Thoughts on DD's A Level choices

[Blinne]

DD has just started sixth form and is taking English Literature, Economics, Physics and Psychology at AS level. She is well-rounded in her studies but does enjoy essay subjects. She intends to do Law but is wanting to keep her options open. Do you think these subjects will give her a good choice of future courses / jobs ?

Thank you for your help!

Well get on the websites and check. I saw it there.

It depends if she is absolutely set on Law and unlikely to change.

If she is definitely going to do Law, she subjects are fine. Economics at A Level is not very mathsy. Assuming she got a top grade at Maths GCSE the Physics will probably be okay too. If her GCSE in Maths is not a top grade, Physics will probably be very hard.

If she might change her mind and want to do Economics or Physics at degree, then Maths is a must at A Level.

The single subject which is probably most useful for doing Law, although not a requirement,is History, for the analytical skills and skills of evaluating evidence.

What did she get at GCSE?

Humble pie - you get on the websites and check - a link to one of the Cambridge colleges requirements has already been posted.

Show me one university where Psychology a level would not be accepted.

Cerisier, I'm not at all surprised that LSE want further maths - I didn't go to LSE, but it was definitely a major disadvantage not having FM when I studied economics 20+ years ago.

Which university does she want to go to? Looking up the courses and seeing the A level requirements and choising A levels they will want is best way. Presumably she has been encouraged to do that. There are a lot of great law degrees around the country and there may be some variety of requirements. Many universities are interested in students who take a less traditiinal A level subject alongside the ones considered the traditional choices. Maths, Further Maths, English Literature, History, a MFL might have been the choices for Law once, but there are more courses to choose from now and not everybody goes to Downing to take their Law degree!

I would definitely suggest she talks to the physics dept about what they think of doing physics without maths - it's very unusual.
One of my dnieces is doing Economics at University and the other is doing Psychology. Both have commented on how much maths there are in their course, and how students without it are finding it more challenging.

from my own perspective - I did Maths, English, Biology and Economics about 1,000 years ago. I regretted it because none of the subjects supported each other. They were all so totally different, except in that two of them were essay based.

is the AS Psychology an experimental lab-based syllabus or is it another essay subject? Physics looks like an odd-one-out in that list.

BackforGood to be honest if three kids in a single family (mine) can do physics without maths and not only stay the course but get good grades, then the notion that maths is pretty near crucial is likely no more than a myth. There are so many myths in education that's it's as well that some are debunked.

As I said, at my dd's school a lot of kids do physics at least to AS as a 4th A level with completely unrelated other subjects because the department is so dynamic and exciting.

Molio - I didn't say it couldn't be done, I just suggested thinking carefully and getting advice from the people that know you and that will be teaching it.
Well done to your 3, but you have to agree it's statistically unusual, which makes you think there's probably a good reason behind it, hence, get as much of an idea as possible so you are choosing to do it with full knowledge.

Yes yours is sensible advice of course BackforGood, but my DC are not unusual at their school. More than 50% of a large physics cohort do maths, but a significant minority don't. The maths required is explained for the non maths students while the maths lot simply have to do it twice. Of course it makes it easier for the latter, but it's absolutely fine not to have maths. Possibly not fine if you're weak at maths, but if you're reasonably able, then it's fine.

Anyhow, OP asked what the range of subjects is like for someone intending to read law, and my answer would be that it's good. I'd avoid law A level like a bargepole, but a combination of science and art is good. There's nothing mandatory about History, though it's a good solid subject to do, but it's important that the DD does subjects which interest her, or she won't enjoy sixth form and won't do her best. A few universities are a bit prescriptive about the third A level being 'academic' rather than creative, but no one cares two hoots about the fourth.

I guess it would be sensible to check if there are other non maths A level students in the Physics classes. If your DD was the only one then she would be prepared to have to take a little extra care with making sure she keeps on top of the maths side of things. I don't see it as a problem though.

I think we need to hear back from the OP.
Crucial questions are;
How committed and set on Law is she? (if totally certain,her choices are fine. If not, then her choices do not allow the flexibility to continue Physics or Econ at uni)
How good are her GCSEs, particularly her Maths....important in having a sense of it she is up to Physics A Level.

I hope you don't mind me joining in here, my DD is an all rounder, with A's in music, English language and Art and Bs in everything else. She wants to take History, Geography, Physics and Product Design.

She wanted to go into science research but I suggested architecture because it involves her creative side and they were her strongest subjects. However her personality is actually very logical, impartial and she likes facts. Today she is going in to talk to staff about exchanging Product Design for Biology as she was put off by the long-term project involved in the PD curriculum. I think at the back of her mind she really preferred to do science.

But would people say that personality is more important to choose something like law than subjects chosen - so if you study the obvious Law choices but have a sparky unpredictable nature it's kind of pointless? So having two science subjects doesn't matter because she has the right mental approach towards working in the legal profession?

Not quite sure what you're asking daughterdilemma - is your dd interested in dong a law degree? What do you mean by personality is more important? The best personality in the world won;t get you an interview if you haven;t got the right stuff on paper...

Is she interested in science? Maths normally goes better with Physics, and Biology is normally taken with Chemistry. If she's interested in a science degree she'll need two sciences.

Titchy, I think the main question is whether to be a successful scientist or lawyer you need the right personality, whether that is more important than the qualifications long term and will give her the edge at uni, ie logical, impartial and factual. Given that my daughter is an all rounder, academically she can go in whichever direction she chooses (she has 7 Bs and a C (astronomy) in addition to her 3 As in more creative subjects).

Someone said upthread that maths isn't needed with physics at A level, that they go through it again. She will take two sciences, physics and biology (I understand the gap between physics and biology but she is also doing geography which links both).

Sorry to hijack OP

Titchy the problem is she doesn't know what degree she wants to do. Up until yesterday it was architecture. Complete change after her first day back.

Depends what type of university she wants to go to - best off checking on their particular law entry requirements. I would also remove physics for history.

Daughter - her personality will not make a shred of difference if she has not chosen the right subjects xx

I wouldn't worry too much about what's 'usual', unless one subject really is essential to support another or a degree requires set subjects. One of my DC did History along with the three sciences for medicine, and having an essay subject has helped a good deal, even though it's not 'usual'.

Physics is excellent for law, as is chemistry. There are no specific requirements for law, if a student has a minimum of three 'academic' subjects.

I think that economics, english and psychology go together for business type courses.

Psychology and physics are science courses covered.

Sesamstr. I think I find it odd that my DD got top marks in the creative subjects yet her personality isn't particularly creative. As people have said, law doesn't require any particular subjects other than academic then surely personal suitability to the sector will give her advantage in the long term?

I think the four she has chosen will suit for a lot of different sectors. We are all a bit of a mix at home, Dad with creative mind but non-creative job and me, vice versa. That has probably added to her confusion!

Daughter, sorry if I sounded harsh, the better universities definitely have preferred subjects (traditional ones) for things such as law etc even if they say they don't want particular ones. Also work experience of course will stand her in good stead.

I was an all rounder at school, but like your daughter I am very logical and not particularly creative personality, I just found a couple of the more creative subjects easier to blag! Not saying this is the same but that's how I found it so maybe that could be it!

Not including music as I didn't take music!