DH wants DC to reconsider A Level choices.

[NameChangeyForThis]

DS got his results today. We are all very pleased, but DH wants DS to reconsider his A'level choices. Although it is ultimately up to DS, DH usually is quite influential on him. Just asking here for advice.

His A'level choices are:

Maths (got 9 at GCSE)
Chemistry (got 9)
Music (got 9)
Philosophy and Ethics (got 8 for RS)

RS was actually one of DS's strongest subjects but he came out of the exam saying it was a stinker and there was a high scoring question on there they hadn't even covered. Of course, he is happy with an 8 after the exam.

My DH thinks my DS can end up at a very good Uni. All his other GCSE's were 9's. His Ad Maths was an A. My DH is now saying that if maths is his thing, perhaps he should be doing A'level Further Maths, even though he doesn't want to do maths at degree level. This would make his A'levels; Maths, Further Maths, Chemistry and Music. My DH also thinks that since RS was one of, if not his strongest subject, he feels uneasy that at A'level he could end up with good marks in Maths and Chemistry, but on the day, if the Philosophy exam is a stinker then he could end up with a grade that stops him getting into a good Uni.

I know that an 8 is a very good mark, and this is a first world problem, and I feel a twat for asking. However, before my DH steamrolls my DS into changing, I thought I would ask MN for opinions as there are some well informed people on here.

This is sounding too much like how my husband was when my son was deciding whether he was going to do A levels or go the apprentice route .

My husband was all , A levels are a must , then a degree . He was pushing him further and further away from it . My son and I talk things through and he was always not 100% on what it was he wanted to do when he left school .

Only when it was at the time of him sitting his exams did he mention about wanting to be an engineer! We were gobsmacked, where did that come from ? He's quiet , shy , you have to prise him out of his room . Doesn't know one end of a screwdriver to the other my husband said . He thought he would get an apprenticeship near home and happy days . Well it didn't work out like that .

Then finance came to him , he wanted to study finance but he needed a degree and that meant A levels . My husband went into overdrive . He was going to do
Maths , physics , IT, English , Computer science !
My son argued the case , my husband kept saying he needs good A levels , IT everyone needs ( he is in that field of work ) English my son wouldn't do as it's his poorest subject.

My husband and I fought and fought because I wasn't going to let him dictate to our son what A levels he had to do for 2 years just because my husband didn't get to do it .

Don't get me wrong my husband is successful and I know he wants the best for him but I know my son won't do well in subjects he doesn't want to do .

In the end he tried , physics , he got an A in GCSE but he just couldn't keep up so he was allowed to drop that and he took business instead

In the end he sat ;

Business He got A
Maths He got B
Environment science He got A
Finance He got A

He is now studying Finance at The London Institute of Banking and Finance University, London , his second year . He's doing really well getting exam results in his first year that would equate to a First if only they accounted for it .

The main thing is he is happy and I would argue with my husband all the time as long as my children are content in what they achieve .

We were advised to include an essay subject and that a creative would also really benefit him.

If he may want to do law then either philosophy or music will provide the essay and analysis core skills that may later be helpful. Up to him whether he wants to do music as an academic subject. He will have the ‘creative’ benefit without doing it. At my DCs’ schools, talented musicians (distinction in diploma year 12/13) quite frequently chose not to do music as an A level as they could do what they liked best -performing- without it and that freed up another A level slot.
If he is serious about liking chemistry most then he should consider that chemistry degrees or chemical engineering will include physics. Also physics and philosophy go well together. One of my DCs much preferred chemistry over physics going into sixth form but that switched after the first term. The GCSE content and teaching may not be the best indicator.

@Fizbosshoes

Is your DD heading for a career in At? If so has she looked at BTEC Art and Design?

It would give her a chance to explore things like photography, 3D art, fashion. Lots of different art and art related modules.