Is university even realistically possible?

Hi there all, a little bit nervous about all this but is there any way a university will accept me? Sorry if this gets ranty/off topic.

Basically, I didn't do great last Year, and I got these AS results:

C: History

C:Politics

D: Business Studies

U: Geography

B: General Studies

I had a dreadful year last year, 2014 and 2013 have not been kind to me for a variety of reasons, from the mundane to the down-right infuriating, but that's by-the-by now. Not to make excuses, whilst I had a dreadful couple of years, I didn't put the work in at AS Level and only revised sparingly, but did I learn my lesson, I'll study hard this year to at least finish with some respectable A levels, I've already dropped Geography (Couldn't do Physical geography at all) and have much reduced classes now.

I do not come from a background of education, and have found myself doing Personal Statements and other background work for applying to university myself, and I have hardly any extra-curricular or enrichment activities, again personal reasons have stopped several opportunities.

So I guess my question is, I've checked out Sheffield and Bradford Universities, and Sheffield looks hard to get into, but could I get into Bradford needing 240 UCAS points? It is also only 40 minutes away, and again, for personal reasons I'll be studying at home, so is University for me? And would any take me?

Reply 1

Nymthae

Original post by Matt9700

I imagine you'd stand a pretty decent chance with Bradford. I do think Sheffield University is probably out of reach, irrespective of likelihood of recieving an offer I suspect that meeting it will put a lot of pressure on and not necessarily work out too well for you. Have you had a look at Sheffield Hallam? Not sure what course you're aiming for but their requirements are likely to be similar to that of Bradford's (probably 240-260) so it at least gives you some choice if you're only looking locally - could be worth a visit. They may well factor in your decent General Studies grade as well so you could be in with a good shout. My friend had an offer from them, with relatively similar grades to you for Politics, a couple of years ago. Leeds Beckett might be a possible insurance if that's still within a reasonable distance, as I think on average they tend to have much lower requirements than Bradford. I wouldn't be worried about not having too much in the way of extra-cirricular, you just need to try and get across your interest in the course in your PS, and ultimately what it is about you that you allow you to succeed. If the personal reasons have interferred with school life and you've notified the college then it will be included in your reference most likely, and they do take that into account when you're applying. If you've not declared it though then I wouldn't stretch too far.

There are options, but in terms of whether university is for you or not is for you to decide. It's not for everyone, and based on your subjects i'd imagine you'd be going for a course that doesn't have too many contact hours so motivation to work and self-discipline will be key to your success. It's a lot of money to throw at it if you're not completely prepared for it, or engaged in your subject. Sometimes, working for a few years and getting perspective can make all the difference. You will miss out on a lot of the benefits of independence etc. by still being at home, so i'd wager it feeling somewhat similar to college now. Still plenty you can get involved in, but whether you want to/are able to is a different story (has your personal situation been resolved, or will that still impose limits?) As I say, entirely a personal choice, but don't feel pressured into doing it because it's the "norm".

Reply 2

colourtheory

Original post by Matt9700

The way I see it is that you have two options:
1) You could apply in the current academic year with your achieved AS levels and predicted A2s. This way you get to go to university next year.

2) You could complete the current academic year without applying to university and instead take a gap year and apply with completed A-Levels. This way you can see if you grades improve drastically which could potentially expand your choice of uni courses. You could also do relevant work experience during your gap year which would make you more attractive to universities. This option would also give you longer to think about the subject/s you want to study at uni.

It really is up to you :smile:

I know plenty of people who under performed for whatever reason at AS and finished college with really stellar grades, you have every reason to feel optimistic about the future :smile:

Is university even realistically possible?

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