Academically able students who've missed their firm (including Oxbridge)...

I missed my UCL offer for economics & statistics by 2UMS marks. I'm still feeling pretty crushed, I've dreamed of studying in London most of my life

You come across as pretty full of yourself. Youd better becoming first in your year to justify such confidence. Yopu do gace the propsect that you think you are too good for Birmingham, in which case you should knuckle down, retake and get where you feel you belong.

Coming across as arrogant is not my intention; that the course was intially undersubscribed is a fact. As I stated in a response to someone else: Of course I realise that Birmingham is a great place, me questioning whether it's for me has nothing to do with any kind of deluded perception that I'm better than anyone else - I don't harbour these kinds of thoughts. Since I'm a resident of Bham and quite familar with its character, I was also just hoping at uni to meet completely different types of people, which again has nothing to do with me not liking Birmingham but just wanting change.

My insurance is Nottingham, so really I should be grateful I have that to fall back on, but having visited the city I'm not sure if I could spend 3 years of my life there :/ I looked at other London uni's in clearing, but none of their courses really suit what I want to do in the future. I can't really take a year out either, as I already re-sat year 12. If your hearts really set on Durham, have you considered taking a year out and maybe re-sitting a few exams?

Thats how you come across. Imo you would be better just resitting, then you know for sure whether you were good enough and you wont have that regret and always wondering, especially at times where you got bored or were unhappy. its only a year.

Well I do apologise. This year PTSD got in the way during exam season which makes me think I could've done better in my exams, so things are, in some ways, pointing towards a gap year. Obviously Durham will need to see that the gap year's being spent productively so I'll have a lot of planning to do for the upcoming year.

..how are you coping? Have you found an alternative place you like? What's your plan? How are you dealing knowing that you've ended up at a less prestigious place?

Because I'm absolutely crushed to bits, completely heartbroken. All I've wanted was a place at my uni
of choice (Durham) for a long time and don't think I deserve to feel like this much of a failure. I've performed well through
the years but produced disappointing results when it mattered the most; most of my classmates achieved at least one A* and are headed to Oxbridge, UCL and Imperial. Sure mitigating circumstances played a role to some extent but because of their nature, I don't know how far/whether the likes of Oxbridge would take them into consideration. Because I know that the tutorial style teaching would suit me and am aware of the difference in quality of teaching between my firm and the two Gs that have offered me a place (one of which has the exact course I was rejected from and some other plus points but is ranked only 76 internationally), I can't get past losing my firm.

I want to go somewhere that will work me really hard, somewhere that has passionate lecturers and students, and I don't know whether a place like Birmingham will really give me that. I can't move onto the "next chapter of my life" if I can't shake the feeling that I'm somewhere I don't belong.

I've been crying for the past four days - if anyone can share their insights, I'd highly appreciate it.

..how are you coping? Have you found an alternative place you like? What's your plan? How are you dealing knowing that you've ended up at a less prestigious place?

Because I'm absolutely crushed to bits, completely heartbroken. All I've wanted was a place at my uni
of choice (Durham) for a long time and don't think I deserve to feel like this much of a failure. I've performed well through
the years but produced disappointing results when it mattered the most; most of my classmates achieved at least one A* and are headed to Oxbridge, UCL and Imperial. Sure mitigating circumstances played a role to some extent but because of their nature, I don't know how far/whether the likes of Oxbridge would take them into consideration. Because I know that the tutorial style teaching would suit me and am aware of the difference in quality of teaching between my firm and the two Gs that have offered me a place (one of which has the exact course I was rejected from and some other plus points but is ranked only 76 internationally), I can't get past losing my firm.

I want to go somewhere that will work me really hard, somewhere that has passionate lecturers and students, and I don't know whether a place like Birmingham will really give me that. I can't move onto the "next chapter of my life" if I can't shake the feeling that I'm somewhere I don't belong.

I've been crying for the past four days - if anyone can share their insights, I'd highly appreciate it.

Admittedly I do like the course at Nottingham, it's just the UCL department was a lot smaller than Nottingham's, so I hoped I would benefit from a closer relationship with the tutors in terms of research opportunities etc.. In relation to remarks, I got 2 of my further maths modules remarked, which didn't change, and 1 economics module remarked, which went up by 1 mark. Fortunately I was only 1 mark off A* so there is some consolation in that. I've contact UCL again with these re-marks, but I'm yet to hear back from them.

If I were you I would most likely re-sit the year. From your other posts it seems you've grown up in Birmingham (?), so you'll be missing out on the opportunity of exploring new parts of the country if you go there. Also, you'll probably get a lot more out of uni entering a year late, as you'll be more mature, and so more likely to maximise any opportunities that arise there. Then again, if you think you'd just waste the next year doing nothing, then it would probably be best just going to Birmingham.

Aww! Please do not feel disheartened! Whilst I was doing my A levels- I completely messed up, and eventually got into a very average university. However, I managed to achieve a very good classification and ended up doing an MSc at Oxford. Life takes very unexpected turns at times, embrace it and go with the flow... make the most of it!

That's very brilliant - wow! A postgrad. Master's at Oxford is a goal of mine . If you don't mind, at the time of your A levels, were you aiming for Oxbridge? Was your thought process behind moving on to uni just wanting to make the most of your then-current opportunity?

No, I never in a million years thought I would go to Oxford. Yes, I was excited to be going to university at all, and made many friends, had an amazing time. Then after university, I had no idea what I wanted to do, so I applied for an MSc at Oxford, got called in for an interview and got an offer!

The only thing I would say is do not do a subject you do not like. If the same/similar subject is available elsewhere then, why not go for it?

if your goal is to get an MSc from Oxford, you get a 1st class in your chosen subject at ANY university and decent experience in your chosen subject field and BOOM!

It didn't happen that way for me, but it came out as a good surprise!

You've got this!