To think 21 is too old to be starting a levels

[Skyfullofstars55]

The person will be 23 by the time they finish which is five years older than the norm

When I left school I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life so as a consequence I did nothing with my life. I was made redundant at 23 having worked there since I was 17. I wish someone had grabbed me by the shoulders and said go and retrain, what do you want to do instead of you must get another job. I have just turned 40 and feel like I wasted my life. Please don't tell them they shouldn't be getting more qualifications at such a young age.

I just need a time machine

Oh, leave her alone and mind your own business.

My mum went back to college and did her As in her early 30s. She went on to complete an OU degree and do quite well in life. Before all that, she did cleaning jobs whilst looking after us kids, so it's definitely worth it.

What a horrible aunt you are

If you mean it would be an easier route to uni to do an access course then you are probably correct. However maybe there are other factors at play here.
I flunked a levels and then did an mba at 32. I wish that some wise person had persuaded me to retake and go to uni

Access courses aren't necessarily funded by the government. I had to pay to do one. It might be that doing a couple of A levels costs the same amount. Or she may wish to focus on a narrower range of subjects. My access course was quite broad and I wish I'd studied specific subjects instead.

I do know people that went to great unis with their access course. It's not just the local polys that will take you. Mine was a vocational course so my work experience helped, but I know people from my course who went on to red brick unis.

Oh and yes, YABU OP.

Yabvu. Better late than never if they want ti do them and 3 years later is not a big deal at all. My friend fid this at 25 and theb went ti uni and has a graduate job

Good on them I say. But then I believe passionately in second chances for adults and life long learning.
However, If uni or some form of higher education is the sim, I would suggest an Access course.
If it's learning just because they want to, why not A Levels? It's good to develop our analytical and thinking skills.

Personally wish more adults saw continious learning as a positive thing.

Sim? How did answer autocorrect to Sim?

Not all universities accept access courses. I know Oxford and Cambridge don't.

If course not! A 21 year old is still very young

Yabu

Point 1 to be absolutely clear A Levels are funded for adults. Adults are funded by the SFA but schools/ sixth form colleges will not claim this type of funding so can't take 19+. FE colleges with the right contracts can - if one says no then try another. The funding available for adults also changes so an experience you had 5 years ago may well not be the case now.

Personally at 21 I think the standard route of A level/ BTEC is the most sensible one. Access I think is more for 25+ with other experience, 21 isn't really a mature student I don't think.

They also aren't funded if you already have a level 3 qualification. So for example if you had done A Levels years ago, then decided to go back and do French. Or if you had a childcare level 3 NVQ you are considered qualified at that level already.

yabu. A family member started her A levels at 20 (didn't do them earlier due to having a baby at 16) and then went on to university.

A levels were done at fe college.

sky, you sound like a nosey sticky beak, who shoukd mind her own. Your niece is a grown adult, quite capable of making her own decisions, without your interference!

I wanted to do a Law Conversion Course at 23, but thought I was too old. I've regretted it ever since, and now I actually am too old! Tell your niece to go for it.

Well, I did an access course at aged 33 and at the age of 36 I will be sitting my Maths GCSE!

I might qualify as a nurse when I'm in my early 40s.

YABVVVU

When I did my access course most of the students were in their 30's. At 21 I would say both access and A levels are equally appropriate.
I also had to self fund my access course but it was quite cheap.

Ha ha hahahaha

My dad did GCSEs at 70 and A levels at 74

If it's for Uni be aware that some snobby universities may not accept Access courses, only A levels

It depends on the person and what they want to study and how they did at GCSEs and how long ago that was.
The access course I have experience of has lots of "how to study" training. For a young person only a few years out of school who was successful at gcse that might not be required.

Am genuinely curious to know why you might think she's too old? What exactly are the negative things that would occur by her doing her a-levels in her 20s? Honest question op. What's making you uneasy about it?

Gawd, there are some negative muthafukkas on here. 19 is too old to start ballet and gymnastics. 21 is all washed up and too old to do A levels.

People are being expected to work until 70, these outdated age ideas need to go the way of the dinosaurs.