opinions on a level subjects

    Compared to other education systems like the IB system, the A/O levels is much more test based than skill based. For example, comparing A-level physics and IB physics (High Level) shows me the following differences between the two course syllabus: 

    A level physics has no choice for "addition" practical studies in the fields of engineering, astrophysics, etc. and it has no requirement for an internally graded "investigation and write-up of 6 to 12 pages" (whatever that means). The syllabus for IB physics is also a lot broader and in lesser detail than A level physics, which has a few things it goes into rigorous detail in. The amount of information you need to absorb and retain in A level physics is also much higher. Generally, the IB physics stuff is also more interdisciplinary.

    I'm not an IB student or anything, so that's just what I know from looking up stuff and reading PDFs.

Anyways!

    People who are just starting A level are asking me a lot about what subjects to chose and what not to go anywhere near. I'm not a business student or anything, so I can't explain what that's like just yet. I'll try and explain as generally as I can the "why" and "why not" as to what subjects you could pick. But schools have different approaches to subjects, and so do teachers! So take these as guidelines and personal opinion

 

    General Advice

     You have to understand that you're not taking these subjects because you like them or want to study them. You're taking them because you have to give an exam on them that you have to score high in. A lot of these subjects have a lot of weird ass things you have to grasp before you even understand the model of the subject that the syllabus is trying to force down your throat. It's a model that has a mix of "practical", "should know for university", and "can be tested". For this reason, I wouldn't recommend taking the subject because it does unironically ruin the fun of the subject for a lot of people, including myself. Doing past papers makes me want to kill myself, and that's what you'll be doing for a majority of the course. You don't need to understand complex stuff, just do enough past papers so that you look like you're competent, and you'll do fine, in school exams at least.

    The Cambridge syllabus and everything says it doesn't look at it like that, though. You should go "beyond the syllabus" according to them, having 2 years to cover something as detailed and intricate as Chemistry or Physics or Biology totally works out!

1. Chemistry

    Generally, chemistry is one of those "don't pick it unless you wanna kill yourself" type of subjects. I took chemistry for about a week before I decided to drop the subject at the start of my A1. I will explain this choice, I love chemistry. My teacher was really cool too. Same goes for O level chemistry. But like I said before, managing so many difficult subjects while also wanting to pursue things to find interesting in general is much harder than it looks. I dropped chemistry because I wanted to be more social and have hobbies I wanted to work on.

1. Physics

       I love physics as well, generally. A level physics makes me want to kill myself as well, but for something like a mechatronics degree, most universities want you to have taken physics. I've exclusively studied from the book. I don't use notes. I don't like my teacher. Recently, I finally started raw dogging the subject, and I'm kinda(?) enjoying it so far.

2. Biology

       Biology is one of the very few subjects the A level course does justice to a pretty good extent. The course is basically a deeper dive into the topics covered in O level. But the problem is that most schools don't let you take the subject unless you plan on going into medical. PLUS you'll struggle to understand a lot of concepts in the subject without something like chemistry.
   

3. Math

       Math remains math. I would recommend it if you like math as a subject and generally want to do something in the future that needs it. It requires a lot of brain power and thinking during tests and practicing questions relatively frequently, but that's about it.
   
   

   Humanities

       Generally, Psychology, Global Perspectives, Media Studies and Politics are more preferred subjects than Literature, Sociology, Environmental Management, Law, Art and Design, and History by students.

       The teachers of a humanities subject, for me, matters much more than a science related subject.
   

       World History, Literature and Law are really time-consuming subjects that I wouldn't recommend unless it's like "your thing".

       Sociology is not the same as Psychology. Both of them have their ratta and thinking sections but Sociology has way more ratta than the other.

       The exam criteria for Art and Design is really weird. No one in our school's history has ever gotten above a B in Arts!! But if you like the subject, that shouldn't matter to you.