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Want to drop A levels to pursue something else, about to go into year 13

I'm doing biology,chemistry and maths right now. I have already completed year 12 and about to go into year 13. I don't feel passionate about my subjects at all and my predicted grades are awful. What i really want is to pursue a career in music, which is completely different from the subjects that I am doing now. This is because my parents pushed me towards doing subjects that would take me down the path of being a doctor or something. I already retook year 12 because my subject choices were already terrible, and i thought my second chance would be different but i was wrong. I want to do something else that would guide me toward a music career , but I dont know how to break it to my parents. They want me to go to university, so i thought doing music at uni would be the best option but seeing as im failing my A levels i dont know what to do. I just feel like im trapped in a small space without that many options.
Don't panic. Your parents should be somewhat aware of your lack of interest in the subjects you studied based on retaking year 12. The fact is if your heart isn't in it, then that's not your fault. If you're passionate about music and want to pursue that, then show them. I'd go about discussing the areas you're interested in, spend some time playing your instruments with them in earshot, almost like preparing them. Also look into other options to study music. Local colleges are a possibility and some universities have foundation courses that don't require A levels. Print a few pages off from some of these options and have them available when discussing your feelings about your future. Show them you have thought it through and that you have some potential alternatives in mind.
Reply 2
Original post by captain_mathsss
Don't panic. Your parents should be somewhat aware of your lack of interest in the subjects you studied based on retaking year 12. The fact is if your heart isn't in it, then that's not your fault. If you're passionate about music and want to pursue that, then show them. I'd go about discussing the areas you're interested in, spend some time playing your instruments with them in earshot, almost like preparing them. Also look into other options to study music. Local colleges are a possibility and some universities have foundation courses that don't require A levels. Print a few pages off from some of these options and have them available when discussing your feelings about your future. Show them you have thought it through and that you have some potential alternatives in mind.

thank you so much for your words and responding. I have done some research and i think a foundation year is the best way to go, but i do have a few questions. I don't know if im too late to apply now, and I'm not too sure how I'm going to persuade my parents to let me do this, all they want is for me to go to uni. I am also unsure about where to apply, if you have any suggestions that would be amazing but it's fine if you don't. Thank you.
Original post by nicobovo
I'm doing biology,chemistry and maths right now. I have already completed year 12 and about to go into year 13. I don't feel passionate about my subjects at all and my predicted grades are awful. What i really want is to pursue a career in music, which is completely different from the subjects that I am doing now. This is because my parents pushed me towards doing subjects that would take me down the path of being a doctor or something. I already retook year 12 because my subject choices were already terrible, and i thought my second chance would be different but i was wrong. I want to do something else that would guide me toward a music career , but I dont know how to break it to my parents. They want me to go to university, so i thought doing music at uni would be the best option but seeing as im failing my A levels i dont know what to do. I just feel like im trapped in a small space without that many options.


Hi Nicobovo,

If you're only just going into Year 13, you have until January to make your UCAS choices so don't feel like you have to make a decision immediately. It's understandable for parents to be anxious about changing your choice of career but if you are interested in pursuing a career working in the music industry, could I introduce you to Echo Factory as an alternative industry-focused music school you might like to consider?

Built and run by musicians for musicians, Echo Factory is a specialist music school based in the heart of Leicester’s Cultural Quarter that delivers industry-focused degrees in BMus(Hons) Contemporary Music Performance (COURSE CODE: W315) and BA (Hons) Music Business (COURSE CODE: W375).

Both our courses are incredibly practical and offer students significant opportunities to collaborate and stretch their creativity whilst simultaneously developing their ability to navigate the complexities of the modern music industry.

We deliberately keep our class sizes small, and our personalised approach allows us to tailor our guidance to empower each of our students as individuals so that we can help develop their unique talents and passion for music in whatever direction they choose. Alongside this, we are also committed to building students’ commercial awareness, practical skills, and entrepreneurial mindsets to allow them to be fully equipped, connected and ready to launch their careers in music.

Because everyone is different, we keep our courses accessible, so our entry requirements are 64 UCAS points and 72 UCAS points for BMUS (Hons) Contemporary Music Performance and BA (Hons) Music Business respectively. Whilst we do consider applicants’ academic qualifications, however, we also incorporate an audition stage as part of our application process. This allows for our team to assess applicants’ musical ability incl. applicants’ instrumental skill and technique, sight reading, and aural ability as well as their theoretical knowledge.

You can find out more information about our ethos and the courses we offer here: http://www.echofactory.co.uk/

If you have any questions or just want a chat about your options, please do get in touch!

Best wishes,

Ashley
Echo Factory

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