What not to study
What not to study
Up until now, admit it, school has been fairly easy. But with A-level choices looming on
the horizon the scary thought, that what you choose now will decide what options you
have in the future, might just rear its ugly head.
Just in case that wasn’t enough pressure, a group of universities called the Russell Group
have published a guide announcing which of their universities prefer certain subjects
and, more scarily, which subjects they consider too ‘soft’ to take into account.
What does this mean?
A few years ago a think-tank called The Policy Exchange published a report, with the
to-the-point title of ‘The Hard Truth about Soft Subjects’. It listed A-level subjects on
application forms that top universities were tossing into the rejection pile.
Privately the universities know exactly which subjects they look for and which they
avoid and the report’s made that information public. With that information, it’s a lot
easier to match your subjects with universities that will actually appreciate them or, if
you’re starting early, match you subjects to your uni of choice.
The list of ‘soft subjects’ includes media, travel and tourism and even law. Not studying
these at A-level, particularly if you want to, might seem a bit odd if you’re planning to
study the same subjects at uni but if you have your heart set on Edinburgh, Imperial
College, or any of the other Russel Group universities it might damage your chances to
do so.
Like with wine, chocolate or anything else in life, moderation is the key to impressing
these unis. Their guide stresses “students who take one ‘soft’ subject as part of a
wider portfolio of subjects do not experience any problems applying to a Russell Group
university.”
Alternatively, you can study what you want and see what happens, not every university
agrees with the Russel Group after all.
Who’re the Russell Group anyway? Click here for more info.
What exactly is a soft subject? Click here for more info.
Last updated on: 24 March 2011