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

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Original post by Philip-flop
A-level exams are just around the corner! Eeeek :frown:

How is everyone feeling?


Looking forward to it.
Original post by Student1914
Looking forward to it.


I'm not! I am such a nervous wreck right now!! :frown:

@Student1914 what exams you got this summer?
Original post by Philip-flop
I'm not! I am such a nervous wreck right now!! :frown:

@Student1914 what exams you got this summer?


I thought you have been revising well. I fortunately only have C1, C2 and M1. So it's a smooth sail into summer.
Original post by Student1914
I thought you have been revising well. I fortunately only have C1, C2 and M1. So it's a smooth sail into summer.


It doesn't matter how well or how long I've been revising for, exams are still nerve-racking :frown:

Good luck with AS Maths btw :smile:
Original post by Schadenfreude65
STEM subjects at uni usually have a lot of contact hours (~ 20 hours per week). I honestly don't see how you would manage this with home educating a child at the same time. I home-educated one of my kids, and it is pretty full on, especially when they are young. OU, on the other hand, can be fitted in more easily, as you can study at the same time as the kids, and this can actually really help them too, to have you as a role model.

Before you get to that stage though, is there any particular reason that you want to do four A levels? I'm sure three would be enough to prepare you for university level study.


Admittedly, until posting here it's not something I really thought about, it was only really when I saw the post that I properly put two and two together and that I'd b trying to HE whilst studying! I do know that contact hours are high (I supported my husband through university doing a STEM subject) and we think that we've got a decent plan of action for when the time comes, though we're going to take it one step at a time and see where we both are in our careers, so A Levels first!

Four was purely to get the range of subjects and out of interest, though having thought more I think that I should concentrate on three and leave psychology for later. It seems a shame to 'waste' the study I've already done for fun (though I had no intention of going back to do A Levels when I started that!) but it can't have been time wasted if I enjoyed doing it really. I will do Maths, Physics and Chemistry and see where that gets me. If I need to do another one or two to get the subject combination if I change my mind on subjects then I'll worry about that once those three are complete as it seems that doing three in one sitting is all the universities are concerned about, regardless of which three!
Original post by Reality Check
Couple of points.

Are you planning on taking these A levels full-time or part time? If full-time, I think there' be an expectation that you'd complete the course in two years. But things are always different for mature students, so it might be worth checking with a few universities you're interested in to see what their opinion on your doing them over three year is. You've then got a definitive answer.

It might be worth attempting to narrow down what you want to study at university before you finally chose your A levels, so they're most relevant. For instance, if you decide Physics is your chosen discipline, then it would be better to do Maths, FM and Physics than psychology. I understand that you are interested in psychology, but for a maths/physical science application, I think you need to be careful that taking it (with a further 2 A levels) doesn't 'displace' something more useful. A propos, I would counsel against taking 4 A levels. The standard offer is nearly always 3 A Levels, and four just means more (and possibly unnecessary work). Worse, if you take 4, there's always the danger of actually being made an offer for 4, rather than the standard 3.

Hope some of this provides food for thought.


I'll be studying part time, I should be able to free up around 15hrs per week (once my daughter starts actually napping!), so I'll see how I'm doing and just book the exams for the same year whether it takes me two years or three rather than splitting them as I thought before.

I've now had a bit more of a search around the subjects I've considered and the good unis that offer them and for each subject I've considered, even just checked on a whim out of curiosity, maths and one science seem to be perfect options, both physics and chemistry would cover every degree I've thought about. So I suppose that's my combination of subjects sorted!
Reply 426
I've got offers from all my choices and it's killing me trying to choose. Mostly stuck between Nottingham and Heriot-Watt for engineering, Liverpool as my insurance.
Original post by PtGF
I've got offers from all my choices and it's killing me trying to choose. Mostly stuck between Nottingham and Heriot-Watt for engineering, Liverpool as my insurance.


Firstly, congratulations! What course/s are your offers for?

I say you should do a lot of research up each of your universities up until the time you have to decide. There are plenty of threads on here about all the different universities so I'm sure someone will be around to help you with any questions :smile:
How's the studying going my fellow mature students?
Original post by Philip-flop
How's the studying going my fellow mature students?


Looking forward to enter the Colosseum to battle my exams. So I can emerge victorious and enjoy the spoils.
Got my first AS psychology exam this afternoon! Can't believe how quickly the academic year has gone by! Hope I get a good paper fingers crossed
Original post by tripplea
Got my first AS psychology exam this afternoon! Can't believe how quickly the academic year has gone by! Hope I get a good paper fingers crossed


Good luck!! Let us know how it goes! You have every mature student's support behind you! :smile:
Original post by Philip-flop
Good luck!! Let us know how it goes! You have every mature student's support behind you! :smile:


Thank you so much Philip-flop! I'll let you know how it goes. My first exam in 7 years eek! so I'm a bit nervous but I've revised everything so I'm just going to try my best :smile:
Original post by tripplea
Thank you so much Philip-flop! I'll let you know how it goes. My first exam in 7 years eek! so I'm a bit nervous but I've revised everything so I'm just going to try my best :smile:


You'll be fine! No need to be nervous :smile:
Original post by Philip-flop
You'll be fine! No need to be nervous :smile:


Thanks!
Hi guys,

I'm 19 and currently doing a BSc Animal Science but am looking at doing a veterinary degree after this one. However, for this I need Chemistry A-level.
Just wondering if anyone had done Chemistry A-level (or any a-level for that matter!!) through an online distance learning company and could give me any reviews?? There are so many out there and they all vary in price hugely so just need some advice on which ones are actually any good :smile:
Original post by flojenkins
Hi guys,

I'm 19 and currently doing a BSc Animal Science but am looking at doing a veterinary degree after this one. However, for this I need Chemistry A-level.
Just wondering if anyone had done Chemistry A-level (or any a-level for that matter!!) through an online distance learning company and could give me any reviews?? There are so many out there and they all vary in price hugely so just need some advice on which ones are actually any good :smile:

I hear NEC are pretty decent. They have many tutors who are always willing to help.
Original post by Philip-flop
Don't be too harsh on yourself!! I left my accountancy job to do 2 AS-levels whilst working part time as a delivery driver. Never worked so hard up until this year of my life!!
Hi there...what are studying for?:smile:
Original post by flojenkins
Hi guys,

I'm 19 and currently doing a BSc Animal Science but am looking at doing a veterinary degree after this one. However, for this I need Chemistry A-level.
Just wondering if anyone had done Chemistry A-level (or any a-level for that matter!!) through an online distance learning company and could give me any reviews?? There are so many out there and they all vary in price hugely so just need some advice on which ones are actually any good :smile:

dont u need access to a laboratory for A level chem?
Original post by thumus81
Hi there...what are studying for?:smile:


Maths and Bio :smile:

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