Potential Impact of GCSEs on getting into Uni

I'm in year 11, partway through my GCSE exams. Being a vet has been my dream since I was very very young, and having spent nearly a year volunteering three days a week in my local practice, I only feel even stronger that it's the perfect career for me.

However, I'm not academically gifted. It was always presumed that I'd be able to go on and do anything I wanted no problem, but once I grew up I just got a bit left behind academically-speaking. I'm still a decent student, and I have high target grades, but I've been really struggling to do well in science. I was just gutted after the January modules because I got Cs in Biology and Chemistry. I resat them, but as I thought the last tests went well, I'm not being overly-positive.
Physics, ironically, I do well without problem, which totally stumps me. xD

Altogether, my science grades are as such:

SUBJECT - 1a, 1b, ISA, 2
Bio - B, A*, A, C(RESAT)
Chem - C, A, A, C(RESAT) [I feel like shooting myself for not resitting the first C]
Phys - A*, B, B, A

Biology COULD make it to A, but I'm not holding my breath... I'm looking at a B at the moment. I might be a tad negative there, but I won't be too optimistic ater last time.
Chem... this is my problem. We were VERY BADLY prepared for chem 3. I won't even go into it, but a number of us took it to the Head who is taking it extremely seriously; we feel totally let down. That exam went terribly, for the entire class. Hopefully I scraped a C. I'm not even gonna hope for an A overall. Well, I will, but it'll be a miracle if it is. So I'm hoping for a B.
Physics is not a worry; for one, the universities only really want a B in that, and I'm fairly happy I've probably got an A. DEFINITELY got a B.

So I'm not looking at the grades you'd exect a vet student to have by this point. I've looked into requirements, and RVC and Nottingham both say they want 5 As overall in GCSEs, including in Bio and Chem. So basically, I take it I've got to rule them out?

But what about other unis? I think I'll do well in everything else except possibly music. I got a B in maths that I'm resitting this year, but I'm so stressed about other exams and the teacher I have this year wasn't as good as the one I had last year, so I feel less confident about maths in general than I did last year. So that's looking like it'll stay as a B.

I just feel sick to my stomach when I think about what's ahead of me. I can't think of anything else I want to do with my life. All of my friends are telling me how unimportant GCSEs are, how A levels count more, and how the unis can't possibly expect as much of me as I'm saying. I want to give myself the BEST CHANCE POSSIBLE.

Just how much can these GCSEs set me back? I know that resitting A levels put some unis off, what about GCSEs? Also, RVC Gateway takes lower grades, yes? So do I have a decent chance there provided I work hard in work experience and do well at interview? I'm just looking at all the options here. :/

Thanks. :smile:

I just want opinions from people that know the vet process well. I don't think my vets would know quite so well what it's all about nowadays, but I shall be getting all the advice from them I can.

Reply 1

jpw92

ChelsRottie

I just want opinions from people that know the vet process well. I don't think my vets would know quite so well what it's all about nowadays, but I shall be getting all the advice from them I can.

Hiya couple of things to say
Firstly CHILL OUT just do the best you can, no more can be expected. If you keep calm and take them one at a time then it will all go alot smoother and you will find you actually perform better!!! :yep:

Secondly, GCSEs are not as important as your colleges make out (but you MUST still do well in them)
Those grades aren't the best, but they're still descent the unis tend to use them as a flexible guideline, if you don't make the mark then just beef up your application with whatever you can find (LOADS of VARIED work exp. extra currics, etc) find wierd things, this will make you stick in their heads. e.g. a friend of mine is part of a fire troupe. GCSEs aren't the end of the world you need to work hard for them and then work like hell for your AS/A levels as they are what your offer will be based on.
Just don't worry, do your best and afterwards do loads of work exp, etc. Sorry for the essay but hopes it helps!!! Good luck!!

Reply 2

Kasc

If you work had during A/S (do not take this lightly, the set up is more than you expect); it will show an improvement if your GCSE grades are not as good as you hoped. Nothing more promising than improvement!

I did pretty badly for my GCSE's, getting mediocre grades and getting predicted all C's for my A Levels at the start of my A/S. Now I'm target for 3 As :smile:

Don't forget you are only 16, and when you go university, the admissions tutors know you will be in a completely different mindset!

Reply 3

ChelsRottie

Thank you both of you. :smile:

That's put me a little more at ease, lol. I think I've just taken the GCSEs too lightly before now, so at least this'll give me a kick up the backside and when I start college I can really focus.

Kasc, that improvement's very heartening. Well done on getting that far, and I hope I can do similarly.

Reply 4

kookabura

Calm down and stop stressing! Whatever happens, happens and worrying yourself silly now won't help! When you've got your results you can look then at what you definately have and see what potential routes you have open to you. There is little point worrying too much now about what might be and second guessing what grades you think you've got :smile:

When you have got your grades look at each unis requirements, they all seem to be slightly different with GCSEs. Obviously there is no point applying to somewhere that you def don't meet the requirements of, but if I remember right some of them don't state what they want in each subject.

There are access courses - RVC gateway (and some other unis do them as well). But, they are just as competitive as the 'normal' route, and some of them have extra criteria to be eligable. Again, look at all of them and see what you could apply to.

Make sure you are a good applicant in other ways. You are more likely to get away with having a few lower GCSE results if you tick all the other boxes that are needed really well! Your vet work experience is good - its good to have a long term placement. Have you got other work experience arranged? Might be worth starting some this summer to save you having to fit as much in whilst you are at college. Ideally you want small and large animal vet work. Farms - sheep/lambing, dairy, prehaps pigs. Dogs/cats (kennels, animal shelter etc) and horses. And then if you have time the odd 'extra' can stand out as being a bit different, zoo, vet lab etc. Do you do any other extra curric stuff? Scouting/guiding/Duke of Ed/charity and voluntary work etc etc. Doesn't have to be animal stuff, but is all stuff that shows you are a well rounded person :smile:

Try and start well with your a levels, it can be a big step up work wise and a lot of people don't start well enough in their first year and suddenly realise at exam time they need to get their backside in gear and spend the second year catching up and resitting. Most of the uni's want bio and chem and aren't bothered about what your third a level is in - so prehaps make sure you pick something you can fairly easily get a good grade in and then focus on bio and chem.

Reply 5

ChelsRottie

Thanks everyone. Just gotta work on everything else, then.

kookabura

Have you got other work experience arranged? Might be worth starting some this summer to save you having to fit as much in whilst you are at college. Ideally you want small and large animal vet work. Farms - sheep/lambing, dairy, prehaps pigs. Dogs/cats (kennels, animal shelter etc) and horses. And then if you have time the odd 'extra' can stand out as being a bit different, zoo, vet lab etc. Do you do any other extra curric stuff? Scouting/guiding/Duke of Ed/charity and voluntary work etc etc. Doesn't have to be animal stuff, but is all stuff that shows you are a well rounded person :smile:

So far myself and a friend who also wants to be a vet have found a week at a big stable and two weekends at a farm. We're looking for rescue/kennels at the minute and might end up doing an abattoir too which we weren't keen on initially, but will hopefully stand out a bit more. We need to write to a large animal vets to get a week or two each next summer because it's apparently always pretty booked up, and there aren't many L.A. practices near us. And we'll be constantly after anything else we can get. As for non-animal stuff all I have at the minute is some time volunteering with a local charity and instrument lessons. Might be starting horse-riding again soon and maybe I'll join a sports team at college. Ooh I need to buld my fitness up a tad over summer, might be a bit busy from now on. xD

Reply 6

katieza

Hey,

Well we're in a similar position I'm in year 10 and doing my GCSE's and have always wanted to be a vet, I too go to a practice twice a week for over half a year now and couldn't be more certain this is the career I want to pursue.

I know its extremely agitating looking into the future and knowing we have so much pressure on ourselves to get the best grades if we want to get into a vet uni. Personally when I go to my local practice I get motivated to persevere just knowing that its around the corner is frightening but work your ass of and you'll achieve it!

I know vets/vet students who got 10 A* however I also know others who got 8 A's and a few A* 's with maybe some B's. So there's a range!

STUDY STUDY STUDY

Good Luck!

Reply 7

JoMC

Some vet schools do the BVetMed course with a preliminary year...I think Nottingham and Bristol do this...Don't know about the others. I've not looked into it much but as far as i know you need AAB at A-level in any subject...The prelim year gets you up to scratch on the science based knowledge i assume. But that might be worth considering if you are academically stronger in other subject areas.
And also think about the Gateway courses