Hi, I was in the same position last year! I was predicted A*A*A, I had applied to vet med and had 3 interviews at Cambridge, Nottingham(these went okay I thought) and Liverpool(which went horribly). I had an offer for biochemistry at Bristol. I got no vet med offers, everyone at my school did and I did struggle to admit that to myself without feeling like such a failure.
For a while, undoubtedly due to FOMO, I was certain to take my offer for biochem. It was a good university and a course topic I new I would sort of enjoy at least although the career paths meant a lot more further study which was expensive but I live in a small town and all my friends were going away and none of them even considered for a moment a gap year.
I did a lot more work experience and research and realized that medicine was much more suited to me. Work experience is so important for this and I was pleased at myself for sorting it out and figuring out what I really wanted to study. I took the decision to take a gap year, take on a few jobs and keep looking for more work experience, for example I am working as a carer because I love how rewarding it is, the human bond and patient focus care and the skills it is teaching me for a (hopeful) career in medicine. Although I don’t really have anyone in my town anymore, and sometimes life is a bit mundane, I am getting through it. For example, I’m planning to live abroad in April to August hopefully, get out of here for a while 😜 which I wouldn’t have been able to do if I was at uni.
So my advice, I can tell vet med is what you want to do, spend the year working to earn some money, look for a few various sources on income such as a part time job at a café, then maybe some tutoring for GCSE/A-level students, some babysitting etc. I’ve found this variation has filled my time a bit more and made my life less boring than just being at one job all day everyday etc.and then maybe some volunteering if that’s your thing. It’s good on a personal statement and just good to develop communication skills and meet different types of people you maybe couldn’t if you were at school and just makes you feel good. Then work on your application, get some serious work experience that you can talk about in interview. You have the advantage of being able to shadow vets and other professionals whilst everyone is at school. If you can, maybe find some paid work which can count as work experience, add another activity you can do.
In terms of emotions and things like that, know your course is especially competitive. If people at school don’t understand etc and they’re getting offers left right and centre, be happy for them and everything, but know this is the hardest part. For me the trickiest thing was when teachers asked in front of people where everyone was going next year and I felt so ashamed to say no where because I got no offers that’s why I was so determined to take my 5th choice. But don’t. You sound like a great mum (my mum and dad have been amazing letting me stay here and helping me) and as long as she has a great support and reassurance a gap year to reapply can be a great thing! You have all that extra interview experience, achieved grades and you can feel a lot more like an adult doing a few jobs 😄 for now just focus on your A-levels so you can have great achieved grades so that’s one less worry! Good luck 😄