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is university easier than A Levels?

teachers have said university will be so much easier, you just have to get over this hurdle and then you can relax a bit then, can anyone definitively say this is true?

Reply 1

DaveManUK

10

no that is completely wrong. university is much harder than a levels. a levels you dont have to think, especially in sciency subjects. the gap in a levels and uni is so huge nowadays, there was a time when a levels used to be difficult.

Reply 2

goku999

3

Thats also what some of my teachers tell me. They jus say that A-Level students are under a lot of pressure due to the work load of the subjects they do. But at university you will have more time to relax and more time to do the work so less pressure.

Reply 3

JennLlama

1

I must admit I didn't do A-levels cos I'm Scottish but I did do an equivalent. I wouldn't say uni was easier than they were, but I guess I spend less time in lectures and working than I spent in school. I think it's just different - I have more time to do other stuff not directly related to my degree (e.g. societies) but the work is of a comparable standard I reckon.
Jenn xx

Reply 4

MMA

10

It depends, if you want a good 2.1 from a decent university then you are going to have to work very hard especially in your final year. If you go to a less prestigious university the workload is likely to be significantly less. So it depends on 2 things:
1) Whether you want a good grade
2) Whether you go to a good university
If you meet conditions 1 + 2 then the workload is likely to be more than at A-level especially if you studied arts subjects at A-level.

Reply 5

pete77

1

Generally harder depending on the course you are on !

But i would say it is harder otherwise why not do a degree and then go to uni to do A-levels !

Ridiculous !

Reply 6

Blates as

1

I'd say uni is much harder than A levels. I only have 16 hours a week at uni but the amount of work i have to do makes A levels seem to pale into insignificance!

It may depend on the course, but I have few friends that aren't stressed now exams are upon us and none that think school was harder... you ddont get spoon fed at uni!

Reply 7

viviki

14

I would say its quite a bit harder because its a totally different style of learning you aren't spoon fed anymore.

Reply 8

Saffie

OP

11

pete77

Generally harder depending on the course you are on !

But i would say it is harder otherwise why not do a degree and then go to uni to do A-levels !

Ridiculous !

I think when people say to me that uni is easier than A levels they mean it will *seem* easier, obviously content doesn't go backwards in difficulty!
i can see that it could be because you are juggling less subjects, you are probably doing just one subject that you really like and probably are quite good at, or you wouldn't have chosen it, so it could seem easier? right? (I dunno i'm only doing my AS levels)

Reply 9

silent ninja

19

As i posted in another thread, the people who say university is easier than A levels, will have went to a university/attended a less demannding course. I doubt they even attended a top 20 uni in their chosen course. University is definitely harder than A levels!

Reply 10

trev

15

I would say A-levels are easier, as the stuff you learn is like the foundation knowledge for uni. In addition, there's less modules, and in uni, there are plenty. The coursework in uni will be harder and in depth. When the assessment in uni is exams and coursework, most likely the exam will weigh more than the coursework (in some cases 70% exam and 30% coursework).

Reply 11

JennLlama

1

silent ninja

As i posted in another thread, the people who say university is easier than A levels, will have went to a university/attended a less demannding course. I doubt they even attended a top 20 uni in their chosen course. University is definitely harder than A levels!

I'm at Warwick studying Computer Systems Engineering thank you. If I said it was easier, I mean comparatively. Obviously you couldn't do a degree without the knowledge from A-levels! Perhaps the different style of learning at uni just suits me better but I find it less work at uni than I did for AHs.
Jenn xx

Reply 12

shyopstv

15

silent ninja

As i posted in another thread, the people who say university is easier than A levels, will have went to a university/attended a less demannding course. I doubt they even attended a top 20 uni in their chosen course. University is definitely harder than A levels!

My Physics teacher says that and he did Electrical & Electronic Engineering at Nottingham and then went on to do a PhD!

Maybe it depends on the person - I personally find A Levels much easier than GCSEs.

Reply 13

silent ninja

19

Jen-- You must be an exception, most people I know find it harder.
What year are you in btw?

Shyopstv-- maybe you're more mature and focused now than when you were at GCSE?

Reply 14

Angel_Cake

2

I was told this at school as well. Complete lie! University is much harder, the only thing that's easier is you don't have to get up so early!

Reply 15

homoterror

lol you probably won't get a fair answer to this question in exam season.

Reply 16

AT82

Most university exams have finished now. I think the first year is without a doubt easier than A levels in terms of academic content, but you have to adjust to a new style of learning, some people find that hard.

Without a doubt the final year at university is harder than the final year of A levels but it just depends on the course etc. Its probably all relative anyway as those with better A levels probably go to better universities.

Reply 17

homoterror

Ah okay, i'm dead in the middle of exams now and they're kiiiiiiiiilller. I miss alevels! :frown:

I miss being able to answer a single question.

Reply 18

Fluffstar

A levels are harder because some of the time you're learning stuff you don't actually care about just to get to uni - and instead of being marked against the other students sitting the exam you're marked against a marking scheme.

Some people find that learning to be marked against a marking scheme is easier (i.e. me :biggrin:

) because you just have to learn the syllabus to pass the exam. I'm only in 1st year at uni but here learning the syllabus doesn't work - partly because there isn't a set syllabus!

If you're applying to do arts, then I agree that uni would seem a lot more relaxed because of the reduced timetabling compared to college, but you do have to do a lot of reading in your own time (which should be about stuff you enjoy - so not really feeling like 'work') If you're doing a science, then uni is just as hard from the timetabling perspective (sorry) although you might find that the 'homework' is less than the arts students who have to write great sodding essays.

Of course, university is your own choice - if you don't want to work until third year then you don't have to...you just have to pass to stay on the course (at least that's what I'm telling myself right now... :smile:

)

Reply 19

JennLlama

1

silent ninja

Jen-- You must be an exception, most people I know find it harder.
What year are you in btw?

I'm in second year and currently in the middle of exams :rolleyes:

I guess how hard you find university compared to A-levels depends on how hard you found A-levels! I didn't find mine hard but I disliked having to learn stuff just to answer the exam questions - a lot of wrote learning - whereas at university I'm more interested in the topics so it seems easier and I can concentrate on it for longer!
Jenn xx

is university easier than A Levels?

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