A Level choices

[SugariceAndScary]

Hello Parents!

Ds2 has decided on :

English Language
Politics
History
Media Studies- as a 'light' pick to hopefully relieve pressure from studying the three above.

Is Media a safe choice to pick as a drop off at A2 level?

DS2 is laid back but aloof and Open Evening at 6th Form was painful as he sees it as an irritating but necessary appointment for a nosey!

What are your dc's planning on? please share.

There;s a coupe of other threads on A level choices going on - one has quite a few replies on Media.

DD1 has Music and Maths as definites. Not good with essay writing.
Hoping to be able to choose 2 of French, Physics & RS. Depends which schools she applies for as double clashes with her current schools's option blocks.

No open days until after half-term, expecingt to visit several.

One school applying for has 5AS requirement as compulsory RS.

Aiming to do Music degree.

Like circular, I have a DD hoping to do a music degree. She wants to do music, history, English and geog. She will also have to do critical thinking and the AQA extended project. She's toying with the idea of doing performing arts AS too but not at school, at the theatre group she belongs to.

Okay thanks, will look at Media.

From what I remember of the 6th form open evenings the info handed out on the media and english language A levels had quite a lot of overlapping. English lit or lang & lit combined are often viewed more highly than lang on its own but if your dd wants to go down the linguistics route it seems ok to me.

However, I'd definitely drop either media or english lang for A2 they are both "less preferred" subjects so if you want a top RG uni its best to keep only one of them but there again it really depends on what you want to do at 18.

Do have a read of the Russell Group Informed Choices booklet link here with an eye to the sorts of subjects he might want to study later.

I think he might be better not picking Media Studies, but having a 4th subject he could carry on with to AS if any of the others don't work out as he hopes. If he's assuming he can drop Media Studies that commits him to carrying on with all the others.

definitely have a think about what degree subject he might want to do.
i did geography, biology and french A levels, basically chose my favourites.
Then when applying for degree courses realised i couldn't do biology (needed chemistry) and couldn't do languages (needed 2 languages) so it is really worth thinking it through. why nobody ever said that to me i don't know!

meant ds not dd - sorry, was muddling you with another thread on a similar topic

My son did Media Studies as his fourth - definitely not a soft option - he found it more challenging that Eng Lit, History or Maths! But he's at Oxford now so it didn't count against him to do it. The fourth choice should be a pleasure choice, but don't fall for the media hype that some subjects are easier than others - all A levels are demanding.

I think doing both Eng Lang and Media Studies might limit his choices depending on what he wants to do at university. If he knows what he wants to do he needs to familiarise himself quickly with the requirements of the universities that offer his preferred course. Some universities view Eng Lang as a soft choice and many see Media Studies that way. Please ask him to bear in mind that it is not a great idea to choose a subject that you are not prepared to take all the way through to A2. One of his other subjects may not work out the way he hopes and he may want to drop it after AS, leaving him with no choice but to take Media Studies through to A2.

We have had no open evenings yet, but DD is currently thinking about Psychology, Chemistry, History and Eng Lit.

Bear in mind that ideas can change post AS results - DD was planning to drop a subject that she then scored 100% in, so had a rapid rethink. The subject she loved and would have continued with was actually taking up a disproportionate amount of time and she wasn't getting as good results, so it had to go..

Dd is planning on maths, biology and chemistry. She is unsre about 4th option - possibly with music or English. Which English is the better one to take? She is doing both at gcse and hopefully on target for at least an A. Thanks

English literature would be better if she wants an essay-based subject to balance out her sciences.

Good choices Sugar
I am encouraging Maths with all my kids as it gets you in everywhere!!!

Thanks Themumsnot!

I did English Lamguage A level, long time ago but surprised it is seen as a soft language here. It was hard work, particularly as English language us generally taught so badly at GCSE level. It was quite essay based, had very tough coursework but also was quite theoretical, we had to learn the phonetic alphabet etc..