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Dd unsure about her A level choices

31 replies

LaCerbiatta · 10/10/2022 11:11

Dd is bright and ambitious and did very well in her GCSEs.

She likes Sciences and chose Maths, further Maths, Chemistry and Physics. She really liked Biology up to year 10, but got a bit desilusioned with it after doing the first mocks and realising that to do well she had to write things up in a certain way.

She's now wondering if she's made a mistake and should have chosen Biology and is considering dropping further maths and adding Biology instead. Dh and I think that if she wants something like biochemistry she can keep what she has and just pick up the bio side later on. We think if she can do further maths it would be a real advantage. But.... we weren't educated in this country and know very little 😁

Any experience? Advice? Thanks so much!

OP posts:
PeekAtYou · 10/10/2022 17:52

My dd did biology and she hated the need to write answers in a specific way. She did Biology, Maths and Psychology and is studying Psychology at university.

OhBeAFineGuyKissMe · 10/10/2022 18:01

Maths, Physics and chemistry will keep the most options open.

If she wants engineering (lots of interesting careers here that she will only just be learning about) need physics and maths.

While some biochem courses need biology a lot don’t so that door is still open as well.

thing47 · 10/10/2022 18:02

GinandDubbonet · 10/10/2022 12:31

This is very true. I have a DD doing biochemistry at uni and both her firm and insurance choices (Bath and St Andrews) wanted chemistry and biology.

Yeah, DD2 did biomed for her first degree and chemistry was required by all the unis she applied to but biology wasn't (though she did it anyway because she enjoyed it).

ErrolTheDragon · 10/10/2022 18:02

C1N1C · 10/10/2022 17:48

I'd do biology. I did all three sciences and never regretted it. Maths is not a fun subject, and I've never seen jobs specifically requiring it. It's one of those subjects where you're either a god and get noticed or you blend...

What do you mean 'maths is not a fun subject'?ShockGrin

Back in the day I did double maths, physics and chemistry. I did a chemistry degree then a PhD in an area I might not have gone into if I hadn't done double maths. I then went on to be a scientific software developer - definitely a more fun type of science than some - which involves quite a lot of hard maths. I'm absolutely not a mathematician- just 'good at maths'. My DD is an engineer - again, needed that FM, again 'good at maths' rather than a mathematician. She enjoyed her A level maths and taught herself an extra mechanics module.

Each to their own...the OPs DD may or may not enjoy maths more or less than the more wordy biology. In retrospect I'm really glad my school didn't allow 3 sciences plus maths.

OhBeAFineGuyKissMe · 10/10/2022 18:06

Also, is an EPQ an option? She could maybe include a biochem slant to build that up a bit.

Mykono · 10/10/2022 20:23

Very good idea @OhBeAFineGuyKissMe

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