Oxford is not possible is it?

I have poor GCSE's (A*A the rest are B's) and poor A-levels (teacher assessed grades from 2020 BBD).

I wanted to go try and 'fix' my grades but even if I get 3 A* in the summer they will now be considered resits even though I have never sat an A-level exam before. As for my GCSE's I know that resitting them would probably be an exercise in futility. My chances have been completely ruined.

I never really had an interest in academics, until rather recently, and just prior to my GCSE's I had something going on which got exponentially worse and affected my A-level mocks which decided my A-level grades. However, I have no evidence of this. There's nothing that I can do to get into Oxford is there?

Now before you all say that Oxford isn't the be-all and end-all be warned; I am deluded. All jokes aside, if I were to go to a different university I would just feel as though I had failed myself and my family for the duration of my degree and it would not be good for me at all. What am I meant to do? Forget about my aspirations and go and work in Mcdonalds? Because that's where I am heading. I am probably asking in vain but, is there anything that I can do at all? Anything.

Okay. Let’s ignore all the grades stuff. The purpose of a degree is to help you get into a job/career. Oxford/Cambridge are actually not the best unis for certain courses. For example I’m a vet student and Cambridge is (in many ways/in my opinion) one of the worst unis for vet med. what career do you want to do?

Surely it’s better to get a degree and get into a good career than give up and waste your life away in a job you will not be happy with (in your case that appears to be macdonalds)

I wanted to do some form of history and/or politics at university with a postgraduate law conversion. I used to be quite against the idea of going to university without the need for a degree, I still am really. However, I cannot just live with my family for the rest of my life and if I were to live by myself stuck somewhere I didn't want to be, in truth, I'd fall apart.

Setting your heart on going to Oxford a whole six months after you first decided that you liked academics, without having any idea what you are capable of when you try, is rather setting yourself up to fail. But no, it's not impossible. Do you think every mature student who gets in got perfect A levels aged 18 and is accepted on the basis of them?

First things first. Go get 3 A*s in the summer(possibly summer 2023 given that it's already January). Write yourself a personal statement explaining exactly what happened - facts, not excuses for why it wasn't your fault. Oxford like people who really, really want to be there and to learn - it is actually much easier to present yourself that way when you are someone who messed up and has turned things around than when you've followed the same standard path through school to university as everyone else.

What are you meant to do? You're meant to try. If you'd rather think up excuses for why it isn't worth trying, that's on you.

I have poor GCSE's (A*A the rest are B's) and poor A-levels (teacher assessed grades from 2020 BBD).

I wanted to go try and 'fix' my grades but even if I get 3 A* in the summer they will now be considered resits even though I have never sat an A-level exam before. As for my GCSE's I know that resitting them would probably be an exercise in futility. My chances have been completely ruined.

I never really had an interest in academics, until rather recently, and just prior to my GCSE's I had something going on which got exponentially worse and affected my A-level mocks which decided my A-level grades. However, I have no evidence of this. There's nothing that I can do to get into Oxford is there?

Now before you all say that Oxford isn't the be-all and end-all be warned; I am deluded. All jokes aside, if I were to go to a different university I would just feel as though I had failed myself and my family for the duration of my degree and it would not be good for me at all. What am I meant to do? Forget about my aspirations and go and work in Mcdonalds? Because that's where I am heading. I am probably asking in vain but, is there anything that I can do at all? Anything.

I have poor GCSE's (A*A the rest are B's) and poor A-levels (teacher assessed grades from 2020 BBD).

I wanted to go try and 'fix' my grades but even if I get 3 A* in the summer they will now be considered resits even though I have never sat an A-level exam before. As for my GCSE's I know that resitting them would probably be an exercise in futility. My chances have been completely ruined.

I never really had an interest in academics, until rather recently, and just prior to my GCSE's I had something going on which got exponentially worse and affected my A-level mocks which decided my A-level grades. However, I have no evidence of this. There's nothing that I can do to get into Oxford is there?

Now before you all say that Oxford isn't the be-all and end-all be warned; I am deluded. All jokes aside, if I were to go to a different university I would just feel as though I had failed myself and my family for the duration of my degree and it would not be good for me at all. What am I meant to do? Forget about my aspirations and go and work in Mcdonalds? Because that's where I am heading. I am probably asking in vain but, is there anything that I can do at all? Anything.

If your heart is set on Oxford, you could consider doing an undergraduate degree at another univeristy, perform well and then aim to study at Oxford for postgrad?

Why would you be failing yourself/your family for going to a uni that is not Oxford after only just gaining an "interest" in academics? Considering your current grades it is, as you say, going to be almost impossible to get in for undergrad.

I hear that they look down on resits and an Oxford student has told me that some colleges won't even look at your application if you don't have 8A* or more.

Because I was once a promising student and I've just wasted it all.

If you'd rather believe urban myths and hearsay than Oxford's own website, then sure, it's impossible for you to get in.

Or you could go here and see what the actual requirements are:
https://www.history.ox.ac.uk/qualifications-and-entry-requirements

This goes deeper than academia, your self-worth isn't reliant on your grades.

I am sitting exams this summer but, I hear that they look down on resits and an Oxford student has told me that some colleges won't even look at your application if you don't have 8A* or more.

Well you should have thought about that from year 10 through to year 13. There's no point mulling over the past.

What's done is done now, so focus on the future.


Here's what I would do:
- Resit your exams and get the best grades you possibly can
- Apply to Oxford alongside other good universities
- If you don't get into Oxford, attend one of the other good unis and perform extremely well in those 3 years
- Apply for postgrad at Oxford + Cambridge


^ This is a genuine route you can take to get into Oxford. If you keep feeling sorry for yourself and don't change then you actually will waste all your potential. In 4 or 5 years you could be at your dream institution, look at that as the end goal and make every effort to acheive it - I guarantee you will be successful.

It really is. This life a competition and I'm behind.

It really is. This life a competition and I'm behind.

This isn't american psycho lmfao...there is more to you and your existence merely than qualifications?? which doesn't even dictate guaranteed success???