where to do a private A level in one year?

Hi, I have just finished year 12 doing chemistry, biology and computer science, due to some ongoing health issues I'm currently getting a U in chemistry and Ds in my other subjects. I plan to go into year 13 doing only biology and computer science at school and I am aiming for three Bs which means I need to do another subject. I'm interested in doing philosophy outside of school and completing it in a year. Is this possible? where should I do philosophy?

Reply 1

turbidite

Original post by n4yal8er

I was in a similar situation to you. I was at D for the three sciences at the end of Year 12. So then I just quit that sixth form entirely, and I went to a new college (for free) to study Geology, Geography and Computer Science instead.

You can't take the same A-Level twice for free due to how government funding works. It also means you'd have to take new subjects --including Philosophy if you want-- if you were to move colleges/sixth forms to re-do A-Levels without fees. So, for example, you'd apply to college and study maybe English Literature, English Language and Philosophy.

Of course, this would lead to the obvious choice to go down the private route (tuition + exams) to do Philosophy. However this is very expensive and it would be difficult to achieve the same efficiency in learning. A-Levels are taught over two years for a reason, there is a lot of content especially for a humanity-based subject like Philosophy. Your tutors will struggle getting you up to Year 13 content for Philosophy within ten months between September and exams. It'll be very difficult balancing this workload, with the one you will have with your other subjects. Very difficult, as in damaging to your mental and physical wellbeing. Not to mention your UCAS application process might be different to those who are doing their A-Levels normally, and you're on Us and Ds at the moment meaning you will need to stretch yourself immensely to get Bs. The whole thing would hurt a lot and I don't recommend it.

Assess career choices and workload you have at the moment. If you have more of an interest in humanities like Philosophy, it might be worth restarting Year 12 completely and going onto Year 13 after.

... Psst, btw, the elites don't want me to tell you this but if you've have extenuating circumstances, such as a long-term illness, you can apply to a Foundation Year in Humanities at Oxbridge or Foundation in your UCAS application. Unlike other Oxbridge applications, you can submit in the January of Year 13 --in case you want to make a change in your courses. If you pass the eligibility criteria you can find on their websites, and you have 120 UCAS points (or BBB -- much lower than the requirements for the undergraduate course) you can be admitted to a foundation year at the colleges available and afterwards be conducted into a proper undergraduate course at oxbridge. I'm going to apply myself but you need several criteria as well the long-term illness criterion, such as: low household income, bereavement, poor school performance, poor school funding etc.
This is just in case you want to change what you want to do and if you're interested.
Foundation Year, Pre-degree course | Undergraduate Study (cam.ac.uk)
Oxford’s Astrophoria Foundation Year Programme | University of Oxford

One more note: if you feel bad about having to re-do years again because you will like you're getting too old and you're going to stick out like a sore thumb? Don't worry, you'll learn the age gap is non-existent; if you're like 19 and everyone else is 18 it makes no drastic change to social interactions.