Switch from a levels to ib after a year?

Hiya

So I've been doing a levels since September now and I'm in year 12. Originally, I thought that a levels would be my thing. Iobsessive with history, like I used to love the course and literally thought, 'A level history and all those history lessons, sounds awesome!!' I took politics alongside it as it was quote similar too. My third a level is art as I'm a natural creative and need my doodling time lol.

Now in September, my life was going swimmingly. I was doing history with my best friend, who I had met in history club the year before. I hadn't had a best friend for about 3 years and was so happy there was someone who loved history like me and we had lots in common.

Now our school has offered ib for the last 10 years, but I really don't like maths. I got a 6 (B grade) in the exam but through excessive hard work and time. All other aspects of the ib seemed quite good : I love english, languages, history, art and enjoy biology actually. I got the requirements to take all of these but my parents and best friend were very anti ib. They told me to not do it like it was some kind of sentence. It turned me off because I AM A VERY INFLUENCED PERSON. Extremely. Influenced. From the moment my parents said they supported type A party in an election, I supported type A. Then they supported type B, I supported type B. I do a levels politics for God's sake and I still have my their opinion as my own! I cannot decide for myself, and it ends up mentally antagonising me so I just do what other people think I should do.

Anyway, I decided I would do a levels with my best friend and try enjoying life more. I am a naturally anxious person so I thought more time in frees and outside school with my best friend would be great.

Then came November.

By November, there was no changing subjects. But by November, my best friend and I no longer even looked at another in the corridors.

We had fallen out in Germany, at a history trip. I won't go into details but she got jealous of me hanging out with another friend, hung out with people I extremely dislike and we stopped talking.

For the first few months... I was fine. It was lonely. Definetly. But I hung out alone in year 9 and 10 by myself, no biggie.

Then January came.

Anxiety. Massive anxiety. I woke up and everything felt wrong in my life. I had made the wrong decision. The wrong choices. My choices weren't mine.

This cycle goes through my head, it has been since January. I didn't deal with it at all well at first. I cried at home, in lesson, in the shower for God's sake. I felt like dying, I couldn't deal with it. It sounds stupid, really, worrying over such a little thing. But doing well and being happy, it means a lot to me.

I no longer want to do history at uni and become a history teacher. Instead; I want to do Liberal Arts and major in History while doing a range of other subjects like English, Languages, Classics... just... diversity. And I want to be a primary school teacher and teach a diversity.

But right now, I'm not doing a diversity. And I'm not enjoying it. History and politics are literally the same thing. Economics and government. Not nice. And art and my arts award, (project) are my only small escape. But even that gets boring. I just feel so limited.

I've been seeing a councillor for my worries. I've talked about maybe restarting the year, a fresh course and new people. It would be a year lower but honestly, I wouldn't really mind. It would be difficult at first... but I'm sure I'll adjust. But I'm uncertain. I don't want to redo the year and then realise I've made a mistake...

Does anyone have any advice? Anything would be appreciated.

It sounds like this would be your first actual decision without being influenced by anyone.... You go girl!!!

If you genuinely feel stuck and are unhappy with the current subjects you're doing then perhaps redoing the year could be the best option.

That being said perhaps you could look at UCAS courses/ contact admissions at various universities to see if it would be possible if:
1) they offer the type of degree you're looking for (or if not a substitute or something similar)
2) a - the current subjects you're doing would be acceptable for the degree/course you want to do
b - if they're not then find out the preferred or more suitable subjects

Also if you have a careers adviser or someone in charge of HE at your school, perhaps it would be prudent to schedule a meeting and discuss your future pathways.*

All in all this a decision that YOU have to make and at the end of the day YOU should be happy with the courses/subjects that you do. We all get days when we get fed up with what we do (literally me after 30mins of maths🙄*le sigh*) but it shouldn't be a constant dislike or hate.

Hope this was helpful and good luck!! 💛💛💛💛

*What was your therapist's (or counsellors) response to the situation?

Firstly I understand you are probably in a difficult descision but what do you want to do? Dont let your friends or parents influence your decisions at the end of the day it’s your life. Research some more into the IB so you can confirm if it’s more suitable for you however if not just stick to alevels at there’s only a year left and it might be hard to not have your friend anymore but you’ll meet many many people at university so don’t worry about it just focus on your studies and join some more clubs to meet new people who have similar interests to you. So just research thourougly into the IB course as it can be very challenging maybe try a taster day or something and if you decide it’s not right just stick to your alevels.

Does anyone have any expierience of redoing the year and whether a selective state school allows it due to career and other changes?

My school doesn't allow it, and mentioned that if I was to repeat the year it would have to be with different subjects. I'm pretty much in the same position as you and I wish I had the opportunity to take the IB!

Oh no, really? It sucks, doesnt it? I would be even more upset if I couldn't repeat to do the IB, even with different subjects? I don't know what I'll do if my school says no, I just feel totally unmotivated since my heart says go with a change.

Currently I take : history, politics and art

I would take : history, art, English, biology SL, maths studies and Japanese ab initio

I'm guessing that would be too similar? how did it go down with your parents/sixth form if you don't mind me asking?

They're kind of similar? But I think it's for reasons other than a different future career or more options - you're obviously unhappy with your subjects right now. If you can explain why you think you chose the wrong option I think you'd have a good shot, because it seems like you were nudged into it.

For me, my head of year is incredibly inflexible and irritating, so even though I asked her many times in the first few weeks to change to French/Further Maths (I currently do Maths/Bio/Chem/Physics) in the place of Bio/Chem because I absolutely despise them as subject and also the classes that I'm in. I realise that now not having Further Maths limits my uni choices - my parents will only let me study what I want if I went to an incredibly prestigious uni, which is unfortunately close to impossible. So it looks like I'll be doing medicine in the future! My parents are also not likely to allow me to repeat a year, and I haven't brought them into school to discuss it because I feel like my head of year will just explain it away - doesn't help that their english is reasonably poor too.

The IB appealed to because you can study such a range of subjects - I love English/Geography/MFL as well as Maths and Physics!

Anyways, good luck to you, I hope you get it all sorted out!

Forgot to mention that where I am at the moment, there are no schools that teach the IB so even moving schools wouldn't be an option.

Thank you so much for your response! I think my head of sixth form is kinda flexible as they allowed subject changes until October but not afterwards. I hope that starting fresh in September will be okay due to starting the course completely new.

My mum is exactly the same as your parents. I can't help showing I'm unhappy despite plastering a fake smile on my face. She asked me why on Saturday and I said about school subjects and lack of motivation due to disliking them and she literally screamed at me. She's apologised since then but her apology was literally showing me a math studies paper and saying I was incapable of doing it. How does she know this, when I've never even tried?

I feel like I was put down and that's why I told myself it wasn't an option. But my self confidence grew a bit from various activities early this and last year and have only just begun to believe that I can do it. Despite the school, my parents and old old bff discouraging me.

I have counseling next Monday, do you think I should ask my mum to come in and talk to her properly about what I feel and want to do? And then suggest talking to the head of sixth form together about it?

Thank you for all your time! And same, this is the nearest ib school to me, the next one is an hour away!