<p>I attend a school in Singapore, where we follow the British system, the main difference being that we decide on a subject concentration and follow it throughout grades 9-12. I have a pretty clear idea of what I would want to take grades 11-12, subject to changes of course. </p>
<p>A-level General Paper
A-level Physics
A-level Chemistry
A-level Mathematics
A-level Economics or History
Physical Education</p>
<p>Generally, here it is required for us to have taken the corresponding O-level course before enrolling in the A-level course. There is no modular system where we can pick up and drop subjects. Starting next year, I would like to do a grades 9-10 course in the following subjects. I attend a feeder school, so I won't actually have to take the O-level examinations, but we go through similar courses. </p>
<p>O-level English
O-level Higher Chinese
O-level Additional Math
O-level Elementary Math*
O-level Physics
O-level Chemistry
O-level History
O-level Social Studies**
O-level Biology or Literature
Philosophy
Physical Education
* This is similar to Further Maths/Maths for A-level/IB I think, and here we're to take both subjects.
** Basically similar to Government and Politics.</p>
<p>In my school, it is compulsory to offer English, Foreign Language, two Maths, Social Studies, Philosophy and Physical Education. Following that we can offer a further four subjects, with at least one Science and one Humanities from a selection of Physics, Chemistry, Biology, History, Geography, Area Studies, and Literature. Based on my current interests, I am mostly sure that I would like to take Physics, Chemistry and History. This leaves one slot, and the most attractive subjects currently are Biology and Literature. Either way it won't impact my subject combination for A-level, because currently I don't think I'll be taking either subject. </p>
<p>Aptitude-wise, I think I am just a normal student at both subjects, and I scored a 3.6 GPA for both (an A on our grading-scale, with A+ being 4.0). However, I'm most concerned about my interest in the subjects, because this is a two-year commitment that you cannot drop out of, and also the practicality of both subjects. It is here that they seem to be mostly equal - because I don't have any particular interest in either subject as of yet, and I'm actually a pretty well-rounded person with not so much preference for Science or Humanities. </p>
<p>For Biology, I think that one great weakness of mine is that I'm not very good at memorization, and I know that to excel in Biology requires a lot of memorization. I rather enjoy reading about cancer and DNA and stuff but when it comes to exams and memorization my interest drops rather quickly. Also, I'm not too interested in dissecting stuff, and during lessons especially when lots of new vocabulary (which I'm not too good at remembering) comes out, I tend to become rather stressed. I know that this is a subject that would require tons of work on my part, but may potentially interest me, and in case I suddenly get interested in Biology I can still take it in A-level and get into Biology-related courses at uni. </p>
<p>Literature, however, would require less studying in general, and would really also probably better balance my otherwise very science-intensive schedule. It is different from English in the sense that for Literature we look into more novels and literary stuff (we did Shakespeare this year), while in English class we focus on linguistics and things like how to write good argumentative essays. I love reading, and I really appreciate how beautiful the language is. Mostly depending on the teacher, I could end up loving Literature. I love to look at how people think, how people interact, how they view the world. I love poetry. However, I'm really afraid that I won't do well in Literature. I grew up in a non-English-speaking background with not much exposure to the classics and sophisticated vocabulary. In fact, my English grades aren't that great, and sometimes I just don't get certain poems or stanzas, which could be very frightening during exams. And despite really loving the language I don't write poems well - and this also counts for marks in certain assessments. Furthermore, there are very rare cases of pupils taking up Literature during A-level without having done it at O-level, but that never happens for Science. Hence, if I were to suddenly fall in love with Lit I might be able to still offer it at A-level, which would be impossible for Biology. </p>
<p>I would really like to hear from those who have already gone through higher-level Biology or Literature classes to check if my impression of the two courses is accurate. I'd also like inputs on other aspects I might not have really considered in making a choice - like how my schedule could fit better if I took either subject, or how certain skills could help in other ways that I'm not currently aware of. I would also like opinions on the work load or type of work typically done in both classes and whether you think that I would be a good fit for that sort of work. I know that this information is not very comprehensive, and if you would like to know anything other relevant information I would be happy to reply :) Thanks for reading! :)</p>
It seems like you admire literature than Biology. :)</p>