Applying to university or college (HNC or HND)

Hey guys, ive been really stressed about uni and what course i want to apply for. I really want to fix things as I didn’t try as much as i should’ve in high school and got (ABCCC for my highers and still waiting on my advanced higher results or a levels). I really regret not trying harder in school and really feel like i have let down everyone that trusted me especially my parents. I’m not really sure why i didn’t try harder as i had always been someone who would get top grades and then just fell off from there. I live in Scotland so the education system is quite different here, so i have few options right now..

1. Apply to college which helps boost your high school grades, it lasts about a year and the qualification is called a HNC or HND.
2. Apply for some clearing course (this is when the uni has a few available courses at the end of applying season) im not sure about this option though.
3. Take a gap year and really work on myself, my application, work experience and then apply to uni next year.

I have interests in psychology, maths and science but i haven’t been able find a course that i like yet. I have actually been reconsidering medicine but i don’t have the grades for it and im not sure how I could do it apart from doing bio med then applying.

My top university choices were Strathclyde, Edinburgh, Manchester or Kings but i don’t think my grades are good enough on their own to apply.

Reply 1

CamembertPaws

Hi there, when did you finish your latest qualifications? As you've outlined here, there are still plenty of options available to you! An HNC qualification sits at level 4 of the Qualifications and Credit Framework, with an HND sitting at level 5. While an HNC is equivalent to studying for a year at university, an HND equates to two years. An HNC will let you enter a bachelor’s degree at year 2, while an HND will let you enter at year 3, which is a good option if you would prefer to study something more practical based before going straight into University. I don't think your grades will hold you back much if you did decide to enter through Clearing, but you'd then be going straight into learning at University which might be a daunting experience if you don't feel ready, either way, you need to choose which option you feel most comfortable with.

Have you thought about visiting any Universities or Colleges and finding out some more about the courses and admissions processes close to you?