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Original poster

DD - difficult A'level choice - please help

94 replies

Candog · 09/01/2018 10:11

She wants to do music, history and French.
Has chosen these because she likes them.

I worry that this doesn't look great from a degree/employment perspective. She is interested in politics. I'd like her to leave open the option of economics (prob with politics), for which I am reliably told that she should take maths A'level, which the school says she is capable of. I gather that an economics degree makes you quite employable.
Maybe drop the French? Music is important to her.
School won't let her do French, history or maths to AS level only. She could do music at AS level I think, but insists on doing the full A level.
Any suggestions helpful - worried she will make herself close to unemployable if she ends up doing a music or history or straight politics degree. I suspect that taking 4 full A'level would lead to poor grades. She's not an "excessive worker".

OP posts:
Original poster
Candog · 09/01/2018 11:32

A choral scholarship would be fun, but doesn't help financially (think they are approx £100).
Economics would be possible for AS, though the more interesting part of the A'level appears to be the second year.

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Original poster
Candog · 09/01/2018 11:35

I know she is very keen to do 2 of those A'levels, but less sure about the 3rd. And the massive increase in level / workload is likely to come as a shock.
I'm not convinced that a basic level of French is of much help job wise. And after A'level it would still be pretty basic.

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titchy · 09/01/2018 11:36

But she isn't interested in Economics - YOU are! Why don't you study it...?

Seriously you can't make her choose subjects because one person you know says such and such is a better option. Especially when she has chosen a good selection of well regarded academic subjects Confused

Battleax · 09/01/2018 11:37

Most universities offer language tuition gratis or cheaply alongside main studies. Also opportunities to practise conversation. It's well worth getting to A level standard and then continuing lessons at university.

Original poster
Candog · 09/01/2018 11:37

Actually, the online careers thing they did recommended she become a lawyer (among other options). But I know from Mumsnet that there are a lot of cons to that career. No doubt will become a lot tougher after Brexit, too.

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Battleax · 09/01/2018 11:39

And economics careers won't in those circumstances?

Are you taking any of this advice on board?

Original poster
Candog · 09/01/2018 11:40

She hasn't had the chance to become interested in economics - the school only offer it as an A'level. She is interested in current affairs though.

Will have to be her choice, but I think she should be encouraged to think about future options, especially when has had such strong advice from a new graduate who has been through the mill of trying to find work.

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Battleax · 09/01/2018 11:41

Where have you picked up the fixation on Economics?

Original poster
Candog · 09/01/2018 11:42

I want to explain the options to her, not just rubber-stamp her first idea of what to do. Would have loved my parents to have taken an interest in my A'level choice.

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Original poster
Candog · 09/01/2018 11:42

NB I am a linguist myself, love the thought of her becoming good in a language, but that doesn't mean it would be the best choice for her.

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Battleax · 09/01/2018 11:43

In any case, I've known several teens, including myself, peers and my own DS become deeply interested in Economics without or before it was available as a curriculum subject.

This is the education board equivalent of the super soaker thread, I think.

Original poster
Candog · 09/01/2018 11:43

Economics - because her main idea of what to do at uni is politics, which pairs very well with economics, and makes for a more useable degree. She also likes the sound of economics.

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Intercom · 09/01/2018 11:44

I wasn't thinking so much about the money for the choral scholarship, I know it's not much... more that it's not unheard of for an offer with lower grades to be made, if they really want someone in the choir.

RestingGrinchFace · 09/01/2018 11:44

Why is she only doing three A levels? That's really weird.

Original poster
Candog · 09/01/2018 11:45

Don't know what a super soaker thread is.
Her main interest is music. Very very difficult to make a career out of that.
Her second, more recent interest is politics.

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Original poster
Candog · 09/01/2018 11:46

She's also quite keen on living in a house, eating food, going on holidays. All things that she will very soon need to facilitate for herself. There is no work (or uni) where we live - she will have to be fully independent.

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BeyondThePage · 09/01/2018 11:46

Why is she only doing three A levels? That's really weird

no, it really isn't.

Only in the world of mumsnet do all kids do 4 and get all As. Most schools do 3 - simply because most universities require 3.

Battleax · 09/01/2018 11:47

Don't know what a super soaker thread is.

It's a thread where you ask a question, four dozen people give you the same answer, and you ignore all of them because you're fixated on an inexplicable belief.

Original poster
Candog · 09/01/2018 11:48

She would like to do 3 Alevels and 1 AS. But the school won't allow pupils to do AS in maths or French or history. Have to do the full A'level or nothing.
I feel that 4 A'levels would be too much and lead to lower grades. She is not someone who spends a lot of time on academic work, though bright and talented.

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Original poster
Candog · 09/01/2018 11:54

Thanks all.
I will encourage her to think long and hard about what she would really enjoy, with the understanding that maths is v useful and opens up other options. She will then choose for herself. I will then have done my job as a responsible parent, I think. Our DCs are going out into a tough world. I found it very very easy to find a decent first job. And to get into a good uni. It will be so much tougher for her.

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MyBrilliantDisguise · 09/01/2018 11:54

I think a Maths A level would be useful to any student, but then it's only useful if you get a good grade. The leap from GCSE to A level is really high. Unless she got almost 100% at GCSE it's unlikely she'd get a top grade at A level. If she's applying to Cambridge she can't afford to get a low grade.

I think she's got three good subjects there and should focus on widening her learning relating to those subjects rather than taking on a fourth.

splatattack · 09/01/2018 11:54

Stop being over involved and obsessing about the future...it's no wonder teenagers get so stressed these days!! Let her choose what she enjoys and she will be fine, now and in the future...your obsessing and stressing (if you are like this in front of your daughter), is more likely to have a negative impact on her than these subject choices...

titchy · 09/01/2018 11:56

She's also quite keen on living in a house, eating food, going on holidays. All things that she will very soon need to facilitate for herself.

Ah right. Didn't realise that. Yes of course she should be doing Maths and Economics A levels, followed by an Economics degree. As it's a well known fact that graduates of other subjects are unable to afford rent, food and holidays...

Original poster
Candog · 09/01/2018 11:57

Thank you MyBrilliant.
Her maths teacher has said she'd be ok to do the A'level, especially as she is doing GCSE further maths. But I am concerned that if she doesn't feel she is a natural in maths, that might mean she doesn't end up with a high grade. To be honest though, that is also a risk in French, which I think is far far tougher at A'level. I'm not sure she would put the necessary hard work in.

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TeenTimesTwo · 09/01/2018 11:58

If you were going to try to talk her out of anything I would have thought that music would be the one to change. But as she is adamant on doing that I really can't see anything wrong with the other 2.

Yes maths is useful, but only if she will enjoy doing it and trying to do well. She should get reasonably competent at French by doing it for A level surely? DD did Spanish AS and can quite happily converse with Spanish speakers confidently.

It's all very well trying to keep every door open, but A levels are by their very nature specialised. You can advise, but shouldn't be arm twisting unless she's making a major mistake (such as doing 3 unrelated subjects, or subjects she'll be dire at).