Any mature students on here who have gone back to study A-levels??

Wow that's so good!! Well done for staying motivated to study/learn even at your age! You're so inspirational!!


Yeah I think Biology is very visual when it comes to learning concepts tbh! That's what I need to do more of, diagrams/pictures!! Also I need to repeat what I've learnt as I'm learning new material, not just learn all the material then revise otherwise I will forget the content

Thanks for the tips. I hope I can use these revision techniques to my advantage!!

What are we classing as ''mature'' ?

I returned to do them last September aged 19 (currently 20) and won't finish them until I'm 21

Hey Yeah thanks !!! . I think its possible. I did do AS level maths back in 2010 though and managed to get C1 - A, C2 - A and M1 - B. I think doing them as a mature student really enables you to envision it as a step towards achieving something rather than a burden (the latter of which my 20 year old self certainly felt lol). I have enrolled in a FE college for a few of the units. C3, C4, M2, S1 will be taught at the college. where as C1, C2, M1, FP1 and D1 will be self taught.

Btw if anyone wants to know more about foundation courses and the way universities deal with those, my 5 years of research might prove useful (yeah thats how long it took to make that choice lol

Awesome!! I'm doing A2 Maths this year so it would be great if we could keep in touch and maybe send each other pm's from time to time to see how we're getting on Will you be doing Edexcel's spec?

I think the official classification of mature student at university is 21 and over 🙈

Oh yeah certainly !!! which units you doing? Im doing AQA. Btw which university and courses are you applying to?

I will be 21 when I start uni gah, old

That's great. I will be doing C3, C4, and S1. But am doing A2 Biology as well

As for University. I haven't quite decided yet. Might apply the next academic year tbh. What about you?


Philip I am sure you are very capable of achieving good grades in Maths and Biology Im also doing C3 , C4 and S1 among many others haha. As for university, My heart is pretty much set on Cambridge. I'm applying for Land Economy. Alternatively I am looking at LSE Economics too. I think I'll only be applying for those two as I already have a deferred place at Durham for Economics. What course were you hoping to do? Maths and Biology is very specific haha

I will be 21 when I start uni gah, old

I'm going to be 27 starting vet school 😂

Just want to build a community of mature students who are studying A-levels. Anyone?

State your age, what you were doing previously, and what A-levels you are studying

Im considering redoing a level chemistry, maths with stats and doing human bio, as well as maybe business as an as level. im 25 years old (feels weird considering I was the youngest in my year) and am currently a pharmacist . and yes, i am considering studying medicine, which is why I am considering redoing a level (which imo is harder than a 4 year degree / a professional registration exam which you need a minimum of 70% overall just to pass)

You have such a motivating success story!!

How did you decide that you wanted to go to University to study Veterinary Medicine?

Thank you, there have been times were I've found it ridiculously hard. Not knowing if I would manage it. Having no success stories to give me hope either. No one in my position or background who had got in. With everyone saying how impossible it was.
Plus knowing I won't have a salary again until I'm 32 😭

It was always what I wanted to do, my education took a slightly odd direction. Whilst I was working in Fashion in London after being offered a job during my degree I realised it was the wrong place for me. I went out for lunch with my mum and voiced my concerns. Her only question to me was " if you were lying in hospital, dying, would never trying be something you would regret about your life?"
To which I answered yes, so we agreed to try.

It's been hard for both of us, she has had family and friends make a lot of judgements and being very funny with her for helping me to do this and for supporting me. Especially considering the odds were not in my favour. They thought it was mad.

Now that I have a place for next year, I still feel like an imposter though. Like, any minute, Surrey are going to ring me and say that they have made a huge mistake and didn't mean to give me an offer 😂
- even my college thought this was going to be impossible. Careers advisers kept recommending I did vet nursing instead. Or do an access course. I am glad however that I fought to do the alevels and not an access. It puts me on a much more level playing field with the other students.

I think it still hasn't sunk in. It all happened very fast. I now have a year to try and keep my brain working ( it's taken 3 years to wake it up again)

Awesome!! I'm doing A2 Maths this year so it would be great if we could keep in touch and maybe send each other pm's from time to time to see how we're getting on Will you be doing Edexcel's spec?

Oh wow, so you're hoping to do AS and A2 Maths as well as AS Further Maths in one year? That would be amazing if you manage to pull it off! Best of luck!!

Hey Yeah thanks !!! . I think its possible. I did do AS level maths back in 2010 though and managed to get C1 - A, C2 - A and M1 - B. I think doing them as a mature student really enables you to envision it as a step towards achieving something rather than a burden (the latter of which my 20 year old self certainly felt lol). I have enrolled in a FE college for a few of the units. C3, C4, M2, S1 will be taught at the college. where as C1, C2, M1, FP1 and D1 will be self taught.

Btw if anyone wants to know more about foundation courses and the way universities deal with those, my 5 years of research might prove useful (yeah thats how long it took to make that choice lol

Oh wow, that's amazing. Clearly you have already proven you're academically clever having become a Pharmacist!! What makes you want to study medicine?

Is it true that A-levels are harder than a degree? I've never studied at University before

Do you fancy doing a skype group for mature students or those who are self-teaching, so we can help each other along?

thanks. tbh anyone can be a pharmacist I guess (I only had BCC at A levels and U at AS psychology - dont ask how


Medicine is something I wanted to do originally as I geninely enjoy helping people out and being able to apply my knowledge to help people out but due to my a levels I wasnt able to ().

regarding A levels vs degree: I found uni better because I had to actually learn non-outdated things using up to date revision material and lecturers who actually cared about students (1st term exams at uni I averaged 91%, whereas AS levels 1st term I averaged ~60%)

A levels, when I did it, I was heavily penalised for not doing things the way the exam board wanted me to answer (best example is A level maths with stats: I got copies of the papers- which are now sadly binned- and I got virtually all answers correct but because I used my own shortened equations (and not the ones they wanted me to use) I kept losing marks (similar story with a level chemistry but right equations, wrong exaplantions).

That doesn't sound like a bad idea. We could have like a Maths conference like once every couple of weeks over Skype and teach each other things we don't understand.


I say you should definitely go for it then! If you feel you can improve your grades then it's likely that you will!! Will you be working full time whilst studying?

Yeah I know what you mean about people making their judgements about you! People have been frowning upon me saying that I'm ridiculous for wanting to study A-levels and that I should just "get on with my life". I feel like I'm trapped in a career I'm not suited for I'd rather end up upset knowing that I tried, than upset not knowing what I could have achieved.

This year is going to be the hardest year of my life! Balancing a job whilst doing A2 is really going to test me!