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

im currently locumming as it is so i have free time. only thing is that there are no local colleges which helpmature students with a levels

im currently locumming as it is so i have free time. only thing is that there are no local colleges which helpmature students with a levels

Many man people change careers these days, or even have two or three changes. We live so long, it's a long life to be stuck in a career you aren't suited for, and it's too short of a life to spend the majority of it miserable.

I ended up in fashion, and got pigeon holed as being stupid, not smart enough for science. When I told people what I planned to do lots of people laughed at me, told me to just get on with it, if I had already chosen my choice and to just suck it up.
Nothing worse than feeling stuck, which is how I felt.
At least with a good set of alevels you will be on a better less restricted position than before.

Can you not get a local authority funding if you are full time studying? Or are you part time?

Is there no way you could manage without a job for this year? Or minimal hours? - I would hate for you to get to the end and wish you had had more time to focus and revise. I don't think I could have managed a job as well as all the alevels. Although I did a lot. In three years I did, GCSEs maths A* GCSE single science A* AS physics C ( physics killed me) and then I have three A grades in biology chemistry and geology as full alevels. No way I could have worked with that, although I wish I could have! I miss having money 😭 - I have to find a way to pay for my first two years of vet school.

Oh right that's pretty good then. How many hours a week are you currently working?


I'm not allowed any funding as I'm self-taught (as no colleges offer evening courses for A-levels near me) so I study in my own time when I'm not at work. I am hoping to cut down my hours a couple of months before my exams so I can crack on with revision (once I've learnt everything). I really want to achieve the best grades possible but I don't think I'm in the right financial position to just give up my job completely You're so lucky you have such a supportive mother!! I'm sure you've done her so proud!

Very very lucky! I wouldn't have been able to do this I don't think otherwise. Not in the time frame.

That's awful that none of the colleges do it, what about distance learning? You'd get the support and a tutor who could help then wouldn't you? - one of the best books I can recommend for any self taught alevel mature student is a dictionary for that subject, like a biology a-z dictionary for example. I wish I had had it from the start. Used them for all subjects in the end.

I ended up full time at college, which gave funding, even part time during the day gave me a little bit. GCSEs and alevels are really inaccessible to mature students. Eg all the vet schools require a certain GCSE requirement for science, yet the only way I could have achieved that was to enrol at a private college over an hour away that would have cost thousands a term. No where else could I get a GCSE course with teaching. Even the maths GCSE course at my college was aimed at resit students who were aiming for foundation papers not higher.

You can do this though, you just need to be crazy organised. If there is anything you think I can help with let me know. I got through loads of apps and books over the past three years, which made life easier!

Thank you, I will defintely try my best to be organised and keep on top of my work. But sometimes it's difficult to find the motivation to do something especially when you feel like you're not making much progress

Yes!! A Dictionary for Biology would actually be amazing! Where do you even get hold of one though?

It's difficult I know, I've been there. You can do it though. just do as much as you can when you are motivated, getting a tutor will help, it's worth the money, especially when you aren't having the teaching.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Biology-Handbook-Online-4th-Complete/dp/0340990996

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/0198714378/ref=mp_s_a_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1473887744&sr=8-9&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=biology+roberts

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/0174387326/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1473887802&sr=8-2&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=biology+michael+roberts&dpPl=1&dpID=51JfimjTZzL&ref=plSrch

This one is also fantastic, I also used advanced biology for you, it's well laid out.

Hope that's helps. Also depending on your exams board, they have revision game apps. Not good to rely on, but great if you spend time saying at bus stops or waiting around at work on lunch. You can just use the little quizzes then!
You can always give me a message if you need a bit of a hand with anything, or just having a moment. I've had many 😊

Will studying alevel biology alongside a degree be difficult? My degree subject is English Lang and I've been toying with the idea of giving biology another go after i got an E at AS. When going on to A2 I decided to drop it be I was afraid it would hinder my uni applications. Now I regret not carrying it on and now that I've heard that you nolonger have to complete practicles I'm even more motivated to give it a go.

Thank you so much! I appreciate your help. You have no idea how scary it is for someone who is self-taught and doesn't have anyone to turn to!

I will look into those books for sure!!


It depends, will you be willing to learn all the content for AS and A2 in a year, or will you spread it over two years? Are you aware of the new linear type A-levels?

Yes I'm loosely aware. If I did do it id probably spread it out over two years as all the exams are done in the second year right?

Hey hey looks like somebody here may know. Will share my story just in case it helps any of you out.

I'm 24, I did an Access to Medicine course last academic year, came out with 39 distinctions 6 merits. Had an offer for Medicine, wanted straight distinctions, missed it and lost my place. Really gutted.

I'm now doing an accelerated Chemistry A-Level this year to supplement my course as that's the subject I got the merits in. I attend the A2 classes in the day with all the 17/18 y/os and the AS classes at night. Was supposed to be doing A2 on one night of the week and AS on another, but the A2 was undersubscribed so they cancelled it, I had to put up a real fight to get onto the day timetable.
*
I feel very fortunate I was able to do this, it was only possible because I live in a fairly big city and I'm a bank HCA so I just pick and choose my own shifts out of those available on the system, and there's always something available. I generally do 2 nightshifts and one weekend shift per week.
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Thing I'm wondering now is, if I get A-Level Chemistry this summer and then took accelerated A-Level Biology and another linear A-Level next summer ... does that count as 3 A-Levels taken over 2 years? i.e the standard A-Level requirement from all medical schools? I really don't want my Access course to count for nothing, but without straight distinctions most medical schools won't entertain me :-( even though an Access + an accelerated A-Level is technically achieving the criteria within 2yrs, like they expect from A-Level students ... wish they would be more flexible, but I guess with such competition they have to be really stiff :-(*

Cheers*

Hi there, Can anybody advise me. I am 24 and retook my GCSE maths last year, i achieved an A*, had a D before. I am now doing A level maths at a local adult college and am self studying Further maths. Assuming i could achieve a high grade in both, would it be worth applying to cambridge/oxford as a mature student in comp sci? I understand they usually look for 3 A levels at A*/A, i will only be able to achieve 2, which will be hard enough in itself.

Hi there, Can anybody advise me. I am 24 and retook my GCSE maths last year, i achieved an A*, had a D before. I am now doing A level maths at a local adult college and am self studying Further maths. Assuming i could achieve a high grade in both, would it be worth applying to cambridge/oxford as a mature student in comp sci? I understand they usually look for 3 A levels at A*/A, i will only be able to achieve 2, which will be hard enough in itself.

Hi @NanEco would you please start quoting your conversations properly as it is making this thread rather difficult to follow.

i thought i was doing it right. my bad. hows the studying going btw ? mines keeping me relatively busy i must say



You're 18?? Are you aware that this thread is for Mature Students going back to studying?

i thought i was doing it right. my bad. hows the studying going btw ? mines keeping me relatively busy i must say

Maths has been very frustrating. Trigonometry has been getting the better of me at times but I've been managing to power through with a lot of help from people on TSR

How's the studying going on your end?

aww well thats good. yeah maths was always going to create a challenge. wouldnt be maths otherwise lol. yeah mines going well i think. further maths is cracking my brain but is working out with more practise. luckily c3 and c4 is being taught at the college and the teacher there is amazing. i think also his order of topics makes it alot easier to learn. he statrted with differentiation first in c3 as opposed to trigonometry which ull find in most books.

which forum are you gettig your maths help from out of
curiousity?