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One a level?

Is it possible for me to only take one a level?
I'm aware colleges require 3 but what about hone teaching
I'm somones who's delt with quite alot of mental health crisis' during my secondary school years because I do not function well in the type of setting that secondary or just formal school settings
But I do really well when I'm fully in charge of my structure and not in the constant state of burn out that happened for a massive chunk of my life
But I also to the extent of my knowledge cannot take a gap year because I'm 16 and have to stay in education till I'm 18
I've seen myself what studying things outside of a formal setting is like (currenlty in the break after gcses and taking time to learn subjects but they couldn't at all legally count as being my education till 18 because they are just intrests of mine with no structure no matter how much in depth knowledgei have )
if its possible I think I'd want to do that
Because at this point it feels like my only option with how bad my mental health got before
Apprenticeships and sith form just kind of seem worse options to me aswell

At this point I do not particularly care abt how many a levels I'd need for uni or other stuff
I just want to keep myself alive.

Reply 1

Rachel_ysj

Official Rep

Original post by OPALTART

Hi there,

I'm a second year student at YSJ university. I'm so sorry to hear about your dilemma and struggles, and I hope that you are recovering. Unfortunately, I have done some research and I'm fairly certain that the minimum requirement for you to attend college would be 3 A levels (before 18). However, I remember when I was in college that some students in my classes dropped an A level due to exceptional circumstances but they had to write an EPQ instead (a research project essentially). This was pretty much the equivalent of an A level. I assume that this is because the government wants everyone to have the option to go to university whether they plan on it or not, which is why BTECs are also the equivalent of 3 A levels. 1 or 2 A levels would not give you enough UCAS points to attend. Obviously you said this does not matter to you which I understand, but I'm just offering an explanation as to why I don't think it would be possible.

Perhaps organise a meeting with your careers officer at school if you still have access to them to talk about your options as they would be more knowledgeable about the circumstances. You may find peace of mind and different options. In response to your concern about working conditions at college, I can tell you that I remember college being a lot more like university where you take control of your learning outside of the classroom as there is so much independent learning time. Perhaps this lack of structure (due to a condensed timetable) would actually be beneficial for you.

I really hope that you find something that works for you and allows you to mentally heal simultaneously. Different colleges offer different styles of teaching so there may well be something out there which you really enjoy. Good luck in September and stay safe.

Rachel - YSJ student rep