Should I study Business at A-level?
How to choose the right subjects?
This is a question I get asked a lot and although as a Business teacher I’m biased I’m going to push that to one side. Selecting the right A-levels is a huge call that can be so important in your future.
So, I’m not going to try and persuade you to take a subject which isn’t right for you. I will talk you through the key factors you should think about before making your A-level choices, and show you how to avoid making the mistakes I made when selecting A-levels.
It’s always difficult choosing just 3/4 subjects. I picked one A-level subject I shouldn’t have when I was at this stage.
Is Business at good fit with your long-term career goals?
First, you’ve got to figure out your priorities, what do you want to do after A-levels? Are Business (and your other A-levels) a good fit?
Obviously, if you are hoping to study Business, Management, Marketing, Finance, or Accounting, Business is ideal, and excellent preparation for a career in Business.
However, Business can also be considered a suitable academic subject for other popular degrees like Psychology and Law. It may depend on the combination of subjects that you choose. For example, some Psychology courses require one science A-level or Maths, which you could then take with Business and another subject.
So you need to do a bit of research on the entry requirements for the degree you want to do and the country and/or university where you’d like to study.
What should I research before choosing A-level Business?
You need to do some serious research on the contenders for your subject choices. Look at the different syllabuses content and speak with the teachers, if possible, before making your decision.
Be honest with yourself, is this a subject you are really interested in? You will be spending a lot of time studying and if you find it enjoyable you are more likely to study hard and do well as a result.
Don’t be afraid to change!
Third, selecting the most suitable A-level subjects.
Most schools these days are flexible so if you do make a choice you are not happy with, you can change. The one thing I regret with my A-levels is not asking to switch subjects. I was too scared to ask and admit I had made a mistake. Believe it or not I picked English Literature because I thought it would be just like English language. I ended up not really enjoying the subject, and I wasn’t that good at it. As a result, I did a lot worse in English Lit than my other two subjects.
So in this case DON’T do what I did! Do your research on your subject choices and if it’s not the right subject for you, change to one that will allow you to succeed!
