I’m thinking of doing English Literature and language next year, a question is, if I do it, will it be looked on favourably by Universities in which I want to go to? And A-S level courses last a year right?
Thanks for your time
I’ve got an A-S level in mechanics, which was additional to my three A-levels (I was orginally doing four but I dropped the discrete maths section of my Further Maths A-level, so it ended up as just a Mechanics A-S level), I studied for two years for that, but nowhere near as intensly as the other three subjects.
However, I finished my A-levels the year before they brought in A-S levels to be the main part of the course and you can do them now in one year.
In terms of university you really need to be doing two years at sixth-form college and you want to do at least one full A-level in the subject you hope to study and additionally also the equivalent of two other A-levels.
The best person to talk to this about is your tutor or head of sixth-form as the current sixth-form system keeps on changing and they can offer far better advise than anyone here can as they will also know your grades/predicated grades.
If you’re concerned regarding which A-levels will be favoured by a specific degree scheme/university, it’s worth asking the Universities Admissions officer, they will be able to guide you as to which choices too make.
AS-Levels, last for a single year, usually students take 6 AS-levels over two years (As MC said). Often students take two AS-Levels in the same subject. An AS-Level, and an A2-Level, both of these together are the equivalent of a single A-level in that subject.
What I guess I’m more worried about is will a University even look at me if I have 2 A-Levels?
Quite a few universities will accept only two A-levels (or equivalent value of A-S levels), but you’re still limiting your choice of universities and the better ones would not not accept two A-levels.
My advice is unless you have a good reason not to, do three A-levels or equivalent especially if you want to go to university.
Depends on the university and the course.
Two ‘A’ levels should get you in somewhere, ‘AS’ levels alone won’t. These were introduced so that students who messed up their ‘A’ levels didn’t leave 6th form empty handed, so universities will regard them as half an ‘A’ level. To be honest, I’m not even sure if they get you any points
Have a look at the prospectus the place you are interested in - it will tell you how many points are required and you can plan accordingly.
thanks all, its just that I’m doing a twelve unit business course and I should of done 18, the next, and last six for me are next year, but I really wanted to do 18 (eighteen is the equvalent of 3 a-levels)
An A-S level will get you points (that said some universities may specify that your points only come from certain subjects, I know that even though I was applying to do Mphys all the good universities I applied for only specified grades for my other exams not my A-S level), but are only half the points for the same grade of A-Levels, but wiothpout A-levels you’ll struggle to make the points up for anything other than the most desperate unis.
Start the year with the object of doing three full A-levels over a period of two years (any university would probably tell you to stay on another year if you applied after only onbe year of sixth-form college) and just see where you go from there.
I just finished my AS English Lit course a week ago.
I did four AS courses (Eng Lit, History, Politics and Theatre Studies); you can leave after completing these courses and go straight into employment. However for university you will need to carry on into a second year (A2). Normally you drop one course and carry on your other three courses into this second year.
English is a good subject. It is really personal preference on whether you will enjoy it or not. I however, didn’t enjoy it that much and it is probably the course I am going to drop.
The course changes from sixth form to sixth form but I will tell you what we did. In the first term we studied Shakespeare’s “Othello” and sat an exam on it (which we were not allowed to take our text in with us!). Simultaneously we studied poetry of the First World War (Wilfred Owen) which we did coursework on (two essays, 3000 words max). In the second and part of the third term we studied Chaucer’s “Prologue to the Canterbury Tales” and Emily Bronte’s “Wuthering Heights”. For these two we sat one exam lasting about one and a half hours. As I have said the course changes from place to place and the texts classes study varies a lot, but that is a general view of how my course was.
There is a lot of reading involved and it can be hard work sometimes but it is quite a relaxed course compared to some other subjects. In my course there was a lot of essay writing, which wasn’t nice, but it does help. The actual class time is mainly spent reading and discussing chapters and characters etc.
Most university’s welcome someone who has studied English Lit. It is generally seen as a very good subject to know about in life and to have studied.
Good luck in your options and please tell us what you decided to do. I hope this has helped you in some way.
How did your GCSE’s go?
I got A* in english literature and an A in english language, would that count for anything?
Just interested. Although, to get onto Eng Lit at my sixth form you needed to get above a certain GCSE grade to get on the course. I think the lowest we could get to get on the course was a B. But again, it changes from place to place.
Well done with the GCSE grades though!
Kris you usually need at least a ‘c’ in a subject.
But Ryan_Liam let me see if I have this right, you are currently half way through an advanced GNVQ in Buisness which is worth 2 A-levels? and the reaon you ask this question is that you wan to know if it’s worth making up the extra A-level with two A-slevels this year?
In this case most univesities do accept an advanced GNVQ as an entry qualification, your sixform college should have a copy of the UCAS book that lists all the courses in the UK, here you will be able to see whichuniversties want which grades for GNVQs.
Another route you could consider is taking a HND for one year before starting your bachelors degree. Many universties offer these and they after doing one of these you should be accepted onto that universities degree course.
Quite right MC Master of Ceremonies. I just found my prospectus from last year and the minimum requirement was a C. The head of English in my sixth form preferred students who achieved a B or higher because he felt they would “cope better” with the course.
My mistake, I apologise.
So if I have 2 A-levels and do a HND at university, that would be better?
If you’re half way through a GNVQ at the moment yes, it could be, if you haven’t started sixth form yet probably not.
Anyway as I said talk to your tutor or head of sixth form as they will know more about your personal situation and the university application process than I do and ask them about these various options. There is certainly one upside to doing a HND at a university as it may make it easier to get it certain universties if you go via the HND route.