Picked the wrong A-levels now i regret it and dont know if i can get in university

8

so i somehow ended up picking the wrong alevels mostly due to peer pressure from my cousins and relatives and ended up doing biology, psychology and sociology which i hate now (except sociology which i like). I wanted to be done with bio after gcses and wanted to do something art related but dumb me got stuck and confused and picked something i didnt wanted to do thinking “oh im familiar with biology how hard can it be, and psych and sociology seems interesting and also my friend whos in same college as me and does mostly the same subjects as me, i thought we’ll help each other out and study together (not my friend anymore, she left me and i become lonely halfway through first year of college)” and without thinking how hard the subjects actually are. Now alevels exams are almost finished and i think i probably failed or got a really bad grade in all of them, and because i haven’t applied to any university cuz im unsure what i wanna do so im taking a gap year but now im really worried/scared if i get bad results what if i dont get in any unis. Also i dont want to retake cuz in not going through all of that again and i hate studying bio and psych its just not for me.
plzz can anyone give me any advice if they can?! id really appreciate it!🙏 :smile:

Reply 1

jasmineva3128

17

I know you don't want to retake, but what if you choose new subjects that align with your interests?

Reply 2

user0325

OP

8

Original post

by jasmineva3128

I know you don't want to retake, but what if you choose new subjects that align with your interests?

can you do that? but wont you have to do it in just 1 year?

Reply 3

ilovespareribs

15

I do the same a levels… sociology and psychology will be okay! If you learn early and make materials now and just keep going over it but biology… sigh…

Reply 4

jasmineva3128

17

Original post

by user0325

can you do that? but wont you have to do it in just 1 year?

You can study entirely new subjects, I've heard of lots of people who choose that route. And I think it just depends on whether you want to do it in one year or two years, and sometimes on which college you're studying at. If you're interested in this route, I'd recommend contacting local colleges for more information as different colleges may do/allow different things.

Reply 5

McGinger

20

For many degree subjects, you don't actually need specific A levels - Unis will just state the requirements as 3 A level grades - Sociology, Philosophy, Anthropology, Law etc etc. Have a look at all these course possibilities and look at the 'entry requirements' - Undergraduate Courses, Degrees : Study : University of Sussex

Or, there is the one-year UAL Art and Design Foundation Diploma that is offered at many Unis or local colleges. This is a common route to all sorts of Art related degrees/careers, and it usually does not require any previous Art or Design qualifications. Recommended as an option to allow you to explore all sort of different art forms and work out what you might want to do next, and why. Example - Level 4 Foundation Diploma in Art & Design University Course

Reply 6

Dfirtz

3

Original post

by user0325

so i somehow ended up picking the wrong alevels mostly due to peer pressure from my cousins and relatives and ended up doing biology, psychology and sociology which i hate now (except sociology which i like). I wanted to be done with bio after gcses and wanted to do something art related but dumb me got stuck and confused and picked something i didnt wanted to do thinking “oh im familiar with biology how hard can it be, and psych and sociology seems interesting and also my friend whos in same college as me and does mostly the same subjects as me, i thought we’ll help each other out and study together (not my friend anymore, she left me and i become lonely halfway through first year of college)” and without thinking how hard the subjects actually are. Now alevels exams are almost finished and i think i probably failed or got a really bad grade in all of them, and because i haven’t applied to any university cuz im unsure what i wanna do so im taking a gap year but now im really worried/scared if i get bad results what if i dont get in any unis. Also i dont want to retake cuz in not going through all of that again and i hate studying bio and psych its just not for me.
plzz can anyone give me any advice if they can?! id really appreciate it!🙏 :smile:

Switch to something you like, I switched physics for psychology cuz im not an idiot who'd do three hard subjects. I completed psychology in a year so its definently possible. Just lock in

Reply 7

user0325

OP

8

Original post

by ilovespareribs

I do the same a levels… sociology and psychology will be okay! If you learn early and make materials now and just keep going over it but biology… sigh…

yeahh buy its too late now im in yr 13 and all my exams are done and i just finished my last biology paper (it was good tho could’ve been better but iddk)

Reply 8

user0325

OP

8

Original post

by jasmineva3128

You can study entirely new subjects, I've heard of lots of people who choose that route. And I think it just depends on whether you want to do it in one year or two years, and sometimes on which college you're studying at. If you're interested in this route, I'd recommend contacting local colleges for more information as different colleges may do/allow different things.

okk i’ll look more into it, thank you so muchh

Reply 9

user0325

OP

8

Original post

by Dfirtz

Switch to something you like, I switched physics for psychology cuz im not an idiot who'd do three hard subjects. I completed psychology in a year so its definently possible. Just lock in

yess i should’ve done that but the sixth form i go to doesnt have any creative subjects and i was just left with business, economics, chemistry, physics or maths and theres no way id do that

Reply 10

University of Bath

Official Rep

14

Hi User0325,

You've already had some really good advice so no need for me to repeat it. My first bit of advice would be not to worry. You've done your exams and so have done all you can for now, and you know you are taking a gap year and so this should remove any worry about deciding what you want to do next immediately.

My recommendation would be to see what your results are come August - its perfectly normal to feel nervous after you've finished but if you've put the work in and been organised then its likely you will have done better than you think. Depending on what those results are, you can decide whether you'd like to retake any new subjects, however if you are happy with what you achieved, it may be easier for you to simply use your gap year to work part-time, travel and start doing a bit of thinking and research about what you might want to do next.

If you are naturally creative and have a talent for art, there are many courses which you may not need specific A-Levels in and will consider you based on your personal statement/portfolio and other things you have done with your art. You are also not confined to Fine Art - you could also consider something like Graphic Design, Design for Visual Communication, Fashion Design if this is more you, or even something a bit more business-ey such as Marketing which also has many creative elements.

One of your options would be to apply with your results in the main cycle next year after spending some time saving up some money, visiting open days and exploring your different course options - if you have achieved results you may be eligible for unconditional offers which will also take an element of stress away.

I hope this helps and best of luck with what you decide to do next 🙂

University of Bath

(edited 10 months ago)

Reply 11

ilovespareribs

15

Original post

by user0325

yeahh buy its too late now im in yr 13 and all my exams are done and i just finished my last biology paper (it was good tho could’ve been better but iddk)

oh

Picked the wrong A-levels now i regret it and dont know if i can get in university

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