19 year old 'mature' student here, I'd just like some help with Uni applications :).
I'm 19 and last month I started an Access To Higher Education Diploma with the intentions of studying Psychology and Sociology at University. I left 6th form not because I didn't have the intellectual capacity for A Level (I excelled in Psychology and History in the few months I was at 6th form), I just didn't know what I wanted to do and because nobody in my family had ever been to University, it was sort of a foreign entity for me and I didn't think it mattered.
After working two jobs I hated in the space of 2 and a half years, I realised that I was wasting my potential and that I needed to get back into education and study Psychology again.
The Course I'm on is called Humanities and Social Sciences HE Diploma and I chose to study Psychology, Sociology and History as well as the two other mandatory units.
I've never felt so committed to anything else in my life and I realise I have really hit a gold mine with this free chance to get back into education and I simply won't let it slide through my fingers.
Therefore I fully expect to achieve Distinctions (the highest possible grade) in all 3 subjects that I undertake.
Last week I was browsing at Universities and getting nowhere, nothing really screamed out at me and I want the best possible University experience simply so that my learning can excel.
I stumbled across Psychology BSc and Sociology BScS courses at the University of Manchester and I checked the entry requirements. They requirements for the Psychology are to have grade B GCSE in both Mathematics and English Language (which I do) and they require at least 2 distinctions and a merit also. Sociology requires 1 distinction and at least 2 merits.
I have only been on the course for 4 weeks and the first 2 weeks didn't involve too much academic stimulation so it's fair to say our tutors haven't had much time to judge our intellectual capacity.
My friend tells me that when I apply for Universities that I will send my predicted grades to the University and they will decide on that basis. However, my GCSE's weren't great and if my tutor uses them to guess my predicted grades, I'll likely be predicted merits and that won't be good enough for Manchester.
I was just wondering if there was anything I could do in the way of upping my predicted grades, I will obviously work my arse off in and out of class and I am ridiculously committed to achieving all Distinctions.
What will happen if I get predicted merits and Manchester tell me to bog off due to merits not being enough, but then I end up with all Distinctions?
After working two jobs I hated in the space of 2 and a half years, I realised that I was wasting my potential and that I needed to get back into education and study Psychology again.
The Course I'm on is called Humanities and Social Sciences HE Diploma and I chose to study Psychology, Sociology and History as well as the two other mandatory units.
I've never felt so committed to anything else in my life and I realise I have really hit a gold mine with this free chance to get back into education and I simply won't let it slide through my fingers.
Therefore I fully expect to achieve Distinctions (the highest possible grade) in all 3 subjects that I undertake.
Last week I was browsing at Universities and getting nowhere, nothing really screamed out at me and I want the best possible University experience simply so that my learning can excel.
I stumbled across Psychology BSc and Sociology BScS courses at the University of Manchester and I checked the entry requirements. They requirements for the Psychology are to have grade B GCSE in both Mathematics and English Language (which I do) and they require at least 2 distinctions and a merit also. Sociology requires 1 distinction and at least 2 merits.
I have only been on the course for 4 weeks and the first 2 weeks didn't involve too much academic stimulation so it's fair to say our tutors haven't had much time to judge our intellectual capacity.
My friend tells me that when I apply for Universities that I will send my predicted grades to the University and they will decide on that basis. However, my GCSE's weren't great and if my tutor uses them to guess my predicted grades, I'll likely be predicted merits and that won't be good enough for Manchester.
I was just wondering if there was anything I could do in the way of upping my predicted grades, I will obviously work my arse off in and out of class and I am ridiculously committed to achieving all Distinctions.
What will happen if I get predicted merits and Manchester tell me to bog off due to merits not being enough, but then I end up with all Distinctions?
Original post by HaydenWN
What will happen if I get predicted merits and Manchester tell me to bog off due to merits not being enough, but then I end up with all Distinctions?
If Manchester don't give you any offer at all and you go on to get Distinctions, then you can try applying through Clearing. Either to Manchester or another uni.
Then again:
You might be predicted Distinctions...
You might get an offer from Manchester...
You might meet the offer...
You might get a place!
Don't start imagining car crash scenarios for yourself to deal with. You're clearly committed and there's no reason to suppose at this stage that any of those negative situations will arise. Your lecturers are professionals who are used to the system and to assessing new students, not just rom GCSE results. It's in their interests to get you into uni, to make their stats look good. They won't inflate your predicted grades, but neither will they fail to recognise previously-unfulfilled potential. After all, that's usually why people are doing an Access course to begin with.
Good luck!
Talk to your tutor! This was one of my biggest panics as I'm doing an access to HE too, but my tutor said she was happy to predict grades for me based on my first completed assignment.
Also, are you sure you're getting the numbers write? Access courses being 45 units @ level 3 in total; only requiring 1 distinction and 2 merits seems bizarrely low...and also impossible, as each assignment is worth at least 3 units (at least it is on social sciences, and I know it is on forensics & psychology, which a friend of mine is doing); or do you mean 1 distinction as in...1 assignment graded at distinction (which may be worth 3 units or more?)
Either way, talk to your tutor and explain your situation to her and ask what you can work out together in terms of your grade predictions.
Also, are you sure you're getting the numbers write? Access courses being 45 units @ level 3 in total; only requiring 1 distinction and 2 merits seems bizarrely low...and also impossible, as each assignment is worth at least 3 units (at least it is on social sciences, and I know it is on forensics & psychology, which a friend of mine is doing); or do you mean 1 distinction as in...1 assignment graded at distinction (which may be worth 3 units or more?)
Either way, talk to your tutor and explain your situation to her and ask what you can work out together in terms of your grade predictions.
Okay firstly you'll need to apply to other universities not just Manchester (I'm sure you know this but just in case) because y'know its possible you may not get in for one reason or another so you'll need back up uni's so to speak.
With regards to predicted grades you'll need to speak with your teachers as they are the one's who can bump up your predicted grades...this is what we do for A level grades so just speak to them, explain to them why you need a higher predicted grade etc. and hopefully they can bump it.
Although if they can't bump up your grade its not the end of the world because some uni's will still accept you so don't worry too much. Just discuss this with your teachers/tutors and that way your predicted grades should be changed
With regards to predicted grades you'll need to speak with your teachers as they are the one's who can bump up your predicted grades...this is what we do for A level grades so just speak to them, explain to them why you need a higher predicted grade etc. and hopefully they can bump it.
Although if they can't bump up your grade its not the end of the world because some uni's will still accept you so don't worry too much. Just discuss this with your teachers/tutors and that way your predicted grades should be changed
Original post by HaydenWN
I'm 19 and last month I started an Access To Higher Education Diploma with the intentions of studying Psychology and Sociology at University. I left 6th form not because I didn't have the intellectual capacity for A Level (I excelled in Psychology and History in the few months I was at 6th form), I just didn't know what I wanted to do and because nobody in my family had ever been to University, it was sort of a foreign entity for me and I didn't think it mattered.
After working two jobs I hated in the space of 2 and a half years, I realised that I was wasting my potential and that I needed to get back into education and study Psychology again.
The Course I'm on is called Humanities and Social Sciences HE Diploma and I chose to study Psychology, Sociology and History as well as the two other mandatory units.
I've never felt so committed to anything else in my life and I realise I have really hit a gold mine with this free chance to get back into education and I simply won't let it slide through my fingers.
Therefore I fully expect to achieve Distinctions (the highest possible grade) in all 3 subjects that I undertake.
Last week I was browsing at Universities and getting nowhere, nothing really screamed out at me and I want the best possible University experience simply so that my learning can excel.
I stumbled across Psychology BSc and Sociology BScS courses at the University of Manchester and I checked the entry requirements. They requirements for the Psychology are to have grade B GCSE in both Mathematics and English Language (which I do) and they require at least 2 distinctions and a merit also. Sociology requires 1 distinction and at least 2 merits.
I have only been on the course for 4 weeks and the first 2 weeks didn't involve too much academic stimulation so it's fair to say our tutors haven't had much time to judge our intellectual capacity.
My friend tells me that when I apply for Universities that I will send my predicted grades to the University and they will decide on that basis. However, my GCSE's weren't great and if my tutor uses them to guess my predicted grades, I'll likely be predicted merits and that won't be good enough for Manchester.
I was just wondering if there was anything I could do in the way of upping my predicted grades, I will obviously work my arse off in and out of class and I am ridiculously committed to achieving all Distinctions.
What will happen if I get predicted merits and Manchester tell me to bog off due to merits not being enough, but then I end up with all Distinctions?
After working two jobs I hated in the space of 2 and a half years, I realised that I was wasting my potential and that I needed to get back into education and study Psychology again.
The Course I'm on is called Humanities and Social Sciences HE Diploma and I chose to study Psychology, Sociology and History as well as the two other mandatory units.
I've never felt so committed to anything else in my life and I realise I have really hit a gold mine with this free chance to get back into education and I simply won't let it slide through my fingers.
Therefore I fully expect to achieve Distinctions (the highest possible grade) in all 3 subjects that I undertake.
Last week I was browsing at Universities and getting nowhere, nothing really screamed out at me and I want the best possible University experience simply so that my learning can excel.
I stumbled across Psychology BSc and Sociology BScS courses at the University of Manchester and I checked the entry requirements. They requirements for the Psychology are to have grade B GCSE in both Mathematics and English Language (which I do) and they require at least 2 distinctions and a merit also. Sociology requires 1 distinction and at least 2 merits.
I have only been on the course for 4 weeks and the first 2 weeks didn't involve too much academic stimulation so it's fair to say our tutors haven't had much time to judge our intellectual capacity.
My friend tells me that when I apply for Universities that I will send my predicted grades to the University and they will decide on that basis. However, my GCSE's weren't great and if my tutor uses them to guess my predicted grades, I'll likely be predicted merits and that won't be good enough for Manchester.
I was just wondering if there was anything I could do in the way of upping my predicted grades, I will obviously work my arse off in and out of class and I am ridiculously committed to achieving all Distinctions.
What will happen if I get predicted merits and Manchester tell me to bog off due to merits not being enough, but then I end up with all Distinctions?
If access grades were predicted on GCSES grades then most access students would not get to uni and the courses would be extinct. Access is about a 2nd chance.
The poster above meant to say that you might like to consider applying to other universities, however there is no NEED to if you do not wish to.
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