A Level Chemistry, German or Economics as a choice for DS who wants to study Physics?

[ShellingPeasAgain]

DS (yr 11) has to choose A level options soon. He wants to study astro physics at university so has got maths, further maths and physics as his main choices. But he has to choose another two subjects as his school only counts further maths as half an A level. He's keen on doing German as he'd like to work in Europe, but not sure about whether economics or chemistry would be a better option for the last choice. Predicted A* at GCSE at all these subjects BTW.

To me, the school's decision to not count further maths as a full A level means the workload seems like a lot and hopefully he will be able to drop one subject in year 13.

Anyone who's done this before got any ideas? DH thinks DS should take chemistry as an extra science subject but DS isn't keen on chemistry and prefers economics. I think economics gives him a broader range and more options in the long term.

Me too Squirelled

Slightly off thread here, but which STEM careers do pay well?

Dentistry?

A friend who is a dentist would not recommend it - apparently all dentists are miserable!

Milly I was always going to be chromosomally challenged in Civils - still very macho in the 1980s and 1990s.

For the last few years I have been running my own (completely different) business - we were up to 60 part time staff and 750 clients at one point - not making mega bucks but ticking over nicely.

For Astrophysics (as opposed to just Physics), Chemistry would be very useful - lots of interstellar molecules....

hellsbells recent report in something like the Indy or Guardian suggested that computer sciences were the way to go - new graduates started with good salaries and promotion prospects.

tunawsandwiches No Chemistry isn't any more neccessary/useful for a Physics with Astrophysics degree than straight Physics (I'm an astrophysicist!). Unless the OP's son wants to become an astrochemist, which I'm guessing he doesn't, given he doesn't appear to be particularly keen on chemistry... The interstellar medium (ISM) is a relatively small sub area of astrophysics. Some Physics with Astrophysics degrees have modules on the ISM, many don't.

I was always going to be chromosomally challenged in Civils - still very macho in the 1980s and 1990s.

I'm also a Geotech Eng. I used to get a lot of "unusual job for a girl...." type comments. To which I replied that it's a pretty unusual job for anyone. Anyone who mentioned tea or filing got very short shrift.

Then I bought a Skoda before VW made them socially acceptable, and that gave the guys on site something different to tease me about

Yesterday I had 3 meetings about 3 different schemes, all of which featured several women in professional eng roles, several of whom were Geotech. The tide is turning. Certainly no dodgy comments for years.

My DH employs several female engineers and no-one looks twice these days. I was really trying to say that the impression of all Civil Engineers having to do years of site work is not really correct and should not put women off. I a glad you have a great business Squirrelled!

There are still loads of unemployed Architects,so avoid that one. Chemical Engineers do well. When looking at STEM careers,you should really do what you enjoy, or you will be miserable. Also remember that starting salaries are far higher in London and the SE,so average starting salaries can be very misleading! If you are decent at Civils and understand how buildings work, then Structural Engineering is well paid. There is a great shortage of these Engineers at the moment, especially ones who are business savvy. Just looking at doing a degree because it is well paid at the end, but you have no love of it, is a recipe for disaster. My DH was not the most brilliant at school, but he is a born engineer. It is what makes him tick, together with running the business. He would have hated being a dentist! Do what you love and what you are good at for a happy career.

Medics end up with high employment rates and probably best salaries.

I've not read all the discussion but I'd go for German. Compared to Economics or Chemistry it's an easy A level as you don't really have anything to revise for it especially as you can get over there during the two years and it might give him the chance to do a year abroad as part of his degree. I'd have said that Maths, Physics, Further Maths and German would be a great combination.

However, which of the three does he like best/is he best at? Ultimately I'd choose that.

As an aside, I had a friend at school who did German, Economics and Chemistry A levels and did a law degree, subsequently qualifying as a lawyer.

It was quite different 25 years ago - my first boss wanted me to stay in the lab and not go on site, one quarry manager wouldn't let me set foot on the site and another time the (male) client rep ran away and left me deal with an irate landowner waving a shotgun. I worked for a few large consultancies, I was usually the only female in the office other than the draughts women and the admin staff. Glad to see it's changed, but also glad that I'm out of it!

Talking of lawyers, patent attorneys earn a lot, I suspect, and have to be scientists - per the Institute of Patent Attorneys

www.cipa.org.uk/pages/about-careers

you have to be a scientist, a lawyer and a linguist.

Which would be right up the street for BabyBearleigh except that, at the moment he wants to be a pure scientist (he is a brilliant linguist, and may also do maths x2, physics and German, so this thread is very interesting)

It is also rather tedious for the level of qualification and intelligence as most patents are a cut and paste job .

As a complete aside, my DH as a young engineer when setting out a new major roundabout was not only confronted by the lady farmer with a gun, but she let her enormous Hereford Bull loose on the site too!

One of my uncles was a Patent Attorney and made £££££!

Thanks Travelin! I met a couple of PA recently, and they seemed to find the work very interesting. Though your comment is interesting summer...

Just goes to show that different jobs please different people. The scientists I know who have gone into it are happy to have a very well renumerated job but it is repetitive with an eye for fine detail rather than problem solving. Obviously if you are at a much higher level you will have a team to do the actual patents for you.