Subject Combination in JC

[micko07]

I disagree re H2 E Lit being "easy" - I took H2 Lit (having not done it in Sec 3/ 4) and even though I’m very strong in English Language, I found it a struggle. Lit is one subject where natural talent does help a lot (although of course one can get better with practice as well). Just because one is good at English doesn’t necessarily mean one will do well in Lit - the skill sets are quite different IMO.


I think in terms of scoring, H2 Econs is a safer bet. Lit is somewhat unpredictable in that it depends on what comes out in the paper (especially for the Unseen bits). For me, Econs is all about understanding. If you understand what you’re doing, it’s not that difficult to score. Geog is another Arts subject that reminds me very much of a science (especially for the Data Response Questions) - if you have content + exam technique, it’s not hard to score well.

Also, I must add that if you’re interested in going to a top UK/ US university, it is better to take 4H2s. The UK unis tend to make offers like 3 H2 As - if you take 4 H2s, this gives you some leeway. In contrast, if you just take 3 H2s, it’s do or die. For the US unis, they want to see that you’ve done the "most difficult courseload possible". Most people applying to top schools would have done 4H2 + 1 H3. The same probably applies to scholarships.

[idunknow00]

Hi all. I would like to seek some advice regarding on the subject combination. would H2 biology or H2 geography be a better choice? The other subjects chosen are Chem, Math and Econs.

I have more interest in geog, but i understand biology provides more choices.
Olevels scores are A1 : Bio, Emath, Amath, Geog, Combined Humanities ( SS + Hist ) , English , Mother tongue
A2: Chem

Thanks!

[HotnColdx]

Hi, i need some help regarding my subject combinations!

I’m planning to take an arts hybrid course 3H2 + 1H1.
H2: Geog, Econs, Maths.
H1: Chem.
I will like to ask if this combi is advisable and useful…
I have taken amaths, pure geog and combined sci(phy+chem) in sec sch.
and planning to aim for arts and social sci in university.
Please advice, thanks a lot !

[Dr.033430Daniel]

Here’s how you tell whether you take Literature or Economics: If you are interested in finance, accounting or business take Economics. If you are thinking of going into Journalism or want to be a writer take Literature. Do what interests you. You may find out that you like it and are on the right path. Or you also may pursue something and realize you don’t like it and need to do something else. That’s OK too.


There is one simple message that is desperately needed on the tertiary education forum and that message is this: You will be more successful in life and happier in life if you do things that interest you, so long as they lead to reasonably practical careers. The moment you begin to see both school and life as something more than just a game to maximize your grades, you may discover who you really are and what you are good at. It may take time and some trial and error, but if you can make that discovery somewhere around age 18-22 you will be the better for it.

The sooner you make this discovery, the sooner you abandon the rat race. The rat race is trying to do the same thing everyone else is doing. In this case the rat race is the magic formula for maximizing JC grades. Later in life it will be going for the career that pays the highest salary with the least amount of effort. I’m not saying don’t be practical about decisions. I’m not saying you don’t consider earning potential in a career. But I am saying that now in JC is the time you get a chance to start defining who you are and what you will do with your life. So don’t just run the rat race.

[HotnColdx]

i would say take h2 geog, study the subject you are interested in then you will be likely to score better in it since you have interest in it.

However, you should note that taking h2 biology tgt with h2 chem would offer you more choices in uni!
what course do you plan to take in uni?

[Exist3ncezxc]

Hey! I need some URGENT advice on subject combinations as I have certain concerns about which contrasting subject I should take. These are my O level results:


Eng A2
E Maths A1
A Maths A1
Phy A2
Chem A2
Comb. Humans A1
Geog A2
MT A2

I want to take H2 Phy, Chem and Maths but I am not sure if I should stick to Geog in A level or try taking Economics. I heard that PCME is extremely popular but I am afraid that i would not be able to ‘catch up’ if I take Econs. O level and A level will be different so I am not sure if taking Geog is the right choice. I do not know what I want to be in the future but I am relatively stronger in my Maths and may consider Accountancy. Help please?

[Skyed]

Take econs… It’s new to everyone what is there to catch up on? Those who do econs at Os have very little headstart, and it’s not popular subject among O level students.

[micko07]

idunknow00:

Hi all. I would like to seek some advice regarding on the subject combination. would H2 biology or H2 geography be a better choice? The other subjects chosen are Chem, Math and Econs.

I have more interest in geog, but i understand biology provides more choices.
Olevels scores are A1 : Bio, Emath, Amath, Geog, Combined Humanities ( SS + Hist ) , English , Mother tongue
A2: Chem

Thanks!

I did H2 Geog and really enjoyed it. It's the most \"sciency\" subject of all the Arts IMO.

I agree with HotnColdx - have a look at the course requirements for the unis and see whether you are interested in a course that asks for Biology. If you THINK there is a chance that you might want to apply for such a course in the future, I would suggest sticking with Bio to keep your options open.

In my case, I knew I didn't want to do any science-related subjects in Uni (Engineering, Sciences, Medicine, Dentistry), so I switched out from pure science at Sec 4 to pure Arts in JC. If you aren't certain though, I'd advocate playing safe.

[micko07]

HotnColdx:

Hi, i need some help regarding my subject combinations!

I'm planning to take an arts hybrid course 3H2 + 1H1.
H2: Geog, Econs, Maths.
H1: Chem.
I will like to ask if this combi is advisable and useful..
I have taken amaths, pure geog and combined sci(phy+chem) in sec sch.
and planning to aim for arts and social sci in university.
Please advice, thanks a lot !

Looks fine to me for Arts and Social Science courses!

http://www.fas.nus.edu.sg/prospective/subject_prerequisites.html
http://www3.ntu.edu.sg/oad2/website_files/ALevel/Min_Subject_Requirements.pdf
http://www2.smu.edu.sg/admissions/pages/apply_to_smu/Apply-to-SMU_Local-ALevel.asp

[HotnColdx]

micko07:

HotnColdx:

Hi, i need some help regarding my subject combinations!

I'm planning to take an arts hybrid course 3H2 + 1H1.
H2: Geog, Econs, Maths.
H1: Chem.
I will like to ask if this combi is advisable and useful..
I have taken amaths, pure geog and combined sci(phy+chem) in sec sch.
and planning to aim for arts and social sci in university.
Please advice, thanks a lot !

Looks fine to me for Arts and Social Science courses!

http://www.fas.nus.edu.sg/prospective/subject_prerequisites.html
http://www3.ntu.edu.sg/oad2/website_files/ALevel/Min_Subject_Requirements.pdf
http://www2.smu.edu.sg/admissions/pages/apply_to_smu/Apply-to-SMU_Local-ALevel.asp

oh okay thanks a lot ! and thanks for the link too !