Gap Year between GCSE and A level

Reply 20

adam_zed

16

a gap year as a 16 year old must be more boring than x factor.

Reply 21

Joker370

11

The problem is that you can get far more work/placements especially for long term once you are 18. You can also drive and travel independently (which you HAVE to be able to do on a year out your parents can't take you everywhere). I'm not sure if it would help academically at all really, it might not harm your development but A levels are considerably more complex and many times harder to teach yourself than GCSEs. Also, you can take your break at 18 and then go to uni with the same/better because employers will take you more seriously work experience.

Also you can't drink yet.

Hope that helps, although tbh it seems like you've made your mind up already so I'm not sure why I posted.

Reply 22

redrose_ftw

7

I'd go for a gap year between A-levels and university, that way you can still get the work experience in that you want to do, plus more people would be inclined to take you on as you're a lot more mature and know what you want to do in life. When i was 16 I hadn't a clue, well i did but my ideas of where I wanted to go changed more often than not.

When you're 18 a whole new world opens up and you can do what you want :smile:

Basically get your A2's out of the way then enjoy your gap year is the best way :yep:

Reply 23

KingofSpades

13

not sure if troll or really stupid person

Reply 24

KingofSpades

13

Reason why not:

Unis don't like applicants who have studied the same A levels for 3 years
Maybe if you intended to appropiate 4 entirely new AS levels on your return, the idea would not be detrimental

As it is, you are registered for the January exams and will come out with Us that must need be put on your UCAS

Reply 25

jimbob_

1

Umm, but people normally have lots of work experience anyways with school alongside it. I don't think it's going to be greatly beneficial, if you say that you can gain A LOT of work experience, because at the end of the day, even people with less work experience who really throughly explain it their personal statement and interviews get the place at uni. Also, usually unis don't mind students taking gap year after their A levels because they think you're now older and mature to make decisions about your life and kind of know in which direction you're going in life. Whereas, you haven't completed your A levels and LOTS of people change their minds about what they want to do in the future during the two years of the A level course. Also, to be brutally honest with you, GCSEs aren't that intensive that you need a break, so unis might question why you really needed a break after GCSEs when the real work is in A levels.

Also, you might want to consider that competition in unis is significantly increasing year by year, who knows with the current economic climate, what's going to happen if you take a year out? I wouldn't take the risk with the economy at the moment.

Also also, your age might limit you to some work experience as you're not 18, so it might just not be worth taking a year out.

If you're thinking of applying to medicine and think you can gain more work experience, then lots of unis don't accept you if you've taken three years to complete A levels. Even if you're not thinking to do medicine right now, but like I said, people change their minds of what they want to do in the future in the two years, so you might not get to do medicine at all, if you change your mind later.

Also, you said you don't mind studying the A levels yourself, but sometimes it might be difficult to be motivated to work, whereas at school you have regular tests and mocks etc to keep you on track. The real independent studying starts at uni, so don't risk your A levels which won't let you get into uni at all.

But anyways whatever decision you make, goodluck with that :smile:

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 26

CherryCherryBoomBoom

21

I wouldn't if I were you, since you are already on your way to getting As so you're not really struggling. I would understand if you were having some sort of hard time, but that doesn't sound like the case here. Can't you just arrange for work experience after school, at weekends and in holidays? Sixth form shouldn't be taking up all your time! Plus, it may be better to have A Levels out of the way before embarking on a full time gap year at 18. Ultimately, it's your choice though. I recommend you speak to a careers advisor about this, they'd be able to advise you better.

Reply 27

beanfurstenfeld

If it feels right to you and you think you will benefit from taking a gap year I think you should. I know I did and it was the best decision I ever made for myself. I went straight into College after I graduated to only find myself failing because I wasn't in the right frame of mind. I failed my first year didn't go back, took a year off & only decided to go back this school year & I must say I am better than ever! Getting A's woop woop!

Reply 28

Questioner2014

I'm currently two months into my AS-Levels can I still take a gap year? It's for mental health issues. I intend to receive therapy and help from a psychologist in that year. Can I still return and restart year 12 again?

Reply 29

orange.bananna

9

Original post by Questioner2014

I'm currently two months into my AS-Levels can I still take a gap year? It's for mental health issues. I intend to receive therapy and help from a psychologist in that year. Can I still return and restart year 12 again?

You would need to contact the universities you're thinking of applying to and ask them whether they would accept your application :smile:

Reply 30

Questioner2014

Original post by orange.bananna

You would need to contact the universities you're thinking of applying to and ask them whether they would accept your application :smile:

I think that you school will let me. How would I go about contacting the university? I wanted to go to Cambridge University. It's relating to chronic depression -(my problem). Thank you!

Reply 31

orange.bananna

9

Original post by Questioner2014

I think that you school will let me. How would I go about contacting the university? I wanted to go to Cambridge University. It's relating to chronic depression -(my problem). Thank you!

This forum is to do with Dentistry - which is not offered at Cambridge. But in general try and find the e-mail address of the admission tutor for the university course you want to apply to - send them an e-mail explaining your situation and ask them if your application would be considered if you were to take a gap year

Reply 32

Questioner2014

Original post by orange.bananna

This forum is to do with Dentistry - which is not offered at Cambridge. But in general try and find the e-mail address of the admission tutor for the university course you want to apply to - send them an e-mail explaining your situation and ask them if your application would be considered if you were to take a gap year

Oh sorry about that. Thank you for all of your help!

Reply 33

Brookecatterick

1

I’m thinking about taking a gap year between year 11 and college (my school has no sixth form) I’m only doing this so that I can figure out what I want to study in and get my mental health back on track. I really want to go into to college content with my decisions on my courses, and with a clear head. This would also make it a lot easier to get to and from college as I’ll have a drivers licence. Thoughts?

Reply 34

ceagustin

6

hello. I am curious to what your final decision was, i.e. if you took the gap year between IG and AS levels, and the outcome of it.
I myself, am taking 2020 as a gap year, due to the current coronavirus situation.
I am currently studying AS Levels English Lang , Biology, Chemistry, and Psychology in preparation for the exams of May/June 2021.
Then A Levels Biology, Chemistry, and Psychology for the May/June 2022 exams.

++ I took the IGCSE, in the Oct/Nov session of 2019.

(edited 3 years ago)

Reply 35

username1625799

15

In simple, unless you're having other serious issues such as mental health or family issues taking a gap year between 11 and 12 is stupid and not beneficial in any way. You can engage in work experience during the summer holiday and theres plenty of insight schemes which you can include in your personal statement when you apply to a uni. If I were you I would not take a gap year as it has no advantages at your age

Original post by ceagustin

hello. I am curious to what your final decision was, i.e. if you took the gap year between IG and AS levels, and the outcome of it.
I myself, am taking 2020 as a gap year, due to the current coronavirus situation.
I am currently studying AS Levels English Lang , Biology, Chemistry, and Psychology in preparation for the exams of May/June 2021.
Then A Levels Biology, Chemistry, and Psychology for the May/June 2022 exams.

++ I took the IGCSE, in the Oct/Nov session of 2019.

Reply 36

ceagustin

6

Original post by leobrave

In simple, unless you're having other serious issues such as mental health or family issues taking a gap year between 11 and 12 is stupid and not beneficial in any way. You can engage in work experience during the summer holiday and theres plenty of insight schemes which you can include in your personal statement when you apply to a uni. If I were you I would not take a gap year as it has no advantages at your age

whoops, maybe 'gap year' wasn't the right term. sorry bout that. because, I am still studying and all, but I'm just not doing the exams this year.

also, I just realised that I didn't mention that I am not in the UK, so it might be easy to get work experiences and such there.

my bad.
-thanks for your time :3

Reply 37

strugglewstudies

1

Original post by graduatedandback

hi there,

i did it, had a gap year between gsces and alevel and i loved it! then i did my alevels in one year instead of two so that i went to uni when the rest of my friends did. i spent the year travelling, working and volunteering, it gave me the desire to go bk and study and with a much clearer picture of what i wanted. ultimately i believe that it was the experience i gained in that year that got me thro my physio interview and into my course. many of my friends went to that interview with the same academic experience and didnt get in!

i would thoroughly recomment it as long you have a plan for what u want to do with it!

cheers

hello, may i ask how you managed to do alevels in a year? im currently having a hard time in junior college but im also hesitant whether to drop out to take a gap year or not :frown:

Reply 38

jellybeansar

4

I'm thinking of taking a gap year to resit my gcses so that I can apply for a better university and because I cant do biology with a grade 5 do you regret taking the gap year now that you've done it?

Gap Year between GCSE and A level

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