Original post by spliced
This is going to be super long, but if you have any experience with bad mental health during a levels, regretting subject choices, restarting a year or just general struggle during a levels i would be grateful if you could take a read and offer any advice 
So im at the end of year 12, and since my end of year mocks in April, everything has been super hazy and I feel burnt out. My anxiety around exam season has always been rough (as with most people), but I feel like it has been getting worse since GCSEs. In year 11, during my last set of mocks I was constantly throwing up (for some reason I never threw up for my actual exams and did super well). And with my most recent mocks, my body was in sort of a constant fight or flight mode, where I couldn’t stop shaking, couldnt eat or sleep etc, so I wasnt doing well physically and mentally. I achieved A*A*A* in my mocks, which Im obviously happy about, but since then I genuinely have been struggling to keep up with work and feel like I know nothing. It hasn’t helped that I had a crisis about choosing my Uni degree, and spent countless hours on the internet and student room tryna figure out what to do (literally have been spending 4hrs+ online everyday just mindlessly looking at forums just because I overthink everything). Ive settled on what im planning on doing, but now Ive wasted this whole month stressed out.
Another issue is I have constant regrets with picking geography for a level. I’m not doing badly by any means, it’s just I feel like I should’ve taken biology or chem instead (I take maths and psych aswell). I have an NEA to complete over the summer worth 20% and its already stressing me out and I feel like im going to waste my whole summer on it when I could be revising for my other subjects. I don’t know why I never started with 4 or didn’t try and swap it sooner. Ive thought about potentially restarting year 12 with the bio chem maths and psych combination, but that is super risky because I dont even know how i’ll find the new subjects (naturally I had to work much harder for the STEM than humanities at GCSE, but still achieved 999 in triple science). There isnt actually much benefit with starting with new subjects either, because whilst it might boost my stem subjects, bio and chem are not essential, and the main reason id be restarting is because of enjoyment. Should I just push through with my current subjects as it’s only one more year, and I am doing well in them!???
I also feel like it could turn out worse if i were to restart as id feel so behind and I dont do well with change (in terms of meeting new people and being a year behind my friends). As well as this, geography is my ‘easier’ subject, as I have to spend much more time on maths, and i fear that if i take up bio and chem, everything will be much harder and I will struggle more. I also want to apply for top unis, so am not sure if I would be at a disadvantage having restarted a levels.
Does anyone have any advice on how to get through a subject you really dislike??
As for my mental health & having no motivation, im thinking of looking to book an appointment with my GP. Does anyone have advice on how to approach a GP with mental health concerns, and what they could do about it?
I just want my life back! I havent been able to go about my daily life in a normal way in a while.
So im at the end of year 12, and since my end of year mocks in April, everything has been super hazy and I feel burnt out. My anxiety around exam season has always been rough (as with most people), but I feel like it has been getting worse since GCSEs. In year 11, during my last set of mocks I was constantly throwing up (for some reason I never threw up for my actual exams and did super well). And with my most recent mocks, my body was in sort of a constant fight or flight mode, where I couldn’t stop shaking, couldnt eat or sleep etc, so I wasnt doing well physically and mentally. I achieved A*A*A* in my mocks, which Im obviously happy about, but since then I genuinely have been struggling to keep up with work and feel like I know nothing. It hasn’t helped that I had a crisis about choosing my Uni degree, and spent countless hours on the internet and student room tryna figure out what to do (literally have been spending 4hrs+ online everyday just mindlessly looking at forums just because I overthink everything). Ive settled on what im planning on doing, but now Ive wasted this whole month stressed out.
Another issue is I have constant regrets with picking geography for a level. I’m not doing badly by any means, it’s just I feel like I should’ve taken biology or chem instead (I take maths and psych aswell). I have an NEA to complete over the summer worth 20% and its already stressing me out and I feel like im going to waste my whole summer on it when I could be revising for my other subjects. I don’t know why I never started with 4 or didn’t try and swap it sooner. Ive thought about potentially restarting year 12 with the bio chem maths and psych combination, but that is super risky because I dont even know how i’ll find the new subjects (naturally I had to work much harder for the STEM than humanities at GCSE, but still achieved 999 in triple science). There isnt actually much benefit with starting with new subjects either, because whilst it might boost my stem subjects, bio and chem are not essential, and the main reason id be restarting is because of enjoyment. Should I just push through with my current subjects as it’s only one more year, and I am doing well in them!???
I also feel like it could turn out worse if i were to restart as id feel so behind and I dont do well with change (in terms of meeting new people and being a year behind my friends). As well as this, geography is my ‘easier’ subject, as I have to spend much more time on maths, and i fear that if i take up bio and chem, everything will be much harder and I will struggle more. I also want to apply for top unis, so am not sure if I would be at a disadvantage having restarted a levels.
Does anyone have any advice on how to get through a subject you really dislike??
As for my mental health & having no motivation, im thinking of looking to book an appointment with my GP. Does anyone have advice on how to approach a GP with mental health concerns, and what they could do about it?
I just want my life back! I havent been able to go about my daily life in a normal way in a while.
If you're doing well with your current A levels, I don't think changing them would be worth the extra pressure and stress. It might be more enjoyable, but everything will get more difficult and stressful and you already sound quite overwhelmed. I'm also very bad at motivating myself to do subjects I dislike, but I think having a coherent study plan makes it easier to just push through.
As for mental health, you just need to book an appointment with your GP. They'll probably get you to do a GAD-7 and PHQ-9 test, and can then refer you to a specialist for treatment, or discuss medication, etc. This is a very common issue and the process is quite easy. Good luck with everything.
Hey - 3 A*s is absolutely incredible! I don't think I know anyone who did that well in their mocks, so well done!
I very much regretted taking German A level for a while (and in a way I still do) but it does get better. Having subjects that are very content heavy (like Maths) means you appreciate the slightly "easier" ones like your geography. Make sure you understand exactly what is involved in the course as I found that has helped; For so long I felt so anxious and bad in general when thinking about German and I understand now that has a lot to do with the fact that I didn't have a clear sense of direction and didn't really understand what was involved in the course and where the course was going.
The end of year 12 in general is the worst part of A Level. In year 13 at least you feel like you're headed towards the end, but by the end of year 12, you feel tired mentally and physically and the end seems much further away. On top of that, as you said, there's the pressure of looking into universities and post-18 options!! Most of the people I know (including myself) have felt some form of what you're feeling like now. A lot of the time you won't realise this until after because people don't tend to say while they are struggling so rest assured that you're not the only one feeling down and like you want to quit or start again. Year 13 is so much quicker than year 12, which felt like such a drag.
You could talk to your learning support teacher - since your stress may not be a clinical mental health problem but rather caused by situation/circumstance. This means it may not be medication you need, like the GP would offer, but you may need to talk about what it is you're struggling with and find genuine solutions to help you, and this can help you adopt a positive mindset about what it is you're facing which makes a MASSIVE difference to your mental health. You could also try talking to your school's welfare officer or councillor.
With regards to University - Please know that it's fine to be totally unsure about what you're doing; school definitely tries to force you into applying now and trying to get you into uni immediately but that shouldn't necessarily be the case. I am taking a gap year and so are most of my friends. Someone I know took a gap year and ended up working in graduate level jobs without a degree at all! So it's not mandatory to go to uni in order to get a good job as is often advertised by the universities and schools, and it is okay not to decide right now! It can often be bad to jump straight into uni anyway; I know a couple of other people who picked the wrong course and ended up changing courses and having to pay more money for another degree course. With a year or two out, you get enough time to think about what is best for you.
I very much regretted taking German A level for a while (and in a way I still do) but it does get better. Having subjects that are very content heavy (like Maths) means you appreciate the slightly "easier" ones like your geography. Make sure you understand exactly what is involved in the course as I found that has helped; For so long I felt so anxious and bad in general when thinking about German and I understand now that has a lot to do with the fact that I didn't have a clear sense of direction and didn't really understand what was involved in the course and where the course was going.
The end of year 12 in general is the worst part of A Level. In year 13 at least you feel like you're headed towards the end, but by the end of year 12, you feel tired mentally and physically and the end seems much further away. On top of that, as you said, there's the pressure of looking into universities and post-18 options!! Most of the people I know (including myself) have felt some form of what you're feeling like now. A lot of the time you won't realise this until after because people don't tend to say while they are struggling so rest assured that you're not the only one feeling down and like you want to quit or start again. Year 13 is so much quicker than year 12, which felt like such a drag.
You could talk to your learning support teacher - since your stress may not be a clinical mental health problem but rather caused by situation/circumstance. This means it may not be medication you need, like the GP would offer, but you may need to talk about what it is you're struggling with and find genuine solutions to help you, and this can help you adopt a positive mindset about what it is you're facing which makes a MASSIVE difference to your mental health. You could also try talking to your school's welfare officer or councillor.
With regards to University - Please know that it's fine to be totally unsure about what you're doing; school definitely tries to force you into applying now and trying to get you into uni immediately but that shouldn't necessarily be the case. I am taking a gap year and so are most of my friends. Someone I know took a gap year and ended up working in graduate level jobs without a degree at all! So it's not mandatory to go to uni in order to get a good job as is often advertised by the universities and schools, and it is okay not to decide right now! It can often be bad to jump straight into uni anyway; I know a couple of other people who picked the wrong course and ended up changing courses and having to pay more money for another degree course. With a year or two out, you get enough time to think about what is best for you.
Original post by spliced
Thank you!! Are you in year 13? I honestly commend you for doing german (I stopped at GCSE!) languages are super hard so I have a lot of respect for you! I think it is partly circumstantial, as it always peaks around exam season, but the difference this time is that I feel like it’s continued to impact me, whereas previously I’ve gotten back on track pretty quickly. Im quite introverted aswell, so I do find it hard to approach teachers at school, as a lot of the time I just get on with my work so they see me as self sufficient. I think I will still book an app with my GP for general wellness (but it’s likely they will tell me to tell the teachers aswell lol). I think I might just keep pushing and get through year 13- year 11 went so fast for me so Im hoping year 13 will be similar. Thank you for your advice
Of course! That sounds like a good idea and it's good of you to seek help. The way they pile on pressure in A levels really is awful and basically puts you in a constant state of stress and anxiety.
Yes, I am year 13 currently and thank you for saying that! I hope it's worth it and I don't forget everything about the language immediately after A levels are over
Original post by spliced
This is going to be super long, but if you have any experience with bad mental health during a levels, regretting subject choices, restarting a year or just general struggle during a levels i would be grateful if you could take a read and offer any advice
So im at the end of year 12, and since my end of year mocks in April, everything has been super hazy and I feel burnt out. My anxiety around exam season has always been rough (as with most people), but I feel like it has been getting worse since GCSEs. In year 11, during my last set of mocks I was constantly throwing up (for some reason I never threw up for my actual exams and did super well). And with my most recent mocks, my body was in sort of a constant fight or flight mode, where I couldn’t stop shaking, couldnt eat or sleep etc, so I wasnt doing well physically and mentally. I achieved A*A*A* in my mocks, which Im obviously happy about, but since then I genuinely have been struggling to keep up with work and feel like I know nothing. It hasn’t helped that I had a crisis about choosing my Uni degree, and spent countless hours on the internet and student room tryna figure out what to do (literally have been spending 4hrs+ online everyday just mindlessly looking at forums just because I overthink everything). Ive settled on what im planning on doing, but now Ive wasted this whole month stressed out.
Another issue is I have constant regrets with picking geography for a level. I’m not doing badly by any means, it’s just I feel like I should’ve taken biology or chem instead (I take maths and psych aswell). I have an NEA to complete over the summer worth 20% and its already stressing me out and I feel like im going to waste my whole summer on it when I could be revising for my other subjects. I don’t know why I never started with 4 or didn’t try and swap it sooner. Ive thought about potentially restarting year 12 with the bio chem maths and psych combination, but that is super risky because I dont even know how i’ll find the new subjects (naturally I had to work much harder for the STEM than humanities at GCSE, but still achieved 999 in triple science). There isnt actually much benefit with starting with new subjects either, because whilst it might boost my stem subjects, bio and chem are not essential, and the main reason id be restarting is because of enjoyment. Should I just push through with my current subjects as it’s only one more year, and I am doing well in them!???
I also feel like it could turn out worse if i were to restart as id feel so behind and I dont do well with change (in terms of meeting new people and being a year behind my friends). As well as this, geography is my ‘easier’ subject, as I have to spend much more time on maths, and i fear that if i take up bio and chem, everything will be much harder and I will struggle more. I also want to apply for top unis, so am not sure if I would be at a disadvantage having restarted a levels.
Does anyone have any advice on how to get through a subject you really dislike??
As for my mental health & having no motivation, im thinking of looking to book an appointment with my GP. Does anyone have advice on how to approach a GP with mental health concerns, and what they could do about it?
I just want my life back! I havent been able to go about my daily life in a normal way in a while.
So im at the end of year 12, and since my end of year mocks in April, everything has been super hazy and I feel burnt out. My anxiety around exam season has always been rough (as with most people), but I feel like it has been getting worse since GCSEs. In year 11, during my last set of mocks I was constantly throwing up (for some reason I never threw up for my actual exams and did super well). And with my most recent mocks, my body was in sort of a constant fight or flight mode, where I couldn’t stop shaking, couldnt eat or sleep etc, so I wasnt doing well physically and mentally. I achieved A*A*A* in my mocks, which Im obviously happy about, but since then I genuinely have been struggling to keep up with work and feel like I know nothing. It hasn’t helped that I had a crisis about choosing my Uni degree, and spent countless hours on the internet and student room tryna figure out what to do (literally have been spending 4hrs+ online everyday just mindlessly looking at forums just because I overthink everything). Ive settled on what im planning on doing, but now Ive wasted this whole month stressed out.
Another issue is I have constant regrets with picking geography for a level. I’m not doing badly by any means, it’s just I feel like I should’ve taken biology or chem instead (I take maths and psych aswell). I have an NEA to complete over the summer worth 20% and its already stressing me out and I feel like im going to waste my whole summer on it when I could be revising for my other subjects. I don’t know why I never started with 4 or didn’t try and swap it sooner. Ive thought about potentially restarting year 12 with the bio chem maths and psych combination, but that is super risky because I dont even know how i’ll find the new subjects (naturally I had to work much harder for the STEM than humanities at GCSE, but still achieved 999 in triple science). There isnt actually much benefit with starting with new subjects either, because whilst it might boost my stem subjects, bio and chem are not essential, and the main reason id be restarting is because of enjoyment. Should I just push through with my current subjects as it’s only one more year, and I am doing well in them!???
I also feel like it could turn out worse if i were to restart as id feel so behind and I dont do well with change (in terms of meeting new people and being a year behind my friends). As well as this, geography is my ‘easier’ subject, as I have to spend much more time on maths, and i fear that if i take up bio and chem, everything will be much harder and I will struggle more. I also want to apply for top unis, so am not sure if I would be at a disadvantage having restarted a levels.
Does anyone have any advice on how to get through a subject you really dislike??
As for my mental health & having no motivation, im thinking of looking to book an appointment with my GP. Does anyone have advice on how to approach a GP with mental health concerns, and what they could do about it?
I just want my life back! I havent been able to go about my daily life in a normal way in a while.
I ended up changing my a levels and school in year 13 and did completely different a levels all in one year from scratch. And I even switched again the January before my actual exams and started a whole maths A level 5 months before exams lmao. It was the best decision I made for myself both academically and socially. I was previously at a grammar school and it sucked because the academic pressure was so intense, so even if I got good grades they seemed average. And it wasn’t a good place for my mental health. Plus I hated my subjects. I just knew two years of the subjects I didn’t like were going to eat me alive lol. But everyone is different.
I think you just have to trust your gut feeling. It’s hard to do well in a subject that you hate. Especially when you have very high grades to match up with in ur finals. Bio and Chem are hard so you can’t do those in just one year tbh. Maybe see if there are other subjects that might be better to switch to? Like further maths or sociology or philosophy perhaps? They link in well with the subjects you’re currently doing. So they may feel more like an add on rather than a whole new subject, and unis won’t really care either way.
Original post by spliced
Wow you completed the full a levels in just one year??? What subjects did you take up? I think further maths would be the most doable but i do think geo would give me a greater range of skills than maths, further maths and psych. Ah I’m conflicted now, because ive already gotten through a whole year, so it’s like I’m already halfway there. Did you come out with 4 a levels in then end after two years?
Nah I actually only ended up with three bc it was the covid year and everything was just messy. My final a level choices that I ended up sitting were maths, physics and history of art. I initially did classics from beginning of y13 until Jan then switched it with maths. I took a gap year and took further maths just for fun so further maths is definitely doable in one year if you’re already good at maths. Like I was able to self teach it in a year and it was calm so if your school can actually give you lessons for it then you’ll be fine. It is a lot of content (like way more than normal maths in my opinion) and a lot of practice but your standard maths a level is going to be so easy in comparison lol. It’ll make your maths a level seem like half a subject. Further maths made uni level math in first year really easy for me bc a lot of it is uni level content but in simpler contexts essentially. Not sure if you’ll need to even do maths at uni but if you are it’s super helpful. But you have to genuinely enjoy maths if you’re going to take up further maths and hack it in a year. It’s also good to invest in a Casio CG50 calculator for further maths, although not necessary. If you start in summer, you can probs self teach the majority AS of further maths by yourself bc it’s the year 2 stuff that’s a lot weirder.
i don’t think unis care about range of skills so much but it really depends on what U want to study at uni tbh. if your chosen subject doesn’t have strict subject requirements then you can just do what you enjoy. because you’re doing serious a levels regardless.
If you ending your switching subjects, do you think your current school will let you do that in just one year or will you have to go to one of those intensive a level colleges or will you just take the new subject as a private candidate? To be honest, if you’re predicted and A* in maths already I’d be surprised if they didn’t let u take up further maths.
(edited 11 months ago)
Original post by spliced
Ah I see- during your gap year did you take up further maths in school, or was it purely self taught at home? Tbh I don’t know if i’m cut out for further maths. I would say for my mocks I spent around 60% of my time on maths and 20% on each geo and psych. Maths aswell I just got an A* by like 4%, which is why if i took up further it would be a big risk. I think realistically the only option I would have is to stick with my subjects. Unless I wanted to restart the year (which I am really against atm). I do think my school would allow me to take up further though, as long as I prove i’m able to do well. It’s just a difficult situation.
It was purely self taught at home but my old college let me sit the exam with them. To be honest, maths is always going to the most time consuming. But if it’s risky then maybe not. Have u managed to speak with your teachers about switching, like generally? How much time do you actually have to switch?
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