Choosing A levels advice please?

[lubeybooby]

Hello

My DD is year 11 and has to choose which A level choices she would like just after christmas, for 6th form next year. We had an options evening last night and got a little advice but she's unsure which things would be best, and so am I

She has an interest in fashion, journalism, and media and would like to try and head in this direction career wise.

Choices we have narrowed it down to based on what she's best at are

English
English language and literature combined*
ICT
Media studies*
Fine Art*
Textiles Tech
Biology
Physics*
Maths

So we need to turn nine possibles into four... The starred options are the ones she thinks so far she would want to go for.

Any ideas anyone please? Are these good choices?

She has a careers interview soon but we don't know exactly when and I actually don't trust the school to get it done in a timely fashion!

Is sociology an option, very good course if interested in the media and journalism and well regarded at Uni too. Sorry agree with the media studies haters its def seen as a bit of a dossy subject at most do it as a 4th a level

Am involved with admissions for a very popular humanities subject at an RG university. As far as we're concerned, Media Studies is perfectly acceptable alongside two substantial academic subjects such as English, Maths, Sciences. Some of the most selective unis may rate it lower than other subjects, but frankly it's unlikely to be a deciding factor for admissions tutors if she's a good student all round.

That said, I agree with the posters who say that the skills at A-level are pretty similar to English, and she might learn more from doing a different subject.

I find the suggestion that it's a waste of subject b/c it doesn't guarantee a career in the industry rather depressing - are subjects only valuable to the extent that they serve a narrowly instrumental purpose? Intellectually, there's lots of value in learning how to think critically about the nature and function of the media in contemporary society.

I agree that media does not have a great reputation, BUT if she will enjoy it nd has three 'hard' a levels in addition, she will probably get more out of it than a fourth 'hard' a level that she is not so interested in.

In my (albeit limited) experience teenagers can change their mind hugely in terms of which direction they want to go career-wise. For this reason I would suggest your dd take the most academic A levels she can manage in order to keep her options open. Also, if she is interested in taking a science subject I would suggest she take two, or one science plus maths.

Both my DDs did A level media.

Dd1 is now in her third year at a Russell Group Uni studying History.
Dd2 is on a gap year having been accepted at a Russell Group uni to study English.

There is an awful lot of hysteria around the whole thing. As long as your DDs other subjects are "solid" subjects she will be fine.

And just to add, both DDs were offered all five of their choices from the unis they applied for, these included Exeter, Southampton, Bristol and Sussex.

Unless your dd hopes to go to Oxbridge, please ignore the hysteria.

MordionAgenos - Sounds a very high workload. My yr11 DD1 also hoping for a career in music, looking at Music & Maths as definites, then 2 of French, Physics or RS. Although one of her 6th form choices would allow all 5.

Lubeybooby - As others have said, definitely not Physics without Maths as well. Not sure about the Media, but suspect OK alongside 3 strong subjects. Also believe Eng Lit more respected than the combined. So something like Eng Lit, Maths, Art and Media would be a reasonable combination.
Would have thought Hist/Geog and/or a language also good choices for journalism.

Presumably you have checked the option blocks for permitted combinations. Not good to agonise over your choices then find you have one or more clashes.

You might also like to check with the school/college that she can do her chosen combination, in terms of the subjects not clashing on the timetable.

Thank you this is so helpful.

We are putting our heads together and DD appreciates the advice too

I'll just go for English-Literature, Biology and Maths - concentrate on these 3 and possibly Media Studies as a 4th subject if that's what she likes (maybe dropping it in Year 13). This combination will open most doors in the future including all RG universities, if she ever changes her mind about her career path. Good luck!

Hi Lubey, was reading half way through before I recognised you as OP.

I wouldn't recommend media for your DD at A level, for some reason it's seen as a very soft option. Agree with others that Maths is hard a A level too, our school only let A* and A grades GCSE students carry it onto A level after a disastrous year when DD took it.

Physics is hard if not studied alongside Maths from what I know too.

Definitely English, Art and perhaps Biology or Physics with Maths if she is gets higher than a B at GCSE in Maths. There is always one subject that they drop at AS.

Ok perhaps Media isn't so bad after reading down for AS level. So English, Art, Biology and Media. If the Maths/Physics might be too much.

Yr 11 club here too. Ds who has always excelled at maths and sciences and wants to do 'something in science' has suddenly decided to do RS instead of biology. DS, the confirmed atheist who has been into to church perhaps 3 times in his life do RS?!?

How's 'the ethics and philosphhy of religion' viewed if you want to be an astrophysicist?

Slambang Love it! But don't worry. RS will have him thinking, writing essays, etc., all vital for a scientist and so much better than all sciences/maths (IMHO, you understand). And biology is the one science you can do without, even if you want to be a biologist let alone an astrophysicist where it's irrelevant even if you go on to study alien life forms. DP is a working biologist, doing a dream job, didn't do biology until university (boys didn't do biology at his school...); Prof heading his department was an ex-engineer, etc.

Best thing is to ask them to try and decide on the type of course and the uni's they may be interested in and check the entry requirements. I think physics/maths are to be avoided unless it is a definite requirement for the scientific course they are interested in. I would recommend a science though. I know a friend who changed her mind and wanted to do nursing but needed a science subject to apply.

Tho' there's a danger they end up picking Biology as the 'easy' one but without any real interest in it and it's a slog with a lot of fact learning. Pick the science/maths you like best. Someone said above that A levels are hard work so do what you enjoy.

If she's interested in fashion journalism then she does need to pick subjects that are a sensible choice for going into this area. Physics is pointless in my opinion (not as a subject, but because there is no way she would need it for this type of career. If she wants to do Physics A level then she should also do Maths and probably Chemistry to look at doing something on the sciences side). Media is generally considered a 'soft' subject and English would be preferred. English, Art and Textiles would probably be the best option for fashion journalism. Media as a possible fourth.

Psychology is an interesting one to do at AS. It is considered a science. Biology is a hard slog with loads of attention to detail. I think people are right when they say it is better to do something you enjoy at A Level.

It is a shame that art/textiles are seen as 'soft' subjects.

slambang, 'Physics with Philosophy' is a popular minority subject at degree level and is a great degree to demonstrate scientific and written reasoning abilities, so keeps lots of options open later on.

RS does appeal to a broad range of people these days, not just the religious ones.

I also think physics studied without maths is fine if you enjoy it and are prepared to work. It's true to say you can't really go on to study physics/engineering at degree level without catching up on the maths somehow first, but most other courses would see physics as a good numerate subject subject to have that showed breadth and would be thought of as a good maths substitute subject by many.

.slambang
Ds yr 12h has taken maths,further maths,physics and philosophy and ethics. He loves the combination and the philosophy is keeping him in practice at writing essays.

bruffin and gelo thank you.That's really helpful.

I was a bit gobsmacked by Ds's suddenly going all philosophical on us as I was secretly hoping he'd go for medicine but you've both reassured me that it's not a wasted option. I can see it would be an interesting balance (and ds does like argueing!)

I'm working very hard at not expressing any opinion at all because anything I suggest will automatically be rejected.

The better the univesity the more open minded it is about Art alemci.

slambang DD3 is not committed religiously and took Philosophyand Ethics at A2. She'd actually been one of those Top in the Country students at GCSE. But she came to loathe the subject at A2 (nothing to do with her teachers, who were great). And another drawback is the very. very random marking at A2. It can lose even the best students their (very sought after) university place. Consider the option wisely before diving in.

Maths and English both look fab on an application!