A level choices

[lollymay]

I've got to choose my A level this week, i know what i want to do but i was just wondering if anyone on here has already done the subjects that i want to do?

i want to take biology, history and english.

also will these three be enough for me to do 12 hours a week because i need to do at least 12 to get my EMA.

im very confused as my school doesn't seem to have a clue/care.

[Cornishbabe]

Yeh 3 a levels is enough to get your ema. Although most people take 4 in tehir first year and then drop the one they are finding the hardest in their second year.

Ive taken biology. Its really hard but if you can get your head around it to understand it its ok.

[di marco]

I've got to choose my A level this week, i know what i want to do but i was just wondering if anyone on here has already done the subjects that i want to do?

i want to take biology, history and english.

also will these three be enough for me to do 12 hours a week because i need to do at least 12 to get my EMA.

im very confused as my school doesn't seem to have a clue/care.

im taking biology, its a lot harder than gcse, and you need to put a lot of work into it, there are also lots of long words which you need to learn how to spell cos if you spell them wrong then you dont get the mark. though it is really interesting and quite a good subject to do, you just need to be prepared for the work. are you staying at school to do alevels? if so then you will definitely do at least 12hrs a week, i think the 12hr thing just applies to people who are going to college as you may not be spending as long there as you would at school

[willsmummy]

Is there not a teacher who you like you can go and have a chat with? They might be able to point you in the right direcation. I think that 3 subjects will give enough hours for the EMA payment, as someone else has said. The other thing you could do is to chat to an a level student in your school, who might be able to give you some help. Whatever A levels you do, you will be in for a lot of hard work, as even though you are doing less subjects, you are studying them in alot more detail. I did English A Level about 100 years ago, but I doubt it's changed much. Be prepeared for lots of reading!!!!!!

Please feel free to ignore me, as I'm a dinosaur!!!!

[lollymay]

your not a dinosaur willsmummy!

im staying at the same school that i am at now, but a lot of the teachers have left and they are having a few problems with sorting out the 6th form out and we asked my head of year at parents evening and he didnt have a clue.

[willsmummy]

Aw, bless you lollymay!!!

As for your teachers, that's not good enough. Keep on asking until you know some definitive answers. Maybe your head of year is unaware of how confused you are. Failing that, ask someone else, as some teachers have their head in the clouds most of the time! They have a duty to you to provide support when choosing subjects, so keep asking!

[Kim]

I'll ask my cousin for you when Isee him as he is in his second year of A level.

[Chloe O'brien]

i think it is important to choose the subject that you are interest in and also going to benefit you if you decided to go to university or into work. My niece is 17 in july she enjoyed doing the sciences and choose physics for her standard grades but last year when she was choosing her highers she dropped the sciences and choose photography and hair and beauty because her friends were doing them. Anyway she hated them and when she tried to change to go back and do the sciences in September she was told by the school that it was too late to join the class.

She is leaving school in the summer and going to college to to all the sciences as she wants to get into forensics but she has wasted a year of her education becasue she wanted to be in the same class as her mates.

If any of the teachers are unwilling to help you keep on at them just take your time in choosing the right subjects for you.

[Behemoth]

Biology is fantastic at AS level, I really enjoyed it. It get's a bit boring at A2 level which is what I'm doing now though.

Make sure you take subjects which you enjoy though, otherwise you won't concentrate in the lessons and just fail.

[Abi]

I've been doing this recently as well, so my tip is, think about your schools strengths as well. As Rob said, biology is a good subject, but at my school, no one has got higher than a C, due to bad teaching. If you dont stand a chance at passing a subject, then i wouldn't take it. I guess it goes down to individual schools/colleges though.

Also, take a look at UCAS. I've been looking up a couple of uni courses, and some of them require you to have certain A Levels, so if you know what you want to do, then you should really take a look.

3 subjects is more than enough for EMA. I've looked into that for myself, and from what i gather, all that will be explained when you get your forms in late April.

And when you tell people what your taking, dont let their reactions faise you. When i told people what i've applied for (yes, that includes you Debs and Bry :p ) they've thought i was mad. But at the end of the day, we are the people that will be studying it, so if you enjoy it, then go for it.

I'm hoping to do English Literature, Applied ICT, Geography, and Government & Politics myself :D

[Tori]

I have been choosing recently aswell. is there not a connexions adviser in your school which you can go to? we have one for careers and she can give you guidance on all careers and the subjects you want to take.

[lollymay]

we have one but they are only in school one lunchtime and that is when im having my extra french lessons.

my mum is going up the school on wednesday to discuss the poor teaching at gcse so shes going to bring it up for me then

[Katy]

try and find out where the nearest connexions office is that might help. I went to talk to an adviser. Id pick choices that youd enjoy as if you dont then you wont do as well as you need to put the effort in.

[lollymay]

the three im picking (biology,history and english) are my favourite subjects anyway and i enjoy doing them

[Cornishbabe]

the three im picking (biology,history and english) are my favourite subjects anyway and i enjoy doing them

Your only doing three Alevels? Havnt you been advised by your school or college that you should do four at least?

[lollymay]

no they havent said anything to us at all.

isn't three enough then?

[Cornishbabe]

All the colleges i spoke to always recomeneded at least 4 maybe five. You need 3 to get into UCAS application (uni) so they say take 4 in the first year then you can mess one up and still be ok.

[di marco]

not all schools let you take 4 alevels, one of the schools near me only let them take 3 and then some only take 2 in the second year. some unis only need 2 alevels and an aslevel to get into them, it depends on the uni and the course

[Cornishbabe]

for most unis you need three a levels to get in. If a college doesnt let you take tha many its a bit stupid

[leanne27]

my college let me take 4 as do most i think

[Dr. Tangliss]

I was under the impression that you had to take four AS levels in year one, and drop one if you wish in year two?

[lollymay]

ive applied finally. i decided to do english, biology, history, product design and i put down geography as my other one.

[Cornishbabe]

Your doing five a levels? Glad you made a choice

[lollymay]

no geography is the extra one, if i cant get into any of the others. i didnt make that one clear really did i?

[Cornishbabe]

oh ok:)I understand now. :)I think it was just me being blond

[di marco]

ive applied finally. i decided to do english, biology, history, product design and i put down geography as my other one.

i understood! but maybe thats just cos i explain things that no one else understands!

[Abi]

I was under the impression that you had to take four AS levels in year one, and drop one if you wish in year two?

I think thats the standard amount that most people do. If your very intelligent, and think you can handle more work, then some people do 5, then drop down to 4 A levels. Others do 3, and dont drop any at A Level. I think it just depends on your capability and the school you go to.

[Abi]

Well i had my interview today for sixth form. It was great actually!!

i got all my choices (Geography, government and politics, English literature and ICT) They were really flattering actually- they think i'll do great in my exams, and will be an "asset to the school", which was kinda sweet. The teachers all agreed 100% that i should do those subjects as well, so i'm really pleased now!!!

[lollymay]

thats really good news abi well done

ive got my interveiw in a couple of weeks time got the letter yesterday.

[nicole28]

Thats great abi! Well done! :D:D:D