Choosing the right A Levels at Rydal Penrhos

Whilst there is a mass of excellent advice on choosing a university course, the depth of advice for GCSE pupils making the next steps is limited.

Some GCSE pupils know what they wish to study at university or pursue a career in, and for them, they probably know what A levels to take.

In general: – take Physics and Mathematics for Engineering or Computer Science; Take Biology and Chemistry for Medicine and Dentistry; Take Mathematics for Accountancy and most Economics courses

However, for most courses, it matters less what subjects you take and more what grades you achieve.  Therefore, taking subjects that you enjoy and are good at is the best advice to give.

It pays to arrange a talk with careers teacher, form teacher or someone else whose opinion you trust for a chat about options.

There are, however, a number of websites worth considering to give you more information

The one that stands out for me, although there is a small fee for the analysis is via https://www.myfuturechoice.com/mycareerchoices/

Additionally, below are other excellent resources to help choose:

General careers site with advice on A level choices: https://www.careerpilot.org.uk/information/a-levels/choosing-your-a-levels-what-you-need-to-consider

UCAS advice on choices https://www.ucas.com/sites/default/files/tips_on_choosing_a_levels_march_2015_0.pdf

UCAS buzz quiz – more fun than in-depth https://www.ucas.com/careers/buzz-quiz

Match your A-levels to degree subjects

General advice https://targetcareers.co.uk/careers-advice/a-level-choices/315491-what-a-level-subjects-should-i-take

Russell Group of universities advice on choosing subjects.  The link to the www.informedchoices.ac.uk  site is absolutely recommended for those with aspirations to apply to selective universities https://russellgroup.ac.uk/for-students/school-and-college-in-the-uk/subject-choices-at-school-and-college/

My pick of the bunch for the next stage choosing a degree course https://www.myunichoices.com/

MJFarnell

Head of Careers

mjfarnell@rydalpenrhos.com