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Student at the Open University
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Open University to Brick University

I didn't do A-Levels due to bad mental health problems, and am going to start an English Language and Literature Degree in October for 60 credits. I really want to go to a brick uni, however, and am wondering the best way of going about that? Should I continue with the OU to start my degree and see if I can transfer my credits to a brick uni? Or should I find a way to do A-Levels and apply normally? I'm not sure how I can do A-Levels, however, and I'm worried about going to uni a year later than people in my class. Someone please help, I'm getting myself really worked up over all of this!!

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Reply 1
Many people take gap years or even repeat a year within A Levels, I don't think going to uni a year later is a big deal at all, you shouldn't let it worry you :smile:
Student at the Open University
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Milton Keynes
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Original post by Azarashi
Many people take gap years or even repeat a year within A Levels, I don't think going to uni a year later is a big deal at all, you shouldn't let it worry you :smile:


So do you think I should find some way of doing A-Levels, or continue with the OU and see what Universities will accept me? Thank you for your help, though!
Reply 3
Original post by ameliarosexo
So do you think I should find some way of doing A-Levels, or continue with the OU and see what Universities will accept me? Thank you for your help, though!


I think if you had A Levels, you'd have many more choices, that seems to be preferable! I don't know much about OU though, so this is only an opinion
Original post by Azarashi
I think if you had A Levels, you'd have many more choices, that seems to be preferable! I don't know much about OU though, so this is only an opinion


I'm just struggling to find ways on completing my A-Levels that won't be detrimental to my mental health. I think A-Levels will probably be more preferable too, do you have any advice on how I could go about completing them? There are no colleges near me that offer A-Levels, and I'm a little anxious about starting a new school or going back to my old one to complete them.. I did my GCSEs last year, so will have missed out on a year of study and will have to join the year below..
Reply 5
Original post by ameliarosexo
I'm just struggling to find ways on completing my A-Levels that won't be detrimental to my mental health. I think A-Levels will probably be more preferable too, do you have any advice on how I could go about completing them? There are no colleges near me that offer A-Levels, and I'm a little anxious about starting a new school or going back to my old one to complete them.. I did my GCSEs last year, so will have missed out on a year of study and will have to join the year below..


Would you be comfortable discussing your mental health? I had a friend who left my school after she didn't do very well on her AS Levels due to her mental conditions, she started at a new college and is now on her way to Southampton. I think you can definitely do it. Where's the closest place that offers A Levels? I think it's okay to go back a year to complete them.
Original post by Azarashi
Would you be comfortable discussing your mental health? I had a friend who left my school after she didn't do very well on her AS Levels due to her mental conditions, she started at a new college and is now on her way to Southampton. I think you can definitely do it. Where's the closest place that offers A Levels? I think it's okay to go back a year to complete them.


It's mostly just really bad anxiety and depression, honestly. I'm considering starting A-Levels in September, and if I don't like them, stopping, because the OU offers a course that starts in February so will sign up to that as a precaution and if A-Levels just aren't good for me, starting that instead. I'm still really unsure though, someone is talking to me on another thread who's been to the OU and has experience with transferring to brick unis. Thank you so much for answering my questions and helping me!
Reply 7
I wouldn't worry about it. I dropped out of my first year of A-levels and started an open uni course, each year/module was worth 60 credits. I completed 2 years, meaning I now have 120 credits. I applied to uni at the beginning of this year and got accepted into 4 out of my 5 choices. You don't have to go back and do A-Levels because open university courses are a higher qualification than that. Reading was one of the unis I applied for and for them, 60 credits were enough to be accepted but its usually 120 credits that you need. Before I officially applied, I emailed each of the unis I was going to apply for just to make sure that they would accept the credits and they did. 2 of them gave me a conditional offer (to get a result of 60 or above, which isn't too hard) and the other actually wanted me to start their uni in the second year.Also, don't worry about starting a brick uni a year late, a lot of people take gap years anyway so it's perfectly fine. Hope this helps :smile:
Original post by zRa
I wouldn't worry about it. I dropped out of my first year of A-levels and started an open uni course, each year/module was worth 60 credits. I completed 2 years, meaning I now have 120 credits. I applied to uni at the beginning of this year and got accepted into 4 out of my 5 choices. You don't have to go back and do A-Levels because open university courses are a higher qualification than that. Reading was one of the unis I applied for and for them, 60 credits were enough to be accepted but its usually 120 credits that you need. Before I officially applied, I emailed each of the unis I was going to apply for just to make sure that they would accept the credits and they did. 2 of them gave me a conditional offer (to get a result of 60 or above, which isn't too hard) and the other actually wanted me to start their uni in the second year.Also, don't worry about starting a brick uni a year late, a lot of people take gap years anyway so it's perfectly fine. Hope this helps :smile:


You should strongly consider the offer to enter the second year. Assuming you live in England, you won't get enough student loan entitlement to do a full degree if you've studied with the OU for two years. That means that if you start a degree from year 1, you will have to pay for the first year yourself. Have you applied for student finance yet?
Reply 9
Original post by Snufkin
You should strongly consider the offer to enter the second year. Assuming you live in England, you won't get enough student loan entitlement to do a full degree if you've studied with the OU for two years. That means that if you start a degree from year 1, you will have to pay for the first year yourself. Have you applied for student finance yet?


I have applied for student finance and everything is sorted, I won't have to pay for the first year myself. The reason I chose the other option to start in the first year is because I want to ease into it and start at the beginning rather than starting the second year first.
Original post by zRa
I have applied for student finance and everything is sorted, I won't have to pay for the first year myself. The reason I chose the other option to start in the first year is because I want to ease into it and start at the beginning rather than starting the second year first.


What do you mean everything is sorted? I find that hard to believe given that SFE's rules clearly state that someone in your position wouldn't get full funding.
Reply 11
Original post by Snufkin
What do you mean everything is sorted? I find that hard to believe given that SFE's rules clearly state that someone in your position wouldn't get full funding.


Whether you find it hard to believe or not, it doesn't matter because I am getting funded for my first year.
(edited 5 years ago)
Original post by zRa
Whether you find it hard to belive or not, it doesn't matter because I am getting funded for my first year.


Right, well if in the end you find that you're not getting funding for the first year, don't pretend you weren't warned.
Original post by Snufkin
Right, well if in the end you find that you're not getting funding for the first year, don't pretend you weren't warned.


Unless its changed, OU is classed as part time study and brick universities are classed as full time study.

2 years of part time study is not classed as 1 year full time, they are two separate funding categories and that is why he/she has the full entitlement to 'full time' funding.
(edited 7 years ago)
Reply 14
Original post by zRa
I wouldn't worry about it. I dropped out of my first year of A-levels and started an open uni course, each year/module was worth 60 credits. I completed 2 years, meaning I now have 120 credits. I applied to uni at the beginning of this year and got accepted into 4 out of my 5 choices. You don't have to go back and do A-Levels because open university courses are a higher qualification than that. Reading was one of the unis I applied for and for them, 60 credits were enough to be accepted but its usually 120 credits that you need. Before I officially applied, I emailed each of the unis I was going to apply for just to make sure that they would accept the credits and they did. 2 of them gave me a conditional offer (to get a result of 60 or above, which isn't too hard) and the other actually wanted me to start their uni in the second year.Also, don't worry about starting a brick uni a year late, a lot of people take gap years anyway so it's perfectly fine. Hope this helps :smile:


Really glad I found this thread. Was in the middle of A2 and dropped out. Right now I'm in the middle of considering a brick uni but I'm still doing my OU course -philosophy and psychological studies and by the end of the year will be 120 credits. Was just wondering if you could help me a little please.
When emailing uni admissions whats the basic layout (formal?) and what information do you provide,
When filling out the UCAS application what, if any, particular things should I be filling out (i.e. access to higher education)
What to do in regards to a reference? Do I have to get a tutor to do it or can it be an employer or someone else?
and any extra info is greatly appreciated, thank you!
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by Davidswift9
Unless its changed, OU is classed as part time study and brick universities are classed as full time study.

2 years of part time study is not classed as 1 year full time, they are two separate funding categories and that is why he/she has the full entitlement to 'full time' funding.


Sadly not true. SFE SHOULD be counting any time spent in HE as a full time year and thus deduct the funding.

Sadly their rules are not being properly followed by their own assessors meaning that some of us are unfairly penalised and not awarded funding whilst others are granted it.
Original post by zRa
Whether you find it hard to belive or not, it doesn't matter because I am getting funded for my first year.


Did you actually get your money in the end, or did you have to fight for it?

Your awarding of funding goes against SFE rules, but good on you for getting an idiot assessor. It's just heart wrenching for the rest of us who are denied funding due to SFE's own incompetence. Fingers crossed they don't realised their mistake before you finish.
Original post by BonitaB
Really glad I found this thread. Was in the middle of A2 and dropped out. Right now I'm in the middle of considering a brick uni but I'm still doing my OU course -philosophy and psychological studies and by the end of the year will be 120 credits. Was just wondering if you could help me a little please.
When emailing uni admissions whats the basic layout (formal?) and what information do you provide,
When filling out the UCAS application what, if any, particular things should I be filling out (i.e. access to higher education)
What to do in regards to a reference? Do I have to get a tutor to do it or can it be an employer or someone else?
and any extra info is greatly appreciated, thank you!


Just email them and say what qualifications you have and ask if they'd consider them for entry onto 'x' course.

The UCAS form is self explanatory so when you come to fill it in it will prompt you to put the right info into the right places.

I have had references from employers and tutors. You could always ask if any have had experience writing UCAS references and go with the one you feel would write the best reference.

If you've spent more than 1 year studying with the OU you *may* struggle to get funding for your whole course. But good luck, maybe you'll be one of the ones like the poster above where the assessor chooses to ignore their own rules when awarding funding.
Reply 18
Original post by SuperCat007
Did you actually get your money in the end, or did you have to fight for it?

Your awarding of funding goes against SFE rules, but good on you for getting an idiot assessor. It's just heart wrenching for the rest of us who are denied funding due to SFE's own incompetence. Fingers crossed they don't realised their mistake before you finish.


Yeah, I got full funding. In my second year now
Original post by zRa
Yeah, I got full funding. In my second year now


You were lucky, which is fair enough.

People reading this thread should take care, some people slip through the net - but you can't bank on getting an SFE assessor who doesn't know the rules. Better not to study with the OU for more than one year if you can possibly avoid it.

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