Self-Studying For 3 A Levels, 1 AS Level

Help please!

I'm 19 years old and took IB in high school and have an IB certificate, and my results got me into Lund University in Sweden where I'm currently studying Swedish literature (I'm Swedish) (I've only been studying at university for a month and a half).

However, I recently discovered that I have a passion for psychology and want to become a psychotherapist. I also fell in love with Manchester University in England, and they offer a great 3-year psychology course.

The thing is that I don't have the required grades to apply. So I'm thinking about leaving Lund University after finishing this course in December (it's only one term) and then self-studying for three A Levels and one AS Level from January to whenever the next available exam date is, and then applying with those results. I want to take A Levels instead of retaking IB because my experience with IB was a disaster (my year was the first in our school to switch to IB from A Levels and the teachers had no idea how to teach it). I know I can squeeze three A Levels into seven months or so because I took the same courses at IB already and I will put in the work to get three A's.

My question is, is this possible? (How does it work with coursework, a recommendation, etc.?) And will Manchester University consider it a disadvantage that I'm retaking the exams and did so when I'm older (I'll be 20 next summer)?

Reply 1

RJH Glover

Firstly, are your grades from the IB good enough to be accepted at Manchester Uni, it might have be worth ringing them just to see? If not, I don't know what the rules are regarding A-Levels which are two year courses but it might be worth contacting exam boards such as OCR and AQA to see what the rules are but you'd have to take your exams in an official environment. No Uni in the UK will consider it a disadvantage if you start older than the age of 18.

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RJH Glover