A levels

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PurpleLeafRave

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Feb 22, 2009
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Ok, here's where I want people with experience to respond. I live in England.
My school is acting like if you don't do well in your A levels, all hope of you finding a good job is out of the window. I personally think this is ridiculous, as I can't see how 2 years of your life can dertemine the rest of it.
But who here didn't do very well in A levels? How difficult was it for you to find a job? What can you do if you don't do so well?
It's not somthing that's worrying me at the moment, I'm in my first year. But still, I'm curious.
 

caiitlinz

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Dec 31, 2008
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It's not exactly the end of your prospects forever, but it helps a lot.

Good a levels => Get into a good University => Get a good job that pays well => Have a better quality of life.

I know it's not like that for everyone, but anyway good A Levels do help.
 
Jul 22, 2009
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I did terribly in my first year of A levels, failed and couldn't continue on to the second year.

However I want to go into game design so I need A levels and really need to go to University as well.

So I'm retaking... A levels are important for a wide range of higher jobs, but if you're happy with something a little less stressful then I suppose A levels aren't all important.
 

Broady Brio

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Jun 28, 2009
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I also did awful in my 1st year. I got back in due to good attendance. (Believe me, attendance is an issue in my college.)

I thought I was doing the right subjects in A-Level, I really REALLY wasn't and paid for it.

This year things are better than they used to be... Despite being with the year below now.

[sub]Cept AS Maths... That can go die.[/sub]
 

PurpleLeafRave

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Feb 22, 2009
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GamesB2 said:
I did terribly in my first year of A levels, failed and couldn't continue on to the second year.

However I want to go into game design so I need A levels and really need to go to University as well.

So I'm retaking... A levels are important for a wide range of higher jobs, but if you're happy with something a little less stressful then I suppose A levels aren't all important.
So did you basically join in with the year below?
 

WrongSprite

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Aug 10, 2008
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I didn't do great, got 2 C's and an E. Still, I got into uni, that's what mattered to me.

Can't help you on the job front I'm afraid, still at the uni stage.
 
Jul 22, 2009
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PurpleLeafRave said:
So did you basically join in with the year below?
Yep, though I'm as old as all the year 13s I'm officially a year 12.

Which has actually worked out better for me as I met a ton of new people and I'm way ahead with my coursework.

So not all bad things stay bad.
 

PurpleLeafRave

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Feb 22, 2009
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WrongSprite said:
I didn't do great, got 2 C's and an E. Still, I got into uni, that's what mattered to me.

Can't help you on the job front I'm afraid, still at the uni stage.
Hope you don't mind, can I ask how you got into Uni? Was it a good UCAS form? It's just the unis I've looked at all require A's and B's. But maybe that's just me looking at the wrong ones.
 

PurpleLeafRave

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Feb 22, 2009
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GamesB2 said:
PurpleLeafRave said:
So did you basically join in with the year below?
Yep, though I'm as old as all the year 13s I'm officially a year 12.

Which has actually worked out better for me as I met a ton of new people and I'm way ahead with my coursework.

So not all bad things stay bad.
Ah! Gets my hopes up a bit. I want to do computing at uni, but I need an A in maths and a B in two other subjects for the 2 courses I've looked at. I'm doing Computing A level, so if I get B in that it will give me a headstart.
 

TheRightToArmBears

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Dec 13, 2008
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Erm, I actually did very well, but you can go in for apprentiships and things. These days the other options are a lot better than they used to be. Isn't there some careers person at your school? I think there's meant to be. Ask them, they're saints.
 
Jul 22, 2009
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PurpleLeafRave said:
Ah! Gets my hopes up a bit. I want to do computing at uni, but I need an A in maths and a B in two other subjects for the 2 courses I've looked at. I'm doing Computing A level, so if I get B in that it will give me a headstart.
They require an A in maths? o_O That sounds like one tough Uni, mind me asking which it is?

The universities I've been looking at require 240 UCAS points, which is like 2 passes.

And for your computing at A level... it depends on the course, the best way to be ahead is to learn coding of some form. If you can code then when they're teaching everyone else how to code you can get on with it and get more coursework done.
 

SimplyTheWest

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Jan 6, 2009
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Yeah, I didn't do great, re-taking C1 maths on Monday.
I've only just applied for Unis, so I can't help with the other.
 

WrongSprite

Resident Morrowind Fanboy
Aug 10, 2008
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PurpleLeafRave said:
WrongSprite said:
I didn't do great, got 2 C's and an E. Still, I got into uni, that's what mattered to me.

Can't help you on the job front I'm afraid, still at the uni stage.
Hope you don't mind, can I ask how you got into Uni? Was it a good UCAS form? It's just the unis I've looked at all require A's and B's. But maybe that's just me looking at the wrong ones.
That'll be the uni's you're looking at. There's places that'll be offered at pretty much any grade, just depends on the subject and the uni.
My offer was slightly higher than my grades, but they let me in based on the scholarship essays I wrote them.
 

FalloutJack

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Nov 20, 2008
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My education was actually decent enough. The problem in finding a job is that there are thousands of others wanting to do the same thing.
 

Knusper

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Sep 10, 2010
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If A-levels are as hard as you are making them out to be, I am REALLY regretting choosing the IB.
 

PurpleLeafRave

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Feb 22, 2009
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GamesB2 said:
PurpleLeafRave said:
Ah! Gets my hopes up a bit. I want to do computing at uni, but I need an A in maths and a B in two other subjects for the 2 courses I've looked at. I'm doing Computing A level, so if I get B in that it will give me a headstart.
They require an A in maths? o_O That sounds like one tough Uni, mind me asking which it is?

The universities I've been looking at require 240 UCAS points, which is like 2 passes.

And for your computing at A level... it depends on the course, the best way to be ahead is to learn coding of some form. If you can code then when they're teaching everyone else how to code you can get on with it and get more coursework done.
It was Sheffield uni. And yeah, I'm learning java in computing and HTML on my own. Well probably do some C++ too.
 

PurpleLeafRave

Hyaaaa!
Feb 22, 2009
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WrongSprite said:
PurpleLeafRave said:
WrongSprite said:
I didn't do great, got 2 C's and an E. Still, I got into uni, that's what mattered to me.

Can't help you on the job front I'm afraid, still at the uni stage.
Hope you don't mind, can I ask how you got into Uni? Was it a good UCAS form? It's just the unis I've looked at all require A's and B's. But maybe that's just me looking at the wrong ones.
That'll be the uni's you're looking at. There's places that'll be offered at pretty much any grade, just depends on the subject and the uni.
My offer was slightly higher than my grades, but they let me in based on the scholarship essays I wrote them.
Thanks, that really helps!
 

jibbbman

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Jan 13, 2010
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It depends what you want to do. Im in year 13 at the moment and want to go into electronic engineering. I applied to oxford (and got rejected) but i have 4 other offers now. All of them where based on my ucas form and predicted grades.
I now need AAB to go to Bristol (probably better place for me than oxford) but because of strong AS results i can get c's this year.
The key to going to uni is to pick the place and the course that is best for you, not the one that you have an old reputation. The more research i did about oxford the more i found out it has an old fashioned cause and really is no longer at the cutting edge of what im interested in. At the end of the day i think what im trying to say is, you will end up somewhere right for you no matter what you get in a-levels, everything happens for a reason, but good A-levels help
 

shootthebandit

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May 20, 2009
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it depends. do you want to go to uni?

if yes then you need A-levels. if not you have 3 (main) options: apprenticeship (very hard to get nowadays), military (actually some good career paths in navy and RAF for electronics and skilled trades) or a minimum wage job/dole (trust me you dont want this option)

personally i wanted to do aircraft engineering. i spoke to my careers councillor and he recommended i join RAF (having been in cadets 5 years and not wanting to go to uni, seemed like a good option). when i was waiting to apply i was looking for a minimum wage job to get me through. while searching i found a job with BAE engineering. despite only getting Cs and Ds at A-levels they were more interested in what i achieved at cadets and the fact i was passionate about the job.

i was lucky, but if you look hard enough you will find good jobs. ive also spent some time on the dole (welfare) and working minimum wage. trust me you want to avoid this at all costs