How to Choose A Levels
There are many different A Level courses on offer when home schooling and so without the help of a school or teacher, choosing the right ones for you can seem a bit overwhelming. Picking your A level courses becomes easier if you have an idea of what you want to pursue in your education and career, as the A Levels to be a lawyer, a vet or a super rich banker are all different. Oxford Home Schooling have experienced people who can advise you on how to choose A levels and which courses might suit you best, please speak to us.
We have outlined the key things to consider when selecting your A Levels at home. You can find the full selection on our A level courses page.
What Do You Want To Study?
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This is the most important question to ask yourself when choosing your A Levels. Do you want to be a doctor, or a lawyer? Perhaps an engineer? Do you even know what you want to be, many students still have no idea at this stage and may want to keep their options open. Universities will have specific requirements for different courses, so once you have a path to follow, selecting the A Levels you need becomes clearer.
Some students will already be set on a particular course and will know the A levels they must have but for others it is also good to consider what subjects you enjoy studying as it is much easier to get a good A level grade in a subject that you enjoy than one you find boring.
Often students assume that to become a lawyer you should take Law A level when in fact although the A level will give a pretty good idea of the type of things you could be doing in future, it is a not a requirement or even considered very desirable by specialist law courses. Generally you will benefit more from having the following A Levels:
To be a doctor, you will always need specific A Levels, including:
- Chemistry
- Biology
- Maths or Physics (studying both will open up more options)
It is sometimes useful to select subjects that complement each other, like the sciences and in many cases you will need to have studied the GCSE equivalent before studying the A Level course.
This not true for all subjects though and many further education courses like their students to have a broad range of interests and skills. Subjects like Sociology or Business do not require a GCSE in the subject to study them at A level. A student who has studied for example, English, Biology and Psychology could find themselves eligible for many different degree courses from studying to becoming a lawyer to studying for midwifery.
If you are not sure what you want to do but know that you do want A levels, then keep your options open. The important thing about further education is that it gives you more choices in life, whatever you study.
The prerequisites for each A Level can be found on their respective course page.
A Levels To UCAS Points
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The grade you receive for your A Level is assigned a point score, which universities then use to determine your entry suitability once all of your grades are added up. They only give points for level 3 qualifications and so your level 2 GCSE’s are not counted.
UCAS has a detailed website which explains everything you need to know about applying to university, degree apprenticeships, personal statements, references and clearing.
Aiming to achieve your best should always be the goal, but if you think your UCAS score may be lower, consider what universities may accept that total.
The UCAS points tariff is as follows:
A Level
- A* – 56
- A – 48
- B – 40
- C – 32
- D – 24
- E – 16
Choose What You Enjoy
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This may sound a little obvious, but try to ensure you are choosing A Levels for subjects that you enjoy. Picking A Levels based on what your friends are studying or what your family want you to do does not guarantee that you will enjoy the courses in the long term.
Try to get some work experience in the field or related to the field you think you might like to work in. This is sometimes easier for students in school where work experience is often arranged for them, although it is often in no way relevant to what they want to do. You have the advantage of being independent and able to contact people directly in the fields that you may be interested in. This independence is something that many employers value very highly, so use it to get to see how your working life might look in future and to build useful contacts.
Think about your strengths. It is considerably easier to build motivation for a course you are studying, if it requires a skill you already possess, or it involves something you have already experienced. It is probably no good applying for a veterinary course if you did not enjoy work experience at your local vet’s practice; time to rethink!
Benefits Of Home Schooling
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There are unique benefits to home schooling that can make choosing and in particular, studying your A Levels that little bit easier. One such benefit is the ability to choose exactly which A Levels to study and how you wish to do it. You may wish to study full time or you might like to combine studying with part time work, with pursuing a sport or with travel. A traditional school curriculum will require you to undertake a set structure of courses, whereas home schooling A Levels gives extra freedom to select your own combination of subjects with a timetable to suit you.
We are fully aware of UCAS requirements and so each of our A levels match the same study material as in schools. This means you can be confident that you are studying the material universities will be looking for.
Regardless of which A Levels you choose, it helps to understand exactly what home schooling entails. Take a look at our guide to see what a typical home schooling day can look like.
