A Level Results Dilemma - PLEASE HELP, URGENT

Your head of year sounds like a real idiot!! telling you to just find any old uni to go to avoid fees. I would retake some of your modules in January to boost your grades, and in the mean time bulk up your CV a bit. Remember better grades, means better uni and probably a better job, with a better salary which means you can pay off the higher fees faster. At the end of the day it's better to get into a better uni next year regardless of fees, than get into a crap uni this year with lower fees. Good luck!!

Wow, that's pretty amazing about your friend. So is uni really that much easier than A Levels?

I also got very poor A Levels, and thought about maybe doing an access course to get into uni, but worried that this would seem like cheating since I maybe should have just gotten the right grades in A Levels in the first place.

I don't know about easier...she enjoyed uni a lot more than A-levels because it was the subject she really wanted to do (computers). Saying that she got an E in it at A-level so I don't know really what happened. She still dossed around loads I think at uni. But she's pretty amazing at computers so pulled her finger out in the last year and got a 2.1. That plus her portfolio she was sorted jobs wise!

I found uni easier than A-levels in a lot of ways...it didn't really feel like work a lot of the time because it's the subject you've chosen to study. No more having to divide yourself 3/4 ways.

Well it's really up to you and what your priorities are, whether you'd like the satisfaction of having "good A-levels" or not. I don't think it's cheating! I know a couple of people who came to uni through Access courses and they seem to be doing just fine, same as everyone else. And as I was trying to point out - what matters most to employers etc is your highest level of education to date. The quicker you get a degree, the quicker you'll be impressive to them.

UPDATE:

I've decided that I will probably not go to uni this year - nowhere will take me anyway.

I'm considering retaking - either AS year or A2 year - or doing new subjects but I'm not sure. I did a lot of retakes during 6th form and they made no difference. The point of retaking is to improve grades but there is no point in retaking if it wont make a difference.

I will probably not go back to my old 6th form, so I will be going somewhere new - a fresh start. I'm still unsure though.

Also, I'm considering alternative qualifications. I'm thinking of possibly doing alternative to A Levels, or doing qualifications to get into the careers I want (e.g. Chartered Institute of Marketing qualification)

Please help, I'm slightly lost right now.

Sadly it often isnt effort that gives high grades, its technique. But thats a different note.

I got rubbish A levels at the end of As and whilst i didnt resit sixth form, im going to do a mix of a levels and as levels next year and will more than likely have a whole year to pee away. Look at it that way, you have a year to do a bit of studying, but equally a year to go up to your mates uni's for visits which will result in some 'heck of a' night outs. Doing a job to get cash as well is another option which is what im doing.

Fee's are something you shouldnt worry out. With the repayment scheme and how extended it is, it means that inflation will make the 9,000 around the same as the 3,000. However it wouldnt make the views the media wants if sky news said 'Dont worry, its actually no different to the 3,000 pound fees all things considered, dont panic and we wont do any more on this story given it doesnt merit any more time'

I was in the exact same situation last year, with the same grades. I decided to retake two of my a-levels, including coursework and I didn't have to pay, not sure if it's similar for you? Anyway, i worked part time, and managed to increase my grade in history from a d to an a and increased my other grades as well. Ultimately, you have to decide what you think you'd be happiest doing, your school seems pretty unhelpful and it might be worthwhile going somewhere more supportive good luck with what you decide to do! x

What are good techniques?

UPDATE:

I've decided that I will probably not go to uni this year - nowhere will take me anyway.

I'm considering retaking - either AS year or A2 year - or doing new subjects but I'm not sure. I did a lot of retakes during 6th form and they made no difference. The point of retaking is to improve grades but there is no point in retaking if it wont make a difference.

I will probably not go back to my old 6th form, so I will be going somewhere new - a fresh start. I'm still unsure though.

Also, I'm considering alternative qualifications. I'm thinking of possibly doing alternative to A Levels, or doing qualifications to get into the careers I want (e.g. Chartered Institute of Marketing qualification)

Please help, I'm slightly lost right now.

Things that help you remember the small parts of the course that examiners mark you on. In my first year of AS, i revised my subjects inside out and knew it from head to toe. However, i didnt revise to remember the key words - meaning that I wrote correct answers - but due to the lack of key words there was no markers for examiners to give me credit on - giving me d's and e's.

This year I ammended that and revised key words, and little of the actually syllabus. This is cheap and it means that you (wrongly in an education system) dont know much about the course, but hey, you know key words. I ended up getting higher grades. C's and B's. I hope to push these up to b's and a's next year but due to having to do four exams in the summer and having to do a BTEC course as well I got time strapped. Heres hoping we all can get high grades and make the most of next year.

I was in a similar situation to you a few years ago. Left 6th form with D,D,E and couldn't get into any unis. After feeling pretty sorry for myself for a while I signed up to my local college to do A-levels again. I choose I mix of stuff I'd done previously and a new subject. I found college suited me much better and my previous failure definitely helped me focus on what I wanted to achieve.

I left last year with AAB and I'm heading to uni in september. I also managed to find a pretty decent job while I was studying, which not only was good for the experience but meant I could build up some savings and also have a guaranteed job for when Im back in the holidays.

It was hard work, but I am really pleased ive ending up going this route as I now feel I'm far more prepared for uni than I was, and far more likely to be a success when I get there!

I'm pretty sure, you'll have to pay for your resit exams.

To be honest this is kind of what I hate about the education system. I feel that it's become more about remember information for the exam, writing down what the examiner wants to read and 'how many marks to I need to get a certain grade?' It doesn't feel so much like learning anymore.

How are things going now? It's been about a week?

If I were you I would resit those A levels. Sorry to be harsh but if you are going to have A levels then they need to be a bit higher really.... especially if you want to go to a good university. Like you said there is no point in just being pushed to go anywhere through clearing. Employers still look at A levels when looking at your application.

A year would fly by and in the meantime you could get a job and work experience which would book look good on your C.V...... theres alot of competition out there now! I wouldn't worry too much about tuition fees because in a way the model could even be looked at as a better system.

Go and earn some pennies........... I wish I had then I would have felt more financially stable! As it is i'm skint because of uni and a car crash incident:-(

Its not learning at all. I think it would be better to get teachers, not random strangers with markschemes, to mark exams. Teachers can then see clear knowledge about the subject and give marks accordingly based on skill categories. Then again every teachers vision of whats skill might cause complaints as students feel unfairly marked. I still think that provides a proper way of assessing learning, not remembering as it currently is. We go to schools to remember not learn now it seems.

Our education system, or rather all education systems suck anyway. I think it would be better off if we stopped education at around year 8 with all key skills taken in. After than we're then allowed to start university degree's. I think the whole A level and GCSE system is a waste of time and money - you use none of those skills in life barring english, IT and perhaps technology class's.

Well done!

Did you do A Levels all over again, or did you retake a specific year? (e.g. retaking year 13)
I ask because I'm also considering doing this, and my mum suggested it to me. And I will probably not be going back to my old 6th form, I don't feel as though they would want me back anyway. People usually did this with the old system when there were no modules though. Also I don't know if I am prepared to spend another two years in education and living with my parents.

What subject are you gonna do at uni?

What uni will you go to?

I started afresh. Originally I wanted to do other year at 6th form, but they didn't want me back (tbf I wasn't exactly a model student! lol)

2 years seemed like a long time, but I'm glad I did them. I'm off to Manchester to do engineering now

Ah OK, that is very insightful to hear. Thank you

It's just that I often hear stuff like people with D grades and below at A Level shouldn't be going to uni because they wouldn't cope with the work or something, but then you come out with an awesome story like that. I guess it's not all black and white then, eh?