I know this is isn't an AIBU but ....

[NiceLegsShameAboutTheFace]

..... its a very busy board and I can be sure of getting some good advice.

Last year was rubbish. I know: same for of us I probably should have tried to remain motivated but I lost a bit of my zest for life and consequently didn't achieve much anything.

Anyway, I'd like this year to be better. I've set a couple of goals, one of which is to do an A-Level. I haven't studied in a long time and I was just hoping to get some advice from anyone who may have studied A-Levels after school.

I've had a look at some distance learning providers but I wondered if anyone had used one recently and had any feedback (positive or negative)?

Do you think I can do this? Am I an idiot to be thinking about it? I dunno: my head's in a bit of a spin and I'm just wondering whether it's a daft idea.

Any help and advice will be very gratefully received.

Thanks in advance. And happy new year

Hello,

It’s great that you want to study again :) the only issue I can see is that for it to be beneficial you’d most likely need to do two a-levels, as one on its own doesn’t have as much credibility.

For example, higher positions in employment usually require two a levels or above, as does higher education.

In terms of distance learning, most colleges now do online a level courses or evening courses.

I got 3 embarrassingly low grade A-levels when I was 18, but decided to do another one at evening classes when I was 27. I booked it by looking through the adult education booklet from our county council. It cost me between £100 and £200, but it was more years ago than I care to remember. I went to the local tech (I’m probably aging myself by calling it a “tech”!) one night a week starting in the September, took the exam the following summer.

Funny thing was that despite spending about ten hours a week per subject for two years at 6th form, I got abysmal grades, yet doing between 1.5 and 2 hours a week for 8 months at evening classes I got an A!

I did 3 a levels at 18, failed French (language) and was so cross with myself I then went to France for 18 months and sat a French literature A level after I got back. I did the exam at an adult education college but entered as an external candidate, bought the syllabus from the exam board and studied it by myself. That was a very cheap way to do it but wouldn’t work for most subjects. It’s almost 30 years ago now but I still have a very clear memory of the moment I opened the results envelope to see I’d got an A.

There are probably loads of online A level courses you could do now.
It’s not a crazy idea at all and you could just swap messing about on mumsnet time for studying time! Good luck.

A good first step might be to look at the futurelearn website and sign up for one of their free short courses, just to see if you enjoy studying again. They offer courses on every topic you can think of and the fun of learning something might help you find your spark without having to make a huge commitment to an exam or any expense.

@tonithedonkey and @reader12 congratulations on your A grades 👏

Op, go for it. My friend is doing one to get on a teacher training course (she got a degree as a mature student and didn't need A levels, but they want to see an A level in the subject she wants to teach).

You never regret these sorts of decisions in my experience.

Ooooh, thank you for the replies.

I was doing it again - uming, ahing and generally procrastinating - but you've convinced me.

I'm going to to find a distance learning provider, get registered and aim for June 2022 Hopefully we'll be in a position where exams can go ahead then.

Thanks everyone. I didn't want to spiral down into a pit of demotivation

Thank you @corhona - I almost didn’t mention the grade, but the fact I couldn’t help boasting about it 20 odd years later shows it meant a lot!

Good luck OP I’m sure you can do it if you stick to your guns.