28 A Levels

[miniaturepixieonacid]

I was reading about the girl in this BBC article with 34 GCSEs now doing 28 A Levels. The tone is, I feel, relatively negative (cost, no university needs more than 4 etc) and I do agree that doing that many is pointless and would be a huge pressure. But the other side of me thinks that it actually sounds really fulfilling and exciting, not stifling and unnecessary. Imagine how well rounded and extensive your knowledge base would be. I bet she's a fascinating young woman to talk to. 17 year old me would 100% have cracked under the pressure but nearly 40 year old me is almost inspired to start building on my own collection.

What do you think?
YABU - it's crazy, no one needs that many qualifications.
YANBU - worthwhile, exciting use of time for someone who can cope with and enjoy it.

28 A Levels

I don't think any universities will accept students under 18

Many Scottish students are 17 when they start uni. A smaller number are still 16 if they are young for their year and leave straight after Highers.

The Mum seems very very invested in her daughter and what will happen when daughter goes to university? It honestly doesn’t sound at all healthy and being a Doctor requires just 3 A levels not 24 more! You also need some great social skills.

The poor girl must not have a minute to herself with her Mum breathing down her neck and then being more than comfortable telling her story to the media

This is what I was thinking! Being intelligent isn’t enough to sit 28 A Levels in two years – you’ll need to devote an enormous amount of time to it as well and be incredibly motivated and hard working.

Some subjects you can get by with talent – English, say – and some of them are quite formulaic with fairly easy to learn subject matter – say, Psychology. But still, times that by 28 and you’ve got a very full schedule!

You can take modules at the OU
https://help.open.ac.uk/documents/policies/admission-of-applicants-under-the-age-18/files/2/admission-under-18.pdf

But as PP said, not sure about medicine.

The problem I can see isn't the study per se. Whilst she doesn't need 28, if she enjoys it, then why not.

My issue is the controlling influence her Mum seems to have and the limited time she will have to play with friends, make friends even.

My kids are far more interesting for spreading their wings and socialising and working with other people. She is likely to become a friendless mini-Mum.

I personally think she should do fewer, go out to a social group or do a sport, and get a Saturday job! She would still be an intelligent young person who could fulfil her dreams.

YANBU OP and that "tutor" they interviewed was an idiot. There's a Guinness World Record for something like most A-levels taken in a single sitting. In the 90s it was done by a boy from Eltham College who did 8. I'm 99% sure that's been beaten. It's not unheard of to do more than 5 at all (I did 6 FFS and there were others at my sixth form doing 6) it's just not the norm. Girl is happy, I don't see the issue. Some of us just love studying stuff. There's never been any negativity aimed at any of the BOYS who have done well academically, those doing OU degrees age 10 etc. But this is a girl. So people must judge.

Ruth Lawrence went to Uni young when I was a child. She was often on TV because she'd sat, and aced, exams well before her due time.

I think this is very true, although I think this young girl also has plenty of time to learn this and hone her networking and social skills! Surely the majority of people who go to uni leave with better social skills than they started with!

Ruth Lawrence was a sad story. Father was obsessed with her and followed her to Oxford from memory. I think she eventually disowned him and married someone who looked like he did!

She seems very well suited to a US uni

I agree. No way would I allow this.

Yes I'd forgotten that about Scottish universities. Don't suppose they would take a 14 year old though. English (and I presume Welsh) universities won't take under 18 though.

Actually, how do Scottish universities deal with having legal children as students? I presume that means all student facing staff need an enhanced DBS check (or Scottish equivalent)?

@keirakilaney67 ok didn't know that about the OU. Maybe it's because of their distance learning and module based structure? Being a student at a bricks and mortar university is a very different experience.

I'm a medic and think that breadth of interest and knowledge will stand her in good stead, not just making her life all about the obvious bits of medicine before she's even started. There is plenty of space in the course for additional reading. I didn't see her interview but it sounds like with her ability and support network she will be fully versed on what the entry requirements are and won't have much difficulty getting in. Especially if she comes across well too.

if this is her hobby rather than hockey and D of E or scraping away at the viola to get a grade 6 then i think that's great. She has a passion for learning and has found a format that allows her to cover a lot of ground. What's the problem? I'm sure she doesn't claim to be a world authority in any of these areas. Why bother getting grades on a musical instrument or swimming badges?

I don't know what subjects she is doing but say, philosophy, economics, business, romance languages, geography: these would all have a genuinely useful application in medicine- ethics, health economics, Latin names for anatomy, epidemiology.

@PhotoDad @Advice400 @Tracker1234
Yes that's right, Ruth Lawrence. Poor girl why couldn't she have been allowed to just progress through her education at the normal times she would have got so much more from her time at university and been able to become a much happier, well rounded adult.

Well done in missing the point entirely. PP means that she will likely struggle that she’s not the only exceptional student in an entire room full of them. If she’s aiming for Oxbridge medicine where they’re all incredibly high flyers, she won’t be ‘special’ and nobody will bat an eyelid at her 28 A levels

I dont think she will struggle. At all.

Oxbridge is full of clever students only a few of them are exceptional.

It’s entertaining to see posters hoping she will.

The trouble with A levels is that they aren’t really designed to support a well rounded knowledge of a topic. They are designed to satisfy the basic British need to place everything and everyone in a league table.
She will be memorising quotes and practicing past papers to get the most points. There is a best answer on these papers to allow standardised marking. They do not encourage creativity or problem solving. These exams are gamified.

I would think there are endless, less structured ways to live a life and learn.

Why indeed. So many posts seem to be fretting over this girl’s future because the poster has decided doing these A’ levels proves some inherent inadequacy in her. There is no basis for this assumption whatsoever. The repeated assertions by some people on this thread that this is completely unimpressive and that she’s going to find university and life tough are thoroughly unpleasant.

I would certainly agree that 28 A levels are unnecessary and that higher, more intensive study is ultimately more useful. Luckily, she has all the time in the world for that at her age.

Coming from an Asian immigrant background myself I can tell you many of us didn't want to have boyfriends and drink or travel at 17. We wanted to succeed, especially if we were women. It was always harder for us to climb the ladder, so we worked harder.

Possibly the route she has chosen is excessive. Possibly her mum is a tiger mum. Still, I find it really odd that the numerous posters on here who say they are pregnant at 17 with no money are often encouraged and told what fabulous futures they have, but this girl is apparently going to do badly in life.

It’s entertaining to see posters hoping she will.

That's exactly what it is. The amount of projection is ridiculous, but you can only laugh because it's so obvious.

To be honest, posters inventing problems for this girl are not going to be particularly supportive of a pregnant 17 year old either.

I imagine it's more people who did everything on the standard pathway, who don't like the idea of this girl being bright and successful at A-level - and having social skills and hobbies. Nope, she's destined to be a dropout and fail (why, I have no idea).

Exactly this - for the most part A levels are a memory test, learning how to satisfy a set mark scheme with pattern recognition. I wouldn’t say it’s a good real life test of genuine intelligence