Wanting to teach myself A-level history and have some questions.

Ok so i ****ed up my A levels and came out with CEE. I want to end up BCC so at least i can do something decent. I can retake geography but have no motivation to redo my other subject so would like to do history instead. However i am finding the ordeal quite confusing and am unsure as where to start.

1. Can i do the A2 without first having to take the AS? I only have less than a year to do this and doing both seems like too much work especually with geogrpahy to redo too.

2. AQA NEA thing? I read the spec and it says that i apparently must have picked my chosen subject and had it checked by AQA 12 MONTHS BEFORE THE EXAM DATE. Is this true? Becuase if so then im ****ed. Its october and cant really get into uni next year if i can only finish the exam in october (is this even possible? Since i would surely have to wait until next june to sit components 1 and 2)

I was actually really hyped about studying history again and finally managed to get motivated to do something eith my life, but this NEA deadline thing seems to have ruined it.