Choosing my A-Levels when I was unsure on what to study at university

When it came to choosing my A-Levels, I didn’t have a clear idea of what I wanted to study at university. That uncertainty shaped the whole experience, not in a negative way, but in a way that made me more reflective about what I genuinely enjoyed and what I felt I could manage. Looking back, my choices made sense for who I was at the time, and in the end, helped me identify what I wanted to study past my A-Levels.

Start with subjects you enjoy

I naturally gravitated towards subjects I liked and felt capable of. It wasn’t a grand strategy; it simply felt grounding to choose areas where I knew I could genuinely stay engaged with. My enjoyment and confidence ended up working together, so revising didn’t feel like a constant uphill struggle. Instead, I found myself doing better because of that. Even though I wasn’t planning to pursue all of these subjects at university, they carried me through the early stages of sixth form, giving me a sense of familiarity and stability.

Explore new subjects beyond your GCSEs

At the same time, I was curious about what else was out there. A-Levels open up topics you don’t encounter at GCSE, so I spent some time exploring subjects I thought I might enjoy at a deeper level. I read snippets of course materials, looking at sample content, and trying to picture whether I’d actually enjoy studying those topics week after week. It helped me get a sense of what the subjects felt like, not just what they were called. Some options immediately clicked, while others didn’t, but that small bit of research made it so much easier to trust the choices I eventually made.

Why I chose a mis of A-Levels and BTECs

My route ended up being a combination of two A-Levels and two BTECs. I studied A-Level English Literature and Drama and Theatre Studies, as well as BTECs in Film and Media Production and Performing Arts. At first, I wasn’t completely sure how the mix would sit together, but I learnt more about how each qualification worked and decided that the content, as well as the assessment methods, suited me best.

What stood out to me was that the BTECs I chose carried UCAS points equivalent to one and a half A-Levels each, which later shaped my university applications in a way I didn’t anticipate at the start, providing me with UCAS points significantly above the average number, thus heightening my applications to universities. I also checked early on that this combination would still keep university as an open option. Once I confirmed that, the structure felt right for how I learn, part coursework, part exam-based, and I settled into my choices without feeling like I’d limited any options for my future self.

Thinking about the skills I’d carry forward

Even though I had a suspicion that I didn’t want to study all of these subjects at university, English Literature, for example, I started to notice the skills I was picking up along the way, such as analytical writing, academic referencing, and active reading. These became qualities that benefitted me later on, especially when university-level work first appeared on the horizon.

Choosing A Levels without a clear university plan was less stressful than I expected. It’s about picking subjects that feel manageable, interesting, and flexible. It wasn’t about making perfect decisions, it was actually about choosing what felt manageable, interesting, and open-ended enough to grow with me.