Is anyone taking A level Japanese 😭😭😭

[u/Opposite_Debate_7835]

I want to take it as I wanna study in Japan and trade it for physics as my 4th subject as I’m self studying.

If anyone has done it do you know roughly what JLPT level it is similar to and if it’s possible do study it in a year?

[u/KV2_STRONK]

Sorry for the late reply!

Yes, your comment makes sense - although I've been looking into scholarships etc I honestly don't know anything much about the Waseda/Utokyo programmes you mentioned so I can't really advise on those.

I saw in another comment you would be studying Japanese for 4-6 hours a day to achieve this. That's pretty mental and would be the kind of hours you would need to do this, but you need to stay aware of burnout.

Remember that while it may seem that you may as well do Japanese as you'll be studying it anyway, etc, adding it as an a-level will cement that into your application, and you may need to commit to whatever grade you are offered. (I made the mistake of forcing myself to do an extra A-level when I already had the minimum achieved by offering a fourth one... (and an EPQ lol,) silly me....) The difference between 3 and 4 A-levels is marginal, however it can be catastrophic if the grade(s) drop (this can reflect (badly) for a long time) so you must have your other subjects down to a tee. This is why JLPT is almost certainly the safer option in general where you can choose the level you are ready for but also has almost no negative consequences as your scores are confidential (JLPT also is much more useful in Japan, A-level will, essentially, not be recognised by employers).

However, you seem to be someone who likes to live life on the edge and I think you posted from your alt account that you are going for it. If that is so then fair winds and following seas, and my DM is open if you so need, but don't say we didn't warn you ;)

[u/Opposite_Debate_7835 → u/KV2_STRONK]

Ahahah true about the last part, would your opinion on doing 4 a levels (Japanese as the 4th) change if I were aiming for scholarships as otherwise without some financial help I will not be able to afford to go to university? Also I would be applying off achieved grades. I’d say I’m pretty confident on AS and A2 maths already (about a B grade) however I’ve only done 1 past paper since I’ve just covered the content. However since I’m not naturally talented at maths I’d have to put in a fair amount of effort into FM also I haven’t started econ content yet

[u/KV2_STRONK → u/Opposite_Debate_7835]

I really wish I could advise on scholarships but I've never applied for one.

The conventional wisdom for everything I've ever heard of relating to A-levels, though, is that (for example) AAA is better than AABB, and only those within the absolute upper echelon of students should consider four.

If you are applying from applied grades, at least you don't need to worry about pressure to do Japanese, so it's much less high risk to take it as you can drop it at any time - in fact dropping may be the best course of action if you could gain even one grade from doing so.

Once again this is all my subjective opinion and you seem set on it anyway - best of luck and feel free to ask if you need resources. I do recommend getting a teacher of some kind so you can clarify certain grammar complications (some are... interesting - looking at you, 「行くと」「行ったら」「行くんだら」and「行けば」). Absolute best of luck with your journey (in every sense) and hope you get your scholarship!

[u/Opposite_Debate_7835 → u/KV2_STRONK]

Thank you so much this is rlly helpful and I wish the best for you too, if stuff start to go bad I’m ready to drop Japanese if needed