Learn English – “Excel in” or “Excel at”

prepositions

Consider the following sentence:

I have always tried to excel in/at courses relevant to veterinary sciences, such as physics, biology and chemistry.

Which one is correct? A quick google search yielded no definite answers (it said both could be used, however, it seems to me some sources implied that they cannot always be used interchangeably).

Best Answer

I think I would use in when talking about a broad field and at when talking about a specific skill.

I have always tried to excel in courses relevant to veterinary sciences

I have always excelled at diagnosing cancer in small animals

I excel in laboratory environments

I excel at using the mass spectrometer

I'm not sure if its wrong to use at/in interchangeably but using them like this ^ is what comes naturally to me as a Brit.