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A-levels


Amber
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Don't mean to sound arrogant, but I've always been somebody whose had a lot of natural intelligence and not really had to work to get results. Anyway, I did alrite in my GCSE's without putting in as much effort as I should have done. If I had done it would been As and Astars across the board, instead it was As and Bs (lol and a U in Food Tech, which I took for a laugh!). My 'breeze through, don't bother with homeworks, revise at the last minute' attitude seemed fine on results day when I did better than most all my mates, who left for "real" work.

Anyway after one year of doing AS levels I suddenly realised it's a completely different ball-game. You can't achieve anything at this stage without putting in 100% effort. I arsed the year off, going out with the boys, working too many part-time hours for money (for a car and driving lessons) and going down to London to visit my girlfriend at dance college. Wound up getting a C in English Lit, a C in General Studies, a D in History and a U in French! Now I'm back where I started, in year 12 all over again! Carrying on with English Lit as a year 13, but now studying English Language, History and Media as a year 12 student, so will be leaving for University a year later than my friends. I really regret arseing the year off now, being in classes with kids I don't really talk to and stuff. But I'm now determined to stay focused and achieve the best I can. The more education you have, the more doors that are open to you, don't limit your options in future life by dropping out now.

However, if your heart and souls not in it, your not motivated and you can't really be arsed, then you might aswell drop out now. But if I were you, I'd get my head screwed on and knuckle down and at least give it until you get your AS results next summer until you decide.

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i think that if what you do interests you and you enjoy it then stick it out but if not dont put yourself through something which is useless without good grades.

I basically did the same, went to college to do a levels with my m8s because it was a laff, lived the dream for 2 years, came out with ok grades and then realised that i dont want to go 2 uni and get myself in loads of debt and not achieve, because i was more interested in sex drugs and rock and roll.

So i became an apprentice, my a levels were worthless and i started in the same position as people who had just come from school, although it was still in my field and i had previous knowledge from my a levels. I am now doing my HNC (free of charge) and have an option to go onto a part time degree (free of charge) when i finish, dont get me wrong, this will be hard but going to work and earning money matures people.

Degree's arnt the be all and end all, theres plenty of time to get one. You have 40+ working years ahead of you

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Amber, I feel alot like you at the moment, but I'm at Uni in my third year.

I did 3 A levels in Art, Photography and Product Design, then went on to uni to do Procuct Design. The first year was okay, but its just gone downhill from there to the point now where I am permanently stressed, having panic attacks over the amount of work I have to do, and just generally not enjoying it at all. The only reason I am still here is that I've done 2 out of 3 years and don't want to waste it all - I'd rather be at work too, at least then you go into work, do a set number of hours, then your time off is your own.

Like Nicki said, try and stick it out till the spring and see how you feel then. If at that point you are really not getting into it, then maybe it just isn't for you, and you'd be better getting into work now. You can always go back to college later, or do it part time around work in a few years if you feel you need it. :)

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thanks for your advice guys

If you can't be bothered to spend 21 hours a week on A levels you'll get a shock when you start working and doing 40-50hrs a week like the rest of us

I did work full time during the summer for three months and was doing 48 hours a week. I know it isn't easy but seeing as I really enjoy the job I have I know I wouldn't have a problem working there full time for a few more months. I've been with the business over a year now so I'm not totally oblivious to some aspects of that side of things, although some of you might not believe that considering my age, which is fair enough. lol.

I'm still deciding but spoke to the school today. They want me to stay until christmas and make a decision over the holidays.

There are open days at the college i'm looking at in february so I might sit tight till then.

Its not the subjects or amount of work thats putting me off, It's just the fact i'm bored. I did 15 gcses and tbh I am sick of working, and the school! but I guess I'm realising if I don't do it now I might not get another chance

:huh:

Edited by Amber
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Keep going Amber. If you drop it you'll regret it.

I went to University for a week, after making some great friends I came home and left. I feel like I missed the opportunity and experience. Stick it in, enjoy what you're studying and if not, you can always change the course. But A-levels are very good to have, even if they do feel like the worst time of your life. I did Media, Computing and Psychology. I hated them all, Media I enjoyed a little, but they weren't what I was expecting. I'm now at Uni doing Multimedia Computing and love every second of it.

Keep going and you'll love the rewards you'll get back.

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We're expected to do 7 hours of work per subject per week minimum (I'm doing 3 subjects), which can be done, but only if you really don't want a life.

Another thing is that we were told we would be getting a lot more freedom and responsibility for our own learning, which hasn't happened at all. We're still treated like we're 5 and are supervised throughout our 'free' periods by a teacher, making sure that we don't talk or distract anyone else.

I haven't read any of the replies, but I think the three lines above sum up your problem.

If you were working, you'd be expected to do 35-50 hours per week. Try having a 'life' then.

If you got total responsibility for your learning, you'll fail. That'll be why you're supervised on your free periods. Free really means Study. Nobody likes a slacker McFly.

You're being treated like 5 year old because, presumably, you're in a school based sixth form and that's how it goes.

If you're so sure you don't want to stick it out, find some work with training. You'll get the best of both then.

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I haven't read any of the replies, but I think the three lines above sum up your problem.

If you were working, you'd be expected to do 35-50 hours per week. Try having a 'life' then.

If you got total responsibility for your learning, you'll fail. That'll be why you're supervised on your free periods. Free really means Study. Nobody likes a slacker McFly.

You're being treated like 5 year old because, presumably, you're in a school based sixth form and that's how it goes.

If you're so sure you don't want to stick it out, find some work with training. You'll get the best of both then.

someone else had replied something similar to this.

I don't think i'd call myself a slacker. I did 15 gcse's and came out with grades I was pleased with, and worked full time over the summer - 48 hours a week, so if I was to go for the job I know what it invloves. I'm fully trained in the job i've been offered now as i've worked there for over a year and I know that I enjoy it, and wouldn't have a problem working there full time. I found I almost had more of a life over the summer, because when I came home there was no homework or work to do

the 7 hours a week per subject counts as work outside of school time - i.e. afterschool and for homework, which is what i'm finding hard to keep up with. gcse was similar, but I'm just getting bored of the same old stuff

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I wasn't calling you a slacker, more to do with the teachers making sure that work is done in free periods rather than listening to music on the common room stereo while playing makeshift table tennis on a few desks joined together (that's why I failed mine).

How does the school day allow for 15 GCSEs? We could only do 7 O-Levels. Is it an EdExcel 2 for 1 offer?

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If you can't be bothered to spend 21 hours a week on A levels you'll get a shock when you start working and doing 40-50hrs a week like the rest of us. Best advice is to make the most of your education now, much harder to go back and do it again later.

Agreed! It annoys me a lot when the kids on my degree complain because they haven't got enough time (to go out drinking) because we have to do 20hrs a week in lectures, and some work on top of that. Excuses like "I'm tired" and "I've brusied my leg" just won't cut it with the average boss, if they ever manage to get a job. :lol:

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I loved college, best 3 years of my life! Much better than school.

Although yours sounds a bit unfair, we were allowed to do what we ilike in our free periods, as long as we didnt cause a noise for other lectures.

I went to uni last year, biggest mistake of my life, really didnt enjoy it, totally different to how college was. I did my first year then lest.

Now im hopeing i can train for something, but ive not found the somthing yet!

If you can id say stick at college until summer, and see how it goes :)

Edited by cardaft
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I wasn't calling you a slacker, more to do with the teachers making sure that work is done in free periods rather than listening to music on the common room stereo while playing makeshift table tennis on a few desks joined together (that's why I failed mine).

How does the school day allow for 15 GCSEs? We could only do 7 O-Levels. Is it an EdExcel 2 for 1 offer?

it was some new scheme they made us do.

I did 3 gcses a year early (art, ict and textiles)

and then did the other 12 the following year.

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Agreed! It annoys me a lot when the kids on my degree complain because they haven't got enough time (to go out drinking) because we have to do 20hrs a week in lectures, and some work on top of that. Excuses like "I'm tired" and "I've brusied my leg" just won't cut it with the average boss, if they ever manage to get a job. :lol:
QUOTE

If you can't be bothered to spend 21 hours a week on A levels you'll get a shock when you start working and doing 40-50hrs a week like the rest of us

I did work full time during the summer for three months and was doing 48 hours a week. I know it isn't easy but seeing as I really enjoy the job I have I know I wouldn't have a problem working there full time for a few more months. I've been with the business over a year now so I'm not totally oblivious to some aspects of that side of things, although some of you might not believe that considering my age, which is fair enough. lol.

I'm still deciding but spoke to the school today. They want me to stay until christmas and make a decision over the holidays.

There are open days at the college i'm looking at in february so I might sit tight till then.

Its not the subjects or amount of work thats putting me off, It's just the fact i'm bored. I did 15 gcses and tbh I am sick of working, and the school! but I guess I'm realising if I don't do it now I might not get another chance

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I loved college, best 3 years of my life! Much better than school.

Although yours sounds a bit unfair, we were allowed to do what we ilike in our free periods, as long as we didnt cause a noise for other lectures.

I went to uni last year, biggest mistake of my life, really didnt enjoy it, totally different to how college was. I did my first year then lest.

Now im hopeing i can train for something, but ive not found the somthing yet!

If you can id say stick at college until summer, and see how it goes :)

thanks :)

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keep at it :P

i just threaten to smack someone every once in a while and im still there,

same with work actually and im still there too haha

one day me probz go wappy though and get kicked out, as you know im on my last warning anyway,

but what can you do when your as skilled as me? :P

haha

keep at it darlin, your clever

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im in the second year of a-levels and its hard graft but ive found a pretty cool mix of partying and studying.. which didnt happen at the start so dont give up just yet!

(not from personal experience) but from what ive heard those who drop out before exams regret it because you have wasted your time- if you get your AS and then leave you can always pick them up later in life and just spend a year and get the full qualification (the A-level). so id try and stick it out to the spring (like nikki said)

also i think doing varied AS's (which is what your doing) might show you other career options- i always thought i wanted to be a mechanical engineer (my old man works in F1 so ive always been surrounded by it etc..) but since doing an a-level in law ive now applied to uni to study that! lol

things change, even if things arent great atm have a good think before you leave it and unless you have somthing better to go to i would stick with it!

but theres plenty you can do without academic qualifcations... (as almost all the richest people in the world demonstate!)

Hope this helps, Mitch

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  • 2 weeks later...

Did you come to any decisions?

I haven't read all the posts but if it's any help I did everything back to front and it hasn't hurt my career, in fact it's helped me realise what I did/didn't want. That's the beauty of education - you can come back to it and it generally doesn't matter about your age.

Hope you had a good Christmas.

:thumbsup:

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i kind of fell into my job after failing at 6th form and a few colleges. not failing due to lack of ability, but i just got bored like you are getting now.

i never ever saw myself doing what i do now, but now that i'm here i wouldnt swap it for the world.

see the PM i sent you and see if that's any help ^_^

Ben

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thanks guys

and thanks ben for the pm :)

I've decided to go back for now, but keep handing round cv's at the same time.

If I really can't stick it then i'll go to the job i've been offered

I do really enjoy it and the people are great, but like I explained to ben there isn't really anywhere I can go from the position I'm working at. I'm already fully qualified in what I do because I've been there for over a year and worked full time through all the holidays

so i'll have to see what happens

thanks again for all your advice - it has really helped :)

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I did them, did 2 years in uni before dropping out.

I wish I'd gone to college to do something interesting, rather than staying in 6th form - I was too scared to go out on my own!

Uni - for me - was a waste of time, and I don't know how I lasted even the two years!

You always have the option of going back and doing things if you have a change of heart :)

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i stayed on at school for 6th form and i think it was a complete waste of a year,

i am going through a apprenticeship and i love the work(joinery) but the lads can just totally p*** me right off.

i have been put on my last chance bout 8 times...... but since i have been put with my currant foreman i do believe i am doing much better. even tho we do have a few fall outs.......

DaN!

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