The gap year and reapplying questions thread

Original post by teekay1991

I really, really need help! I missed my offers for my firm and insurance choices to study Law. As a result, i had go go through clearng. I was given an offer by Hertfordshire university with an email confirming my offer, only to get get rejected by them because i don't have the relevant gcse maths grade to study Law.
This has left me totally depressed and unsure of my future. I declined all other offers i had from other universities because Hertfordshire gave me an offer.
I want to know whether they are allowed to do this, are they allowed to give an offer (verbal and written) and then go back on it??
Please help me! Feeling sooooo depressed and lost.. :confused:

I think in Clearing they're allowed to do that.

I'm not the authority, but maybe ask Minerva or carnationlilyrose [I think that's her name] as they are pretty well clued up on this sort of thing.

Out of interest, what was your grade in Maths? Seems odd that it would be a requirement, as for most non maths or science degrees they ask for a C or above.

Reply 102

Original post by HollowPointSmile

Did anyone do a gap year with their parents completely opposed to the idea? How did you convince them in the end, or do they hate you now?

My Dad pretended to be opposed but told me last week that he thought the choice I had in clearing was totally wrong and he was very proud of how quickly I'd arranged everything =]

Reply 103

nooneyouknow

Original post by driftingaway

i am toying with the idea of taking a gap year. I missed my firm by a mile - i needed AAB to study law at Reading but acheived BCD. :frown:

decided i didnt want to go my insurance at all, so went through clearing. I've never experienced any thing like it, it was crazy!

I'm actually 2 marks of an A in sociology, 2 marks off a B in health and social care, and 9 marks off a C in business. I've had all three papers sent off for remarks so fingers crossed that i will get my A in socio and C in business. ( I've hated the business course since the start of year 12, didnt enjoy it at all, unhelpful and disorganised teachers, and I suspect the moderators who mark our coursework are either high or drunk when doing so.)

My head of sixthform basically told me to **** off when i told him i wanted to resit year 13, something along the lines off 'historically we've seen that the last 2 year 13 students who did resits didnt improve their grades' and 'just go to any university you can go to ... just go' and 'think about the tution fee's ... i mean it's £9000'

I mean, i get it im **** scared too, £9000 is a LOT of debt but i dont have it in me to go to any random uni - without student accomodation guaranteed. Im scared of moving out anyway... i need to feel secure. Im not sure im mentally and emotionally ready to move out and start at uni.

I currently have an offer to study law at the staffordshire university but i dont know what to do :l

My sixthform will allow me to resit exams and resubmit coursework and im hoping to bump my grades upto AAC ... and maybe sit A2 general studies too. I was hoping to apply to keele, kent, hull, ntu, or maybe even reading for 2012.

My parents are being pretty supportive and understanding ... they did however go completely ape**** when i told them that i was considering retaking as an external candidate. They have this odd fear that i'll not go to uni at all, and turn into a couch potato.

Ive been thinking of the pro's and con's of resitting but other than the obvious tution fee's rise i cant think of anything else. I was hoping to save up some money for uni (since i have zilch in my account atm) and take my driving lessons and get some voluntary work.

i dont know what to doo :frown:

I'm in the same kinda position I'm doing resits and driving lessons to fill my time I really don't see anything bad about taking a year out even with the fees it just means there may be less competition next year :biggrin:

Reply 104

Milky Milk

OP

10

Original post by Phenylethylamine_

I'm trying to re-enrol back into my school and asking whether I have to attend all lessons because I already have a part time job on weekdays and I will do better through private study i.e. studying at home. But, I think I'll have to attend lessons which is kind of a waste of time for me, because I was initially predicted an A in chemistry and now I achieved a B grade, so I just need to really revise myself. Although, I just want to go to school to do end of topic tests and mocks. :P Sighhhhhhhhhhhh

Why don't you just ask your college if you can be an external candidate? This is where you don't enrol back into college or anything and thus don't have to attend lessons, you'll just be going there to take the exams. If they don't allow it then you can always try other colleges/sixth forms/schools around your area.

Reply 105

driftingaway

Original post by skunky x

I personally applied with my 6th Form again, even though I wasn't studying there- they wrote my reference. Ask- it should be easier for you if you do resits there.

You'll have to register completely new, but they'll merge your files and revert your UCAS ID to the one you had this year.

You have to inform student finance that you're not going to university this year- phone them up and get a form. Then, when you apply, you'll use the same information and stuff as you did last year.

thing is, i don't feel very welcome there anymore. I may be resitting as an external candidate but i wont really have any contact with the sixthform office or the staff there. :s-smilie:

some of my family members think it is a waste of time to even bother resitting one subject to get an A. but i want that A, i know i can do it ... i just need to convince my teacher and get her to help me out with resources and feedback on coursework. :colone:

Reply 106

driftingaway

i wanted to go back and resit year 13 but my sixthform wouldnt even hear of it. The head of sixthform who used to be so nice to me a year ago was pushing and pressurising me into going to university this year. I've never felt so humiliated, i cant believe they just turned me away like that.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 107

angelic03

Original post by sr90

Cardiff. I know its still a decent uni but i have no idea how i will cope. I'm not the biggest fan of the course plus i will be so far away from everyone! Going to give it a try and see how i last, if it doesn't work out i'm confident i will get offers again for next year :smile:

Will have to heavily alter my PS from last year though. Can't say i'm looking forward to that :laugh:

How do you know that you'll definitely get offers this year? I'm practically sh*tting myself hoping that this time round the same thing doesn't happen..

Reply 108

angelic03

Original post by HollowPointSmile

Did anyone do a gap year with their parents completely opposed to the idea? How did you convince them in the end, or do they hate you now?

mine! my mum especially :frown:

shes old fashioned so she wants me to take the traditional root. I'm just not listening to her views. she can say what she wants, but in the end I'm the one that has to live with any choices I make so she can't make me do something irrational... just tell them that! lol

Reply 109

driftingaway

Original post by angelic03

mine! my mum especially :frown:

shes old fashioned so she wants me to take the traditional root. I'm just not listening to her views. she can say what she wants, but in the end I'm the one that has to live with any choices I make so she can't make me do something irrational... just tell them that! lol

my parents are pretty old fashioned too. They are constantly harping on about how other girls my age are going to uni this year ..blah blah. I dont know what to do :frown:

they are completely opposed to the gap year. Everyones making me second guess myself and my ability to get my A in my subject. :frown:

Original post by angelic03

How do you know that you'll definitely get offers this year? I'm practically sh*tting myself hoping that this time round the same thing doesn't happen..

I have to be confident really. I've only just got over the stress of results day and if i'm moping around fearing the worst all year, no good will come of it.

Thinking about it though, the signs do look positive. I got 5 offers last year with a crap PS, my PS will be much stronger this time around. Plus i already have two of the grades. I'm expecting 2012 entry to be slightly less competitive than 2011 as well, but not by as much as the media would have you believe.

Original post by driftingaway

some of my family members think it is a waste of time to even bother resitting one subject to get an A. but i want that A, i know i can do it ... i just need to convince my teacher and get her to help me out with resources and feedback on coursework. :colone:

Same here. We always got on fairly well so i hope she's ok with me sending her the odd draft or two!

Reply 111

Original post by driftingaway

thing is, i don't feel very welcome there anymore. I may be resitting as an external candidate but i wont really have any contact with the sixthform office or the staff there. :s-smilie:

some of my family members think it is a waste of time to even bother resitting one subject to get an A. but i want that A, i know i can do it ... i just need to convince my teacher and get her to help me out with resources and feedback on coursework. :colone:

Try local colleges- they tend to be more accommodating than 6th Forms. I had the same issue with mine. Really annoying =(

Reply 112

Milky Milk

OP

10

Original post by driftingaway

my parents are pretty old fashioned too. They are constantly harping on about how other girls my age are going to uni this year ..blah blah. I dont know what to do :frown:

they are completely opposed to the gap year. Everyones making me second guess myself and my ability to get my A in my subject. :frown:

What you and your parents need to realise is that this is your life and what you do with it is your decision. They cut the cord 18 years ago and when you started going school, you were making your own academic choices. For example, what GCSE's you wanted to do, what A-levels you wanted to do and thus what career path you wanted to go on.

Your mistakes are your mistakes and they don't exactly have to live with them. By you not going to university, is it really going to affect them? No, not really. The only affect it has on them is that you'll be living with them for one more year. Besides, I don't even think what you're doing is a mistake but more of a good thing.

If you want the A and are willing to work as hard as possible to get it, then there's no point second guessing yourself because of what people say. You know your abilities. End of.

Reply 113

Original post by Milky Milk

Wow! This thread really has grown over the past few days, nice to see more and more people! (Well it's probably not nice how you got here and everything, but it's nice to see people moving forward) :h:

Omg, I'm so jealous! I've not yet heard back from my college about whether I can return or not so I'm holding off on buying stationary until then. But if and when they say yes, I'll just be rocking back and forth in my bedroom uttering 'Highlighterrrrrrrrs hehehehe' I love stationary shopping :ahee:

I'll never judge you on this!

What do you mean? :holmes:

I want to know about these cringy mistakes and seduction methods.. I mean you can say, we're not applying for the same course :ninja:

I'm with you on the getting sexier front :sexface:

I love stationary! It gives me a sense of purpose and makes me feel like the super-intelligent Queen of A-levels. If only the really cute stuff weren't so expensive and if only I didn't spend so much time making really pretty borders instead of doing my actual work. Oh glitter pens, why are you so sparkly? :sad:

And I meant that I made a lot of layman mistakes in my first PS so I feel WAY more confident this time. Plus I've been calling and e-mailing admissions for unis that I won't go but are on the same level as my firm anyway and chatting to them about what they look for. They thought I was some over-excited year 12 but hey ho! The only reason I'm so sad to even do that in the first place is because my sixth form never taught us anything so I had to do a lot of our own detective research. Our head literally just went "APPLY AND GET OUT OF MY SIGHT :mad:

".

Today's field report (unis I called):

King's College - Getting an offer is relatively straightforward; you just have to tick a certain amount of boxes. Things like a strong PS, reference, interest in subject etc. They don't discriminate that much in subjects that aren't English, Medicine, Law, History, Classics and Dentistry but if you applied for the subjects I just listed at KCL you have a lesser chance. In Med/Law/Dentistry, you have literally zero chance because they are so over-subscribed.

Queen Mary - also do not care about retakes as long as the applicant meets all the other requirements alongside the necessary predicted grades.

York - they do care but they said they would allow leeway if the applicant had compelling reasons and could demonstrate a strong aptitude for their chosen aptitude. The admissions assistant just started going on about some irrelevant vague stuff after that.

So the moral of the story for reapplicants is not to rest on their laurels, get out there and prove why we're so much better than the competition. :smile:

Also, guys at uni > guys at sixth form. :sexface:

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 114

Original post by Strüberry

Also, guys at uni > guys at sixth form. :sexface:

My man has finished his masters. And good lord, is this the truest statement IN THE WHOLE WORLD.

Reply 115

Original post by skunky x

My man has finished his masters. And good lord, is this the truest statement IN THE WHOLE WORLD.

Lucky you. :frown:

Le sigh. I went to an open day at Durham and King's a few months ago and I almost passed out! Who knew higher education could be so titilating? :flutter:

Reply 116

Original post by Strüberry

Lucky you. :frown:

Le sigh. I went to an open day at Durham and King's a few months ago and I almost passed out! Who knew higher education could be so titilating? :flutter:

Well, Bath Spa isn't quite Durham or King's, but he's still damn sexy =]

Reply 117

Original post by skunky x

Well, Bath Spa isn't quite Durham or King's, but he's still damn sexy =]

Aw, are you both at the same uni? You sound cute together. :love:

Reply 118

Original post by Strüberry

Aw, are you both at the same uni? You sound cute together. :love:

I've not even started uni yet- I start at Reading this October [he's 3 1/2 years older than me, whoops!] so that'll be... fun.

He's been amazing at this whole university thing- don't know what my Gap Year would have been without his support!

Reply 119