Resitting a levels

Hi, I recently received my grades and got BCC, and as I am unhappy with this, I want to resit. However, I don’t know how to go about this. I got a place at the Exeter University Penryn campus to study politics and international relations, but I don’t know whether I should take it. I’m leaning towards retaking as I know I didn’t get as well as I could’ve as I was predicted A*A*A. How would I go about resitting because I cannot afford to pay a lot of money to resit? Is it possible to do it in a college, so a fast-track course repeating year 13? Also, I’ve been looking for some schools near me in Leicester, but I can’t seem to find any. Any help would be appreciated!

University of Exeter is a good university. Where were you hoping to go (with your theoretical A*A*A)? What were you hoping to study?
Does the school / college where you did your A levels not offer retake opportunities? Have you considered studying for the retakes independently, and using a local school / college just to sit the exams themselves, next year? You can find a list of schools / colleges where you can so that here.

I was hoping to go to UCL with my grades, and I also want to study law, which is a competitive field, which is why I want to go to a top university. I do not want to resit at my college, as I did not have the proper resources provided by my college and basically self-taught myself the whole year. If I call up the colleges listed on that website, will they take me in as a resit candidate so I could repeat year 13?

Hi SSS234574,
Congratulations on your offer from us! I wanted to give you a little bit of insight of studying at Penryn. Our programmes down in Penryn are extremely unique, so even if they share a name with a Streatham Campus course the academics and specialisms will be unique, so it is worth checking modules and course information to see which is best suited to your interests. Often (but this is a sweeping statement so do check your individual programme!) our Penryn courses tend to have smaller classes sizes, higher staff: student ratios are more hands on/practical and have sustainability as a core theme running through the programme content. The campus itself is located on the outskirts of a town called Penryn, about 10/15 minutes drive to Falmouth and 20 minutes to Truro. It is not comparable to a big city at all, and anyone wanting that would likely be disappointed, but there is a thriving student community (we share a site with Falmouth University) and plenty to keep you entertained as a student depending on what your interests are. If you prefer a more relaxed pace of life, are outdoorsy or fancy living somewhere loads of people choose to holiday each year then Penryn may well be the place for you - our students based their tend to be very positive about their time their and are usually the biggest advocates for the campus. You might not get to go clubbing until 5am or have all your favourite brands on your doorstep, but you will be able to attend local festivals and events (the Sea Shanty festival is always good fun), go to the beach after all your lectures and enjoy the independent, local shops, restaurants and cafés dotted around the local towns. It isn't for everyone, but equally, life in the big city isn't for everyone either. You can't like everywhere, and you will spend 3+ years of your life there so ensure it is the right place for you.
Plus- I am sure once you finish your degree, your A-Level's won't matter so much, so I am not totally sure it is worth resitting, but it completely up to you.
We hope to welcome you in September! I hope this is useful - do let me know if there are any specific questions I can help with.
Best, Sophie, University of Exeter Student Ambassador.

Okay, I’ve decided to go to Exeter University. However, I still haven’t applied to student finance yet, as I was unsure of whether I was still going to university. I'm going to do it as soon as possible. What should I do if I don’t come in time? Can I apply to any bursaries or grants as I come from a low-income background?

Okay, I’ve decided to go to Exeter University. However, I still haven’t applied to student finance yet, as I was unsure of whether I was still going to university. I'm going to do it as soon as possible. What should I do if I don’t come in time? Can I apply to any bursaries or grants as I come from a low-income background?

Ok, it is important to get you Student Finance application in ASAP. As you say that will be very important for ensuring you have money needed to pay tuition and accommodation when those are due. They advise it can take up to 6 weeks to process applications which would get very tight with term starting on 23rd December. I wouldn't want to promise when fees are due but quickly looking online it looks like tuition is due slightly later in the term. It looks like Accommodation is harder to get a date for until you have a contract, but regardless you will likely ned to make a deposit, so having your loan ASAP will be imperative. Once you have applied for your loan you might get a better sense of the timeline until it is confirmed and then you may benefit from speaking to our Penryn accommodation office (Email: [email protected] or Telephone: 01326 253639) and the Student Information Point (+44 (0)1326 371800 or [email protected]) to explain your situation and they can advise on anything you should do.
Regarding bursaries without knowing your situation I cannot comment on what you may be eligible for specifically but would direct you to our bursary webpages: Scholarships and bursaries | Funding and scholarships for students | University of Exeter. We do have a range of support including our Access to Exeter bursary (there is no formal application for this, when you complete your Student Finance application there is a question about sharing details with your university. Pleas do this so we can review to see if you are eligible, if you are you will automatically be awarded and paid this into your bank account in instalments across the year). Some of the deadlines might have passed for some but contact details and further information about each can b found on the link above.
I should also mention our Success for All fund: Financial Help | Financial Help | University of Exeter This is a scheme designed to support students with financial challenges, particularly short term cash flow issues due to changes in circumstances. Applications for the academic year won't open until September time, but you might find this as a useful option if there are delays with receiving your loans and you need to pay Accommodation (although thy will unable to support with Tuition fees).
Regarding visit opportunities, we run regular campus tours at our Penryn Campus. You can book these here Campus tours | Undergraduate Study | University of Exeter If these do not work I cannot make any guarantees but if you contact our Student Recruitment Team they will let you know of alternative options to look around. They can be contacted using our web enquiry form or on 01392 727272. It is a lovely campus, so hopefully you will like it when you do manage to see it.
Sorry this is a bit of an essay, but I had a lot to share. The main thing is to get your Finance application in; the other steps are less urgent but will hopefully help you to prepare if the application takes longer to be processed. Do let me know if there are any other questions I can help you with.
Melody
University of Exeter Student Recruitment Team