I need some advice about my future.

Hello everyone!

I am in a bit of a situation and I would like some opinions on what I should do please.

I didn't do well in my first year of sixth form. I hated the school and I felt like an outsider. I didn't like two of the subjects I was doing and I failed my exams so I retook the year, going to a college instead.

I worked extra hard but maybe I got a bit complacent or something because I didn't do well again but enough to scrape into A2. When May came. I don't know what happened, I got scared and depressed. I botched up Physics, Chemistry and Maths receiving EEU.

Now I am doing an Access course doing the same content again. I am very tired of relearning the same things again. I am worried that the unis will frown upon me doing an access course because how can you mess up 3 times in A-Level?!

Due to my visa situation, I won't be able to take out a student loan till 2018 entry because I am still classified as international which means I have two years to fix myself up.

Well, there's my backstory. Here's the thing:

I am really passionate about physics and I want to study it. I have been trying really hard to not let my failures put me off doing it. Should I still apply for uni this year? I am pretty certain that the unis won't like my situation. Even I wouldn't give myself an offer if I was one of them.

I don't know what to do for the next two years. I have considered resitting A-Level Maths but is it worth it? Please help guys!

Reply 1

Inspiringvisons

17

You said that you had so issues mentally so can you not apply for mitigating circumstances.

Work super hard this time as it will look even worse if you mess up this too.

Anyway email the unis you are interested in as they can give you better advice than us

Reply 2

Inspiringvisons

17

Yes apply this year and put an emphasis on your mental issues when you email the unis

Reply 3

justaquicksecond

OP

4

Original post by Inspiringvisons

You said that you had so issues mentally so can you not apply for mitigating circumstances.

Work super hard this time as it will look even worse if you mess up this too.

Anyway email the unis you are interested in as they can give you better advice than us

I don't know how to show that I have extenuating circumstances because I am not officially diagnosed with depression and I haven't worked up the nerve to go see the GP now. I keep saying to myself that I will do it when I'm in uni, away from my family, but it hasn't come to this.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 4

Inspiringvisons

17

Find a gp as soon as possible so you can have evidence

Reply 5

lilymoran

16

Original post by justaquicksecond

Hello everyone!

I am in a bit of a situation and I would like some opinions on what I should do please.

I didn't do well in my first year of sixth form. I hated the school and I felt like an outsider. I didn't like two of the subjects I was doing and I failed my exams so I retook the year, going to a college instead.

I worked extra hard but maybe I got a bit complacent or something because I didn't do well again but enough to scrape into A2. When May came. I don't know what happened, I got scared and depressed. I botched up Physics, Chemistry and Maths receiving EEU.

Now I am doing an Access course doing the same content again. I am very tired of relearning the same things again. I am worried that the unis will frown upon me doing an access course because how can you mess up 3 times in A-Level?!

Due to my visa situation, I won't be able to take out a student loan till 2018 entry because I am still classified as international which means I have two years to fix myself up.

Well, there's my backstory. Here's the thing:

I am really passionate about physics and I want to study it. I have been trying really hard to not let my failures put me off doing it. Should I still apply for uni this year? I am pretty certain that the unis won't like my situation. Even I wouldn't give myself an offer if I was one of them.

I don't know what to do for the next two years. I have considered resitting A-Level Maths but is it worth it? Please help guys!

So, you need to identify what the problem is.

Do you understand the material you've been studying in Physics, Chemistry and Maths? If not maybe you are just not choosing the right subjects for you. What do you want to do career wise?

If understanding is not the problem, then you need to rethink how you work. Every time you complete a lesson , go home or to the library and commit it to memory. No working in front of the TV, with music on, with friends ( You'll just chat). Then test yourself - cover the section in the book and try and write down as much as you remember until you are perfect. I know there is a school of thought that there's no point revising until nearer the exams but that is wrong.

You get scared and depressed as you approach exams because you think you have far too much to do in the time and you are frightened to fail. If you have already tackled the work as I suggest you will feel a lot more confident. Your aim is to go into the exam room pleased that you are being given the opportunity of proving how well you know it all.

However you still need to make meticulous plans about how to revise ie write down exactly what you are going to revise on each day. Do this well before the exam time. It's no good writing your revision timetable a week or so before the exams you'll panic. You need to do it once for your Mocks - say 6 weeks before and then again at least 6 weeks before the actual exam.

IME people don't do well in exams because they don't do the work during the year. If you were doing 3 A levels, you should be working all day for 5 days a week and then perhaps 3 hours a night and all day Sunday - at least.

There is also a school of thought that some people are just naturally clever. Maybe or maybe not. IME those people who do well in exams have spent a helluva long time preparing for them. You say you are tired of relearning the same things again. Now for a bit of reality. I think we can safely say that if you got EEU the one thing you haven't done, is learn those subjects.

Are you really interested in them? If so you have to be interested enough to work at them. Otherwise you are fooling yourself.

Universities may not be impressed by your past record. There is only one way round that. You have to shine at your next attempt. Think. If you can't pass even at A level you are going to find a degree course impossible when there is no one to keep you working. You'll just be told not to come back at the end of the first year.

Reply 6

justaquicksecond

OP

4

Original post by pickup

x

This post has been truly enlightening, thank you so much for your advice.

I truly enjoy learning about physics and I do want a career in it in the future. I will do my best this year. Should I still apply for unis this year or wait till next year with my confirmed results in Access to Science?

Thank you for this, I will read this again when I need it later.

Reply 7

lilymoran

16

Original post by justaquicksecond

This post has been truly enlightening, thank you so much for your advice.

I truly enjoy learning about physics and I do want a career in it in the future. I will do my best this year. Should I still apply for unis this year or wait till next year with my confirmed results in Access to Science?

Thank you for this, I will read this again when I need it later.

I'm not an expert in applications - but I guess the best you could hope for if you apply this year is a fairly demanding conditional offer ( as you have no past track record worth anything). What do you want to do as a career? Teaching, Lab work, research, what? Without pretty spectacular degree results you are going to find 'work in Physics' eg research difficult/impossible to come by. You really need to be thinking this through. If on the other hand you want a degree and to progress onto a graduate training contract of some sort eg Accountancy, Law etc. you still need to shine say a 2.1 otherwise you'll possibly just be after a non graduate job, clerical work maybe, in the end.

I need some advice about my future.

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