11 Plus Exams Forum

My DS, currently in Year 11, has a passion for both Science (taking 3 sciences) and Classics (taking Latin, Greek and Classical studies). He reckons he is currently leaning towards taking Classics at university, but it could equally well be something in the Sciences. He would probably love a degree which allowed him to combine both. I can see that Exeter offer 'Flexible Combined Honours' where he could actually take a degree in eg 'Latin and Physics', and there look to be a few other places which offer similar opportunities. However, in the event that he eventually comes down on one side or the other, he needs to ensure that his A level choices keep his options as open as possible. Oh, and he's also interested in applying to Cambridge. So, at the moment, he's thinking of AS levels in Latin, Ancient History, a Science, and Maths.

Any thoughts anyone, which might help in the investigation process?

Would this interest him: http://www.arch.cam.ac.uk/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Does he need to do the Ancient History? If he does maths, a science, Greek and Latin, and further maths too if he can manage it, he will have help open the possibility of doing either Classics or maths or physics or Natural Science tripos at Oxbridge for a while longer.

He most likely won't be able to do Greek at AS - he's doing it at GCSE at the moment, but it probably won't be offered beyond that. He doesn't need it for Classics at Cambridge. The idea of the Ancient History was to maintain an essay subject, and in the 'Classics' theme. Latin isn't really an essay subject as such. If he dropped the Ancient History, he could do a second science, but then he wouldn't be maintaining his essay skills, and this would make him a rather odd (but still possible) candidate for Classics. If he did 2 sciences and maths, plus the Latin, what combination of sciences would give him most flexibility? (He says he finds physics most interesting, but also most difficult, though he says that might be the teacher. A friend's boy has completely lost interest in physics because of said teacher, so there's a good chance the difficulty arises from the teaching rather than his ability.)

Yes I see what you mean about the essay subject. Have a friend with 1st in Literae Humaniores from Oxford who did maths, further maths, Greek and Latin so I did not realise it was fairly critical though.

I suppose the second science depends on whether he is leaning towards the physical or the biological sciences at uni. I'd say it you were going for two out of three you would probably want to be doing physics with chemistry or chemistry with biology, rather than physics with biology (but that also would have its uses if you had to choose).

Oh so hard to narrow down at that age. Suppose that is where the International Bac comes a little into its own.

If he is most interested in physics and wanting to take it further then maths, and even more maths is the thing. I think it is very hard with the current GCSE courses to know that much about what each individual science will be like at A level / degree level.

It might be worth browsing through the AS level study guides in Smiths for each subject and letting him get a gut feel.

Thanks, yes it's tricky isn't it? At least if he leant solely towards arts, or solely towards science, it would be easier!

Yes, but I am sure there are careers where a foot in both camps is very useful. These crossover areas are quite hard to research.

The new Liberal Arts and Sciences degree at Birmingham may interest him, the Dean is a lovely approachable guy called Cillian Ryan, worth a call. You can study a language, sciences and Arts together. It's an A* AA entry and they interview. My DD was undecided between this and Cambridge, she loved the course. There is a year at an international uni too......4 year course.

Or he could look at the US university system where the Liberal Arts system encourages a much wider range of study.

Archeology?