To gap or not to gap

All the cons can easily be dealt with tbh. I'm on a gap year and working and I enjoy it!

I would suggest taking a gap year or going through clearing if you feel like it

If you feel you might be unproductive in your gap year then you could always start now by applying for jobs/YINI*/volunteer work/whatever and then deciding to reapply once you have something confirmed. A full year to sort out your choices for chemistry, especially with the added benefit of knowing your grades, could definitely be worth it in the long run when compared to making very rushed decisions in Clearing.

If you don't get anything concrete sorted out and would rather begin this September, ask for a course change and/or go through Clearing.

*Mostly engineering placements, but if you keep an eye out then you can find more chemistry-based ones, too. As you're worried about losing your maths during the year you might be interested in the maths course the scheme allows you to take.

PS I intend to start a chemistry degree in 2015 following a gap year, so if that's what you end up doing then let me know!

Thanks very much! You've clearly done your homework. That's a great idea, getting something sorted out before making a decision.

I'll be sure to tell you

No problem. Unfortunately, planning my year out is an excellent way to procrastinate on my revision/actual homework because I can convince myself that it's also something I need to be doing and therefore isn't that bad.

Great - good luck in making your decision!

I've applied to uni this year for biochemistry, and have received all of my decisions (4 offers) which are in my sig. The thing is, I've now started to feel like I'd rather study chemistry. I had originally thought I was just interested in the biological side, but now I've looked at some chemistry courses, and there's some great physical stuff - quantum chemistry, materials etc. Chemistry is probably my favourite A level subject at the moment and is the one I do best in even though it's my hardest - I like the challenge. I'm also enjoying maths at the moment, and I'll get more in a chem course.

So I'll give myself a month or so to make sure I want to do chem, so I'm not asking whether you think I should - that's a decision I have to make.

I see three choices for me: stick with biochem, ask the unis I have offers from if I can change to chem or reapply next year to five unis for chemistry. I suppose I could look at clearing.

Here are my current pros and cons for reapplying (rather than sticking with current unis):

Pros:
1. Get to apply to 5 unis that I really like (since I've gone off two of mine).
2. Will apply with A level grades achieved (less worry and pressure).
3. Could work and build up savings in gap year.
4. I'd like to improve on a language beyond my pitiful GCSE level.
5. Break from pressured work, in which I could do little research projects on things that really interest me.
6. I could travel a little - though if I did, it'd be nothing major.
7. Learn to work in a more self-motivated way, rather than doing work because exams necessitate it.
8. Could self-teach some further maths.
9. Possible chem-related work/work experience.

Cons:
1. I might be lazy, and not work nearly as much as I'd like.
2. Risk that I might not get offers (not too major).
3. Might get bored and jealous of friends at uni.
4. If I'm not disciplined, I could forget a lot of what I've learned (especially maths).
5. Might be strange to start uni with younger people (unlikely).
6. Thoughts of reapplying might be motivated by rejection by Cambridge (just being honest). I don't think I'd reapply to Camb.
7. Might be tricky to get school reference.

So, what I'm asking is are there any pros or cons that I've missed, or any other options that I haven't thought of?

Thanks for any help. It's much appreciated.

Will

Have you thought about going through UCAS extra this year? Similar to clearing but (I think) more courses/unis tend to be available

I have, but I don't know about the criteria to enter extra. Also, it seems like a cop out. I imagine I'd still be quite limited in UCAS extra.

I don't know much about it either but I don't see the harm.. If you don't see any unis you like on extra then take a gap year. You have to turn down your offers first though so you'd have to be sure that you don't want to take any of the offers you have now

I just looked up the turning down bit - I had a hunch. Seems like a big risk, if I can switch to chem at the unis I have offers from. Do you know if you can view extra before deciding?