The Student Room Group

Scroll to see replies

JUST READ ONE POINT IN THE "OP" WHICH HAS MADE ME REALLY ANGRY:

According to the OP you can not get into a top University on Access to HE - utter crap.

I have got into Bath, and had offers from Exeter and Leeds as well (studying Politics). The universities looking at Access students will judge your application based on the strength of your personal statement and tutor reference.

I was not called to a single interview buit some of my class-mates were at UCL and LSE and they got in as well.

Finally, one of the girls on my course got into Cambridge (not sure which College) to study History. She was not even the first student to do it from my college, as there was one student who went to Cambridge to study Law, has a first and a training contract with Slaughter & May (which he turned down).

Access is great of you get a good college top study it at - and the grades that Bath asked me for to pass with were possibly easier to acheive then the AAA required from A-level students.
Reply 81
Original post by NatJS
I haven't read the whole of the thread but hopefully it's full of rebuttals to your post, OP.

I completed the course at Birkbeck in Maths and Physics and received offers from Bristol, Surrey and Edinburgh to study Electronic Engineering - Surrey being the 2nd best place in the country to study that subject, and Edinburgh in the top 10. Other classmates received offers from Imperial (theoretical physics), Bristol (engineering) and Southampton (electronic engineering).

That doesn't tally with your generalisations at all...


Was it a Certificate to HE course you did? And how long did it take you?
Just wondering because I'm considering to apply at Birkbeck. :]
Reply 82
Original post by pandora__
Was it a Certificate to HE course you did? And how long did it take you?
Just wondering because I'm considering to apply at Birkbeck. :]


Hey, sorry for the slow reply but I only just saw your post.

Yes it was Certificate of HE and it took a year to do. There is an option to spread it out over 2 years (maths in the first year, physics in the second or vice versa) but if you've the time I'd recommend doing it one year as by the time you get to the end of the second year you'll find you've forgotten everything from the first! The physics is pretty straightforward but I found I had to put in a fair amount of study time outside of the class for maths because there was so much covered in the course - the other students generally found this to be the case as well. I'd highly recommend it!
I don't like this first top post. Access isn't for lazy people, as this author might be suggesting between lines, it's for busy people! Who, for example like me went straight into employment and AREN'T too lazy to spend 2 years and go on to pass exams.

Access is not applicable for studying Law later? What a nonsense!!! I personally have 2 friends who have gone into Law and have just started studying it! We did the same Access course. And it DOES require you to do logic based subjects!

On my course you can NOT re-submit your work. You failed it - that's it. Access is not such a bl**dy easy course, it requires loads of research and submitting a lot of assignments which must be based on books that go far veyond A-level books.

Access to He can be easily converted into semi-UCAs points. MANY Universities have entry requirements for Access students posted on-line.

And yes, you can easily get into good course if you work hard on your Access course. First of all unis look at mature students in a very good way - we are mature, we've spent some years out of education which helped us decide what to do, really. What we want to do.

Another ex-student from my course (South Staffordshire College) got into 6-year Medicine at Durham (including foundation year) as he took logic-based & health-based subjects and he proved to them that it really is what he wants to do.
Reply 84
^ The OP has been debunked hundreds of times.

I appreciate the OP was just trying to be helpful, he was just wrong, but he does have a point about A-levels. If you have the time and can afford to do them (£300-700 per subject depending on college/provider/etc), they do open up slightly more options since they are the traditional route. For example, if you want to study at Imperial College London, you have to do A-levels (or the IB) regardless of whether you're 18 or 38 because they simply don't accept the Access course for any of their programmes.
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by Maria_Butterfly
I don't like this first top post. Access isn't for lazy people, as this author might be suggesting between lines, it's for busy people! Who, for example like me went straight into employment and AREN'T too lazy to spend 2 years and go on to pass exams.

Access is not applicable for studying Law later? What a nonsense!!! I personally have 2 friends who have gone into Law and have just started studying it! We did the same Access course. And it DOES require you to do logic based subjects!

On my course you can NOT re-submit your work. You failed it - that's it. Access is not such a bl**dy easy course, it requires loads of research and submitting a lot of assignments which must be based on books that go far veyond A-level books.

Access to He can be easily converted into semi-UCAs points. MANY Universities have entry requirements for Access students posted on-line.

And yes, you can easily get into good course if you work hard on your Access course. First of all unis look at mature students in a very good way - we are mature, we've spent some years out of education which helped us decide what to do, really. What we want to do.

Another ex-student from my course (South Staffordshire College) got into 6-year Medicine at Durham (including foundation year) as he took logic-based & health-based subjects and he proved to them that it really is what he wants to do.


I have to totally agree with u Maria_Butterfly Access isnt certainly the easy option neither is it easy.It gets you to the necessary study standard for a degree in less than a year.I have heard these particular comments time after time from numerous students who have rather a) never done Access so dont know what they are about and have no inclination about how hard it is etc or B)from students who droped out of A levels or did A levels but didnt get decent grades and did them years ago and as a result decided to do Access

Maybe i am a bit basis having done a Recent Pre-Access and now Access but by the amount of work you are given on the level 3 course i wouldnt say it was at all easy unless u one of these very academic students who just breeze through the credits with no problems and get straight Distinctions

This argument is so old its unbeliavable.I am getting fed up of students who say its so easy and u werent brainer enough to do the A levels and so forth so chose the easy option
I have to say to these students you dont know what you talking about.I am sure most of the TSR forum members who done Access last year or the year before and even this year will agree that its enjoyable and interesting but its hard work,you only get out of it what you put into it like anything these days

I do apologise if i have offended any A level students or anyone else by my comments but the simple fact is at the end of the day you rather choose to do A levels and take 2 years to do them in or you choose to do Access and get to university much sooner but be prepared to be chuck assignments at you from the word go

I will also believe that Access courses certainly prepare you to do a degree,a lot of universities highly regrad them.I do hope one day that Access courses will be worth UCAS points like the A levels are because its about time they were.The Access courses as far as i can remember have been going since the early 1990s and maybe a few years before that

The other great idea by the Open College Networks was deciding to grade them from a Pass ie just meet the criteria to Merit do a bit more than whats needed to do get a Pass to Distinctions which as we are aware of do a lot more analyseing or critically analyse etc

As a result most universities who have good reputations in their respective fields likely ask applicants to get so many distinctions or merits.
I wanted to take an access course but I've chosen the A level route because so many graduate schemes do use A levels to filter applications. I don't want to take the risk and trust to hope that an access course would pass the filtration process.
I took an access course last year and got into Newcastle, I had other offers form top unis (e.g. York) and I've found I've been better prepared for the course than the A level students I' working alongside.
My tutor at uni also took the access route and now holds a doctorate and is a senior lecturer.
I also worked full time alongside my access course-how many A level students could do that?
I have to disagree with the op. I did an access course last year when I was 22, I am married and have a family so it was a perfect choice. I do not belive it is really easy, it all depends on the subjects you choose to study and how many credits you need to gain. As someone else has mentioned hopefully in the next couple of years it will be on the UCAS tarriff so will be worth points. I am currently studying law at NTU and on my first ever practice coursework I got 65% (2:1) which to say I have not been in education for 7 years now and have not particularly immersed myself in law is quite good.

I would recommend the access course.:smile:
One has to remove the emotion from the subject. Access to HE will suit some better than others, simply doing A levels will serve others better and there are other routes that serve others better. This is true from both the perspective of individuals and institution/course combinations.

The issue with the debate as I see it is there is no context. No doubt that depending upon where one is targeting to study and what one is targeting to study, either route maybe the percentage bet upon which to put your educational wager. The discussion about absolute relative merit / difficulty is irrelevent, all that matters is success rate in the different scenarios. So being able to quote that 1 or even 10 mature students had success using one route is meaningless without context. The context includes the individuals employment and pastimes, family situation, other qualifications already held, which ever route is taken. Quoting rare examples from a sample of 100s of thousands (> 1000000 if a few years cycles are considered), is for either route is misleading, and meaningless without context for the examples (which may be rare exceptions) cited.

(Avoiding route A as it may be associated with Access or A level.)

So for route B to degree subject XXX Y mature individuals applied to Super Uni Limited, Y/1000 received offers but for route C it was Y/50. Then you need to understand the context of the successful ones, especially in the former case, without context the whole exercise is futile and misleading.

Student Ms Anom, received an offer from Super Uni Limited and Very good Uni Limited, having followed route C and has just completed her Ecology degree. Excellent that is a plus vote for Ecology via route C..........but is it....... actually only 20 out of 2000 applicants using route C got offers for Ecology, and the individual referred to had been a member of their natural history society for 20 years, had published several documents on its website regarding local population surveys and local conservation projects, as well as having completed, 10 years ago, the 60 credit Open University foundation (L1) module in science and a (L2) 30 OU credit module in animal population dynamics and modelling, passed with distinction.

I have posted the link to the Data for numbers of mature students reaching Uni by course type and qualification route, in the Access - Applying for physics thread. This does not measure offers received but folks who start, i.e. they received offers that they could meet, no context available except disadvantaged postcode. Lots of other useful stuff on that site which , if analysed, might help an individual choose the correct route for them, factored by personal circumstances such as those indentified in earlier posts. The head line is that all routes are equally successful for Physical Sciences and mathematical sciences. In fact no route is dominant for these two subjects, what is very clear is that very few mature students either choose these subjects, and/or get offers they subsequently meet.

The issue is that most of these Access / A level / or whatever route threads end up as Canon V Nikon, which are equally unproductive if one is looking for information on which camera would suit you best.
Access isn't the easiest course to do, this is coming from someone that got a 2:1 in Geography KCL in his first year and BBB at A-Level, before there were A*. People underestimate the work involved in predominately a science based access course, its just not accepted to the elite universities for there more prestigious courses. Obviously so, they would be more inclined to want there more traditional qualifications which are more recognisable across the board. I am quite fortunate to have A-Levels just not in science based subjects. But in reality people doing an Access course are just as able and probably more motivated then students doing A-Levels. Im more relax doing A-Levels, because you can always retake units, but with Access course there is no retakes,lol. In all fairness the best universities want the Access Course as a supplement to A-Levels for mature students, like the London School of Pharmacy. I have an interview at UCL for Biochemical Engineering be quite interesting what they have to say. Put it this way Access to Medicine at Lambeth College isn't easy, its a lot harder to manage.
(edited 12 years ago)
Reply 91
Thank god for jellybeanzx comments - the op nearly scared the pee out of me.
Before I start a little background info:

Have no GCSE’s

Never been to college before (first level 3)

Suffer ADHD w/ Dyslexia

Been working since I was 16



Now it really annoys me that as an access student you get many people saying, “It’s the easy way in”. Well no, access students are far more diverse than A level students. Many have children, full-time jobs, live independently or have been out of education for a number of years. I obviously cannot compare A-levels to an Access course and arguably so cant students who have studied both. My tutors have taught both and even they find them too hard to compare, you gain different skills from both. However, none as a qualification is better than another; it all depends on the individual.

I have nearly completed my access course this year and been able to hit all the top grades in all my coursework. It was not easy, especially when you are working and have other commitments. I had done a lot of independent reading and a lot of essay writing. After xmas the pace really quickens, as I wanted the top grades I was writing 3000 word essays every week. Essays involved reading loads of journals and obviously referencing. I understand A-levels students do a lot of hard work as well, but I do not think many have other commitments such as work, family ect. Again the difficulty of any course depends on the student and there situation.

As for prospective students, there is nothing wrong in doing an access course you will not be discriminated against. I have offers to study sociology from LSE, Glasgow University, Manchester University, Nottingham University and Leeds University (joint honours w/ international relations). I firmed Glasgow and have Manchester University as my insurance. However, I did have an interview at Manchester and they were so supportive of mature students. We had an informal conversation about social class, feminism, educational achievement ect. The interviewer told me a-level students who achieve AAAA could not do what I did without opening a book; they often lack life experience that is so beneficial for a humanities student. Now yes I understand such an interview was course specific but life experience is arguably beneficial for all courses. Back to the point, universities will accept access students. Under wider-participation, universities are pressures to accept access students or any non-traditional rout to university. However, some universities ask for GCSE’s which I believe is not helpful for mature students. Always do your research before you even start your course. Does the course require GCSE’s, what grades are they asking for, location, finance and obviously childcare (to whom it applies to).

Now I am coming from an humanities students perspective but arguably the same applies to students who want to study mathematics, engineering ect. Not all access courses are the same, they comprise of modules that award points that accumulate to a minimum of 45 credits. You do an English and Maths level 2 equivalents beside the course for students who do not have those GCSE’s at grade C or above. Colleges have so many types of access courses, some have 60+ credits and others have the minimum of 45. Again, you have to contact your local college to ask them if the access course will be enough to prepare them for their chosen subject. Courses that have 60+ are incredibly intense and cover more modules than those that compromise of only 45 credits. Even if you enrol on a course that is only 45 credits, you will be fine as long as you compensate by independently exploring the subject. The subjects you study on your access course is also important; make sure you enrol on a course that is relevant to what you want to study at uni. Some universities make it clear which subjects you have to study on their admissions page. Best bet is to contact the university prior. Again, some courses you may study two subjects and others you may study three. There all different, so do not be afraid to ask your college which modules and subjects are on offer.

Another note for students who are thinking about enrolling on an access course, “THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A ACADEMIC PERSON”. I personally have never been associated with anything “academic” prior to starting this course. At secondary school I was explicitly told to pursue a career and not education, that along with my condition I dint go college. What I find really disheartening is when people who want to go to university are shunned away by false information. Anyone has the ability to go to university to study whatever. As mature student all you need to do is plan and be highly motivated, that’s it. Talk to college advisors, call universities ect. Most or all universities treat mature students differently. A-levels are way too expensive for most people however, access course can be paid for depending on the prospective student. If you work, have family ect. then such a course is prefect for entering higher education.

P.S anyone who wants more info don't be afraid to drop me a PM, also please excuse my grammar and spelling.
I might be doing an access course in humanities at Liverpool City college. I'm 20 going on 21 when i start. I've got an interview this Wednesday. Still unsure whether to do it as I want to go to uni in Holland. I've messaged the uni but still haven't had a reply. If I can get in then I'll probably do it but it is a hard choice. I did Alevels and could have done well but messed up my second year. I just couldn't be bothered. I went college every day but just smoked bud all day and never went to my lessons. I could probably count the amount of lessons I went to on two hands. For those who read i must clarify, my choice to go to Holland most definitely isn't because I can smoke bud legally, I'm not prepared to mess up again. If I went i would spend less money on my whole degree than someone over here for just their first year. I want to study International Relations and Organisations or, Liberal Arts and Sciences. One of the two.
Original post by princessnads
I might be doing an access course in humanities at Liverpool City college. I'm 20 going on 21 when i start. I've got an interview this Wednesday. Still unsure whether to do it as I want to go to uni in Holland. I've messaged the uni but still haven't had a reply. If I can get in then I'll probably do it but it is a hard choice. I did Alevels and could have done well but messed up my second year. I just couldn't be bothered. I went college every day but just smoked bud all day and never went to my lessons. I could probably count the amount of lessons I went to on two hands. For those who read i must clarify, my choice to go to Holland most definitely isn't because I can smoke bud legally, I'm not prepared to mess up again. If I went i would spend less money on my whole degree than someone over here for just their first year. I want to study International Relations and Organisations or, Liberal Arts and Sciences. One of the two.


I hope the Dutch universities give you a positive answer. I'd be interested in how they respond to access courses/applicants without A levels as I also considered applying (to Leiden university). If they say they need A levels, would you do them?
Does anyone know about applying to do Economics with an Access course, as opposed to A-levels?
Original post by Arsenalforlifee
Does anyone know about applying to do Economics with an Access course, as opposed to A-levels?

It may be possible, but you'll need to trawl through the university websites to find ones that will accept it, and then call/email them to make sure. At the university I'm about to go to, for instance (Royal Holloway), they appear to accept Access for Economics BSc, but ask for grade A in maths GCSE.

You may need to choose your Access provider carefully too: one that offers some level 3 maths would definitely give you an advantage.
Reply 97
Original post by Arsenalforlifee
Does anyone know about applying to do Economics with an Access course, as opposed to A-levels?


I know about it. What would you like to know?

I studied an Access course, and have just graduated from Birmingham Uni having done Econ and Finance.
has anyone done an access course to get onto a radiography course?
also how may hours are you at college per week on the access to he? what study guides did you buy?
also were you required to do an assessment by the college? what format did it take, thanks in advance
(edited 9 years ago)
Hi guys. Has anybody studied access to science/Life science courses, to study biomedicine/biochem/biomed sciences at degree level?