Getting back into education with A levels.
IM looking to retake my A-levels, well retake, more of a actually do them and finish them properly, when i finished GCSE's my scores were horribly, but i was incredibly lazy and didnt take the exams as seriously as i should, i scraped two A's, all core subjects i Got c's, my chosen ones were lacking, and apparently BTEC sport didnt count for much anyway. when i was first starting college i wanted to do physics, biology, and maths, on the induction day i did fairly good in the physics and maths tests, nothing special but considering i was lazy not bad. when it came time to select what i wanted, the physics teacher talked with me, i told him what i wanted, but he didnt like my C in maths. my top scores on physics didnt mean much as he said its math heavy and thats what we really look for when we take people on the course, but i was persistent on wanting to do science.
he took me to other teachers,and i ended up taking geology, and forensic studies. fast forward 2 years, it was a fail, i wasnt interested, i didnt care, i got lazy yet again and didnt even finish the work, didnt sit any exams, 2 years essentially wasted. since i was 18 at the time i had an option of working, or going back into college, unfortunately due to my horrible performance at the previous college i wasnt allowed back. so i went to another one, this time taking game design, the course was easy, nothing challenging, and the people there were incredibly relaxed, but i guess i started to worry and panic this wouldnt go anywhere, i mean who goes to college for game design and ends up making games? apparently not many they all go into computer courses haha. i dropped out quick, to this day i dont know why i left so suddenly, i panicked and thought id be wasting my time again, looking back i wishd id stayed, it was a far better alternative than what i did after. no college, no job i didnt have many options, i was quickly whisked into a, im not even sure what it is to be honest, it was for people who didnt want to go to college but needed a little nudge onto something else. we just resat English, maths, in a class of 5 people with a teacher im 95% sure wasn't qualified. anyway i tried reapplying back at college, it was an access course for university i believe for medicine, i enjoyed biology and thought this was a great way to do science, something i originally wanted. i sent off my application, a while had past and it was nearing induction, i worried a bit but thought there was still a few weeks so i contacted them, they said theyd check, didnt receive a call back, i contacted them a while later, and their response was it sometimes gets lost when there are late applications, and they'd get back to me. no way in hell was i late, i sent the application late april, and the course didnt start september,
so anyway after this mess i went back to the course thing i was on before, they tried to help me out with the college issue, and by this time their response was its too late. feeling more annoyed and depressed as ever i wanted to fix this, so i looked around for possible apprenticeships, i found a nice one in the area, (hospitality) not what i wanted at all, but i wanted to go for something, i hated sitting around this place, so i applied for it, i ended up going far away to another college, twice, where id sit assessments and have interviews, i sat multiple assessments and has an interview twice. i had to sign up, give them a CV (i assumed for the job) and do the assessments to see my level. i got no message back from the college, and the head (sorta manager) at the place i was at (for school drop outs) was confused as to why i had to do all this for an apprenticeship that was 2 miles down the road, he contacted the college, then the hotel i applied for, and it turns out there wasnt even a position for the place, id wasted time yet again for nothing. so after all this more annoyed than ever, a little while later im told im too old for the helpers course and i had to leave after Christmas. (this must be the universes way of saying i dont like you) i cant say i was depressed, but this really messed me up, i couldnt sleep for the next month, constantly stressing, my mom had just said get a job. i didnt have any support from anyone, it felt like id failed myself big time, and there was no way i was getting out. but after all this i found a job, something i didnt enjoy, carpentry, ive been working there for over a year now, which brings us to this day.
sorry for this long ass rant, but no ive had a year of work, and somewhat self reflection, i think i really want to get my a levels and go onto uni. im 21 and have achieved nothing in this time, i now have money, and prespective behind me, so im wanting to take A levels, but im extremly worried ill fail again, i want to take physics, maths, and biology, but as someone who hasnt even seen a hard math equation in 4 years will i be able to handle it? not to mention i wont have direct contact with a teacher as much as you would in a class room. ive learnt decisions like this need serious though, theyre also stressful as
. this is something i want to do, but everytime i think about it a voice is always saying ''you cant do it'' i was just hoping someone, or people in the forum could shed insight into taking a levels at home, or a similar position to me where they managed to achieve their a levels. (id need to hold a part time job whilst doing a levels due to living costs) so im hoping at least 30 hours a week is manageable for someone like me for a levels.
he took me to other teachers,and i ended up taking geology, and forensic studies. fast forward 2 years, it was a fail, i wasnt interested, i didnt care, i got lazy yet again and didnt even finish the work, didnt sit any exams, 2 years essentially wasted. since i was 18 at the time i had an option of working, or going back into college, unfortunately due to my horrible performance at the previous college i wasnt allowed back. so i went to another one, this time taking game design, the course was easy, nothing challenging, and the people there were incredibly relaxed, but i guess i started to worry and panic this wouldnt go anywhere, i mean who goes to college for game design and ends up making games? apparently not many they all go into computer courses haha. i dropped out quick, to this day i dont know why i left so suddenly, i panicked and thought id be wasting my time again, looking back i wishd id stayed, it was a far better alternative than what i did after. no college, no job i didnt have many options, i was quickly whisked into a, im not even sure what it is to be honest, it was for people who didnt want to go to college but needed a little nudge onto something else. we just resat English, maths, in a class of 5 people with a teacher im 95% sure wasn't qualified. anyway i tried reapplying back at college, it was an access course for university i believe for medicine, i enjoyed biology and thought this was a great way to do science, something i originally wanted. i sent off my application, a while had past and it was nearing induction, i worried a bit but thought there was still a few weeks so i contacted them, they said theyd check, didnt receive a call back, i contacted them a while later, and their response was it sometimes gets lost when there are late applications, and they'd get back to me. no way in hell was i late, i sent the application late april, and the course didnt start september,
so anyway after this mess i went back to the course thing i was on before, they tried to help me out with the college issue, and by this time their response was its too late. feeling more annoyed and depressed as ever i wanted to fix this, so i looked around for possible apprenticeships, i found a nice one in the area, (hospitality) not what i wanted at all, but i wanted to go for something, i hated sitting around this place, so i applied for it, i ended up going far away to another college, twice, where id sit assessments and have interviews, i sat multiple assessments and has an interview twice. i had to sign up, give them a CV (i assumed for the job) and do the assessments to see my level. i got no message back from the college, and the head (sorta manager) at the place i was at (for school drop outs) was confused as to why i had to do all this for an apprenticeship that was 2 miles down the road, he contacted the college, then the hotel i applied for, and it turns out there wasnt even a position for the place, id wasted time yet again for nothing. so after all this more annoyed than ever, a little while later im told im too old for the helpers course and i had to leave after Christmas. (this must be the universes way of saying i dont like you) i cant say i was depressed, but this really messed me up, i couldnt sleep for the next month, constantly stressing, my mom had just said get a job. i didnt have any support from anyone, it felt like id failed myself big time, and there was no way i was getting out. but after all this i found a job, something i didnt enjoy, carpentry, ive been working there for over a year now, which brings us to this day.
sorry for this long ass rant, but no ive had a year of work, and somewhat self reflection, i think i really want to get my a levels and go onto uni. im 21 and have achieved nothing in this time, i now have money, and prespective behind me, so im wanting to take A levels, but im extremly worried ill fail again, i want to take physics, maths, and biology, but as someone who hasnt even seen a hard math equation in 4 years will i be able to handle it? not to mention i wont have direct contact with a teacher as much as you would in a class room. ive learnt decisions like this need serious though, theyre also stressful as
. this is something i want to do, but everytime i think about it a voice is always saying ''you cant do it'' i was just hoping someone, or people in the forum could shed insight into taking a levels at home, or a similar position to me where they managed to achieve their a levels. (id need to hold a part time job whilst doing a levels due to living costs) so im hoping at least 30 hours a week is manageable for someone like me for a levels.(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by 999tigger
Honestly you need to put some paragraphs in or people wont read such a wall of text.
I can't speak much for Physics and Biology but Math should relatively be simple to self teach. All you really need is examsolutions.net; study the topics in the order they're presented in, don't move on until you fully understand a topic. Then do the exam questions (which are at the end). You can then use physicsandmathstutor,com for practice/past papers (there are also useful notes on there for math/physics/biology)..
Original post by BrCatu
sorry got carried away :P
Ok ive read it but tbh the first three paragraphs were irrelevant or could have been reduced to a few sentences.
So:
1. You wish to go to Uni? You can do that via an Access course which is meant to be aimed at helping mature students gain the required skills. you can get a loan for that. You would get teaching.
https://www.accesstohe.ac.uk/Pages/Default.aspx
2. Alternatively you could do A levels at college. A levels imo give you more options and are more widely accepted. If you werent great at studying the first time round, then how about taking GCSE to break you in? There is also a big difference between doing distance learning without support compared to a course in a classroom. Distance learning requires discipline, some people have it and others do not. I would think ,long and hard if you can motivate yourself enough to keep up with work?
Its hard to find a college that teaches A levels for adults, but some do. Also with science you need access to labs. I would suggest finding a college and studying there as it removes a lot of the obstacles.
From what ive read I suggest you do A levels in a college as self taught is hard work. You dont have a great academic record, so best go for the easiest option that will give you support and routine. It will also help you gain confidence working with other students in a similar situation.
Original post by Hōseki
I can't speak much for Physics and Biology but Math should relatively be simple to self teach. All you really need is examsolutions.net; study the topics in the order they're presented in, don't move on until you fully understand a topic. Then do the exam questions (which are at the end). You can then use physicsandmathstutor,com for practice/past papers (there are also useful notes on there for math/physics/biology)..
thanks, maths is what worries me the most, i found physics fascinating and always looked over work when my friend took it in college, we'd have convos about the topic he was currently studying.
Biology is fine too, but ive never done it at a level, im mostly worried about going back into it, at an A level standard, ill try look for old gcse work and recap as much as i can, im hoping to start them soon, i finally have enough money to take the courses (they can be a bit pricey) im not entirely sure which site to take them from, one site asks £400 per a level, and others offer £250, i love saving money, but im not skimping out on this purchase.
Original post by 999tigger
Ok ive read it but tbh the first three paragraphs were irrelevant or could have been reduced to a few sentences.
So:
1. You wish to go to Uni? You can do that via an Access course which is meant to be aimed at helping mature students gain the required skills. you can get a loan for that. You would get teaching.
https://www.accesstohe.ac.uk/Pages/Default.aspx
2. Alternatively you could do A levels at college. A levels imo give you more options and are more widely accepted. If you werent great at studying the first time round, then how about taking GCSE to break you in? There is also a big difference between doing distance learning without support compared to a course in a classroom. Distance learning requires discipline, some people have it and others do not. I would think ,long and hard if you can motivate yourself enough to keep up with work?
Its hard to find a college that teaches A levels for adults, but some do. Also with science you need access to labs. I would suggest finding a college and studying there as it removes a lot of the obstacles.
From what ive read I suggest you do A levels in a college as self taught is hard work. You dont have a great academic record, so best go for the easiest option that will give you support and routine. It will also help you gain confidence working with other students in a similar situation.
So:
1. You wish to go to Uni? You can do that via an Access course which is meant to be aimed at helping mature students gain the required skills. you can get a loan for that. You would get teaching.
https://www.accesstohe.ac.uk/Pages/Default.aspx
2. Alternatively you could do A levels at college. A levels imo give you more options and are more widely accepted. If you werent great at studying the first time round, then how about taking GCSE to break you in? There is also a big difference between doing distance learning without support compared to a course in a classroom. Distance learning requires discipline, some people have it and others do not. I would think ,long and hard if you can motivate yourself enough to keep up with work?
Its hard to find a college that teaches A levels for adults, but some do. Also with science you need access to labs. I would suggest finding a college and studying there as it removes a lot of the obstacles.
From what ive read I suggest you do A levels in a college as self taught is hard work. You dont have a great academic record, so best go for the easiest option that will give you support and routine. It will also help you gain confidence working with other students in a similar situation.
yeah sorry for the big rant at the start, i jut wanted to explain my situation entirely. id love to redo a levels in a classrooms, but the closest college to me is the one i did bad at prior, and the teacher at the time made it clear id be unable to go back. not to mention the cost as im classed as an adult, and travel costs. so i was looking for online a levels to take, im aware of the discipline needed, and i think id be able to take it, working a 45 hour work week has definetly put hard work into perspective, and im eager to learn these subjects, so i dont think dedication and discipline would be an issue.
i worried about practicals too, but why would they offer these sciences as online learning if you needed access to a full lab, do you know of anyway the practicals can be done without going to a college?
(edited 7 years ago)
https://www.openstudycollege.com/qualifications/a-level this is the site ill mostly likely get a levels from, it seems legit, and they offer tutor support, i have looked into access courses, but it feels like a levels have more freedom, i dont know 100% if i want to go to university, but its definetly something im considering, any decision i come to now i take great care in making it. so i was thinking do a levels now, go part time at the place im currently working at, i can set aside 10 hours for each subject a week. on top of part time work. i am very worried about obstacles in my way, ive been stressed over it for a while, and im someone who gets stressed and anxious real easily, so thought id come here for some advice or tips before going on to deciding.
Original post by BrCatu
yeah sorry for the big rant at the start, i jut wanted to explain my situation entirely. id love to redo a levels in a classrooms, but the closest college to me is the one i did bad at prior, and the teacher at the time made it clear id be unable to go back. not to mention the cost as im classed as an adult, and travel costs. so i was looking for online a levels to take, im aware of the discipline needed, and i think id be able to take it, working a 45 hour work week has definetly put hard work into perspective, and im eager to learn these subjects, so i dont think dedication and discipline would be an issue.
i worried about practicals too, but why would they offer these sciences as online learning if you needed access to a full lab, do you know of anyway the practicals can be done without going to a college?
i worried about practicals too, but why would they offer these sciences as online learning if you needed access to a full lab, do you know of anyway the practicals can be done without going to a college?
I would check out all options. Including colleges further afield.
I don't think expense should be an issue as you can get advanced learner loans.Research online courses as they will vary in quality and level of support. Some of them will be cowboys. Presumably they know how to get you lab time. They might have arrangements I have no idea.
A level are quite a jump from GCSE and stem subjects are challenging. Just make sure youve thought it through and can commit.
Original post by 999tigger
I would check out all options. Including colleges further afield.
I don't think expense should be an issue as you can get advanced learner loans.Research online courses as they will vary in quality and level of support. Some of them will be cowboys. Presumably they know how to get you lab time. They might have arrangements I have no idea.
A level are quite a jump from GCSE and stem subjects are challenging. Just make sure youve thought it through and can commit.
I don't think expense should be an issue as you can get advanced learner loans.Research online courses as they will vary in quality and level of support. Some of them will be cowboys. Presumably they know how to get you lab time. They might have arrangements I have no idea.
A level are quite a jump from GCSE and stem subjects are challenging. Just make sure youve thought it through and can commit.
Yes thanks for your input. my main reason for this thread was to see if people would think it possible, i hope, and think i can do it. i know it will be challenging, the only thing i have going for me is this time im very dedicated, and in school gcse i did very well in physics and biology getting A in both, but getting a c in math is my main worry. i do worry about the lower support than a traditional classroom, and i havent done any of the subjects in depth since i was 16. but all i know is id love to actually have A levels, it will make my life much less stressful in the future
Original post by BrCatu
Yes thanks for your input. my main reason for this thread was to see if people would think it possible, i hope, and think i can do it. i know it will be challenging, the only thing i have going for me is this time im very dedicated, and in school gcse i did very well in physics and biology getting A in both, but getting a c in math is my main worry. i do worry about the lower support than a traditional classroom, and i havent done any of the subjects in depth since i was 16. but all i know is id love to actually have A levels, it will make my life much less stressful in the future
Yes it is possible. there are normally some books on Amazon for people returning to study. You just need to be consistent and well organised. Hopefully the provider you pick will be a good one. GL.
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