#UniShorts: Picking A-Level Subjects

Plenty of students have a big decision to make in their early academic career when it comes to picking A-level subjects.

The particular subjects that you choose will have a significant impact on the degrees you can look to apply to at university.

Different subject choices will portray very different representations of your intellectual abilities. In this #UniShort, we’ll lay out some basic (and useful) advice when it comes to picking your A-level subjects. 

Picking A-Level Subjects: What Would You Like to Study at University?

Firstly, make sure you have some idea of what you want to study at university. This information will help you when you’re deciding what to pick at A-level. If you don’t have a specific university degree in mind, think about where your academic strengths lie. 

For example, if you wish to have a career in a care environment, you should think about taking Biology at A-level. 

By contrast, if you like the idea of studying Business at university, look at A-levels that can help you to develop your numerical competency, like Maths or Economics.

The single biggest mistake that people make is to heed the recommendations of teachers, family, and friends blindly, without stopping to think for themselves.

Only you, the applicant, can be certain of what you want to study at university, or of what type of career you want to pursue. Browse subjects on the UCAS Course Search tool if you want to find out more information about the degrees available around the UK.

What A-Levels do Universities Want? 

Once you’ve got a general idea about what subject you want to study at university, you should think about which universities you might want to apply to. You can then check out the department websites of the universities in question to see what A-levels you’ll need to take in order to build a successful application.

For example, if you’re hoping to apply for English Literature at the University of Sheffield, you should take at least one Arts and Humanities subject at A-level. On the other hand, if you’re applying for Economics at LSE, you’ll need to take Mathematics (and potentially Further Mathematics). 

For more information on specific recommended subject combinations and on the dangers of picking “soft” subjects at A-level, check out this in-depth article. 

Picking A-Level Subjects: Do You Enjoy Them?

The final (and arguably the most important) factor to consider is whether you actually enjoy the A-level subjects that you’re planning to take. 

There is no point in trying to take a number of subjects if you have no academic passion for any of them. 

Only the exceptionally clever (and motivated) student will have any academic success with this method, and even they will find the whole process incredibly unfulfilling. 

The whole point of higher education is to find a degree (and a career) that you genuinely care about. Do not feel stigma around your academic passion. You are more likely to succeed in life if you excel in one subject as opposed to struggling in another.

If you are struggling to make a decision on A-level subject choices, do not hesitate to get in touch with us at A&J Education to book a free consultation.