Subjects I Studied at GCSE & A-Level

I'm often asked on my Instagram (@astudentofbms) what subjects I studied at GCSEs and A-Level, because people like to know what opportunities they can have after completing GCSEs and A-Levels. 

I didn't know what I wanted to do as a career, so I tried to pick GCSEs and A-Levels that gave me a wide range of options later on. 

I did my GCSEs in 2018, and then my A-Levels in 2020. I didn't actually manage to finish my A-Levels, because of COVID, and I wasn't able to sit my exams, so I was a bit worried what results I was going to get. All that doesn't matter now though, because I got accepted onto my degree, and now GCSEs and A-Levels are a thing of the past. 📖

GCSEs

As with most schools, I had to study: 📚

• English Language + Literature
• Maths + Maths Numeracy
• Sciences - Biology, Physics + Chemistry

And then, because I'm in Wales, I studied: 📚

• Welsh Language + Literature
• Welsh Baccalaureate

For my optional GCSEs, I was able to choose from different subjects, so I chose: 📚

• History
• Geography
• Religious Education 

I felt that these optional GCSEs would give me a wide range of options at A-level. I would have liked to do a more science-based GCSE, but the only option was Triple Science. This wouldn't have been to bad if it were only extra biology, but it was extra chemistry and physics too - I do not like physics! ❌

A-Levels

By the time I was studying A-Levels, I sort of knew what I wanted to study at degree level, but I also just wanted to pursue subjects that I enjoyed. 😊

I chose:

• Biology
• Geography
• Public Services
• Welsh Baccalaureate - I had to do this subject, as I live in Wales

The reason I chose biology is because I love the subject and I was thinking of doing a science-related degree after completing my A-levels. Then, I chose geography because I was actually thinking of doing environmental science, and again, geography is just a subject I enjoy. I chose public services because it was a BTEC subject, meaning there was no exams. I wanted to do one subject with no exams, just to take some pressure off. Also, I felt that I could learn more about the NHS by taking this subject.📝

Grades Needed for University

For my course, I needed a C grade in English Language and Mathematics - that was it for GCSEs.

With A-Levels, I needed a minimum of 2 A-Levels, with one of them being in a science subject such as biology and chemistry. The typical offer for my course was BBC.

I managed to get the grades needed for my degree, so that was good. But, I didn't do my A-level exams, so I was a bit anxious if I were going to get my deserved grades. I did get an unconditional offer from the university though, so then I didn't really have to worry about the results. 😀

I would recommend that you chose GCSEs and A-levels that are related to a career path you want to follow, or, if you don't know what career you want, just do subjects you like! My other advice would be to look at university websites and look at courses you might want to do. You'll then be able to see what their entry requirements are, and so you can pick subjects based on that. Whatever you pick, just enjoy it! 💚

- Lucy 👩🏻‍🔬🧪📚