What are my options with 120 ucas points? :(

Hi there!
Firstly I'm really sorry for the depression and tough times you've been going through, and sincerely hope you're feeling better now. I think you should stick to what you want to do, if you like Psychology and would like to study it to higher level. Then why don't you focus on enrolling yourself at a college or possibly taking a gap year out (decide to study at home) and choose 3/4 A levels that you would feel comfortable doing. Because you wanna do Psychology, I'd suggest choosing Psychology, the other 2/3 of your choices are entirely up to you. If you focus on your subjects and are actually serious about getting into uni, then you can definitely do it!!
Hope this helped and best of luck with whatever you decide to do!!!

but think about it carefully, if you're gonna get into 40k+ debt, surely it's better to make the most of the £££?

also you're more likely to get into engineering at a good uni than you are for psychology since psychology is oversubscribed and engineering is under subscribed. there are foundation years for engineering, but not for psychology, thus the entry requirements will be lower and you'll have a greater chance of getting an offer.

Hi. You aren't alone with suffering from depression and anxiety.

Like yourself I had a hard time during my a levels but I just want to reassure you that you can still apply to universities for a foundation year to psychology which is what I'm doing.

If you need any more advice let me know. I was stressed out too but there is a way.


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Thank you so much!!!

I've only seen this now, sorry for the late reply.

Bro, I have just calculated how many UMS I would get if I retook all my A levels.

I can get an A in maths, because it's only assessed by exams.
But physics and chemistry would only get me a B or C overall, since I'm held back by my failed practicals?

How can i retake my practicals, or should I do an access??

Also, to be honest I am mostly interested in violence and childhood, but most of the psychology foundation years don't even have these modules

Not only that, but there is likeonly one forensic psychology course I have found and I don't meet the entry requirements?

I honestly feel that I should go into an engineering foundation year at this point, because it's under subscribed and less competitive to get into. But I might have to take another gap year, which I don't really want

It's okay at least you've replied lol.

But right, so you're on your gap year now? If it's only childhood studies and violence you're best of looking at courses that are more closely related to that such as youth justice, social work etc as psychology is really broad.

Plus the foundation year is more of a stepping stone to an undergraduate degree.

And there's nothing wrong with taking another gap year. University is always going to be there. Get yourself sorted first and know what you want to do and it sounds like you're under a lot of pressure at the moment. Take it easy you'll get there.


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And there's nothing wrong with taking another gap year. University is always going to be there.

This was me, it sucks and it will take a little longer for you to get where you want but i Would redo the A Levels. Choose subjects you know you'll do well in and that can get you into psychology and stick to them. Also perhaps do 3 AS levels if you don't think you'll be able to do 4.

Choose subjects you know you'll do well in and that can get you into psychology and stick to them.

If that's not an option, then apply for BTEC Engineering (+ retake A-Level Maths) or a HNC (1 year) or HND (2 year). But do be aware that HNC/HND funding comes out of your entitlement to four years of student funding (from what I know, I could be wrong but do double check this.)

Psychology is a long-shot and you'll be better off in the long run if you do engineering.

Hello,

I had made a quite similar thread about this earlier, but I didn't feel like I made a thorough post, so here it goes...

Basically I have E grades all across my A levels (due to depression/anxiety at the time) and I had taken a gap year to do something about this.

The problem is that during my gap year I still had depression/anxiety, but it wasn't as bad as it as during my AL's, but I made the mistake of putting the thought of university at the back of my mind as far as possible to avoid the anxiety of it.

I naively thought that I could get into a foundation year with my E grades without actually checking properly on what the entry requirements are.
Now I am shocked to find that most of them want 160 ucas points, while I only have 120?

So I just wanted to know what the best thing I could do in this position?

1)Take another gap year, save money and try to resit my A levels again (which is risky, because I have no idea if I will even find the money, and there will be AL reforms soon, which means no resits)

2)Do an Access course, which I heard is even more intensive than AL's, and that if you fail it, you can basically write university study off your list.
Ohw and this stil costs money

3)Do a HND/Foundation Degree, which actually sounds alright, as it gives me work experience. But would still leave me with one or two universities I would g to, as only a few universities would validate my HND/Fdg.
I even heard of a case where someone was not even allowed to finish their HND with a top up year, even though the university validated it. So it sounds risky.

Honestly, psychology is the subject I'm interested in and want to study, but since it's s competitive, and since I would find a hard time getting into university in the first place, I had been thinking of doing engineering, because it has "good" career prospects. But then on the other hand, I remember that it's a bad idea to study something for the sake of the prospects only, and not out of interest.

Overall, I have no idea what would happen next year, I am still going to apply to ucas as a back up in case I change my mind and decide to get into these HND's or foundation years, but I just want to know what any of you guys would do in my position.

As some people say it's a bad idea to just rush into university for the sake of saving time and getting on with a degree.

Also, I don't want to come across as a snob, and I know that I don't have much choice with my E grades, but why would I go to a place like Bolton where I would be accepted with my 120 ucas points for example?

Thank you guys, and sorry if this was TL;DR

Double check how the funding for a HNC works though, because from my understanding, everyone is entitled to four years of student funding and a HNC would take away 1 years of funding since it is a 1 year course. This'd mean that you'd have 3 years of funding for your university degree which is enough if you have no intention of aiming for an MEng. Like I keep saying, double check how the funding works.

If you are concerned about losing the years worth of funding, just do a BTEC or take the international A-Level Physics and Chemistry exams whilst using your notes you made in sixth form (90% of the material is the same if you go with the same exam board as you did at sixth form)

Doing new A-Levels will be pointless and more difficult since you have a core understanding of A-Level Physics and Chemistry, it will just be a matter of revision, and I can tell you that science and mathematics subjects are much easier to revise than the arts are (coming from someone who does both) It won't be a matter of learning, it will just be a matter of revision for you since you've already learnt 90% of the material whereas with A-Level business and psychology, it'll be both a matter of learning and revision.

Don't bother with foundation (1 + 3 year) psychology, it'll just be a waste of time and money.

I would say why the focus on university now? As you've said, it would cost you money to resit anything or get extra qualifications. That will still be the case in a few years, but if you go out there now, get a job, explore different kinds of work, in a few years you can still go to university but with a far greater idea of what you really want to do and what interests you.

I know I rushed straight into university and now am in a completely different job to what I ever imagined, one that I didn't even know existed when I went to university! Luckily I 'only' had £3000/yr tuition fees but now you are putting yourself in £9000/yr debt just for the tuition part of university, and you only get one shot, why waste that when you're not sure?

Life is long and mature students are also more favourably looked on if they have weaker qualifications as they have work and life experience to compensate. I know there's an urge to rush into uni because it's "what everybody's doing" and "it's an experience", but to be honest I have suffered anxiety all my life and uni was not an 'experience' for me, I wasn't emotionally ready and I found it very overwhelming, and now I pay £100+ a month of my salary back to the loans company for the privilege. I really wish I had waited and explored my options and different careers a little.

Certainly do apply as a back-up though, that way you have full flexibility and can even test out which universities would take you. Good luck

This is true, but I just have the anxiety that if I don't get a place now, that I then would still be in the same position next year for example?
My friends have already gone into university since last year, and I just feel that if I don't get a degree in the next 5 years, then I would be having a big problem in terms of getting good jobs ?



Exactly!! I'm scared of wasting my tuition fees
I feel that there's not a lot of options to try careers or anything before gong to university. It's pretty much doing sixth form>uni, not much else

Also with E grades, I doubt I could try any sort of apprenticeship



This is interesting, because I frequently see threads like "not enjoying uni, should I drop out" on TSR?
I feel that universities also sell this idea of "experience", which is just unguaranteed, not everyone would be having a good time there right?

I also feel the pressure to go to university sooner, rather than later. But that's because of my grades, and what the hell I cuold do to make them better

Not only that, but psychology is not exactly an easy field to work in from what I've read. The undergrad degree will just be the first step to becoming a forensic psychologist, after that I need an Msc, and then a 3/4 year doctorate. Which means that I would start working IN psychology about the age of 33?

While working, small dead end jobs to save up for the master's and all.

I mean compare this to engineering, where university will probably hard and hellsh, but working as an engineer would give you a lot more choice compared to psychology.

Also there is a psychology conversion course, but nowhere have I seen one for engineering?

You're overthinking everything and trying to plot a lifeplan many years into the future when you don't even have certainty at the moment.

If you think that your issues are such that they've held you back to underachieving at A-level - why are you talking about doctorates and professional practise?

One step at a time. If you think you can handle being an undergraduate - see where it takes you.