Decisions regarding resits

Basically I want to be a vet, and will require 3 A's or 2 A's and 1 B at A level. I didn't do particularly well all round in my January exams, so at the moment I'm on course for getting 2 B's and 1 C. At the moment it's mathematically impossible on UMS points to achieve higher than 2 A's and 1 B, however with my subject choices and boards, as well as compulsory subjects my college has made me take, if I resat my exams I would have a total of 13 summer exams over the space of 10 days.

My teachers are telling me that I'm spreading myself too thin in order to resit and achieve good grades in summer and that I essentially need to give up on being a vet, as there's a chance I won't do as well as I could which would look bad on the college.

My parents are a bit stuck up and demanding that I resit, as it would be 'embarrassing', as they put it, 'to have a son who isn't even capable of getting into university' (as if it's that easy). All my offers are for veterinary medicine so if I don't achieve the grades for those offers then I'm not going to get in. They don't want the 'embarrasment' and 'shame' that out of their own friendship group, they'd be the only pair whose son or daughter failed to get into university at the first time of asking.

Whilst I hate their selfish, narrow minded take on it, equally I'd much rather get these offers, as I've aspired to be a vet for years. However I'm torn, as my teachers who probably have much more sound advice are pointing me towards the alternative option.

Essentially I'd like the input of someone with a completely neutral take on things who wouldn't show bias either way.

Cheers =)

 

Well, I kinda agree with your parents mate. If being a vet was something they forced you to do, and you had no real interest in it, I'd tell you to tell your parents that you wanted to do something else, something you actually like. However, you say you really want to be a vet. Some questions:
1. 13 papers in 10 days is a shitload. Are you capable of studying for them all?
2. What extra papers is your college making you take? You mention 3 subjects for A levels, but that somehow becomes 13? Where did the other 10 come from?

 

I have to take 2 critical thinking AS exams and 2 General studies AS exams. Biology exams including summer and resits - 3
Chemistry exams including resits - 3
Geology exams including resits - 3

College prefers leaving as many exams till summer as possible :/ pain really.

And I'm not sure if I can study for them all. I'd be starting revising really early, but as it came closer and closer I'd stress out a bit.

If taking another year was an option I'd definitely tend towards it, but course requirements for veterinary studies, dentistry, medicine and some other competitive courses state that you have to complete your AS and A2 exams within a 2 year period.

Also I don't have any backup offers for different courses (my bad) and currently, if I don't resit, have nothing lined up for next year.

Resitting seems like a feasible option, but then if I went and fucked up my summer exams, that's leave me in a shittier situation than if I didn't resit.

 

I was in your situation last year, I decided to attempt to retake my AS levels in summer, and had the similar amount of exams during a short space of time.

I wanted to go into University and study Economics that required AAB. I ended up getting 2 A-Levels at a E + U grade and the other two at an A grade.

I am retaking the whole year, as I didn't want the E at AS as my GCSE's weren't amazing, personally I don't think retaking is a bad decision.

I have wanted to study Economics for a long time, so I didn't really care what anyone else thought as I will be paying for University and it is my life choice, my parents were understanding, but still disappointing.

I think if you want to retake, go for it. It is your choice and your life, don't let your parents force you into something you don't like, university degree courses are expensive, and i assume you will be paying for it so do what you want to do.

 

Would you consider repeating your year of college? Is that an option or are your parents going to say no to that? That's all I can think about, right now. It's quite a good decision, since you don't want to screw up your current situation by resitting. So how about just resit the whole year? That way, you're prepared, you know a lot more about the way it's run, and what to do. I'm sure you can do well a second time around, since you're prepared now and know what to expect.

 

Rules out that option, as if I resat the year and reapplied I'd be rejected unless I had certain summer circumstances, i.e. illness prevented me taking my exams or I suffered a family grievance that they viewed as damaging enough to my grades to warrant me taking another year.

I do desperately want to be a vet and I will be taking the fees, but I'm in a last chance saloon so to speak, and my resit form has to be in by Monday if I'm planning on it. Thing is my grades aren't secure with what I'm on now, if I overworked myself and did badly I could easily see my overall results come out at CDD or CDE

 

Fuck GS and Critical Thinking. Either pull out, don't turn up, or just don't work for them. So few uni's look at them anyway, and if you do badly in them you don't have to put the results down on any applications.. I'm assuming you have conditional offers depending on 3 subjects. Just focus on them. Resits are often easier than the first exam because you build on and solidify everything you learnt for the first exam.

 

GS is compulsory, everyone has to do it as the college recieves extra government funding. GS is taught in form time and at the college, form tutors are the only teachers who actually discipline you. If I skipped form I'd get in shit and could be excluded, put on report or booted out.

The college also advises everyone to take an enrichment course, like CT, in your second year, and informs universities that every student has this opportunity, making it look like you've put less work in. And I think I've firmly decided now that I do want to resit my set of exams, cheers for the advice.

 

If your not interested I would tell your parent's how you really feel. But if you think you can do it and you want to then push yourself to it.

 

I'd like to do it Elena, but I'm not sure I can do it. I've been looking into veterinary foundation years, but I don't meet the requirements for them.