The Student Room Group

What have I done. :(

I have sort of created this mess. :frown:

O level grades:
Mathematics: A*
English Language: A*
Urdu Language: A*
Physics: A
Chemistry: A
Biology: B
Islamic Studies: A
Pak. Studies: B

A level predicted grades:
Mathematics: A*
Physics: A
Chemistry: A
Biology: B.

College acceptances (for Mechanical Engineering):
Imperial College London.
University College London.
University of Bath.
Cardiff University.
Queen Mary.

Everything was so perfect but then:
A level result:
Physics: C
Mathematics: C
Biology: D
Chemistry: D

I don't know what happened. I haven't had a result like this even in school exams. I spent yesterday crying and whining but I realised I didn't work hard enough. And now I want to. I just need a plan and I can't think of anything.
I'm not sure if I should apply to a university through clearing with such horrible grades. I am also considering retaking these exams. I don't know what's better. I've been advised to take two exams in October, and two in May. But again, I'm not sure if it's ideal and the university would give me the same credit as it would to a student achieving good grades in one go.
And if I take all four exams in May, I'd need decent predicated grades. And with these results, I'm not sure if my teachers would have faith in me. I haven't talked to them yet. And if I take all four in October, it will be easier to apply after I get the result (with no added tension of a conditional offer). But I've just become so scared of taking all four together again. :frown: All of this sounds confusing, and that's exactly how I feel.
I know I messed up this time. And I am willing to stop whining and work really hard. I just can't seem to think of a way to redeem myself.
I did something similar last year, resat and now should be going to either UCL or Kings...

How have you already got your grades???
Reply 2
how could you possibly have your results already? what were your AS grades?
Reply 3
Original post by jimfrederikson
I did something similar last year, resat and now should be going to either UCL or Kings...

How have you already got your grades???


I live in Pakistan. We got our grades yesterday. I don't really know how it works.
How are you going to resit in october and how do you know your grades???
Original post by jimfrederikson
I did something similar last year, resat and now should be going to either UCL or Kings...

How have you already got your grades???


Original post by Lumos
how could you possibly have your results already? what were your AS grades?


Original post by The_Jatt_Joker
How are you going to resit in october and how do you know your grades???


Grades for the CIE board came out yesterday. CIE exams are in October and June/July, and they don't do exams in January.
Reply 6
Original post by s.p2
I live in Pakistan. We got our grades yesterday. I don't really know how it works.


I really want to get my results earlier.
Reply 7
Original post by Lumos
how could you possibly have your results already? what were your AS grades?


I didn't take the AS exams. Our school makes us take all modules together.
And I don't know how it works, but I'm from Pakistan, and we got our results yesterday.
(edited 11 years ago)
Reply 8
I thought you had created Frankenstein's monster.

The important thing to do is to calm down. It may seem terrible now, but there options available for you, I'm just not the right person to accurately tell them to you.
Reply 9
If you think you have the ability to improve then you should resit your exams. If you go through clearing to university then you will always have this academic blotch on your record which will need explanation.

1 year is not a lot in the grand scheme of time/life and with improved grades you can go to one of your target universities and never make the same mistake again of not working hard enough.

Good luck
The first thing that you don't want to do is panic. Although it seems like the end of the world now/you've made a massive mess, these things happen and you are able to amend the outcome.

If you feel that you could have done better, ask for your papers back (although it might be pricey) and see where you went wrong. Maybe you feel that you didn't work hard enough, maybe you didn't get a concept in class that you didn't produce in the exam. But you still have another chance to sort out your grades.

I would recommend that you take a couple of exams in October and a couple in May. That way, you can ensure that you focus on the exams that you are taking and as a result will be able to get the top grades.

You might be seen at a disadvantage if you apply again and taking your A Levels over a 3 year span. I would recommend that if you are going to take a gap year, you should do a scheme if you can to ensure that you are doing something related to your subject. You could also use this year to strengthen the weak parts of your UCAS application (like making your PS stronger).

Again to reiterate, the outcome will be okay. Just try to keep a level head and don't rush into decisions that you might regret. Good luck :smile:
Reply 11
I think the problem here is that you had to do all your exams at once - for me, my first AS-Level units were a big wake-up call; I was predicted AAA in three sciences and came out with BCC. At that point, I realised I needed to work harder and ended up with AAB at the end of the year after re-sitting my January exams.

What I'm trying to say is that you probably do have the potential to do a lot better, but didn't expect the exams to be as difficult as they were (and so you didn't prepare well enough), leading to these bad grades. As such, my advice in this situation would be to re-sit, do better, and study what and where you want to study!

Good luck - I genuinely do hope that everything turns out okay for you! It's a crap situation to be in, but I know from experience that you can turn it around.
knocked A's out at AS Level but came out with D's? is that even possible?
Reply 13
Original post by s.p2
I have sort of created this mess. :frown:

O level grades:
Mathematics: A*
English Language: A*
Urdu Language: A*
Physics: A
Chemistry: A
Biology: B
Islamic Studies: A
Pak. Studies: B

A level predicted grades:
Mathematics: A*
Physics: A
Chemistry: A
Biology: B.

College acceptances (for Mechanical Engineering):
Imperial College London.
University College London.
University of Bath.
Cardiff University.
Queen Mary.

Everything was so perfect but then:
A level result:
Physics: C
Mathematics: C
Biology: D
Chemistry: D

I don't know what happened. I haven't had a result like this even in school exams. I spent yesterday crying and whining but I realised I didn't work hard enough. And now I want to. I just need a plan and I can't think of anything.
I'm not sure if I should apply to a university through clearing with such horrible grades. I am also considering retaking these exams. I don't know what's better. I've been advised to take two exams in October, and two in May. But again, I'm not sure if it's ideal and the university would give me the same credit as it would to a student achieving good grades in one go.
And if I take all four exams in May, I'd need decent predicated grades. And with these results, I'm not sure if my teachers would have faith in me. I haven't talked to them yet. And if I take all four in October, it will be easier to apply after I get the result (with no added tension of a conditional offer). But I've just become so scared of taking all four together again. :frown: All of this sounds confusing, and that's exactly how I feel.
I know I messed up this time. And I am willing to stop whining and work really hard. I just can't seem to think of a way to redeem myself.


The first piece of advice I have is: slap yourself really hard in the face right now. Done that? Good.

What the hell's wrong with you? Hold your nerve, damn it. Looking at the results you received for your O-levels, you're fully capable of getting similar grades if you had worked hard these two years. So don't even think - I'm scared to take those exams again. You have done it before, and you can do it again.

Pick yourself off the ground, dust off, and carry on. There's no way you can possibly change your previous A-level grades, so start planning for your re-takes. Do whatever you have to - study 15 hours a day if you have to.

Keep in mind that this is a fantastic learning opportunity. Many people don't fall so hard, so fast early on in life, and when this happens to them when they've grown up (e.g. getting retrenched during times of economic difficulty), they can't handle it.

If you can pick yourself up and continue working hard for your re-takes, then you'll have the confidence to face whatever challenges life has to throw at you in the future.

I wish you all the best. Good luck! :smile:
(edited 11 years ago)
Reply 14
Original post by Dobrzynski
I thought you had created Frankenstein's monster.

The important thing to do is to calm down. It may seem terrible now, but there options available for you, I'm just not the right person to accurately tell them to you.


Original post by Kerpal
If you think you have the ability to improve then you should resit your exams. If you go through clearing to university then you will always have this academic blotch on your record which will need explanation.

1 year is not a lot in the grand scheme of time/life and with improved grades you can go to one of your target universities and never make the same mistake again of not working hard enough.

Good luck


Original post by cpdavis
The first thing that you don't want to do is panic. Although it seems like the end of the world now/you've made a massive mess, these things happen and you are able to amend the outcome.

If you feel that you could have done better, ask for your papers back (although it might be pricey) and see where you went wrong. Maybe you feel that you didn't work hard enough, maybe you didn't get a concept in class that you didn't produce in the exam. But you still have another chance to sort out your grades.

I would recommend that you take a couple of exams in October and a couple in May. That way, you can ensure that you focus on the exams that you are taking and as a result will be able to get the top grades.

You might be seen at a disadvantage if you apply again and taking your A Levels over a 3 year span. I would recommend that if you are going to take a gap year, you should do a scheme if you can to ensure that you are doing something related to your subject. You could also use this year to strengthen the weak parts of your UCAS application (like making your PS stronger).

Again to reiterate, the outcome will be okay. Just try to keep a level head and don't rush into decisions that you might regret. Good luck :smile:


Original post by tallen90
I think the problem here is that you had to do all your exams at once - for me, my first AS-Level units were a big wake-up call; I was predicted AAA in three sciences and came out with BCC. At that point, I realised I needed to work harder and ended up with AAB at the end of the year after re-sitting my January exams.

What I'm trying to say is that you probably do have the potential to do a lot better, but didn't expect the exams to be as difficult as they were (and so you didn't prepare well enough), leading to these bad grades. As such, my advice in this situation would be to re-sit, do better, and study what and where you want to study!

Good luck - I genuinely do hope that everything turns out okay for you! It's a crap situation to be in, but I know from experience that you can turn it around.


Original post by TGTX
The first piece of advice I have is: slap yourself really hard in the face right now. Done that? Good.

What the hell's wrong with you? Hold your nerve, damn it. Looking at the results you received for your O-levels, you're fully capable of getting similar grades if you had worked hard these two years. So don't even think - I'm scared to take those exams again. You have done it before, and you can do it again.

Pick yourself off the ground, dust off, and carry on. There's no way you can possibly change your previous A-level grades, so start planning for your re-takes. Do whatever you have to - study 15 hours a day if you have to.

Keep in mind that this is a fantastic learning opportunity. Many people don't fall so hard, so fast early on in life, and when this happens to them when they've grown up (e.g. getting retrenched during times of economic difficulty), they can't handle it.

If you can pick yourself up and continue working hard for your re-takes, then you'll have the confidence to face whatever challenges life has to throw at you in the future.

I wish you all the best. Good luck! :smile:


I just wanted to thank all of you. I really needed that. I have decided to retake and I talked to my school counselor about it. He says he would use the same predicted grades for my UCAS application. Also, I've been thinking of things I can add to my personal statement over the year (like an engineering internship, and I've always wanted to learn a new language and I would soon be joining French classes) It's going to be okay, I think. :smile:
I'm only confused about dividing the subjects. I planned on taking Physics and Mathematics this October, but I hear you're supposed to take all of your subjects in one go unless you're taking extras.I'm not sure how true this statement is and how it's going to affect my college application. I would really appreciate if you could comment on that.
Thank you, again. :smile:
(edited 11 years ago)
Reply 15
Original post by s.p2
I just wanted to thank all of you. I really needed that. I have decided to retake and I talked to my school counselor about it. He says he would use the same predicted grades for my UCAS application. Also, I've been thinking of things I can add to my personal statement over the year (like an engineering internship, and I've always wanted to learn a new language and I would soon be joining French classes) It's going to be okay, I think. :smile:
I'm only confused about dividing the subjects. I planned on taking Physics and Mathematics this October, but I hear you're supposed to take all of your subjects in one go unless you're taking extras.I'm not sure how true this statement is and how it's going to affect my college application. I would really appreciate if you could comment on that.
Thank you, again. :smile:


That's great - you're looking ahead, and thinking about things that you can do to improve your situation. Kudos! However, remember to reflect on what went wrong, and focus on improving what you have, such as spending more time revising your Physics, Mathematics, Biology and Chemistry. You didn't flunk the application process by not knowing enough languages, so keep your priorities in mind.

I'm not exactly sure what you mean by dividing the subjects, but I would advise you to prepare well beforehand. It seems to be something really obvious, but keep in mind that you do really have just one more chance. It's the last throw of the dice, so don't jump the gun here. Don't take the exams at the earliest possible date - you want to get all your subjects revised fully before taking the exams, so plan accordingly.

I wish you all the best in your future endeavours :smile:
(edited 11 years ago)

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