at a time!

@Needmorelego
Trying to narrow down the options not give him more!
But get what you mean.

He/I haven't looked yet but will.

One of the boys I was talking about earlier (older brother of DS's friend) went from the school to the college last Sep. Doing Maths, Physics and DT, and went partly/mainly because they were really impressed with the DT facilities, def v the school (wanting to do Engineering I think).
Said it was very cliquey (played football as well), and came back to the school a few weeks later.
Obv it's only one story (although another went to a different sixth form and came back as well), but it's something we're bearing in mind.
I don't think he'd want to consider moving, unless there was a new subject put in front of him that he couldn't do at the current school, and maybe not even then, unless it was totally related to something he might want to do post 16-18 level.

@stubiff you say he doesn't have any "passions" but what does he do in his spare time? What are his hobbies and interests (or used to enjoy when younger).
If he looked at college rather than A-levels he might find something that has nothing to do with what he is doing for GCSEs but is related to something he enjoys as a pastime or hobby. It could lead to a qualification and job related to that.
I know you said you don't want to give him "more options" but colleges tend to offer so much more variety in things he might not even have thought about.

@Needmorelego
Yes, was being slightly flippant about it.

As mentioned earlier, his passions are XBox and sport.

There are some things at the college that may suit (in that part) which he has mentioned in the distant past - eSports or Games Development.
Note - he doesn't do any programming.

@stubiff how about a sports qualification. They can cover lots of different aspects of sports - training, medical therapy side of it, sports event planning, the business management part....

@stubiff Do the A levels! Colleges vary in quality. If he knows the teachers, that’s worth quite a lot. He will stay with friends too. College confers no advantages. Better the devil you know.