After your child has finished their GCSEs, for most a stressful time in their lives, it’s now time to consider if they want to pursue A Levels. For those that are keen to go to university, taking A Levels is the most common option for students.
In this guide, from a top A Level College, we’ll be showing parents what to be prepared for and to understand about A Levels before your child considers what they want to study after their GCSEs.
Preparing for A Levels
When they’re studying for their GCSEs they’ll begin to learn about the different options available to them – from going to college to entering full time employment. There are multiple ways children can go forward with their career depending on their interests.
For A Levels, students are able to prepare in advance for their A Level studies. GCSE subjects will often follow straight on from their A Levels, so they’ll be used to the curriculum and what will advance from then onwards.
Choosing A Level Subjects
Your child should choose the subjects that they enjoy the most. While A Levels is the next exciting thing for children to look forward to, there is a significant jump between GCSEs and A Levels. If your child also knows what they want to study during university then that’ll help them choose the most appropriate subjects for them.
Some schools host sessions where students can learn more about the subject’s A Level curriculum before committing; a chance for parents to see what specialisms their child will be involved with and how it’ll kick start their career prospects.
Speak to your child’s tutors
Having a conversation with teachers about how A Levels are taught in the school is a great way to give you a better understanding of what your child will be getting into. Understand the course material for yourself and see where your child may need help and support in the future.
Prepare your child’s revision space
A Levels are much trickier than GCSEs, and they have the potential to be a lot of stress on children as they’ll require a lot more time studying. Give your child’s revision space a new lease of life by providing them with new writing materials, some notebooks and the right study books they’ll need in advance. Showing them that you care about their future will put them in the right frame of mind when they get to start studying, and make them feel motivated to do as best they can in their studies.
*This is a collaborative post