Physics and Maths A levels

[Eccentric]

Thank you all. I have stopped discussing this with my daughter for the past couple of days and I have told her that she needs to come to her own conclusion on this. I was in agreement with other posters on 4 A levels especially as Dd is dyslexic (her biggest problem is that it takes her longer to do things than others, especially reading) but but I am coming around to her way of thinking as the evidence gathers. Not just from one disappointed girl. In any case it is not my decision it is hers and 4 is what she has decided. She will drop one if it causes her a problem.

Her slowness in reading and taking in information from what she has read and the fact that she is struggling with history essays leads me to think that even though I am sure she would love Psychology content it may be hard for her. I think she would love it because she is fascinated by psychology anyway on a daily basis. She wouldn't find the maths content hard.

She likes Physics because it helps her to slot the rest of the world into context but she finds the GCSE frustrating because it leaves her with so many unanswered questions. When I said she wasn't a rote learner I didn't mean she can't remember things she has an amazing memory but spends too much time trying to understand things fully when they are not part of the course spec. This I am sure will stand her in good stead in the future. It is just very time consuming for her. From what I can gather Physics is a subject that is drip fed. At GCSE they are given a certain amount of information and that is built on at A level and then built upon at University etc. This causes Dd a problem because her mind needs to know why.

Thank you Doodles, it would be really helpful to have some guidance from your son.

[loobylou]

I appreciate you are probably fed up of hearing the same old things but we have just been through 6th form info evening etc and dd has just chosen her A levels. She was persuaded away from doing 4 A levels (having previously been wanting to because of struggling to drop her 4th favourite) by an anecdote from the head of sixth form talking about a student who had an offer of A*AA but got A*ABB (in the last year or so). Ironically a number of teachers at parents' evening were trying to persuade dd that she could start their subject as a fourth but she has decided that she doesn't want to start a subject that she expects to drop.
We have been told that, subject to timetabling, swapping to another course is very easy in the first few weeks of the sixth form but it's a huge sixth form - I'm sure it might be less easy if the numbers are smaller.

[Tinkers]

As someone who did FM, maths, physics and chemistry, admittedly many years ago (so some of this may be bad memory and/or no longer relevant).

Yes there’s some overlap between maths and physics, but not hoards and I expect it is less now than it was. It was practically unheard of to do physics without maths back in my day. Most schools wouldn’t have recommended any student doing that iirc. I don’t see that so much now.

However I’d say (again looking back and it may be different) there’s possibly more overlap between physics and chemistry, depending on syllabus.

DD is doing 4. I’ve said form the beginning she needs to consider dropping one and a visit to a uni open day helped as she heard it from the admissions tutor at the uni she currently likes best. ‘3 is all we make offers on and we take no account that you have done 4’.

I have to say though, I’m glad she has started with 4. One of the ones I (and she) thought was a dead cert for A level, is now looking like the one she will drop and the two she was trying to decide which she would drop, she ow definitely wants to do both at A level. If she had started with 3, she wouldn’t have had that option.

[Guest55]

We have been told that, subject to timetabling, swapping to another course is very easy in the first few weeks of the sixth form but it's a huge sixth form - I'm sure it might be less easy if the numbers are smaller.

It's not easy if the classes are full! This happens in big sixth forms ...

[Eccentric]

We have been told that, subject to timetabling, swapping to another course is very easy in the first few weeks of the sixth form but it's a huge sixth form - I'm sure it might be less easy if the numbers are smaller.

It's not easy if the classes are full! This happens in big sixth forms ...

I don’t think they are keen at DDs school for them to change their minds. I don’t think they like pupils to drop subjects either but accept it, if it si going to cause stress or affect results in the main 3 a levels. They have to do an EPQ if they don’t do a fourt A level and I think this would be major amounts of work for someone like my Dd just because of the depth she goes into things. Kniwing her shewould be likely to find a very complicated topic too. I think she could end up doing more work on an EPQ than on a fourth A level.

[loobylou]

We have been told that, subject to timetabling, swapping to another course is very easy in the first few weeks of the sixth form but it's a huge sixth form - I'm sure it might be less easy if the numbers are smaller.

It's not easy if the classes are full! This happens in big sixth forms ...

I'm sure you're right. This was just what was said on the information evening ie "please come and tell us quickly if you think you've made a mistake".

[kenyancowgirl]

We have been told that, subject to timetabling, swapping to another course is very easy in the first few weeks of the sixth form but it's a huge sixth form - I'm sure it might be less easy if the numbers are smaller.

It's not easy if the classes are full! This happens in big sixth forms ...

I don’t think they are keen at DDs school for them to change their minds. I don’t think they like pupils to drop subjects either but accept it, if it si going to cause stress or affect results in the main 3 a levels. They have to do an EPQ if they don’t do a fourt A level and I think this would be major amounts of work for someone like my Dd just because of the depth she goes into things. Kniwing her shewould be likely to find a very complicated topic too. I think she could end up doing more work on an EPQ than on a fourth A level.

Maybe, but it would likely be FAR more relevant to Medicine, and give her something very interesting to discuss at interview. She would also be able to work on her EPQ when it suited her - in the holidays etc and plan her work to her own timetable - again, another skill that she would get from the EPQ and less so from A levels. It would also give her research and essay writing skills that would be different from those gained through A levels, under a teacher. An EPQ genuinely could make her stand out from the crowd in a way a team of A levels actually won’t.

She needs to be sure she is not underestimating how much additional stuff prospective medics do - universities aren’t looking for pure academics - a high level yes, but so much more - and she will need recharge time too. Fundamentally, ds1 could have done 4 (his school now says, apart from FM - for which you should have a grade 9 at Maths, to be allowed to do 4 A levels they expect a candidate to have all 8/9s in their 10/11 GCSEs.) I have advised DS2 to only take A levels in subjects he will get 8/9s in, although the school requires a minimum 7. This is a superselective school which has very high expectations of their 6th formers for the other half as well though - it really is not necessary!

Anyway, you have obviously decided that 4 is the way to go, and I have nothing more to add - good luck to you - it isn’t an easy mountain to climb!

[Eccentric]

KCG I haven't decided. My Dd has. I hear everything you say and I started off by being determined that Dd should only take 3. She has argued very strongly for 4. There is only so much that I can do and her arguments are strong. She is not going into this lightly and I will absolutely 100% make sure she drops it if it appears to be too stressful or affecting her main 3. I don't know about others with children of this age but I certainly have very little control over decisions that my Dd2 makes and I certainly had no control whatsoever over Dd1 at this age. All I can do is give her measured arguments from as many points of view as possible. Hence wanting to hear from anyone who has a child doing Physics and Maths together.
In regards to extra stuff as medic she knows that she will have to revise for UKCAT and BMAT exams. She already volunteers one day a week and is intending to 3 or 4 work experience weeks in different aspects of medicine during the summer after GCSEs. She is lucky that she has friends and family that can organise that for her. I think she is intending to give her current volunteering rest and do some hospital volunteering who she is 16 to replace her current one evening a week.
Bar dream steeling, I have done everything I can to get her to look at things with alternative perspectives including looking at whether medicine is all that she imagines it to be.

[Guest55]

. She is lucky that she has friends and family that can organise that for her.

She should be organising this herself really ...

[Eccentric]

. She is lucky that she has friends and family that can organise that for her.

She should be organising this herself really ...

She is organising this with them. As far as I know it is nigh on impossible for YP to organise their own medical work experience. It is very hard to find the opportunities they are few and far between and she is lucky that they are helping her. She would be silly to turn them down. They will put her through the mill. They are keen for her to make sure that she is sure about doing medicine before she starts on a very long and hard road.