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Re-doing and taking new A-Levels at 21?

For some dumb reason my 16-year-old self decided to pick A-levels that'd get me nowhere (Art and media, though I also picked maths which I was happy with), and I just finished a BA doing a course I was never really interested in. Graphic Design is alright and I sometimes enjoy doing it, but I just doubt I'll be able to have a decent job anytime soon, especially one that I'll be happy with. Regardless, I've always had a big interest in the sciences (I got an 8-8 for my GCSEs), especially physics and maths, so I know I can *do* well when I put the time and effort in.

So I want to have a second shot at life and do something like physics or engineering, but I understand to even get a job I'd need to go to Uni again and get a good degree. To do so I'd need a good college degree or good A-levels, and the A-levels I'd need the most are Maths and Physics. I've managed to source some textbook PDFs but again, I don't know if they're the right ones - 2017's EdExcel Maths (all of em), and Cambridge International AS and A Level Physics - so I have some resources to learn from for free.

I understand I can go to a place like open study college and get the qualification + exams for a fee, or I can self-teach and just book the exam for myself individually, but I'm worried about how that'd look on my CV and if I'd be taken a lot less seriously (assuming I got decent/good grades on my retaken A-levels) by the Unis. Hell, what are the chances they'd even accept me even if I got great grades?

So really, I just don't know if it's worth my time and effort, I know I'm young and that I have the time but how far can I go doing this? Has anyone done something like this? Any tips or help or other options? I'm willing and able to put a lot of effort into it.

I just feel clueless and terrified lol, I can't believe I was 16 five years ago.

What I wouldn't do to have the present me exist back then...

Reply 1

MindMax2000

Universities Forum Helper

Original post by wonky_alpaca

Graphic Design is alright and I sometimes enjoy doing it, but I just doubt I'll be able to have a decent job anytime soon, especially one that I'll be happy with.
Well, I wouldn't go as far to say BA Graphics Design is a dead end degree. You can still do a lot with it (primarily because a lot of jobs don't specifically need a degree). From what I know about graphics design, it's a somewhat high paying vocation (if this is how you define "decent").

So I want to have a second shot at life and do something like physics or engineering, but I understand to even get a job I'd need to go to Uni again and get a good degree.
Engineering you can more or less do via apprenticeships (you can do these at pretty much any age), but should you wish to specifically get a good degree in it or go into physics, you would require to look in the following options:

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Redo A Levels - highly recommended

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Do a foundation year - expensive, but doable although would severely restrict your options

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Do an Access Course - will restrict your options, although more flexible than foundation year

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Do BTEC in engineering (and ideally A Level Maths on top), although your options are a bit limited

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Do an Open Uni degree in science or engineering

The cheapest would be the Access course, but you can only use that for specific courses in the country. Those universities that do accept it would likely be looking for A Level maths to top it up since physics and engineering are more academic and very quantitative courses.
Foundation years make it very difficult to switch from one university to another, because the syllabus might not directly be accepted by another university, and foundation years generally are designed for courses issued by the same university.
For BTECs, these are more vocational qualifications so you're more or less limited to engineering degrees if the university accept these.
The Open Uni degree can be viable, but I don't think this is something you're looking for.

I've managed to source some textbook PDFs but again, I don't know if they're the right ones - 2017's EdExcel Maths (all of em), and Cambridge International AS and A Level Physics - so I have some resources to learn from for free.
Are you intending to do International A Levels and are you based outside of the UK? If you are not, then I would recommend following the UK A Levels' syllabi. The exam boards for these are: EdExcel, OCR (A & B), and AQA. The main difference between the British exam boards and the International ones is that the British ones tend not to allow you as many options, whereas the International ones use the AS and A2 options. There is some bit of overlap, but not enough for you to use the same material to pass the British exams in my opinion.
If you insist on using the International textbooks to sit the British exams, I would check the specs of the British exam boards to ensure you have learnt all that you would need before proceeding.
The syllabus you would need should be post 2017/8 where you have the option of doing AS or the full A Level (A2 was removed). If this is not what you have, then you would want to either get different textbooks or pick an online course for this (online courses would provide all the material in such books). If you do pick online courses via online colleges, then you're more or less restricted to the AQA syllabi for maths and Physics or Edexcel for Maths.
You do have the option of going to an offline college for A Levels, but these are far and few in between. There is mention of a college in London, but outside of London I am hard pressed to find any unless it's somewhere up north. Most 6th form colleges would have an age restriction.

I'm worried about how that'd look on my CV and if I'd be taken a lot less seriously (assuming I got decent/good grades on my retaken A-levels) by the Unis. Hell, what are the chances they'd even accept me even if I got great grades?
I can't comment on the CV or how it would look to uni admissions staff. However, most universities I spoken to don't care at what age you get the grades, so long you have the right grades in the right subjects within a given timespan e.g. 2-5 years, depending on the uni (do check with the individual uni as you might have to do 3 A Level subjects as opposed to just the 2). Universities don't discriminate applicants based on age (they legally can't), and many mature applicants are eligible for second bachelors'.
Your personal statement needs to be good as well since physics is a somewhat competitive subject (engineering less so, but still can be difficult to get in).

All A Level exams are proctor exams and are administered by approved third party exam centres under strict guidelines by the exam boards. This means your conditions would be the same as those who are 18/19 taking the same exams on the same days. The results you get are of the same quality and are as credible as any other applicant's.

I just don't know if it's worth my time and effort, I know I'm young and that I have the time but how far can I go doing this? Has anyone done something like this? Any tips or help or other options? I'm willing and able to put a lot of effort into it.
Whether it's worth your time and effort is a personal thing. I can't tell you that doing a degree in physics or engineering is worth it. Only you can say.

People have done something similiar before, but it's a complete pain the rear end. Firstly, if you are doing your A Levels again, you would have to fund everything yourself. The main costs to be concerned with are the exam fees (which should be roughly £250 per subject if you apply early) and the practical assessment (some unis require this; if so, this is required for physics which can cost £1000 per subject). Whatever cost you decide to pay for the course would depend on the individual course you enroll on.

The other pain in the rear is that due to the ELQ policy administered by Labour in 2010 you would have to fund for your second degree yourself. This is going to be a huge damper for a lot of people in this scenario. This might not necessarily be the £9250 home fee either, but a lot of unis won't specify what they are. Nottingham is the only uni that I have come across that explicitly say that their home fees under ELQ doesn't change for those who are doing their second bachelor's.
The only time when you might be able to get away with doing a second bachelor's without having to fork out a significant sum of money is if the degree is in an allied health profession subject. From memory, this unfortunately does not include physics or engineering degrees.
I am not sure what the ELQ policy is for degree apprenticeships, but I guess some of the costs should be covered by the employer.
In a specific case, if you're a resident of Scotland and you intend to study at a Scottish uni, you should be able to do your second degree for free, but you would need to check on this.

International options include studying in countries like Finland where there are a number of universities that offer physics and engineering degrees, but the ones that don't charge tuition fees are those courses taught in Finnish. You will likely need to cosnider funding your living costs, which can be more than the cost of a British degree.
Alternatively, there are countries like Canada where the tuition cost can be relatively low (£2500 per year or so I think), but I am not sure what the living costs over there is like as rents are not typically cheap.
Personally, I would stick to Briish degrees despite the high costs.

If you want to know the cost of the alternatives to A Levels, let me know. However, it would be wise if you look through the entry requirements for the specific degrees that you want to do first.

What I wouldn't do to have the present me exist back then...
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