The Student Room Group

How do I get to uni if I was rejected from an access course?

I was diagnosed with clinical depression and anxiety when I was about 16 and since then I had trouble going to school so my attendance history is terrible. I applied to Morley college for an access course in humanities but I got a rejection letter and after a phone call to the course leader, it seems that my attendance was the cause.

I want to go to university and get an education, I'm in recovery now and stable, and my motivation and optimist are consistently high, but I have no idea what to do now...

I thought of doing a creative writing course with the Morley college, not an access one, just one subject. I'm hoping that this, along with the two languages I am doing privately (and will take exams) will show the college how ambitious I am and that my attendance is no longer a problem.

Is that a good idea? I'm a bit anxious about being 3 years late for uni... I will find it uncomfortable talking about it with my family (other than my parents, they know and support me). I feel like a failure when people ask me what I am currently doing, cause so far I have no answer. :frown:

Is there any other way of getting into uni faster? :/
Reply 1
I couldn't do access because I would have had to pay for the course and as it's full time I wouldn't have been able to work to pay for the course so instead I did A levels through ICS learn- It does cost quite a bit and you also have to pay for exams, but you can do it in your own time, at your own pace, and whilst working full time to afford it if need be!
no such thing as being late for Uni, ladies I was on my access course with were in their 40's! you seem to be doing everything right proving you are ready :smile: im sure when you evidence you are committed they will give you a place on the access course .. good luck :biggrin: I dont think there is a faster was or a better way than the access course from personal experience :wink:
Reply 3
Maybe this is a silly question but how did they find out about your attendance? When I had my access course interview last year there was no problem with me and my attendance at my previous college was terrible due to problems such as your own. Is there a chance you could call them to let them no why your attendance was poor (they should be understanding) or maybe apply to another college for access? Best of luck and congrats on your recovery :smile: Please don't worry about not having answer for people we all have a different path and it sounds like you've come a very far way
You have one other way perhaps to do a-levels via open learn college or something but to be honest your current plan sounds more solid. I am sure doing that year at college will prove to them that attendance wont be a problem.
I couldn't do an access course so I asked various universities what other options I had. One recommended that I study with the Open University, so I did a Certificate of Higher Education in Humanities with the OU and subsequently got into all the universities I applied to. I am pleased that I did it even though an access course would have taken less time, because I now have an internationally respected qualification that looks good on my CV. :smile:

If you don't mind me asking, what do you want to study at uni?
Reply 6
@OP - at 19 you're too young for the mature student route. Do A-levels.

Original post by Samual
I couldn't do an access course so I asked various universities what other options I had. One recommended that I study with the Open University, so I did a Certificate of Higher Education in Humanities with the OU and subsequently got into all the universities I applied to. I am pleased that I did it even though an access course would have taken less time, because I now have an internationally respected qualification that looks good on my CV. :smile:

If you don't mind me asking, what do you want to study at uni?


Why do you have a pic of svalbard in your 'why norway is awesome' sig? :holmes:
Original post by samba
Why do you have a pic of svalbard in your 'why norway is awesome' sig? :holmes:


Svalbard is part of Norway. I don't have any pics of Svalbard in there anyway. :rolleyes:
(edited 9 years ago)
Reply 8
Original post by Samual
Because Svalbard is part of Norway. :rolleyes:


No more than Greenland is part of Denmark, or the Falklands is part of England. It's 1500 miles away, and Svalbardians do not consider themselves Norwegian.

Would you post pics of penguins in 'why England is amazing?'
Original post by samba
No more than Greenland is part of Denmark, or the Falklands is part of England. It's 1500 miles away, and Svalbardians do not consider themselves Norwegian.

Would you post pics of penguins in 'why England is amazing?'


Svalbard is nothing like Greenland or the Falkland Islands, that is a totally false analogy. Svalbard is part of the Kingdom of Norway, it not a dependency and it is not self-governing. Do you know any people who live on Svalbard? Because I do, and they identify 100% as Norwegian. They speak Norwegian, they have Norwegian passports, they pay taxes to Norway, they use Norwegian law and they follow the Norwegian education system.

I can't think of any grounds to argue that Svalbard is not part of Norway. What are yours?
(edited 9 years ago)
You could always apply to Uni to do a course with a Foundation year. I start my Foundation year at uni this year and I didn't do an Access course.
I was turned down from my local colleges access course. I just reapplied to another college.

You could also look at the ou access modules?
Original post by Honeymom
You could also look at the ou access modules?


OU access modules are not the same as access courses, they are a total waste of time and money. You can use the OU to get into university but not with their access modules.
Original post by Samual
OU access modules are not the same as access courses, they are a total waste of time and money. You can use the OU to get into university but not with their access modules.

But surely the universities take the credits into account?
Original post by Honeymom
But surely the universities take the credits into account?


Access credits and OU credits are completely different. OU access modules are worth 30 OU credits at level 0, that means they cant even be used towards OU qualifications. I had to do 120 OU credits at level 1 to get into university.
Original post by Samual
Access credits and OU credits are completely different. OU access modules are worth 30 OU credits at level 0, that means they cant even be used towards OU qualifications. I had to do 120 OU credits at level 1 to get into university.
that's good to know then. They make out like they are the same!

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