Posts Tagged ‘A level results’

A Level Results day – what happens now?

Wednesday, August 17th, 2011

It’s August and that means results day tomorrow for those of you who took your AS and A2 Levels just a few months ago. We’ve got our fingers crossed that you’ll get exactly the right grades you need to get your place at University on your chosen course. But what happens if things go wrong and the piece of paper doesn’t have what you expected on it.

-          The first thing is not to panic – both your college or school and universities are used to (and set up for) dealing with students who didn’t get the grades they expected (and it works both ways – maybe your grades are better than you thought they’d be). The first thing to do is take a deep breath and then find someone to talk to – it could be your personal tutor/head of sixth form, an advisor at college (there may be people around specifically to help you) or someone at the university you applied to. All these people want to help you and your school or college will help you look at different ways of getting you on to the course or university you want to be at. If you have a good relationship with your tutor they may be willing to speak directly to an admissions tutor. It’s always worth checking with the university that you don’t already have a place (mistakes can happen!).

-          If you haven’t got the grades you expected it doesn’t instantly mean you won’t get the place or course that you applied for. It’s not easy to get onto competitive courses if you haven’t got the grades they wanted but do call the university and speak to the admissions tutor – if there are specific reasons why you didn’t get the grades you thought you would then be prepared to explain them. If you really want to get on a course then you may have to fight your corner.

-          If your grades mean you can’t get on the courses you wanted then you can consider going through clearing. Again your first port of call should be your school or college who can point you in the direction of suitable courses and universities.

-          If you think clearing isn’t for you (and you have to think carefully about choosing a university or course at speed) then how about other options – lots of people take a gap year and work or travel, maybe you might decide to work full time or try a more practical route like an apprenticeship.  Look at www.notgoingtouni.com.

-          You can always go back. For most students the prospect of resitting fills them with dread but for the sake of a few months you could get on the university course that you want. You can usually resit modules next January and reapply through UCAS. The advantage this time is that you probably have a good idea of where you went wrong and how you can fix it. If you decide to resit then this can be the ideal time to get the help of a private tutor who can help you make the most of your study time.

A Level Results Day

If you need to talk to someone about your exam results in confidence then call 0808 100 8000. If you need to talk to someone about private tutoring in Manchester and Cheshire for A Level, AS Level and A2 Level then contact 121 Home Tutors.

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Year 13 – what to do with your summer

Wednesday, July 27th, 2011

If you are in Year 13 (Upper Sixth) then this is a great time for you – your A Level exams are over and you have a few weeks ahead where you can relax before your exam results come in and you get a job or go off to university.  Because it’s been such a hectic few months you might not have thought about what you’ll do over the summer (and we know there are a fair few of you who’d like to do absolutely nothing!). But by now you may have had a few weeks to chill out and be looking around for something to do.

This might be your last chance, at least for a while, to fill your time with some interesting and career enhancing activities. Before you know it you’ll be in the world of work or finding your way at university. Here are just a few suggestions to fill your time over the next few weeks.

1.      Work experience

If there’s one thing that employers say time and time again about choosing someone to work for them it’s that they want someone with experience. You can have all the qualifications in the world but even a few weeks experience in your chosen sector could make the difference between landing your dream job or walking away disappointed. It’s also a great chance to try out different jobs and turn your hand to a variety of jobs before you pick your ‘career’. Lots of companies would love to have someone enthusiastic and hardworking over the summer to help them out. It’s fairly straightforward to get some work experience – just think about the kind of companies you want to work for – and then drop them an email, call them or go and see them in person. It’s a good idea to get a basic CV together and be ready to answer questions about why you want to do work experience at that company. If you don’t have a career or specific company in mind then doing any kind of work will give you valuable skills in timekeeping, responsibility and self-motivation.

2.      Take a day trip to Uni

If you are going to Uni in September then you’ve probably already visited your University – but how long did you spend there? A few hours? How about jumping on a train with a few mates and really starting to get to know the place you’ll spend the next 3 or so years. It can give you a real head start before your course begins and give you vital information like where the supermarkets are!

3.      Volunteer

At 121 Home Tutors we happen to think volunteering is one of the most rewarding and enriching things you can do with your time. There are hundreds of volunteering opportunities in the UK and abroad – and there’s something to suit everyone – from building schools in Africa, to fundraising to helping out at events. You can find information here

4.      Learn a new skill

Chances are you’ve been so busy the last few months you’ve had no time to just concentrate on you and what you like. When was the last time you learnt something that you really enjoyed? The holidays are the perfect time to join a club or class and develop or polish up a skill – from Zumba to learning French – check out Plings for classes, events and things to do.  There’s always the option to work one to one with a specialised tutor.

5.      Travel

If you’ve done A Levels languages what will you do with them now? How about taking those skills and enjoying everything that another country has to offer? Check out options like Interail and turn your holiday into an adventure.

If you’d like to know more about learning a new skill over the summer then contact us at 121 Home Tutors – we offer one to one language tuition including French and Spanish across Manchester and  Cheshire.

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Disappointing A level results at AS?

Thursday, August 19th, 2010

In our earlier post we took a quick look at the best course of action to take if your A level results and A2 grades weren’t as expected.

But what about if you’re in the same situation a year earlier – you’ve just completed Year 12 and your AS results are not as expected or not quite as good as you’d like? Of course, your situation isn’t quite as critical as those not getting the A2 grades needed, because you don’t have to deal with the potential upheaval of a missed University place. Also, if you’ve only underperformed in an AS that you’re not planning to take through to A2 (and which, therefore, won’t be the basis of a university application) you don’t have too much to worry about.

However, you could still have some problems that you need to deal with, especially if you’re planning to go to university.

First, a generally poor performance at AS level can be a sign that you’ve picked courses that don’t really suit you. If you think that’s the case, you could be better off in the long run starting again with new AS level courses in different subjects. Your school or college will be able to offer advice on this: it’ll take another year, but you’ll be a more mature and experienced student and should stand a greater chance of success.

If you decide to go forward with the grades you’ve got, you won’t be able to retake any of the modules you’ve messed up until after you’ve put in your UCAS application. Universities vary in how much notice they take of AS level results – many admissions tutors are aware that students often go through a process of rapid intellectual and emotional maturity during Year 13, and are inclined to give more weight to predicted grades than to AS results.

All the same, a set of disappointing results can cause application problems. They can also knock your confidence and the confidence that your teachers have in you – which could be a problem when it comes to securing good predicted grades.

So what’s the best course of action to take?

  • If possible, talk to your teachers about how and where things went wrong. They may recommend trying the appeals process. At any rate, it’s important to show them that you recognise you have underperformed and you want to take action to improve.
  • When the new term starts, really make sure you hit the ground running. As well as lots of work, you’re going to be thinking about university applications. Your school or college will give you advice on how to present yourself in the best light on your application – and it’s all the more important that you listen carefully and give the application process your best shot if you’re going into it with lower AS grades than you’d wish.
  • With disappointing AS level grades, a good UCAS Personal Statement could be more important than ever. Remember that if you get stuck writing your Statement, 121 Home Tutors can help.

If you’d like to talk  about A level results, AS results and AS grades try the Exam Results Helpline on 0808 100 8000. Alternatively, if you think you might need a little extra help with your AS or A2 level studies in general, 121 Home Tutors has a wide selection of tutors experienced in coaching A Level students at both AS and A2. So if you live in the Manchester, Stockport, Macclesfield, Wilmslow & Cheshire areas then  get in touch with us today for a no obligation chat about how our tutors can help boost your A Level chances!

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A-level results day – what if you don’t get the grades?

Wednesday, August 18th, 2010

A Level results are out, and all over the country students will be celebrating – or in a state of high anxiety. If you’ve missed out on the A2 grades you needed to get into your first choice of university you could be facing problems, as this is set to be one of the most competitive years for clearing ever.

If you’ve just finished Y12 and your AS grades were a bit ropey, you’re not under quite the same pressure as those who have been unlucky at A2 – but you still potentially have issues to deal with because you’ll be going into the university application process without the best possible grades.

But never fear – there are things you can do to rescue what might look like a dire situation! In this post we’re going to look at the most pressing problem of all – underperformance at A2. In a special post on Thursday, we’ll offer some advice for AS students.

A- level (A2) grades not as hoped
A level results are due out. If you’ve missed your A level grades for your first choice university, it can seem like the end of the world. Rather than mope around, here’s the course of action you need to take:

  1. Don’t panic! You’ve nothing to lose from being level-headed, and potentially lots to gain.
  2. Your first port of call should be a relevant person school or college – probably your Head of Sixth Form or your personal tutor. You’ll be on their priority list, and this is where relationships are going to matter: good schools and colleges will fight tooth and nail to secure places for ‘good citizens’ who are known to be friendly, committed and talented, but who have missed out by just a few marks. You’ll still get help if you’ve been a slacker or a source of trouble, but your school will find it harder to unreservedly recommend you to sceptical admissions tutors.
  3. So, even if you’ve missed your A level grades, there’s a chance that you – with the assistance of your school or college – will be able to talk your way on to your chosen course. This is much harder than it used to be, but it does still happen.
  4. If you miss both your first choice and your insurance offer, and still really want to go to university then you need to enter the university clearing system. Again, your school or college will advise you here – or there’s a useful article in The Guardian. Many students get good places through university clearing, and end up in universities that they love. But think carefully: are you so desperate to get a university place that you’re happy to head off without even visiting in advance or researching how useful the course is? Studying for a degree can be an expensive business and did you know there are other options available? Check out our post on options available to A level students - gap years, going abroad to university, doing a part-time degree or even not going to university!
  5. Think seriously about retaking and going for entry next year. You can have another go in January at the modules you messed up, and hopefully the shock of failure this time will have focussed your mind! If you only missed your grades by a few marks you could also consider going through the appeals process. If you decide to retake, you’ll have to go through UCAS again, but it should at least be a bit more familiar this time.

If you do go down the resit route, it’s a good idea to spend some time reflecting on why you didn’t do as well as you’d hoped. Did you work hard enough, spending a decent amount of time preparing for each important topic within each subject? Was there a particular skill or area of knowledge where you really fell short?

You might feel that it’s time to seriously consider getting some extra help. If you would like to talk to someone try the Exam Results Helpline on 0808 100 8000. Also, 121 Home Tutors has a team of first class A level tutors and AS and A2 tutors and can offer help in any major subject if you live in Manchester, Stockport or Macclesfield, Wilmslow, Cheshire areas. Contact us today (by email or call 01625 531 360) for a no-obligation discussion!

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