Is it bad to change course twice?

(i also posted this on reddit)
So basically:

In September I started my A Levels (psych, bio and eng lang). I enjoyed all 3 but found them very stressful, and my mental health took a toll. In October I moved to a college to do a T Level, but it's quite boring and I'm quickly losing interest in the industry.

My issue is that I want to go back to A Levels, do 2 of the same (psych and bio) and then either sociology or health and social care to go on to become a therapist. Would it look bad to universities that I've changed this many times, and should I stick with the T Level, or would they not mind?

Reply 1

CatLover1

I don't think your universities would know. You are only required to put the grades for subjects you sat the exams for.
Just think about why you found A Levels stressful, is it a good idea to go back to that environment.
Also that would mean either A LOT to catch up or have 3 years at college.

Reply 2

glorious-waking

it's a bit late at this point in the year tho don't u think?

Reply 3

University of Leicester

Official Rep

Hii

I think Universities understand that students sometimes need to adjust their educational path, especially when mental health is involved. Making a change to better align with your career goals and wellbeing is actually a mature decision.

Some things to think about whilst making your decision

•

it aligns with your future goals: Your goal to become a therapist aligns well with A-Levels in Psychology, Biology, and either Sociology or Health & Social Care. This combination would provide a strong foundation for a therapy-focused degree (Lots of Universities accept T-levels so you would have to reach out to the admissions teams for the Specifics of universities you're considering, this way you'll find out if your T level can get you to your goal without you feeling too stressed)

•

Wellbeing: Taking care of your mental health is crucial. If the T Level isn't right for you, it's better to make a change now rather than continue with something that's affecting your wellbeing. The selections in your case would be, do you cope better being Bored or stressed

•

Timing: Making the change early in your academic journey is actually better than waiting longer. Universities will appreciate your self-awareness and determination to pursue the right path.

In your university applications, you can frame this change positively by explaining how these experiences helped you confirm your passion for therapy and led you to make an informed decision about your education.

Maery
Biological Sciences, Physiology and Pharmacology

(edited 10 months ago)

Reply 4

mnot

Universities Forum Helper

A couple things to unpack.

Most universities would probably not mind that you changed, and I think at most they would ask why (not straight reject you) and there is some very easy reasonable answers to that question.

The bigger focus:
- what do you want out of KS4 qualifications?
- what & why do you want to do with your life… (make sure whatever you do next aligns with that).
- what have you changed and put in place to make sure the challenges you faced last time you did A-levels to make sure you are better prepared & capable of succeeding with them?
- you mention university, id note university is significantly more responsibility and likely to be significantly more stressful & have a larger impact on your mental health then at A-levels. I recommend you should make sure you are passionate for whatever you choose to do at university and have structures in place to manage your mental well being beyond high school

Reply 5

Admit-One

Universities Forum Helper

Unis will only really care about this if you don't complete all your quals in one sitting, or if you have an apparent gap in your education history.

Reply 6

outgoing-shame

Original post

by glorious-waking

it's a bit late at this point in the year tho don't u think?

id start again in September if i did

Reply 7

outgoing-shame

Original post

by mnot

A couple things to unpack.
Most universities would probably not mind that you changed, and I think at most they would ask why (not straight reject you) and there is some very easy reasonable answers to that question.
The bigger focus:
- what do you want out of KS4 qualifications?
- what & why do you want to do with your life… (make sure whatever you do next aligns with that).
- what have you changed and put in place to make sure the challenges you faced last time you did A-levels to make sure you are better prepared & capable of succeeding with them?
- you mention university, id note university is significantly more responsibility and likely to be significantly more stressful & have a larger impact on your mental health then at A-levels. I recommend you should make sure you are passionate for whatever you choose to do at university and have structures in place to manage your mental well being beyond high school

-ideally to go to university
-i want to become a therapist for children/teens so i can give them the help i never got
-im trying to get a GP appointment for my anxiety and hopefully therapy myself
-ive been interested in psychology/therapy for years it's always been my dream and i just convinced myself i couldn't do it so i dropped it

Reply 8

glorious-waking

Original post

by outgoing-shame

id start again in September if i did

since u said doing psych/therapy is ur dream, id say if ur sure u can manage the a levels to not be as stressful as they were originally, then it's always better to do what ur interested in