Deciding on what to do with my future

Hi there, I am currently 21 and due to personal issues I did not achieve good GCSE grades. Due to this, it prevented me from ever taking any a-levels and so I went onto do a BTEC.
Unfortunately, I did not get a Distinction in two units in my BTEC course & they were required to enable me to do Vet Med at Uni.
This past year and half, all I have done is work and save up money.
I have been thinking a lot about my future and I have been considering to re-take my GCSE's next year (if possible) then the following year, I would like to do accelerated A-levels from home (Bio, Chem & possibly psychology / math / physics as the last one).
My reasoning to do a-levels is because A levels are more widely accepted around the world in comparison to BTEC & gives me more opportunity to do other courses at Uni if I change my mind in a couple years time.
How much have the new GCSE exams changed? They don't give out 'alphabet grades' anymore and instead you receive numbers!
I'm worried as I don't know if I should re-take GCSE's then do A-levels... It is quite expensive to do both, however I have money saved up and my parents have said they will support me if needed. My parents would prefer for me to receive a proper education to enable me to get a better job & as would I.
But I am also afraid of 'failure'(aka not getting the grades I want) which has prevented me from re-taking / doing anything (education wise) earlier.
I would like some advice on what I can expect before I buy online courses for both GCSE's & A-levels; specifically, I would like to know how 'hard' A-levels are since I have had no experience with them. What advice can you guys give me before I officially make my decision?

TL;DR
What changes have been made to the new GCSE's?
Advice for taking A-levels (Bio, Chem & either psychology/math/physics ) for the first time as a mature student - how 'hard' are a-levels?

If you have anymore advice for me, I would love to hear it.
Thank you!

Reply 1

username5307738

Original post by GratedCheese99

Some of the specs have changed for different subjects since gcses changed from letter to number so you might need to go check before you do the exam

Reply 2

JohnB1

Hi there. What grades did you get for Maths and Chemistry at GCSE? The only reason I ask is that in my opinion these two A Levels are probably the hardest (particularly if you are planning on taking an accelerated course and have struggled with your learning previously). Others may disagree though! Online learning can also be more difficult that classroom based learning, although that depends on learning style. Take care and stay safe.

Reply 3

GratedCheese99

Original post by JohnB1

Hi JohnB1!

I got C's for both, with very very minimal revision done. I looked over some notes I had the night before the exam I believe. :s-smilie:

As I said, due to personal reasons, I was unable to focus on my revision & neither did I really have the motivation to at the time. I feel like I am in a better place now and ready to focus on my education- however I doubt myself a lot and I'm worried that I may not achieve the grades I want! Hearing how hard A-levels have been for my friends previously makes me worried, especially considering I will be doing online learning!

I am a pretty independent learner, I enjoy studying by myself and I am able to focus better - but I did like having the support of a tutor / teacher at secondary. Although, with my personality I never really asked for much help as I am a very shy person naturally. :colondollar:

Reply 4

sachinihimara

Gcses you'll probably be fine but I wouldn't encourage the smartest most dedicated student to self study a level chemistry especially not with biology and another science like physics or maths. They are all incredibly hard and will often require more detailed explanations from a tutor. Are you able to have private tuition for the subjects? Even if so the accelerated course I'm my eyes is impossible, but over 2 years with the help of 3 tutors you could do okay.

Reply 5

jadefn

Have you thought about doing an online course at all? These are great alternatives and mostly are free too on websites like Futurelearn. They give great introductions to subjects or industries you may be interested in :smile:

here are some links I found useful:
https://www.whatuni.com/advice/coronavirus-covid-19-updates/starting-uni-why-you-should-get-ahead-with-an-online-course/89592/
https://www.whatuni.com/advice/coronavirus-covid-19-updates/coronavirus-online-learning-blended-study-and-mooc-courses/87289/

Hope you maybe find it useful!

Reply 6

JohnB1

Original post by GratedCheese99

Hi JohnB1!

I got C's for both, with very very minimal revision done. I looked over some notes I had the night before the exam I believe. :s-smilie:

It's probably worth signing up for the GCSE's as a starter, and you can see how it goes. You don't need to commit to A levels yet. As you say, you're in a better place now and want to learn, so I'm sure with the positive attitude things will go well. Once you have the required GCSE's out the way, you can have a think about the A levels. I guess that you're in full time employment so cannot go to college to complete these? There may be an option for evening classes as an alternative study route. It may be worth having a chat with your local college. Good luck.