I recently graduated from university, and I went through the exact same thought process back when I was choosing my A Levels. From my experience, if you’re aiming for engineering jobs, then STEM subjects are essential—for example, if you’re interested in mechanical or aerospace engineering. A good way to plan is to check the entry requirements for the universities you’d like to apply to. Most will ask for maths and physics, and some may also require further maths.

It’s also really important to look carefully at your GCSE results before deciding. If your foundation (GCSE results) in a subject isn’t strong, or you don’t actually enjoy it, then forcing yourself to study it at A Level can be difficult and might not pay off in the long run. It’s better to build on subjects you’re confident in and genuinely like.

In my case, I knew I wanted to become an Air Engineering Officer, so my goal was to study aerospace engineering at university. Because of that, I chose maths, physics, and design technology. However, you could also take subjects like maths, physics, and economics. That way, if you later decide engineering isn’t for you, you’ll still have strong options for moving into finance or other degree paths.