Failed A levels three times! Seeking advice!
Heya,
I'm a bit shocked at the moment and I don't really know what to do, and was told by a friend this might be a good place to ask for advice. I'm 20 years old and ideally would like to study a degree in PPE.
Recently I've taken a C3 maths exam and its very likely i've failed it due to the amount of questions I was unsure on, and the amount I couldn't answer. This means it is extremely unlikely I am going to be able to get the B grade in maths I need to be accepted by York University who accepted me earlier this year.
I'm repeating A levels and this is my third time trying A levels and I've been doing them in total for four years now. (This time it was an intensive one year course at an expensive boarding school!).
Given that its likely i've failed at maths, and will be unable to go to most univeristies (who seem to need three A levels.) I am unsure about what path I should take from here I can either:
1) Hope that I can some decent results in my other subjects (physics and history) and get accepted to probably quite a low ranking university (No idea if this is worthwhile or not, you'd think it would have to have some worth as people go there, but you hear horror stories about people going there and realising they've wasted three years and a lot of money for a rubbish degree.)
2) Accept I can't do A levels and try something else. Quite a depressing thought as I don't think I'd like to work at job that doesn't require any qualifications and it is unlikely to hold much I enjoy or much in the way of a future I imagine.
3) Try A levels again next year. I'd be somewhat upset to be going in to university at 21, the same year my friends from the first school i've tried A levels at are leaving it but it might be the best option if I want to work in a field that requires a degree from a good university.
Would anyone with some knowlege or experience in thee matters offer me some advice?
Thanks in advance for taking the time to read this/any responses you might give.
I'm a bit shocked at the moment and I don't really know what to do, and was told by a friend this might be a good place to ask for advice. I'm 20 years old and ideally would like to study a degree in PPE.
Recently I've taken a C3 maths exam and its very likely i've failed it due to the amount of questions I was unsure on, and the amount I couldn't answer. This means it is extremely unlikely I am going to be able to get the B grade in maths I need to be accepted by York University who accepted me earlier this year.
I'm repeating A levels and this is my third time trying A levels and I've been doing them in total for four years now. (This time it was an intensive one year course at an expensive boarding school!).
Given that its likely i've failed at maths, and will be unable to go to most univeristies (who seem to need three A levels.) I am unsure about what path I should take from here I can either:
1) Hope that I can some decent results in my other subjects (physics and history) and get accepted to probably quite a low ranking university (No idea if this is worthwhile or not, you'd think it would have to have some worth as people go there, but you hear horror stories about people going there and realising they've wasted three years and a lot of money for a rubbish degree.)
2) Accept I can't do A levels and try something else. Quite a depressing thought as I don't think I'd like to work at job that doesn't require any qualifications and it is unlikely to hold much I enjoy or much in the way of a future I imagine.
3) Try A levels again next year. I'd be somewhat upset to be going in to university at 21, the same year my friends from the first school i've tried A levels at are leaving it but it might be the best option if I want to work in a field that requires a degree from a good university.
Would anyone with some knowlege or experience in thee matters offer me some advice?
Thanks in advance for taking the time to read this/any responses you might give.
(edited 12 years ago)
Scroll to see replies
Original post by emmakh123
access course/degree with a foundation year maybe?
Would that get me to a better university that just trying A levels again and getting an higher grade? (If I can do that?). I didn't think so last year which was why I tried to spend this year doing A levels again, but could be wrong I guess.
Any other ideas? 
I really don't like how this is going to sound, but if it's going to take you four or more tries to scrape the grades required to get into university from A levels then I don't really think University is the right place to go for you. It's a big step up and if A levels have overwhelmed you so much then a degree will be much worse. There's very few people who attempt University after even one or two tries, let alone three, and it's not because they can't be bothered, but because they know they won't cope in university. :/
Is there a reason that you keep failing?
If it is that they are just difficult, maybe a degree with eonomics in isnt for you.
Maybe you should try Open University...you could work at a slower pace than you would normally have to.
If it is that they are just difficult, maybe a degree with eonomics in isnt for you.
Maybe you should try Open University...you could work at a slower pace than you would normally have to.
(edited 12 years ago)
Be a hairdresser
Definitely not option 3.
Original post by Gangsterio77
Would that get me to a better university that just trying A levels again and getting an higher grade? (If I can do that?). I didn't think so last year which was why I tried to spend this year doing A levels again, but could be wrong I guess.
maybe, maybe not. but either way its gonna look crap doing them for the 4th or 5th time tbh. most people retake 1 year at most, mostly because if you cant improve when you repeat once, its unlikely you'll improve much the next time and the next time and so on. plus the fact that after 19, most schools make you pay for your education/fees/exams, and you are going to be wayyyyy behind everyone else your age as mentioned. and if you go for a course with a foundation year this year, you will have the reduced fees still. if you wait to go in september 2012 you will face the £9000 fees like me
Buckle down and do your best to pass your remaining exams before you think about any alternate plans. Not only because you may have done well on your C3 exam - perhaps the grade boundaries are low - but because it's only 1 exam out of 6, and as you only need a B grade your margin of error should be quite significant (unless you mean B in C3 specifically, in which case I still stick to my advice for the other reasons).
You may well be on track to get the grades you need, so just do your bets on the others while you still have the chance, then plan what else you may want to to incase you miss your offer once your exams are over. Who knows, even if yyou narrowly miss your offer, they may let you in.
You may well be on track to get the grades you need, so just do your bets on the others while you still have the chance, then plan what else you may want to to incase you miss your offer once your exams are over. Who knows, even if yyou narrowly miss your offer, they may let you in.
Did you take the same subjects 3 times? or just different ones?
If it was the same subjects i found maths and physics really hard and ended up with a E and a U first time round. I repeated and now expected grades are AABB.
But if you've took different subjects every time then you should probably try something different such as a college course or look for apprentiships in your area as they often give you A level equivilants or at least offer you some kind of qualification you can use to find further work
If it was the same subjects i found maths and physics really hard and ended up with a E and a U first time round. I repeated and now expected grades are AABB.
But if you've took different subjects every time then you should probably try something different such as a college course or look for apprentiships in your area as they often give you A level equivilants or at least offer you some kind of qualification you can use to find further work
Original post by Gangsterio77
Heya,
I'm a bit shocked at the moment and I don't really know what to do, and was told by a friend this might be a good place to ask for advice. I'm 20 years old and ideally would like to study a degree in PPE.
Recently I've taken a C3 maths exam and its very likely i've failed it due to the amount of questions I was unsure on, and the amount I couldn't answer. This means it is extremely unlikely I am going to be able to get the B grade in maths I need to be accepted by York University who accepted me earlier this year.
I'm repeating A levels and this is my third time trying A levels and I've been doing them in total for four years now. (This time it was an intensive one year course at an expensive boarding school!).
Given that its likely i've failed at maths, and will be unable to go to most univeristies (who seem to need three A levels.) I am unsure about what path I should take from here I can either:
1) Hope that I can some decent results in my other subjects (physics and history) and get accepted to probably quite a low ranking university (No idea if this is worthwhile or not, you'd think it would have to have some worth as people go there, but you hear horror stories about people going there and realising they've wasted three years and a lot of money for a rubbish degree.)
2) Accept I can't do A levels and try something else. Quite a depressing thought as I don't think I'd like to work at job that doesn't require any qualifications and it is unlikely to hold much I enjoy or much in the way of a future I imagine.
3) Try A levels again next year. I'd be somewhat upset to be going in to university at 21, the same year my friends from the first school i've tried A levels at are leaving it but it might be the best option if I want to work in a field that requires a degree from a good university.
Would anyone with some knowlege or experience in thee matters offer me some advice?
Thanks in advance for taking the time to read this/any responses you might give.
I'm a bit shocked at the moment and I don't really know what to do, and was told by a friend this might be a good place to ask for advice. I'm 20 years old and ideally would like to study a degree in PPE.
Recently I've taken a C3 maths exam and its very likely i've failed it due to the amount of questions I was unsure on, and the amount I couldn't answer. This means it is extremely unlikely I am going to be able to get the B grade in maths I need to be accepted by York University who accepted me earlier this year.
I'm repeating A levels and this is my third time trying A levels and I've been doing them in total for four years now. (This time it was an intensive one year course at an expensive boarding school!).
Given that its likely i've failed at maths, and will be unable to go to most univeristies (who seem to need three A levels.) I am unsure about what path I should take from here I can either:
1) Hope that I can some decent results in my other subjects (physics and history) and get accepted to probably quite a low ranking university (No idea if this is worthwhile or not, you'd think it would have to have some worth as people go there, but you hear horror stories about people going there and realising they've wasted three years and a lot of money for a rubbish degree.)
2) Accept I can't do A levels and try something else. Quite a depressing thought as I don't think I'd like to work at job that doesn't require any qualifications and it is unlikely to hold much I enjoy or much in the way of a future I imagine.
3) Try A levels again next year. I'd be somewhat upset to be going in to university at 21, the same year my friends from the first school i've tried A levels at are leaving it but it might be the best option if I want to work in a field that requires a degree from a good university.
Would anyone with some knowlege or experience in thee matters offer me some advice?
Thanks in advance for taking the time to read this/any responses you might give.
1. You don't know you've failed at Maths. You may well get a B. Do the best that you can in your other subjects and see what happens.
2. Look at alternatives throughout the summer, including Open University and a foundation degree.
3. On results day, get in very quickly for Clearing. If the University route is your chosen one, then be prepared to go to a worse uni through Clearing.
4. If you don't get in through clearing, then you may have to reassess your options and think about doing a job in the interim. Do you really want to go to Uni at 21, three years behind most?
Just a few thoughts.
Original post by Gangsterio77
Heya,
I'm a bit shocked at the moment and I don't really know what to do, and was told by a friend this might be a good place to ask for advice. I'm 20 years old and ideally would like to study a degree in PPE.
Recently I've taken a C3 maths exam and its very likely i've failed it due to the amount of questions I was unsure on, and the amount I couldn't answer. This means it is extremely unlikely I am going to be able to get the B grade in maths I need to be accepted by York University who accepted me earlier this year.
I'm repeating A levels and this is my third time trying A levels and I've been doing them in total for four years now. (This time it was an intensive one year course at an expensive boarding school!).
Given that its likely i've failed at maths, and will be unable to go to most univeristies (who seem to need three A levels.) I am unsure about what path I should take from here I can either:
1) Hope that I can some decent results in my other subjects (physics and history) and get accepted to probably quite a low ranking university (No idea if this is worthwhile or not, you'd think it would have to have some worth as people go there, but you hear horror stories about people going there and realising they've wasted three years and a lot of money for a rubbish degree.)
2) Accept I can't do A levels and try something else. Quite a depressing thought as I don't think I'd like to work at job that doesn't require any qualifications and it is unlikely to hold much I enjoy or much in the way of a future I imagine.
3) Try A levels again next year. I'd be somewhat upset to be going in to university at 21, the same year my friends from the first school i've tried A levels at are leaving it but it might be the best option if I want to work in a field that requires a degree from a good university.
Would anyone with some knowlege or experience in thee matters offer me some advice?
Thanks in advance for taking the time to read this/any responses you might give.
I'm a bit shocked at the moment and I don't really know what to do, and was told by a friend this might be a good place to ask for advice. I'm 20 years old and ideally would like to study a degree in PPE.
Recently I've taken a C3 maths exam and its very likely i've failed it due to the amount of questions I was unsure on, and the amount I couldn't answer. This means it is extremely unlikely I am going to be able to get the B grade in maths I need to be accepted by York University who accepted me earlier this year.
I'm repeating A levels and this is my third time trying A levels and I've been doing them in total for four years now. (This time it was an intensive one year course at an expensive boarding school!).
Given that its likely i've failed at maths, and will be unable to go to most univeristies (who seem to need three A levels.) I am unsure about what path I should take from here I can either:
1) Hope that I can some decent results in my other subjects (physics and history) and get accepted to probably quite a low ranking university (No idea if this is worthwhile or not, you'd think it would have to have some worth as people go there, but you hear horror stories about people going there and realising they've wasted three years and a lot of money for a rubbish degree.)
2) Accept I can't do A levels and try something else. Quite a depressing thought as I don't think I'd like to work at job that doesn't require any qualifications and it is unlikely to hold much I enjoy or much in the way of a future I imagine.
3) Try A levels again next year. I'd be somewhat upset to be going in to university at 21, the same year my friends from the first school i've tried A levels at are leaving it but it might be the best option if I want to work in a field that requires a degree from a good university.
Would anyone with some knowlege or experience in thee matters offer me some advice?
Thanks in advance for taking the time to read this/any responses you might give.
If it turns out you haven't done well this year, I think a foundation year would be the best option for you. I had a couple of whacks at A-levels, (the first time I had to stop due to personal circumstances, and the second time my college stopped doing them halfway through my course!!) I have since done an access course, but I wish I had done a foundation year as my access course turned out to be pretty ropey! I think it would be better for your self esteem, if nothing else to be in the University system. Also the fee hike is a big consideration....
If you choose to do an access course, make sure you do a QAA approved one and get them to give you a break-down of all the modules and credits that are attached to them.
Otherwise, you could just take some time out to work a bit and travel a bit. It will give you some time to clear your head and really think about what you want to do and how attainable your goals are.
I wouldn't worry about going to uni a bit later, there will be plenty of mature students and everybody else seems to grow up considerably by second year
But above all don't do A-levels again. Please. x
Go down the apprenticeship route? If you've failed your A-Levels 3 times there must be a reason for it, whether that you haven't studied enough/hard enough, or you're just not academic.. But I'd definitely avoid option 3, if you have to sit your A Levels 4 times to pass, then University is not for you.
Thanks for the responses everyone!
In my defense I have suffed from some illness over the past few years (although none at all this year, which was meant to be my big break where i finally sort my life out etc etc) I just feel so, utterly, utterly terrible at my dreams being basically ruined due to the amount of retakes. I mean, if i honestly can't get into university I don't know what i'll do. I swear swear I am good at the subject I like, I just can't get past these goddamn A levels. Its utterly utterly disheartinging. I don't know if I can accept spending my life working at a job I have very little intrest in, I just don't know how I (or anyone? No offence intended to those who do that and find it okay) could do that without wanting to die etc etc? Jeez I don't know, i'm ranting, sorry about that. I'll try and look into the things mentioned and digest them.
To answer some specific questions:
There are some explainable reasons behind me failing. For the first time taking A levels, I was pretty ill with OCD and to a limited degree, Crohn's disease, which I had a few years earlier but was in the process of going away by this time. The second time, I attempted a course but had to drop out after a month because I was finding it too hard to manage to go outside at the time (due to the previously mentioned OCD). My third time, everything was pretty functional health wise, I just couldn't, despite it being a really brilliant boarding school paid for by my family (which I am utterly grateful for), I just couldn't put in enough hours. I can't bloody focus. I just can't like, consistantly put in the effort, I don't know why. Its not like I was having too strenous a lifestyle, its just my brain goes foggy and I can't focus and its like walking though treacle to take out my textbooks. I don't know if this is a common feeling, or to what degree, but I found it very difficult to do the required amount of work!
As far as university not being for me. I don't know dude, if it isn't for me I have a hard time finding out what is because there doesn't seem anything else in life I could possibly enjoy to a degree I want. I'd just feel utterly crushed and horrible facing my friends who have been to university and are doing what they actually enjoy and being taught by people who are great in the field they enjoy! Ugh! I guess I don't "have" the luxury of making that choice, but those are the feelings it provokes which I find, at the moment, really impossible to accept.
Lastly, yes I will try my best for the remaining exams despite this.
Thanks for taking the time to respond everyone!
In my defense I have suffed from some illness over the past few years (although none at all this year, which was meant to be my big break where i finally sort my life out etc etc) I just feel so, utterly, utterly terrible at my dreams being basically ruined due to the amount of retakes. I mean, if i honestly can't get into university I don't know what i'll do. I swear swear I am good at the subject I like, I just can't get past these goddamn A levels. Its utterly utterly disheartinging. I don't know if I can accept spending my life working at a job I have very little intrest in, I just don't know how I (or anyone? No offence intended to those who do that and find it okay) could do that without wanting to die etc etc? Jeez I don't know, i'm ranting, sorry about that. I'll try and look into the things mentioned and digest them
.To answer some specific questions:
There are some explainable reasons behind me failing. For the first time taking A levels, I was pretty ill with OCD and to a limited degree, Crohn's disease, which I had a few years earlier but was in the process of going away by this time. The second time, I attempted a course but had to drop out after a month because I was finding it too hard to manage to go outside at the time (due to the previously mentioned OCD). My third time, everything was pretty functional health wise, I just couldn't, despite it being a really brilliant boarding school paid for by my family (which I am utterly grateful for), I just couldn't put in enough hours. I can't bloody focus. I just can't like, consistantly put in the effort, I don't know why. Its not like I was having too strenous a lifestyle, its just my brain goes foggy and I can't focus and its like walking though treacle to take out my textbooks. I don't know if this is a common feeling, or to what degree, but I found it very difficult to do the required amount of work!
As far as university not being for me. I don't know dude, if it isn't for me I have a hard time finding out what is because there doesn't seem anything else in life I could possibly enjoy to a degree I want. I'd just feel utterly crushed and horrible facing my friends who have been to university and are doing what they actually enjoy and being taught by people who are great in the field they enjoy! Ugh! I guess I don't "have" the luxury of making that choice, but those are the feelings it provokes which I find, at the moment, really impossible to accept.
Lastly, yes I will try my best for the remaining exams despite this.
Thanks for taking the time to respond everyone!
(edited 12 years ago)
Neither of my parents went to University, yet my Father earns a six-figure salary. I think that should be motivation for you :P
Original post by TheBritishBloke
Neither of my parents went to University, yet my Father earns a six-figure salary. I think that should be motivation for you :P
Thats great. Probably a bit harder to "work your way up" nowadays considering how almost half the people in the UK go to university though.
And I don't think I could manage that. I'm obsessed about PPE and would just really love to spend my life doing that, but I can't pass this hurdle.
Original post by Gangsterio77
Thats great. Probably a bit harder to "work your way up" nowadays considering how almost half the people in the UK go to university though.
And I don't think I could manage that. I'm obsessed about PPE and would just really love to spend my life doing that, but I can't pass this hurdle.
And I don't think I could manage that. I'm obsessed about PPE and would just really love to spend my life doing that, but I can't pass this hurdle.
Did you have any idea of what you wanted to do after a degree?
Original post by TheBritishBloke
Did you have any idea of what you wanted to do after a degree?
Well when I was young (eighteen) and the future seemed bright and full of hope (
) I didn't really have any definite ideas. I just loved that kinda thing and wanted to learn more about it. Now, if I could have a dream, it'd be to work in academia, or write for a newspaper commentary, or something like that. I mean, these are dreams from a guy who's failed A levels three times so they're obviously not really grounded in reality like some people's, but I have a hard time letting go of them I guess.Edit: I do realise how ridiculas I sound mouthing off about my dreams and **** when I can't get decent grades at A levels, i'm just like, trying to summarise how I feel I guess. I've got to think this though and my thoughts are muddled and a bit stressed out and I want to get everything down so I don't make a wrong move, so I'm kinda writing as I think. :P
(edited 12 years ago)
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