Distance Learning - A-Levels

I can tell you without a doubt that the NEC is infinitely better than Oxford Online College. I've used both, and it would literally take me hours to tell you all the ridiculous things Oxford have done. Just totally, totally incompetent. And even if they were capable of doing there job properly, the service you would actually receive wouldn't be as good as the NEC. You can't even email a tutor directly, for instance, and if you want a print out of the materials you get, it costs about sixty quid.

I am planning on taking some A-Levels online due to the fact I can't get enough tariff points for uni and am living in Germany. I am not sure whether to use the oxford collefe distance learning (ODL) or the national extension college (NEC). I have heard some bad reviews about tutors at ODL but I find the fees at NEC at bit high. Can someone help me please?

Why not learn them yourself? That's what I have done. Three A levels in 6 months (A2 and AS). Saves a lot of money, just have to pay for the exams (just over £300) and a small fee for the school (£30) I am sitting them at as a private candidate.

Looking at these online tutors you are looking at best part of £2000.

Why not learn them yourself? That's what I have done. Three A levels in 6 months (A2 and AS). Saves a lot of money, just have to pay for the exams (just over £300) and a small fee for the school (£30) I am sitting them at as a private candidate.

Looking at these online tutors you are looking at best part of £2000.

What subjects are you teaching yourself? And how old are you? Did you say you're doing both the AS and A2 in 6 months, how are you coping with the work load?

How would I go about getting material for these courses though? Of course it is cheaper but I don't know how well I'll will a tutor.

Maths, Further Maths and Statistics A levels (all AQA). Work load is fine. I've been finished for a while actually. Just repeatedly going over stuff now. Spend about six hours per day, six days per week. (more than 30 less than 60 years of age).

Oh wow, that's very good!! So You're a mature person between the age of 30 and 60? I take it you don't currently have a job? What made you decide to do some A-levels? I'm a mature person myself (23 years old) and have entered myself to sit exams as an external candidate for AS Maths and AS Biology!

I am what you'd call well off. I retired at age 40 which right away tells you I am not 30 something LOL.

I want to be a maths professor so the first step is doing A levels. That was my original plan decades ago but life intervened. I already have four university offers and I'll be starting in September short of keeling over in the meantime.

You are an incredible inspiration sir!! I respect you so much for that. Classic example that you should always pursue your goals. When it comes to education, age is merely just a number!!! Will be keeping in contact with you up until results day! I wish you the best of luck! Also can I ask what you were doing beforehand?

I owned my own company in the aircraft/aerospace industry. Not a multinational I might add (100 employees not 10,000). But I always wanted to be a mathematician and it was what I was originally expected to do (I was always the best in my school at maths) but emigration/marriage/kids/mortgages all got in the way.

I'm stumped for words!! As if I didn't already have lots of respect of you for going ahead to go back to A-levels and study but you also had yourself a very successful business!!! What an incredible and passionate person you are! It sounds like everything you do, you put in 110% and then some!! You have to keep me updated with how your exams go!!

One thing having a medium sized business teaches you is organisation and discipline. The biggest reason people do poorly in their A levels (excepting those who just aren't capable) is not being organised, and lacking the discipline to work continuously through their two years. Now I am lucky that I can treat this as a job (six hours per day) so doing three complete A levels in six months is actually very feasible - but three A levels over two years with the right planning should be a breeze for most.

Why not learn them yourself? That's what I have done. Three A levels in 6 months (A2 and AS). Saves a lot of money, just have to pay for the exams (just over £300) and a small fee for the school (£30) I am sitting them at as a private candidate.

Looking at these online tutors you are looking at best part of £2000.

I totally agree that you don't need an online college or whatever for the actual materials. The official books and wider reading is all you need for learning. But I do think that you need some tutor support, especially for doing past papers, and that's what you would get from an online college.

That is very true!! It is the amount of hard work and dedication you actually put in to doing something that gets you results!! But then, sometimes with A-levels it can depend on your memory too (I do find it difficult to memorise things a lot of the time). So it's a mixture of dedication and memory to the build up to the exams. I'm gonna use you as my inspiration though!! :P

If someone is a pretty good student then I disagree. I think £600 per A level for these online course tutors is a lot of money. And I think any good student can self teach to get themselves A*.

A person who isn't particularly academic probably does need the help but anyone who in a standard school would get straight A* could do it themselves at home to the same standard.

Have you sat any exams yet?