The students who didn't make the grade

Hilary Wilce talks to four students who didn't make the grade about what they did next - and how it changed their lives

Sunday, 12 August 2007

Share
Close
- Digg
- del.icio.us
- Facebook
- Reddit
- Google
- Stumble Upon
- Fark
- Newsvine
Print
Email

Oh no! You haven't got the grades you were hoping for in your A-levels. Is it a disaster? Certainly not. There are still all kinds of opportunities open to you - and, remember, when life takes an unexpected turn, it can often be for the best.

If you are dead set on the course you had in mind then you will probably need to retake you're A-levels. But take heart - many students sail through their exams second time around. Alternatively, through Clearing, you might find another institution offering the same, or a similar course that is willing to take you with lower grades. Equally, if you are completely wedded to the university of your choice, there may well be a course that you could switch to where the entry requirements are less stringent. But remember to think laterally. If you had planned to do, say, history, spread out and look at classical studies, theology, philosophy, or perhaps a joint honours course incorporating a less popular subject such as a modern foreign language.

Or maybe this is a chance to switch direction altogether and to find a course that specialises in one of your other interests, maybe computers, or sports, or drama.

If none of these appeal, why not take time off to consider? A year of work and travel could be just the thing to help you to refine your ambitions and think about your options.

'Re-sit classes were no larger than five, so I got a lot more attention'

Luke Puente de la Vega, 19, re-sat his A-levels after failing to get the grades he needed to study dentistry

"I wasn't pleased when I saw my A-level results. I took biology, chemistry and physics and I got B, B, C. I thought about applying to do biomedical sciences and then going on to dentistry, but I worked out that if I re-sat my A-levels and went straight into dentistry it would take me a year less. I'd been at an ordinary state school in Newcastle.

"I looked on the internet to see which places did re-sits and found the tutorial college Mander Portman Woodward. I decided on their college in Cambridge, and it's been really good. My classes were no larger than five, so I got a lot more attention. I re-did two modules in biology and I changed boards in physics and chemistry, but the syllabuses are very similar and the tutors made sure I knew everything I needed to. The school helped me find somewhere to live.

"Now I'm hoping for three As, and I'm quite optimistic - even by January my lowest mark was 81 per cent. I've got an offer from Glasgow for two As and a B. It's expensive to do re-sits, I think the year cost around £4,500, but I got a bursary and my Mum said she was prepared to pay if it helped me get into dentistry."

'My gap year helped me feel more confident in another culture'

Robert Gibbon, 19, took a gap year to work and travel after failing to get into medical school

"I applied for university last year but didn't get any offers as I applied to study medicine, and the offers are scarce. So I was forced (although this word now, after my wonderful experience, seems so wrong) to take a gap year.

"Following my A-levels, and a lot more thought, I decided I really wanted to study English literature. I then began thinking about my gap year and decided to teach. While I was terrified by the idea, I was also thrilled at the thought of standing in front of a classroom and being asked to teach English as a foreign language. The gap year organisation i-to-i seemed ideal, offering all the experiences I wanted. I ended up teaching in Bangalore for just over two months and then went travelling afterwards, feeling much more confident and comfortable in another country, culture and lifestyle.

"Now I'm off to Liverpool University to read English literature. The grades they asked for were higher than those I had attained, but I managed to convince them I was committed to the subject -- perhaps because of my decision to spend my gap year teaching English."

'I'd say to anyone, if you're thinking about university, then go for it'

Alexandra Gerondaes, 19, went through Clearing to get a place to study for a degree in early childhood studies

"I didn't think about going to university. All I thought about was having a year's break, and travelling or doing a job. I think I was scared. But as the summer went on I began to think that if I didn't get back into education straight away, then maybe I wouldn't get into it at all. And my friends were all going, so I started to think differently.

"Then I found this early childhood course on the Middlesex University website and it sounded really interesting. I did double media and photography for my A-levels and I got three Cs.

I rang up Middlesex about the course but I didn't think I'd got the right grades, until a lady there said I had. On the first day I was so scared. I didn't know anyone, and I thought 'Oh my God'. But I started talking to everyone and anyone, and some of the people I first talked to are now my good friends.

"University's very different to sixth form, there are all kinds of different people, of all different ages, and in the work you have to do much more in-depth writing. But the tutors are really helpful, and I love my course and now want to become an early years teacher. The year has gone so fast! I'd say to anyone, if you're thinking about doing it, then go for it. It pays off in the end."

'I see my foundation degree as something that will be good for my CV'

Freya Swain, 18, has opted to take a two-year foundation degree in creative industries at City University, London

"I did my A-levels in theatre arts, media studies and English literature, and I really wanted to go to drama school, but I was told that they preferred it if you had done something first, so when I came across this course I decided to apply for it.

"I actually applied just before my A-levels, but I only had to get 120 points, and as I was predicted to get either A or B for both theatre arts and media studies, it meant that while all my friends were running around and stressing out about results day, I knew I didn't have to worry. But it was a very last-minute thing. It's a new course, and a friend came across it on the internet and told me about it. I had been planning a year out, and I wanted to get away from Lincolnshire, where I was at school, so it just appealed.

"I'm studying community TV and radio and I'm hoping to do work experience at the Roundhouse, in Camden. My school was a grammar school, so I didn't get told about foundation degrees there. In fact I think a lot of people have the idea that foundation degrees are somehow worse than ordinary degrees, and not for people with high A-level grades. But they are very practical and work-oriented, which is what appeals to me. I see it as something that will be good for my CV, and a platform from which I can go on and apply to drama school. But with this course, you can also go on for another year if you want, and boot it up to a full degree. So that's another reason why it's a good option."