Can you help me pick my A-Level options? (thinking of sciences + maths + one more subject)?

If you are not sure what to do then you should take subjects that could be applied to many areas of work. You also have to think about which subjects you enjoy most and whether they will help you enter your chosen profession and university.

Chemistry, Maths and Physics sounds very like a sciencey pathway to me but these subjects will keep loads of careers open for you! Biology, Chemistry and Maths are all core/ facilitating subjects meaning that they are useful subjects and universities love them!

To do a science at university you need to have done at least two sciences at A level. You have got Chemistry and Physics so that's fine. However, you mention biochemistry and you must do biology to do that! If you choose biology that would be your fourth subject. This subject combination is very demanding and there may be some pressure but if you work hard you'll be able to do it - your clever!

Maybe you could consider to history at A level as your fourth option even though you do say you couldn't stand going through 2 more years of essay writing. However, you could drop this option and only take 3 full A levels in the second year - this is what most people do. Would you be able to manage 1 year? The skills that History develops are highly prized by higher education and employers. Only a minority of students go on to use the subject in a related career like teaching, research or museum work although Journalism, the Civil Service and law view history skills as crucial. Advertising, leisure management, market research and even computing value the investigative and analytical skills of history. It's a very useful and interesting subject!

English is also a good subject as it relates to many careers. English Literature AS/A2 is a highly regarded qualification which provides a very good basis for the study of Literature at degree level (including joint degrees). It is also seen as a good measure of academic potential by universities when allocating places on degree courses for humanities subjects (including law). As a subject which enables you to develop your ability to think critically and write analytically, the skills you will develop studying AS/A2 English Literature will never be wasted and are likely to be viewed favourably by future employers too. Studying English literature at degree level can lead to a variety of careers, including journalism, teaching and those in the communications industry. English Language doesn't involve any essay writing really - could you do that as your fourth option?

Although you say th job you want to do a job in the music industry doesn't really require any qualifications it is very useful to have a higher level qualification in music as it is a competitive industry. Music can be studied at college and university, providing employment opportunities for performing, composing, music management, research, teaching and music therapy.

Other options you could choose are:

History

Geography

English

Biology

Chemistry

Physics

Languages

Maths (further maths)

Chemistry

These are called facilitating subjects and will help you with what ever career you decide to follow. If you just want to keep your options open you should take subjects from this list.

Finally, maybe you should consider not going to university at all if you are not going to gain qualifications for your career. It seems pointless to get a degree in a subject totally not related to anything you want to do in life and be in serious dept after-woods! If you do go to uni, you should do music because that is the career you want to do. However it is your choice and you can do whatever you want!

Good luck! :)

Before I go on to suggest what you should do, I'm going to start by saying the jump from GCSE to A-level is MASSIVE.

For example, I got an A* in chemistry at GCSE, full marks on two exam papers and 99/100 on my coursework. any revision i did was crammed a few days before the exams and there was no major effort to get these grades, i could talk in class with friends and not really take in much but still get good grades .

going onto AS level (first year) with the same attitude, I spent the first half term getting U's and E's in chemistry papers, and I've just sat my first module, which I though was all right, but still pretty difficult with the amount of revision i put in.

When you think about what subjects you want, you have to realise that they're going to be so much harder than GCSE, and you have to think about what subjects you'd be willing to put proper hard work and effort into if you want good grades.

Personally, if i could change my subjects (biology, chemistry, psychology and P.E) i would replace psychology with media studies, because psychology is the most boring subject i've ever come across in my entire life. if i had one hour left to live I'd spend it in a psychology lesson because it feels like forever. I would do media studies because it looks really fun, loads of my mates with no experience in media or film making etc. say they enjoy the subject a lot and are learning a lot at a good rate.

However, this of course totally comes down to your personal opinion, those of my friends who have done physics have dropped it because it was quite difficult, but then again you look as if you're good with your maths, so it might be okay.

Any more questions or if i missed something email me :) I'd happily give you some more advise.

Firstly Maths is a definate!!!!! When you start it, it seems really hard but thats just the step from GCSE to A level and is similar in every subject. So stick at it, the exam wasn't even that hard.

Biology is a good A-level but is tricky and you need to put a lot of work in as you learn the stuff, not just leave all revision to before the exam (like me).

Chemistry I don't do Chemistry however it is VERY HARD!!!!! All my friends A* Gcse students found it really really hard, someone even cried after the exam and she was like top 3 of school. So thats your warning, when you start chemistry it seems easy then just gets really really hard!!!!!!!! So no! Just no! but if your wanting it at uni level you might have to go for it.

Physics a lot of people dropped physics in the first weeks so i guess its quite hard but not sure about it.

English is the one subject i miss, I hated it in year 10/11 but now i really wish i did it, i was good (A*) but didnt like the teacher that much so sort of got put off, the thing is with english we already have the knowledge/skills so there isnt really anything new to learn, i would suggest it!!

History if you've done it at GCSE then do it at A level its not that much harder but requires essay writing so maybe choose english or history.

Thats my advice, 14.5 A*-Bs at GCSE and currently studying Maths, Biology, PE and Geography in year 12. Good Luck :D CHOOSE WISELY

not chemistry :)

When choosing your A levels, the most important thing is that you enjoy the subjects, it is also good to have subjects that line up. E.g. Maths, Biology, Physics, Chemistry English, History, Philosophy, French This makes it easier to move between one class and the other. For example, it would be very hard to go from Hamlet to Quadratics, also Universities like you to show consistency with your choices. But like I said before, choose what you love as well as what your good at.