A levels - for CS degree / tech career

[MarshaBradyo]

If anyone is in this area can I ask:

Ds is doing
Maths
Further maths
Economics

Would you recommend physics or CS for tech career?

Surely it depends on what she is most interested in?
(On the grounds that whichever is more interesting is more likely to lead to a career she finds interesting?)

Can you still do CS at university without it at A level? If so then I guess Physics would theoretically keep more doors open, but I still reckon whichever she is more interested in is preferable.

Maybe not have been very helpful.
I did a whole career with software without having done a degree in it (I did maths).

My DB has at times in his career done a lot of software without having done a degree in it. His whole theoretical physics PhD was quite s/w based.

With a computing degree you probably have more immediate access to a wider range of computing related careers.
With an economics degree you could presumably easily go down technical financial software
With a physics degree you could do lots of technical physics based stuff (mobile phone technology springs to mind)
With a maths degree you are qualified for nothing and yet everything (it is surprising where us mathematicians end up)

Without Physics A level you can't do a physics degree I'd guess.
Otherwise either seems super to me (but no up to date knowledge).

Thanks Teen

He’s definitely into CS but googling found information and university chat re CS not being as highly valued as physics. Which I found a bit difficult to assess.

He’s going to do CS EPQ too.

He’s good at both

'Highly valued' is a bit subjective though, isn't it?
(Have you read the architecture v engineering thread?)

My niece is doing Maths, Further Maths, Physics abc Computer Science as she wants to go into a tech degree.

Economics at A level isn’t even necessary to take a Economics degree, the top universities want maths/further maths to study economics at uni level.

True this is what I read the student room

A lot of talk about physics

It’s a bit old though. I didn’t study in U.K. so not sure if I’m missing something.

@PlanDeRaccordement

My niece is doing Maths, Further Maths, Physics abc Computer Science as she wants to go into a tech degree.

Economics at A level isn’t even necessary to take a Economics degree, the top universities want maths/further maths to study economics at uni level.

He could do this. Maybe economics is the one to go

For Compsci at uni you need maths and further maths A levels, they do not care if you take computer science at A level . There is a content cross over with maths/FM and physics so it can be beneficial to do that.

Some unis don't consider maths and FM as 2 separate A levels if he is only sitting 3 A levels, usually FM is a 4th A level.

Ds is doing maths, FM, physics and computer science. He already has conditional offers from RG universities based on maths/FM only. Unis can't specify FM as not all sixth forms offer it but it does put a candidate at a disadvantage over others who have taken it.

But these days for computer science related jobs they do prefer you to have a degree in it as it teaches you all the basics meaning you understand when you insert/change code etc what effect it could have on other stuff. I don't understand this myself but Dh is in IT and Ds1 is heading in the same direction.

If your son takes maths, FM, physics and economics this would leave his options wide open.

4 A levels and an EPQ is quite a lot...

Agree with Teen 4 A levels plus an EPQ is a lot to take on for year 12.

FM as an AS, one year? Not sure if that changes things

It might be too much need to look at what EPQ entails

Some unis don't consider maths and FM as 2 separate A levels if he is only sitting 3 A levels, usually FM is a 4th A level.

Really tho? I mean is that actually true?

TBH if someone is planning a maths or maths orientated degree, FM is a really good idea so I feel unis would look kindly on it.

Warwick uni, for example, requires for a maths degree, A A A including maths and FM. So it sounds as tho they count it as two!

What is the school advising?

YY Op I would advise against the EPQ - I know a lot of MN-ers love it but for my DC it was an irrelevance and I hardly know anyone who has gained any advantage from it (in terms of lower offers from uni).

Four A levels, even if one is FM, is a lot of work.

@OnTheBenchOfDoom

For Compsci at uni you need maths and further maths A levels, they do not care if you take computer science at A level . There is a content cross over with maths/FM and physics so it can be beneficial to do that.

Some unis don't consider maths and FM as 2 separate A levels if he is only sitting 3 A levels, usually FM is a 4th A level.

Ds is doing maths, FM, physics and computer science. He already has conditional offers from RG universities based on maths/FM only. Unis can't specify FM as not all sixth forms offer it but it does put a candidate at a disadvantage over others who have taken it.

But these days for computer science related jobs they do prefer you to have a degree in it as it teaches you all the basics meaning you understand when you insert/change code etc what effect it could have on other stuff. I don't understand this myself but Dh is in IT and Ds1 is heading in the same direction.

If your son takes maths, FM, physics and economics this would leave his options wide open.

Thanks Bench is the 4th an AS? Is it always

All new to me. We just did ten subjects (in Aus)

@TeenPlusTwenties

What is the school advising?

School isn’t great just says look at university website and work backwards

But a university site doesn’t really show nuances of preference (I imagine not sure what their nuances are)

AS no longer has any meaning/value so most schools don't do it. Increasingly schools are moving towards only three A levels, tho some (see other thread) still require four if one is FM.

@clary

AS no longer has any meaning/value so most schools don't do it. Increasingly schools are moving towards only three A levels, tho some (see other thread) still require four if one is FM.

Really that’s annoying. I need to check this but I think if you do four the fourth is AS

I may have misunderstood general session will ask directly

I would think that maths +_further maths is the most important if he decides to do a CS degree. Physics would seem to me to be extremely useful. CS A level is I think a less developed subject, not all schools can offer it potentially, universities won't rely on students having done it. A computer related EPQ sounds ideal.

coi - physics degree owner, my DS is probably looking at maths / FM / physics + something else, computer science is a potential destination. I think I heard him mention philosophy to his granny on the phone the other week ...

It’s a bit old though. I didn’t study in U.K. so not sure if I’m missing something

They changed the spec for Computer Science A level in about 2015. Discard any comments from before that. If serious about CS at university, do the A level - the new one has a good reputation - because if he loves the subject he'll almost certainly enjoy the course and do well.

But if 'tech' is a less specific idea, then physics might be more useful

What's his aim degree-wise? Computer science? In which case as long as he has M and FM the third can be anything. Imperial off the top of my head prefer the third to be eithe CS or Physics. And if there's four will offer based on four.

Sorry not helpful - short answer - either! Whatever he's likely to get a better grade at.

Ok great

Yes degree in CS is the aim (at this point anyway) but ultimately career in it

Changing mind on FM as AS though based on pp

Just realised I should have reloaded the window before I posted :)
FM and maths, for capable kids, aren't as much work as 2 separate A levels. But would still be done as separate subjects over 2 years I believe (content could be covered sequentially depending on timetabling though). Other combinations of 4 A levels might still be done with the expectation of dropping one after a year, but the phasing out of AS exams has changed this. Though, with the way things are for exams at the moment, who knows what will change next??!

I have found it helpful to think of our final school exams as GCSEs plus; A levels are at least in some subjects slightly akin to our first year university courses. The Scottish system is closer to what we did (albeit with far more exams ...). My BSc was 4 years to do honours whereas English ones are 3 years.

Following this as my yr11 ds is also planning to study a CS degree and is deciding on A levels.
He is planning to take Maths, physics and CS. I didnt think he would need Further maths A level. I guess we need to some more research, from the degree courses we have looked into so far, they say only maths is required so I'm a bit confused now.