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argh i'm torn!
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Ok, i'm really interested in psychology and criminology....how our minds work and why people do things. But i've also always been into the environment and i'd like to study that aswell. I need biology a level if i'm to go into environmental studies....but i'm not enjoying it much at gcse.
I'm worried i'll get into psychology and criminology and find it too heavy...but i feel i'll probably get a better job with that degree than an environmental one. My problem is that i'm interested and good at too many things! I dunno what to do about biology a level...if i do take it then what do i drop after the 1st year? Sorry im just confused. :banghead:
I'm worried i'll get into psychology and criminology and find it too heavy...but i feel i'll probably get a better job with that degree than an environmental one. My problem is that i'm interested and good at too many things! I dunno what to do about biology a level...if i do take it then what do i drop after the 1st year? Sorry im just confused. :banghead:
Post edited by JustV on
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However, what you need to consider now is what to do for the first year. What to drop for the second year, if any at all, is a secondary consideration. In other words, don't worry about that. You'll be very surprised how things change over the next 12 months. No matter what does happen, you'll make it in the end.
I'm just worried about the workload of 4 AS levels....but if i just take 3 then i have to stick with them.
From what I've heard, Biology doesn't improve that much from GCSE to AS Level (couldnt comment on your second year) but that would vary form person to person, and school to school. Maybe ask someone in the year above, or better, two years above about what the courses you're torn between involve?
I must admit though, alot of people I know enjoy all psychology and sociolgy etc ALOT because its something completely new. Our sixth form system doesn't offer the other subject you mentioned, but I'd imagine it'd follow the same trend if it was offered in Stafford.
It's basically a questonnaire. They ask you various questions like are you interested in solving mathematical problems. There are 3 answers - yes, no & probably. After you've answered these questions, it'll give you a list of subjects you can study based upon your answers.
There's also one on www.ukcoursefinder.com however, with this one, it's slightly different, it'll ask you questions and you then choose which regions you'd like to study and the type of college/university you'd like to go to.
I would say choose 4 subjects. A lot of uni's look for either points, or that you've got the subject amongst your a levels. A person on my drama course didn't do drama at GCSE or A level and is still on the course on points and enthusiasm for the subject! One thing about A level though is the first time you really get to do the subjects you enjoy - picking up a subject you don't would leave you unmotivated in that area and that wouldn't be that beneficial.
Don't worry too much about the workload, it's not huge - yeah the tasks are harder but there's the gradual incline from GCSE to A level, you won't be thrown into lots of hard gruelling work that consumes all your time. Just keep on top of your work and you'll still have lots of time on your hands. In college I had tons of free periods, doing my work in the day whilst I was at college meant at the end of the college day I had no homework to go home with.
To be honest I would say that AS/A level biology would be a useful thing to have to study both psychology and environmental studies. I'm doing psychology at uni and the course I'm on does contain a very large biological element eg. structure of the brain etc. Even within the social and developmental aspects of psychology there can be quite a strong biological element, so it may be useful to have the AS/A level.
I would definitely say take 4 AS levels, it gives you more options and allows you to drop a subject that you don't really get along with/do as well in after your first year, rather than tying you in for two years. Also, the workload isn't *that* bad, and you can always retake exams etc if you don't do as well as you could in them.
At the end of the day, I would say that you should just do whatever A levels interest you and that you think you will do well in. If you don't enjoy a science A level then you are unlikely to enjoy a science based degree, so it is worth taking a range of subjects just to see how you get along.
it depends on the subjects you take for as-level as to how much work they are. with the subjects you're choosing i think it will be a fair amount but then, you'll have more time than you do now. well, we did anyway. if you take 4 and find the work load is too much, you'll be able to drop one... so id say its better to at least TRY and do 4 and see how you go.
when do you have to have chosen your as levels by btw?
Put it this way - for every hour of work you do in school, you have to do an hour out of school. Also, the teachers don't exactly 'guide' you as to what to write when it comes to note taking, sometimes they might do, but most of the time they might not do. For one of my lessons it was slightly different though, when I was meant to have a lesson, the Year 9s had it as well, so for that lesson we were meant to do 4 hours in school (lessons) and 6 out of school...
Have you thought about taking an NVQ instead of A Levels? This means that you're just doing one subject and not 3/4/5.
i've been to open evenings and they asked me to fill in a form to say what subject from each of the 4 blocks i was interested in....but i'll just have to tell them i'm doing an extra one now
its important to remember that you could always end up doing whatever you want, even if you don't do it straight away.
Depends what you took though and whether you were expected to do coursework as well as exams.
Like you, I also find A levels easier (however, I'm only doing one now) despite the subject being something I've never actually stuided before. In September, I was doing Law, Biology & Foundations of Adavanced Maths, now I'm only doing LAW.
you can always drop a course and re-start another if you don't like it but you only have a few weeks.
This is true. I did 3 at one point and find the amount of work hard enough. And a friend of mine ocne told me not to take 4 A-Levels...
Talking of starting courses, I was kicked off 2 of my courses a few weeks ago adn my dad is really convinced that I could pick up another one... :rolleyes:
I think I've got about 6 AS levels now anyway
Maths - Physics - General Studies - Economics - ASVCE in IT - will have AS F. Maths at the end of this year
You could always do biology etc. for the first term, if you dont like it, drop it.