Go to an ex poly or take a third year to do A-levels

If you missed your offers and only had options to go to ex poly unis, but had the potential to go to a top 30, would you say take a year out and re-do two papers, or take the place at the ex poly, cause some say prestige matters only for law and IB/consultancy, so surely I'd be wasting my time resitting if I'm not gaining anything.

Thanks

See, I'm stuck. I am hopeful of getting my grades, but if I missed them, I can see why that would've happened. Thing is, you can't even use any of the A2 grades you get in your 'third' year because most graduate schemes don't accept them. So therefore, maybe it's more worthwhile going and just getting a 2:1 and forgetting about top unis.

But then there is a part of me that probably wouldn't want to be in a non-traditional institution as there are many people who attend them who aren't there to study, and to be fair, I worked pretty hard during A-levels. If I did miss my grades, it would be down to just two papers out of 12. Pretty tough on me when all the other papers passed smoothly

Argh, results, hurry up.

Then again, these two posters above seemed to agree that they made the right decision, and that's probably why I would take a year out. I'd probably apply for different courses, something with a firmer career path rather than a non-vocational arts course that I'm currently applying for.

One question to those who did take a year out. Did you put 'predicted' grades for your retakes or did you put it down as pending. Or did you go back to college and apply through them?

Sorry, I don't know how to multi-quote

are you sure grad schemes will not look at the 3rd year grades ? What about if I was to do a Msc though, would my A-Levels matter too much?

No they won't. Most of them won't, in fact, all of the one's I've seen have requested them all to be taken in one two year period (first sitting). I wouldn't advise an MSc, it probably wouldn't help much because you'd still come out and apply as a graduate, albeit having done a postgrad.

Tbh, the worst case scenario would be me coming out with BBC, which isn't the end of the world in terms of grad schemes. I'm looking to go into accounting, and I've seen a few firms that would be happy to accept that. More likely BBB will be my minimum, but I'm just sick of worrying atm!

So you mean to say even if one comes out with BBC/CCC at A-Level but got say a 1st class degree, vital work experience and such they would still be rejected from Grad Schemes?

Well, I'll still be doing a Msc either way because I need it in order to progress into my preferred career

No they won't. Most of them won't, in fact, all of the one's I've seen have requested them all to be taken in one two year period (first sitting). I wouldn't advise an MSc, it probably wouldn't help much because you'd still come out and apply as a graduate, albeit having done a postgrad.

Tbh, the worst case scenario would be me coming out with BBC, which isn't the end of the world in terms of grad schemes. I'm looking to go into accounting, and I've seen a few firms that would be happy to accept that. More likely BBB will be my minimum, but I'm just sick of worrying atm!

Well, it's all dependent on the field you wish to enter. My mate came out with a first and CCC at A-level, he didn't get onto any graduate scheme. The minimum seems to be 280 UCAS Points from 3 A-levels these days. I'm not saying you definitely wouldn't get onto one with CCC and the rest of the stuff you've mentioned, but it'll certainly be more difficult. Also, you don't need to start in a graduate job, you could work you're way up a company. You wouldn't start off at the bottom if you had a degree, but you'd probably be a bit below someone in a grad job

May I ask, what do you wish to do in terms of career?

You need to remember that there are other universities out there, which are a happy medium, if I were you, I'd look at the top 30, so the 'red bricks' and 'plate glass' unis, and see if any of them come up in Clearing- it's always worth a go.

I took an extra year in A-Levels, after getting a bunk room last year & changing my mind over which course I wanted to do, this year I got an offer from one RG member, and four 1994 member with the predictions AAB for History, I've firmed Sussex who say they're more than happy to accept applicants who have taken the extra year they're entitled to.
My friend also changed his mind about his course, and received offers to read Law at Manchester, Bristol, Reading and one/two others. Therefore some universities will accept applicants for Law even with the extra year.

However if you only need to resit two exams then it could be worth taking a year out getting an internship relevant to your course, or just a well paying job, and taking those two papers as an external candidate- although your parents mightn't appreciate the cost (no single parent council discount (if applicable) and no Child Tax Credits (If applicable) etcetera). Moreover many universities often talk about how they prefer applicants who have had a beneficial gap year- so why not go travelling?

I thought out my options from this time last year, and made the right decision resitting the year, as I wouldn't have been happy in Bunk beds doing interpol, but you'll knwo what's right for you, and just go with it, ignore your parents, it'd be worse for them and you if you started a degree somewhere you weren't happy and dropped out or flunked out (:

Oh I see. I'm hopeless

In terms of career i've taken up the summer to finally crack down on what/who I want to become! I'll be taking up a life science degree and depending on where I went up I would like to venture into either

IP and Patent Law(A dream I guess now )
Medical and Clinical research
I'm looking into careers into Buisness and financing although I don't know much about it AT ALL
The petroleum industry



Basically, I have no f**king clue But if I can't enter any graduate scheme how else do I go about entering such a career ?

wbu?

True. But it's so tough to get a job these days. I think it will improve in September, I think many employers know that there's a possibility of a person who has just finished A-levels going to uni in a few months so they don't want someone who's only going to be there short term.

I think you're right, it's only two papers, and it would take 6 or 7 weeks solid revision max to do them. I'd like to get an internship or something, but there really aren't many ways of getting experience. The field I wish to enter is accountancy, so maybe just reading up might be better than work experience. I'd love to go travelling, but I literally don't have any money. I've been trying to get a job all summer. How much would you say I'd need for a month in Canada/America? I'd probably try and work in the Winter and head off in 2013 if I were to take a gap year.

Tbh, I don't think I could take something in clearing, unless I see it as really beneficial. Because I'm the sort of person who likes to think things through and have accommodation and make sure it's the right place for me. A last minute dash to get a place wouldn't be right for me, I don't think.

I'm overthinking hopefully, and perhaps I need to shut up and hide away until results, otherwise I'm gonna drive myself into a hole

This is the same problem I'm faced and I don't know what to do Each side weighs out evenly but my parents most definitely don't want me not going to uni this year (i have no idea why) and keep saying things like "when you go to *insert russell group uni*" or "you'll need this for uni" which is making me so depressed