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Age 21 GCSE to A-levels

Hey guys, I am 21 year old and I went to college from 2005-2007, I received a BTEC Foundation ICT and BTEC First Diploma Media both a grade MERTIT.

These are the only qualifications I have.

I never went to GSCE exams when I was in school, the reason was just being young and silly.

I am going to re do my GSCE English and Maths through ICS home study and the exams will we held in june time. I want to aim high and get good grades on these, and then go on to 3 A-levels at a college.

My question is will I still be able to do A-levels at a college considering if I get these GCSE English and maths at a good grade to meet the requirements of the A-levels I want to do and considering my age, because I know I will be with younger students. I just don't want them to say I would be better of doing an access course bla bla bla. I want the real deal and do proper A-levels, because I want to get into a good University.

Any info appreciated

Reply 1

SpiritedAway

17

go for it! there is no age limit on when you can take your A-levels.
you won't necessary be in a class full younger people, since a college still has a lot of adult learners.

Reply 2

Hisoo

13

I noticed that colleges are a lot more relaxed in letting mature students in on the courses they want to do than younger ones, so your age will probably be a help.

Aside from that, please please don't go with ICS! I'm doing my A-levels with them and found them to be totally unhelpful and over-priced, they don't provide any help with finding an exam centre and their study notes are complicated enough, provided they send the right ones. In my Sociology notes they've missed out a whole topic and sent me the wrong one but there's no way of getting money back after the first month.

Please look into finding the GCSE spec yourself and just buying a good textbook or two on your chosen subjects, for your own sanity and bank balance.

Reply 3

inksplodge

17

I think you will be ok. I know a few 19-20 year olds at the college doing A levels and none of us young 'uns were any the wiser. :smile:

Reply 4

SpiritedAway

17

yeah, i agree with the above. i have heard that ICS are a bit of a rip-off merchant.

Reply 5

XJR

5

At the college I went to anyone aged 19 or over would be put on a one year Access to Higher Education Course rather than spend 2 years doing A-levels. Don't think there is any choice really, it's got to be an access course if you're over 19, they won't put you in with A-level students.

Reply 6

SpiritedAway

17

yes you can. my neighbour is 50 and last year completed her A-level in English Literature -- she did that with A-level students.

Reply 7

Potential

OP

Thanks for your reply's.

I have emailed a few colleges and I have had a reply today from Seevic college saying-

'unfortunately Seevic can only offer A-level courses for 16-19 year olds. We currently do not offer any courses over 19 year olds' Thats that one out the way then lol.

For getting my GCSE'S in English and Maths, what do you guys recommend me to do then, if ICS is not that good. I really want to aim high and get best grades possible.

Reply 8

Angelil

19

You can still get into a good uni after doing an Access course, so please don't worry about that - a friend of mine is at Reading University after doing hers.

Reply 9

jelly1000

21

Potential

Thanks for your reply's.

I have emailed a few colleges and I have had a reply today from Seevic college saying-

'unfortunately Seevic can only offer A-level courses for 16-19 year olds. We currently do not offer any courses over 19 year olds' Thats that one out the way then lol.

For getting my GCSE'S in English and Maths, what do you guys recommend me to do then, if ICS is not that good. I really want to aim high and get best grades possible.

It's because colleges only get funding for 16-19 year olds. You need to ask the FE colleges, not the 6th form colleges. Unfortunatley as you are over 19 it will cost you- £750 per year at a college near me. Also, to go to university you need to have a minimum of 5 GCSE's A*-C- perhaps consider a BTEC level 2 worth 2 or 3 GCSE's.

Reply 10

username158544

Potential

I am going to re do my GSCE English and Maths through ICS home study and the exams will we held in june time. I want to aim high and get good grades on these, and then go on to 3 A-levels at a college.

My question is will I still be able to do A-levels at a college considering if I get these GCSE English and maths at a good grade to meet the requirements of the A-levels I want to do and considering my age, because I know I will be with younger students. I just don't want them to say I would be better of doing an access course bla bla bla. I want the real deal and do proper A-levels, because I want to get into a good University.

Any info appreciated

I studied for my A Levels via ICS. It was expensive, but worth it, since I'm now at University.
I don't think you should worry about getting into college. As long as you're persistant it shouldn't be a problem.
However ICS can be pretty expensive, so if you think you are up to it, why not skip GCSEs and just go onto A Levels with ICS?

I, presumably much like yourself, messed around at school and didn't do that great. I only have one GCSE and 3 A Levels but I still got into Uni, and I've been getting better grades than most people in my essays...people who presumably have a lot better academic background than me.

Go for it!

Reply 11

Potential

OP

I personally feel I need to do GSCE English and Maths for my own personal benefit. Plus I feel I have unfinished business, as where I did not do them in school. It would feel good you know.

The way its going does not look like I will be getting on to straight A-levels in a college. Maybe I will have to do a Access to Higher Education Diploma.
I was just thinking that A-levels are seen as much better, and I would be able to get into a much better Uni with them, plus with doing A-levels you have more variety of subjects, instead of just one subject like BTEC's and Access courses.

I think I will do my GCSE's English and Maths with ICS. Because I wont being able start college until the next September, so might as well. The price is only £219.00 Per GCSE.
I feel it be worth it.

Reply 12

JohnnyHouse

9

Is doing GCSE's and A Levels really that important? I've spoke with loads of uni's about my access to uni and they seem very fair.

Decided to use Open uni points, respected place and already at degree level, Oxford asked for 120 points, Durham asked for 120 points, Lancaster looks like they will offer me a place for 2009, UEA wanted me to apply, as Bath and Exeter aswell.

Reply 13

shienie

Heyy,,

Im 18 years old, I live in amsterdam and going soon to the UK for living and studies. I've done highschool and 1 year college here,, i came to know from a website that its ok to go college as a mature student, i will start in september school year 2009-2010,, so i will be 19 years old when i start. :smile:

Stil i got a few questions like:

- how do u pay the fees in uk,, do u get a loan or is college also free for students above 18 years>?
- whats the diffrent in A-level and O-level?

I hope someone will give me information/advice because, i want to finish my studies as im going to live there soon,,,

i saw u guys discussin about college,, im new here and dont know where to start a subject or where i can ask information..so thatswy

Thanks in advance,, i will be very thankfull knowing these things :biggrin:

Reply 14

jelly1000

21

shienie

Heyy,,

Im 18 years old, I live in amsterdam and going soon to the UK for living and studies. I've done highschool and 1 year college here,, i came to know from a website that its ok to go college as a mature student, i will start in september school year 2009-2010,, so i will be 19 years old when i start. :smile:

Stil i got a few questions like:

- how do u pay the fees in uk,, do u get a loan or is college also free for students above 18 years>?
- whats the diffrent in A-level and O-level?

I hope someone will give me information/advice because, i want to finish my studies as im going to live there soon,,,

i saw u guys discussin about college,, im new here and dont know where to start a subject or where i can ask information..so thatswy

Thanks in advance,, i will be very thankfull knowing these things :biggrin:

As you will be 19 when you start you will have to pay yourself- as far as I'm aware no loans are available!

Reply 15

jadeyandcoke

Potential

Thanks for your reply's.

I have emailed a few colleges and I have had a reply today from Seevic college saying-

'unfortunately Seevic can only offer A-level courses for 16-19 year olds. We currently do not offer any courses over 19 year olds' Thats that one out the way then lol.

For getting my GCSE'S in English and Maths, what do you guys recommend me to do then, if ICS is not that good. I really want to aim high and get best grades possible.

I go to SEEVIC, and i'm nearly 20. I started my A-Levels at the late stages of 18... they should help you out because i swear you can pay for them or something. It's fine being with the younger ones, sometimes i find it harder 'cause they seem to have a different mind set to me, but they're a fab bunch. Age is only a number, after all. Have you checked out their Adult Education prospectus?

http://www.seevic-college.ac.uk/seevic/main/adultEducation.php

They do evening courses, probably Access though because if you want to go to uni that's the way to go at your age. Depends what you want to do in the future though. With your Access course you also get GCSE Maths and English equivalent qualifications as part of the the course modules.

Reply 16

Sam_Coburn

Hello, I am also in the same boat. I turn 21 in May and have only 4 GCSE'S i will be getting my 5th the same time as doing two A-Levels, so that i will be able to study a degree in paramedic science.
Although ICS is rubbish, i know because i tried it and wasted my money. It is probably your only option and It is definitely better getting A-levels instead of the equivalents.

Reply 17

lamtinghin622

5

I personally would advise you do GCSE English and Maths if you are able to.
However, you can find some equvilent course, I heard something like adult numeracy or literature skills, something like that, and you better ask the admission tutor of the college you want to go.

Reply 18

siduk09

If you want to go to university and study at degree level, then yes, I would recommend A Levels. Aside from the fact that most of the traditional universities prefer these qualifications (regardless of what the government may say), degree-level study is a big jump from GCSE and even A Level and you really need a good grounding in the basics of a subject before studying it in that much depth. Many universities now go as far as to differentiate between A Level subjects they class as 'easier' and 'harder' and will specify which subjects and which grades you should aim for in order to get onto a specific course.

I didn't get very good grades (and didn't choose core subjects) at A Level the first time around and they have been useless. I could have done better at GCSE's too, but at 20, felt too old to go back that far. I studied and passed A Level English Language (and a couple of other 'soft' subjects) and did not use any of the information I studied in GCSE English - it had been 5 years since highschool anyway, so I wouldn't have remembered anything.

If you want to prepare for an A Level then spend a month or so going over a GCSE revision book in that subject to cover the basics. Many A levels are not taught at GCSE level as part of the main curriculum in schools (law, economics, business studies, geology, history of art... for example), so the subject would be completely new to most students, regardless of GCSE grades.

I'm nearly 24 and now taking Maths and Physics A Level through ICS, whilst working full time to save for university (don't want the scary debts). I think a lot of the bad rep that ICS and other home-study providers get is down to the fact that people expect the level of support to be like that of college/sixth form and it is more like degree level - where you are given the basics and told to get on with it. My company sent me off to a near by uni to take a short business course and it was very much the attitude that students would teach themselves for the most part, with some help/guidance from the tutor. We had a few interesting talks and lectures a week and a general tutor to ask for help (if we could find them), but we worked it out ourselves. At least for A Level subjects you can buy compact revision guides for all the content!

If you are planning on going to uni then this will be a good habit to get into, however tough it may seem to begin with. All of my friends went on to study at good universities, so I have seen the workload for myself and heard all of their stories over the years. Some of them studied A Levels at a private sixth form and were basically spoon-fed the course content by their teachers. Going on to degree level was a massive shock to them!

If you are studying with ICS then make sure the exam board used is one of the well-known ones (AQA, Edexcel, OCR..) and get hold of the syllabus yourself along with a good revision book and supporting textbooks. We were given the main textbook in college, but still had to buy extra ones ourselves and ICS is the same. There is a lot of background reading/studying to do that you organise yourself, but then there would be at a college/uni. When I took my first lot of A Levels, it was suggested that we do about 4 hours a week of 'own study'. There are many revision books out there that cover everything needed (find out which ones your local sixth forms/colleges use and find one with a format you like). You just need to do a bit of research before you begin - not rocket science!

Yes, you will need to arrange to sit exams with exam centres (and the same for practical work if you take science, for example), but you can arrange this well in advance so to avoid last minute panic and can sometimes sit exams with students at a local college or sixth form for a cheaper price. I am sitting mine in London as none of the local colleges or schools accept external/private students - so I'll jump on the train, take the exam and then spend the afternoon/evening doing 'touristy stuff' to calm post-exam nerves! No, ICS do not arrange everything for you and tell you when to turn up, where to go, where to sit, etc but it really isn't all that difficult to arrange. If you can't cope with ringing up an exam centre or getting on a train, then you probably shouldn't be doing a home-study course. I know that sounds cold, but it's the truth. I found it straightforward enough.

I think it boils down to how self-motivated and independant you are and whether you need someone else there holding your hand. There seems to be (from my experience anyway) a very close knit and supportive student community at ICS, which makes up for the lack of face-to-face teacher support. I have not had any problems with the tutors so far (it is early days), but then I don't rely on them to expain everything to me. I just find the information myself from the vast amount of resources available online, at the library, through internet lectures, etc.

With ICS, you are really paying for:

1. A basic subject tutor to set and mark assignments for extra homework and ask questions if you really can't find the answers yourself.

2. A student support network (the main reason I chose to sign up with ICS and not completely teach myself). Studying at home does get lonely and boring at times and it helps having 'peer pressure' to keep you going and someone to talk to who is going through the same thing. You can arrange study groups/partners (online, on the phone or in real life if they live close enough) and people seem to be far more motivated than the students were in college as they HAVE to focus and get things done themselves. When I did A Levels at my old college, most kids found it hard enough just to bother turning up for the lessons and paying attention!

and 3. A basic outline of the syllabus to follow throughout the course along with some extra materials and books.

They are really an organisation to help students who already feel comfortable enough to study at home. Those who panic at the thought of having to travel to an exam will find it a big jump completely moving away to study at university (as many have to) and probably should spend an extra couple of years in a classroom before taking the plunge at degree level.

I've tried to be honest, even if it doesn't sound 'nice'! Either way, best of luck with whatever route you decide on and it's great that you are choosing to advance your education.

Reply 19

Lais

hey guys ,, i had a question, im applying for Duff miller college in September , does anyone know about the college? i heard its really good but if you guys could give me advice on that, i would really appreciate,, also is it possible to enter AS level with the age of 19?
thanks in advance for the time and effort :smile:

Age 21 GCSE to A-levels

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