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A Level History or English Literature

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
edited March 27 in Work & Study
i have decided 3 subjects for my AS / A levels (Chemsitry / Physics / Maths)but for my last 1 i am not sure whether to do english literature or history. i am good at english literature (GCSE level) but i also enjoy aspects of history eventhough i have not chose it as a GCSE. what would be your advice?

Does AS /A level history demonstrate skills needed to be very good at english?
Post edited by JustV on

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I enjoyed English Lit much more than History, but the teacher you get for either subject can make all the difference :yes:

    i'd weight up what you are best at vs what you enjoy most, but if the ratio in achievement isnt that great, go with what you most enjoy :)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I'd opt for English Lit, just because you know you're good at it so it's less of a gamble. :)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    i would think both eng lit and history show good analytical skills...
    before deciding on the subject, check out what the modules involve...
    if you want to do history, ensure your interest is covered... are you interested in medieval times or nazi germany? for example...
    at the end of the day it is your decision...
    way up the good points of each, and take it from there :)
  • littlemissylittlemissy Posts: 9,972 Supreme Poster
    When I was applying to university I was told that if they uni wants a pass in Higher English and you didn't have it then they would look at Higher* History. They required the same sort of skills and approaches. The main differences were that one was based on historical evidence, the other on literature/random pieces of writing.

    They are one in the same if the courses you are looking at in the future don't require Higher English specifically so I would go with the one you think you would enjoy more.

    *I am Scottish so have referred to them as Highers but I suppose the same would apply for A Levels.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I would check out what the course would involve-which areas for history, which texts for English Literature and base part of your decision on that.

    Also, it depends on what you are intending to do afterwards, and whether either is specific. As littlemissy said, the skills and approaches are rather similar for both.

    On a personal note, I did A-level History, really enjoyed it and now am studying it at university level :)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    The whole speel people give on "don't choose the subject because of the teacher" is rubbish - if you find a subject you like with a teacher who works in a way you enjoy, go for it over something that you like but don't know so much about.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Kath2003 wrote:
    The whole speel people give on "don't choose the subject because of the teacher" is rubbish - if you find a subject you like with a teacher who works in a way you enjoy, go for it over something that you like but don't know so much about.

    Yes. I would absolutely consider the teacher whilst making your decision, if you know who the teacher will be. A good teacher can make the difference between an A and an F.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    As a general rule History > English, but only just.

    Consider which subject you enjoy more, and consider which subject's teaching staff you prefer.

    In my experience history would tie in more closely with your current subject choices, being a social science as opposed to an art; your analytical skills will be more suited to History than English.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    On a personal note, I did A-level History, really enjoyed it and now am studying it at university level :)

    Am I right in thinking you're at Oxford Brookes?

    I'd say that, for History particularly you should have a look at what the syllabus covers and make sure it's something you'll enjoy - I'm doing A-level history and finding it really tough because I find the material so incredibly dull, whereas others in my class enjoy it so don't mind doing all the extra reading and stuff, so they'll do better in the long run.

    I'd say go with the one you think you'll enjoy most rather than the one you think you'll be better at, if it comes down to that. But that's just my opinion. :)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Lil Laura wrote:
    Am I right in thinking you're at Oxford Brookes?


    You are right in thinking that. Why?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    You are right in thinking that. Why?

    Because I think I want to study History and English Language there - it's one of the few (if not the only) place I've applied which has a good choice of the history modules I enjoy.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I did both and enjoyed history far more, even though I love books and reading. You need analytical skills for both subjects and also need a subjective approach. Personally I would recommend history because studying english literature ruined a good few novels that I would otherwise have thourghly enjoyed.

    However, not doing GCSE history may be a drawback because there are certain skills that are needed for A Level history that you may not be familiar with from the work you will have done up to year 9.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Lil Laura wrote:
    Because I think I want to study History and English Language there - it's one of the few (if not the only) place I've applied which has a good choice of the history modules I enjoy.

    Yes, the choice of History modules here is quite good-there aren't many first year ones, but for second and third year there are quite a lot. The lack of first year choice doesn't matter so much for people doing joint rather than single honours though.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    found a level history reeeeeaaaallllly hard -very political and economical based. that was 5years ago though
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Having done both, I enjoyed English Literature a lot more. I loved History up to GCSE level and then lost interest completely. A Level History for me seemed to be nothing more than writing lists and reading notes. Dull, dull, dull.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    depends really, i'm doing both now and i must admit that although i love history to bits, i'm not really liking the course, tudor england :( English is very enjoyable but you have to have a natural genuine interest which you do so go for that i reckon, both are good to prepare you for uni aswell so you're winning either way
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