Am I going about a gap year in the right way?

2011Mkanabar

So to start off with, it is probably best to start off with the subjects that I am doing, alongside my predicted grades which will show you just why I want to go on a gap year:

EPQ - B
Government and Politics - C
Philosophy - C
Economics - D

From being a pain in the arse at the start of the year; not listening and taking life smoothly, my predicted grades have been made awful. Let's just say I don't think that any of my teachers will be changing their opinion on my ability anytime soon either.

Regardless, I know that my grades are going to be a lot higher than my predicted grades, as they were at GCSE, where I was predicted all D's and C's yet walked out with 5A*s, 4A's and 2B's from intense revision.

Because I know that my predicted grades are not going to be changing, I am not even bothering about applying to university and have instead decided to go and travel in my root country of India for a year (at least). I don't know if this is entirely a good thing.

I do want to go to university and study Oriental Studies - Sanskrit, at Oxford University - a three year course, which I will then transfer into something related with finance.

Reasons for not applying:

1.) My predicted grades are awful and I don't want any Russell Group University have a record of my bad grades.

2.) I don't want to be bound by time restrictions for University. If myself and my mother decide that we want to move out to India (which is a huge possibility), I will need more than a year to help in the moving process.

3.) I fear that if I do apply for University, my predicted grades are lifted and I get in, it may cause a dilemma in deciding whether to go to India or stay in the UK and complete my studies.

Fears:

Although my plans sound all good, I worry that I will enjoy my time in India so much, I may totally neglect my education, something I don't really want to happen.

If I do not apply, I also have to do my UCAS form in India with my actual grades, this means travelling back to the UK for interviews etc which is just a massive ball ache, obviously something I wouldn't mind doing, but, just annoying.

What do you think?

1.) Continue with your plans. Ditch the UCAS this year, go to India and use your actual grades to apply when you feel you are ready.

2.) Play it safe, see if you can get into the university that you want to (obviously once raising the predicted to at least something like an A*AA). If you get in, request a gap year and go to India, with a guaranteed place when you get back.

3.) Play it safe, see if you can get into the university that you want to (obviously once raising the predicted to at least something like an A*AA). If you get in, go to Uni immediately and go to India once you have finished your studies.

Reply 1

Nadine_08

I would go with plan #2

Reply 2

boriapple

Just saying, Oxford do Skype interviews. Not sure about other places, but I'm sure they've got something.
Predicted grades are definitely taken into consideration when you apply so the gap year sounds like a good plan if you really can't convince your teachers. Maybe ask your teachers to put on a mock?
You should try to at least spend a gap year doing something productive. If you want to go to India, you should go. If you end up neglecting your studies, it probably means that you don't have the passion that you need to be a successful Oxbridge candidate anyway, though I'm not saying that you won't be able to get in and get a degree - it'll just not be fun.