CHOOSING YOUR A-LEVELS CAN BE TRICKY, BUT IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE TRAUMATIC! WE TEAMED UP WITH FUTURE MAG TO GET YOU SOME TOP TIPS.
1. Choose your favourite school subject.
Finding your favourite subject is the very first step when choosing your A Levels. What’s the point in studying something for two years if you don’t even enjoy it? The logic behind it is that you will achieve a better grade in a subject that you enjoy; you’ll want to put the effort in, and you’ll succeed.
2. Don’t just pick what your friends pick.
It’s a cliché, but it’s true. It’s unlikely that you’ll be in the same class as your friends, even if you pick the exact same A-Levels! You need to choose what’s best for you, no one else. Plus, there’s no need to worry about not knowing anyone – you’ll make new friends soon enough.
3. Got a degree in mind? Check out the requirements.
Even if you’re not sure what you want to do after college, have a look at some uni courses and see if they require A-Levels in any specific subjects. If you do have a degree in mind then your A-Level choices should revolve around that subject, there will probably be some overlap in the course content, but that can work to your advantage! If you have a specific university in mind, investigate what they’re looking for – some universities want at least two ‘facilitating’ subjects – These are…
- Mathematics and Further Mathematics.
- English Literature.
- Physics.
- Biology.
- Chemistry.
- Geography.
- History.
- Languages (Classical and Modern).
4. Your A-Levels don’t have to be similar.
Just because you take Biology, you don’t have to take Chemistry and Geography. It may make your life a little easier if your A-Levels are similar, but that’s not always the best route for everyone. If you’re unsure of your future career path, it’s often a good idea to keep your options open by choosing A-Levels in all the areas that you enjoy the most- whether that’s maths or dance!
5. Speak to people!
If you’ve found your favourite subject, or picked an A-Level that you definitely want to do, go and speak to current students taking that subject and see what other A-Levels they’ve taken. This way you can get front-line advice on what subjects work best together, what students enjoy and what students wish they’d done differently. The best way to do this is by going to open days, or you can even get in contact with students online – what are you waiting for?
