The Student Room Group

The "I'm scared I'm going to miss my offer" thread 2013

The thread for 2014 is here.

At this time of year many people worry a lot about whether they are going to make their offers. For some it's simply a loss of confidence, while others are panicking about that exam that they are sure went really badly and can’t imagine how they will get the grades they need. This thread is for you :smile:

Extenuating Circumstances
If you have been ill or there have been other things going on in your life (eg bereavement) which may have significantly affected either your revision or the exam itself, you should make sure that your school/college informs both the Exam Board and your firm/insurance unis well before Results are published. There is no guarantee that this information will be taken into account, but on the other hand it can’t be if the Exam Board/unis don’t have it in the first place. Bear in mind, however, that you are very likely to be expected to provide some documentary evidence of the issue, whatever it was.

If you have had a teaching disaster - wrong syllabus, absent/incompetent teachers - the school/college should be prepared to write to the unis concerned to inform them about it. Again, there's no guarantee the uni will take any notice, but it can be helpful.

I’m panicking I don’t know enough/the work is going really badly/I don’t understand a key topic
Easy to say, but really important: stay calm. Freaking out is not a good strategy for exam preparation. However bad things may seem, unless you’ve been bone idle you certainly know more than you think you do, and you’ll be surprised how much surfaces when you need it in the exam.

Try and be organised in your approach to revision, but don’t beat yourself up if the timetable doesn’t work out quite like that. Most revision timetables are works of fiction worthy of the Nobel Prize for Literature. If you are too distracted at home, go into school/college or a library and work there instead.

If there’s a topic you absolutely have to understand and you don’t, contact your teacher and ask for help. It is not a good idea to rely on your friends unless you are absolutely certain they know what they’re about :smile:

Keeping well...

Looking after your health is really important. Don’t stay up all night on TSR; try not to sleep late in the mornings (yeah, yeah, I know) and make sure you get out for some fresh air every day; a brisk walk beforehand is excellent preparation for an exam. Seriously.

Try not to eat too much random rubbish; keeping the fruit and veg and plenty of water going in will improve your ability to fend off the bugs, and generally help you to cope with the stress more positively. Remember to take some plain water into the exam with you as your brain works better if you have enough fluid on board!

I’m sure I failed/won’t have got the grade I need
Whatever happened in yesterday’s exam, however disastrous you thought it was, don’t be distracted from the exams you still have to do. You are likely to have done better than you thought, and there will be very little more annoying than to find out in August that it was the exams after the ‘disaster’ that actually let you down.

If I do miss my offer, what are the chances that my firm/insurance uni will let me in anyway?
No-one can say what your chances are. The higher ranked the university, and the more competitive the course, the more likely it will be that they won’t take you if you don’t meet your offer. HOWEVER this is not definite, by any means. In previous years, many unis have accepted people who’ve missed their offers, even for competitive courses, so do not assume that all is lost. The only time when you will know for sure either way is on Results Day, so there is little to be gained by worrying about it now, and it is a terrible waste of energy - as well as a needless distraction - if you still have exams to do.

More info and advice on Results day and university Clearing 2013
(edited 9 years ago)

Scroll to see replies

Reply 1
I'm almost certain I won't meet any offers (I haven't firmed yet) but I don't think my issues are really (or don't sound like) a big enough deal to make a difference. Also, do you have to tell universities if you're not doing the Extended Project anymore? I don't really want to e-mail them and say "I'm not doing this any more and I'm going to fail".:erm:
Reply 2
Bump:bigsmile:
Reply 3
Original post by rac1
I'm almost certain I won't meet any offers (I haven't firmed yet) but I don't think my issues are really (or don't sound like) a big enough deal to make a difference. Also, do you have to tell universities if you're not doing the Extended Project anymore? I don't really want to e-mail them and say "I'm not doing this any more and I'm going to fail".:erm:
Yes, you must tell them (ie the unis and UCAS) that you're not doing the Extended Project after all, and would be wise to do so before making your firm and insurance choices. Technically unis could change their offer or withdraw it since you are not intending to complete all the qualifications you put on your application. In practice this is unlikely but it's as well to check before you do anything else.
Hi,
I have recently started suffering from cluster headaches. I believe my that I may miss my offer for Bristol University which is A*AA. Should I contact the admission tutors and explain my situation? Also do you think they will still give me a place I miss my offer?
Any advice will be appreciated
Reply 5
Original post by Kangaroo_rampage
Hi,
I have recently started suffering from cluster headaches. I believe my that I may miss my offer for Bristol University which is A*AA. Should I contact the admission tutors and explain my situation? Also do you think they will still give me a place I miss my offer?
Any advice will be appreciated
You - or better still, your referee - need/s to contact the uni for advice on (a) whether they'll take this into account if you miss your offer (b) if they will, what documentary evidence they'll require and (c) who the evidence should be sent to. You'll need to show that these headaches have seriously interfered with your revision and/or the exam/s. If they have affected you while taking an exam you need to ensure that you report it to the invigilator at the time as these things can't usually be reported later.

No-one can say whether you'll still get your place if you do miss your offer - it depends on the course, by how much your miss offer, how many others miss their offers etc etc.
(edited 10 years ago)
Reply 6
Original post by Minerva
At this time of year many people worry a lot about whether they are going to make their offers. For some it's simply a loss of confidence, while others are panicking about that exam that they are sure went really badly and can’t imagine how they will get the grades they need. This thread is for you :smile:

Extenuating Circumstances
If you have been ill or there have been other things going on in your life (eg bereavement) which may have significantly affected either your revision or the exam itself, you should make sure that your school/college informs both the Exam Board and your firm/insurance unis well before Results are published. There is no guarantee that this information will be taken into account, but on the other hand it can’t be if the Exam Board/unis don’t have it in the first place. Bear in mind, however, that you are very likely to be expected to provide some documentary evidence of the issue, whatever it was.

If you have had a teaching disaster - wrong syllabus, absent/incompetent teachers - the school/college should be prepared to write to the unis concerned to inform them about it. Again, there's no guarantee the uni will take any notice, but it can be helpful.

I’m panicking I don’t know enough/the work is going really badly/I don’t understand a key topic
Easy to say, but really important: stay calm. Freaking out is not a good strategy for exam preparation. However bad things may seem, unless you’ve been bone idle you certainly know more than you think you do, and you’ll be surprised how much surfaces when you need it in the exam.

Try and be organised in your approach to revision, but don’t beat yourself up if the timetable doesn’t work out quite like that. Most revision timetables are works of fiction worthy of the Nobel Prize for Literature. If you are too distracted at home, go into school/college or a library and work there instead.

If there’s a topic you absolutely have to understand and you don’t, contact your teacher and ask for help. It is not a good idea to rely on your friends unless you are absolutely certain they know what they’re about

Keeping well...

Looking after your health is really important. Don’t stay up all night on TSR; try not to sleep late in the mornings (yeah, yeah, I know) and make sure you get out for some fresh air every day; a brisk walk beforehand is excellent preparation for an exam. Seriously.

Try not to eat too much random rubbish; keeping the fruit and veg and plenty of water going in will improve your ability to fend off the bugs, and generally help you to cope with the stress more positively. Remember to take some plain water into the exam with you as your brain works better if you have enough fluid on board!

I’m sure I failed/won’t have got the grade I need
Whatever happened in yesterday’s exam, however disastrous you thought it was, don’t be distracted from the exams you still have to do. You are likely to have done better than you thought, and there will be very little more annoying than to find out in August that it was the exams after the ‘disaster’ that actually let you down.

If I do miss my offer, what are the chances that my firm/insurance uni will let me in anyway?
No-one can say what your chances are. The higher ranked the university, and the more competitive the course, the more likely it will be that they won’t take you if you don’t meet your offer. HOWEVER this is not definite, by any means. In previous years, many unis have accepted people who’ve missed their offers, even for competitive courses, so do not assume that all is lost. The only time when you will know for sure either way is on Results Day, so there is little to be gained by worrying about it now, and it is a terrible waste of energy - as well as a needless distraction - if you still have exams to do.


I have firmed and insured my university choices, however, i am set on going to my firm and i have been hearing some negative things about my insurance which has put me off going. I might miss my offer by 1 grade and i dont want to go to my insurance. My firm have been known to be lenient in the past, but i cant count on that. I am thinking of calling my insurance to withdraw me from the course. I am aware that i may end up in clearing if i am not accepted to my firm. Is it worth the risk?
Reply 7
Original post by Infamous12
I have firmed and insured my university choices, however, i am set on going to my firm and i have been hearing some negative things about my insurance which has put me off going. I might miss my offer by 1 grade and i dont want to go to my insurance. My firm have been known to be lenient in the past, but i cant count on that. I am thinking of calling my insurance to withdraw me from the course. I am aware that i may end up in clearing if i am not accepted to my firm. Is it worth the risk?
That depends on what you want. If you really don't want to go to your insurance then is ending up in Clearing the worst thing that could happen?
Reply 8
Original post by Minerva
That depends on what you want. If you really don't want to go to your insurance then is ending up in Clearing the worst thing that could happen?


It can be risky due to a rush to get places. I think i still have alot of thinking to do, but i do still have time to decide i guess.
Reply 9
Original post by Infamous12
It can be risky due to a rush to get places. I think i still have alot of thinking to do, but i do still have time to decide i guess.
Exactly - and it's only you who can decide whether it's a risk worth taking.

You do have time, plenty of it.
Reply 10
Hello!
I need to get CCC to get my place at Westminister University, I've only got a couple of weeks left before my first exam and im stressing a bit. I'm confident i'll be able to get at the very least CCD, or maybe even BCD, but I can't imagine doing well enough to bring my third subject up to a C. I really hate my third subject and wish i'd never taken it (English Language) and motivating myself to revise for it is very tough, im on AQA Spec A. As you've said no one can really say for sure if you'll get a place, but I really hope that i'll still get a spot if I can't bring that grade up to scratch :frown:
I have decided to take an extra module for maths-and I have already listed the modules im taking for maths which will probably be cashed in -so I understand that I have to tell my Uni's but do I also have to tell UCAS?
Reply 12
Original post by lanki_bones
I have decided to take an extra module for maths-and I have already listed the modules im taking for maths which will probably be cashed in -so I understand that I have to tell my Uni's but do I also have to tell UCAS?
Yes, otherwise they won't be able to match up your results when they come in.
ok thanks
fellow worry-er here...

need AAB, most likely going to get BBB. already have special consideration but even so...

also i jst realised i forgot to tell ucas and plymouth (insurance) that im doing more retakes this summer.

UGH.

Posted from TSR Mobile
Reply 15
www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2328269&p=42335525
Hey guys, can't really help anyone but for this piece of inspiration!
can i still get into the universities that i want even if i dont get an offer from my AS results? :frown:
so if I do really bad in AS level and didn't get the universities offers, but I retook my AS exams in year 13 as well as my A2 exams in year 13 and I achieved the AAA/AAB overall A-level grades needed for the universities, is it too late to get an offer from these universities/apply to these universities?
Because I really do not want to retake a year in year 12, all that effort would just go to waste :frown:

Say I did bad for economics and got a C, and maths statistics and got below a C for AS but ended up with 2 As for AS for chemistry and biology,can I just retake all my economics and maths statistics AS exams in year 13 as well as doing my A2 exams in year 13 and getting a good overall A level and still apply to universities like UCL or imperial or LSE?

Because I really don't want to retake the year... i dont think i can take the humiliation that i will get in 6th form for retaking a year :frown:
not necessarily , i know people that have got poor As level grades but still applied to University- I suppose it also depends on the course you want to apply for and how competitive but you would have to apply in September 2013 (latest January 2014) for a September/ October 2014 entry

I would suggest retaking all of the modules you didnt do too well - all you have to do is declare that on your UCAS form when you apply which ones you are retaking - just be careful not to over spread yourself with retakes and current modules.

you can still apply to Russle group Universities ( except Cambridge and Imperial - they prefer you to have over 90% in all your grades in one sitting) but UCL and LSE will be a good choice - look at good universities with very low offers like ABB or BBB too so that you still have a chance of getting to a good university and dont have a huge amount of pressure of missing the grades- that way you won't have to retake year 13- you can also apply through EXTRA which is a period which you can apply in June 2014 if you dont get any offers and Clearing
(edited 10 years ago)
Reply 18
Original post by rac1
Bump:bigsmile:


Why would you bump a stickied topic..?

Anyway things are getting intense in my course. I'm still confident I can meet the grade, but a slight slump of laziness means I had to hand in sub-par work today. Meh.
I'm in this situation :frown: last minute offer from King's (well, selection day offer. Still waiting to find out if I got a real offer) and they want 30 credits at distinction. I have 12 credits at distinction and only 7 more units I can get distinction in, with one of them pending results. This sucks. I want to go there so bad but, at this point, I am so burnt out, busy beyone belief and depressed. I don't think I can do it.

Edit: Each level 3 unit is worth 3 credits btw.
(edited 10 years ago)