Retake A levels on a gap year for the third time!? :(

In your situation I'd be more inclined to go for the foundation year. What do you want to study? If you do well in your degree employers are more likely to be flexible, plus they're human and understand that people sometimes get in their own way! I was worried about applying to uni full stop after a disastrous year last year (I too suffer from depression) but I've included my situation on my UCAS application, my referee included it in my personal statement and the universities have been super helpful, as has my employer.

Hi thank you for replying.

Well I want to study psychology, and I might study a major-minor degree if i can.
The problem is that I don't have an official diagnosis for my depression, but I did go to counselling for it, and I spoke to my tutor about my depression during my A levels.

Would my referee have to put this on my personal statement or my reference?

My referee included it in passing. I'm re-sitting to go from a high C to a B and my referee just put "Rachael received a very high C in spite of her health issues and I'm confident that she wll get the B she deserves in her resit". I also included it in the disabilities section but I do have a formal diagnosis and proof of my psychiatric assessments if I'm asked to show them.

Yeah I'm only worried that the depression I suffered won't be taken seriously, since I have no diagnosis.

I will still try to do something about this. It should be worth it to email the university admissions and my old college about this right?

The second problem is that I would have to ask for a letter again from the old place where I used to get counselling from, and that was quite a very long time ago. Hopefully I would still show up in their records, and help me somehow.

Also I went to my GP one time and asked for therapy, but the NHS only had CBT, which I didn't want to do at the time. But I still had no diagnosis or anything?

Also, does it still seem worth it to you to take a gap year and resit my A levels for the 4th time, or would it be foolish to do it?

This is the test that GPs use. http://www.nhs.uk/Tools/Pages/depression.aspx I'd do that, see what your score is and if so go to your GP. You may need some form of treatment or medication and you can get a formal diagnosis that way. If you explain to them that you need something formal for university I'm sure they'll understand. In the meantime it's definitely worth emailing them, it's free to do after all!

Only you can decide if you want to do them a 4th time, like I said, I'd be inclined to go for the foundation year if possible. I find if stuff is becoming too repetitive my mind drifts and I need that change to help keep me focussed, this has become a lot worse since I've had depression.

Hi,

Thank you for the link and advise man, I might go to my GP again to ask about this.
The problem is that I don't want to take medication, I could do therapy or counselling again.

However I forgot to make the distinction that I used to suffer from it a lot more in my A level years, since A levels and my gap year. I had used Alice Miller's books to lift me out of depression.
I still somewhat suffer from depression now, but it is a lot better than how it was since my A levels

But i doubt universities would recognize this?
It would come across as a poor excuse for failing my A levels, but I was genuinely suffering. And I went to my GP one time for therapy at the NHS like I said.

EDIT: I took the test on the website, and I scored 14 out of 27?

IT WOULD BE MY FOURTH TIME RETAKING A LEVELS IF I WERE TO TAKE A GAP YEAR

Hello everyone,

As you can see from the title I am very much on the fence whether to retake my A levels or not?

I figured that it would be better to move on from my A levels and try to get into a foundation year?
But I have heard from some people that this might come back to bite me in the future, as employers will want me to have good a levels. And even if I resat my A levels after I graduated, employers would still question why I didn't achieve those grades before going to university. And also for grad schemes I would probably be automatically filtered out?

I am just too scared of taking a gap year, spending all that money on resitting (and taking on new a levels) and then still end up being rejected by universities because I did not get my grades right first time round?

Also please keep in mind that I failed my A levels due to severe depression at the time.

Why don't you want to take the medication? Sometimes there's a bit of a stigma about it but as far as I'm concerned it's an illness and shouldn't be viewed differently to any other illness.

I scored 13 on my test today and apparently that makes me moderately depressed so I think you'll be the same.