DD isn't academic enough for uni but just won't accept this.

[Lillians]

DD is 19 and got 1 A, 4 Bs and 3 Cs at GCSE. She went on to sixth form where she didn't pass the 1st year and had to leave, she went to another college to retake the first year (it was only maths as the other 2 subjects were 2 years) and failed again. She didn't get a chance to do any exams in the other subjects.

She works part time now and volunteers for childline. She says her volunteering has made her realise how much she wants to be a mental health nurse specifically to do with eating disorders.

I have said to her there are sooo many different ways you could get involved with that without being a nurse and she doesn't want to hear it, gets upset saying that she wishes I had faith in her etc. when I do!! She just isn't academic enough for uni.

I don't know how to offer her advice any more.

And ... with the shortage of nursing applications from the EU the NHS is going to have to embark on some very creative recruitment exercises to attract nursing applicants.

TrigfgerNappy *It's clear people have different conceptions of what constitutes being academic. I really don't consider those GCSE grades to be good or a strong indicator of any real academic ability.

Too many students scrape into second or third rate universities with very mediocre grades and graduate with indifferent degrees that aren't marketable.*

I would agree if the OP's daughter thought that she might do a degree in Film Studies or whatever, but in this case she wants to take a vocational degree that has a clear job goal in mind. This is a completely different situation - the degree is more practical, and the job doesn't necessarily require 'first class academic theoreticians' as much as it requires certain non-academic skills and competencies.

It may be - we sometimes see this with those who have done Primary Education degrees, when they do teaching practice - that she does not have the basic academic competence to grasp the theoretical underpinnings of the job, in which case she would not pass the course. But a failure in maths A-level, and a clutch of average GCSEs, does not necessarily indicate this at this point.

Of course you need maths to be a nurse (responding to a previous poster who declared you don't) but you don't need A level maths.

You do need to have some intelligence and academic ability to do a nursing degree - you need to be articulate, demonstrate a level of deeper understanding and analysis, and be able to satisfy the academic requirements of the degree course (i.e. writing essays, doing presentations, understanding drug calculations).

You also need kindness, empathy, a sense of humour, resilience, determination and a passion for people.

OP there is no reason your daughter can't access university to train as a mental health nurse, especially if she has a clutch of GCSEs. Please don't dissuade her, just help her find other ways to access what she wants to do - luckily in Nursing there are many, beyond traditional A levels.

Apologies for typos and bold fail - Sidge put it much better than me.

Give her every encouragement. I have a friend who came out of school with no exams, trained to be a nurse, then did a degree and a post grad as mature student - best qualified of all my friends now. And she is still nursing.

Don't let your dd give up. She would have to train to be a nurse first or instead she could train to be a counsellor. There are part time courses and also foundation courses for people who dont have the right qualifications.

I've always thought it is a gift to know what you want to do - it's wonderful your dd has a goal. It may take her a while to ge there but she is very young and has plenty of time. She is also certainly academic enough and has probably been let down by her A level choices.

A nursing degree needs the use of calculations rather than quadratic equations - calculating different drug dosage based on weight or age for example.

Suggest that she get some prospectuses from universities which offer nursing - near home and away from home if she'd like to live away, and suggest she start getting more work experience e.g. as a carer, to show the skill set she has.

She got pretty much my GCSEs btw, as we only did 8 back in the day, and I've got a Masters so there's no reason why she can't do this.

There is no way I could pass A-level maths, but I have a degree in something completely unrelated.

Additionally. I think your DD has shown real determination in trying more than once. A lot of people would have given up but she gave it another shot. Yes it didn't work, and that's a shame, but her work ethic is clearly there.

I understand that you're trying to be supportive but actually there's nothing to say she is any less able than anyone else of obtaining a degree, just not in maths

The subject she has chosen is quite vocational and though you clearly need to have some academic ability it's not as if she's chosen a degree in maths after failing maths.

A foundation degree/access to higher education programme or apprenticeship might suit her more than rigid classroom learning.

I got an E in Chemistry at AS level and went on to get a (annoyingly high) B after resitting a few exams.

I got an A at GCSE maths and an E at A level maths.

I also have a Ph.D in Computer Science and have worked in my chosen industry (I.T. Security) for quite a few years.

A level maths was just horrific... I hated it and if I had to retake, would probably get a U..... I really wouldn't worry if she failed A level maths - it's really not the be all and end all and if she's got the motivation, she should be fine.

i went to a top 5 university - but I scraped a B in maths GCSE, anything conceptual in maths is beyond me utterly.

Imo, you are entirely wrong to discourage her to do MH nursing, it seems an achievable goal, and all the more if it's what she really wants - sounds as though she understands it'll be challenging.

Those GCSE results do show that she's got some ability to work hard, that could very well be enough.

i do generally agree that many kids are poorly advised to do degrees that will likely be too hard or not benefit them - but i can't see how this applies to your DD's case? Seems quite a sensible plan to me.

Another saying she should go for it!
I have 9 B &C GCSE's, no A levels, and a BSC (honours).
The access course I did was great, really prepped me for uni, also did a month of summer school at my uni of choice.
Lots of support out there.
Good luck!

sorry but the OP is right: those GCSE grades and her inability to pass her A levels means uni isn't right for her. I teach lots of students who shouldn't be at university and suffer because of the stupid idea that unit is for everyone. university is harder than A levels and she can't do those ergo, uni isn't for her. the OP isn't being mean; it's the truth. believe me, 3 years struggling at uni is not good for anyone. the unbelievable amount of pressure on young people to go (and do well) means higher levels of anxiety, depression and other mental health problems. i see students who were coached to get in to uni but can't cope with it. it's bad for them and a waste of money.

but what she wants to do, as others have said, can be achieved other ways.

Mum of student nurse here. It's hard to get on ANY nursing course. There are way, way more applicants than places available and the interview/selection process is tough. My DD did crap at her A levels, but did get 3 passes - nowhere near good enough to get on a nursing course though. She did an Access to Nursing course - that is definitely an option worth considering. She got a few interviews but only one offer. But she only needed one! And I won't deny it's been tough but she's getting there.

Check out what your local colleges offer in the way of Access courses. Universities look favourably on them, as they are the equivalent to so many "points" plus it shows determination and initiative, which they like to see for nursing.
Having said that, these Access courses are very popular and it's not just a matter of applying for one and getting a place.

I believe that as far as Nursing goes there is now a new way to do your nurse training which combines working (possibly as a HCA?). But it's not something I now a great deal about, as my daughter managed to get on a nursing course via the other route.

Don't be too pessimistic about her not being academic. Yes, the nurse training is demanding, and yes students do fail part-way through and have to leave, but with determination, a lot of hard work and support, it's perfectly possible.

Encourage your daughter to speak to someone about routes into nursing if it's what she really wants to do. As an aside, I think there is less take up of Learning Disability nursing places.

It's clear people have different conceptions of what constitutes being academic. I really don't consider those GCSE grades to be good or a strong indicator of any real academic ability.

What a silly comment.

The OPs daughter doesn't want to be an academic she wants to do nursing for which nowadays you need a degree. If nurses needed A* grades across the board the NHS is well and truly stuffed.

Another one here for recommending the Access to Nursing course, I am pretty sure your DD can make a MH nurse by studying the right subjects.

Maths A-Level is brutal. DD does an NHS HC course at a RG, she wasn't the best at A-Level and was accepted based on her BTECs and Applied subjects.

She won't get a First but is working on a solid high 2:2/low 2:1 at the moment. Patients love her, the lecturers love her and she will make a damn fine HCP.

If this is something your daughter wants to do, then brilliant. Encourage her!

MH nursing needs people like this. I've spent a lot of time inside MH wards with my DB. The staff are always dedicated and I'm always grateful they are so caring.

So, the a-levels aren't working out. There are other ways. Access courses are much more similar to degree courses.

This is a tough one! Yes to the question whether OP's daughter should try and find a route into nursing if that is where her passions truly lie. PP have mentioned a number of very good options. But this pertains to practical subjects and even for the academically inclined, there is always the possibility that they will fail.

OTOH, as a professional in a traditionally academic field, I absolutely despair at our yearly graduate recruiting drives and the expectations of what has internally become known as 'generation participation medal'. No, getting a bunch of Cs and going on to obtain a 2:2 at a third rate university somehow will not qualify for a job where you'll be competing with colleagues with an Oxbridge MSc. And you're most certainly not about to be hired to a management level job just because your degree included a project management module. I really wish the general 'anyone can achieve anything' attitude were toned down somewhat at times. I really don't enjoy crushing young people's dreams, actually - sometimes they're just unobtainable, though.

Have you gone to Uni? I found Uni much easier than A levels. That's mainly because the learning was more targeted to the type of study expected (more research based). There is also an element of maturity that sometimes come into it.

My OH struggle with A levels and gave up. He started his career as an apprentice, and went up the ladder. He then decided to do a degree in Business to help his progression, did it part-time in the evening and loved it. He did really well, even with the maths involved and did very well. He was really anxious before and never thought he would do so well.

Give your daughter her chance. It is her life after all and her choices to make.

Bloody hell I got 6 C's and the rest D and below for my GCSE's in 2006 and I've just done an access course (which I gained a distinction for) and I'm starting a degree in September. Let her have a couple of years out if she needs to and then see what path she can take.

She could do an access course and then apply for nursing after that.
Her GCSE grades aren't bad, I think she'd be capable of completing a nursing degree. You don't have to really academic, good communication, common sense and a love for the job are as important (a long with basic English and maths skills).
Don't tell her she can't do it.

I think it is a mistake to assume more nurse training opportunities will appear overnight as staff from the EU dwindle but we will need to train more - definitely. Money to put on degrees and capacity for more student nurses cannot be found overnight let alone tutors and mentors in hospitals. The NHS is stretched and student nurses do a lot of time on the wards.

I think when posters quote their own A level results, they are missing the lint of this thread. My friend is Dr and got BCD at A level - in your dreams now!!! Not in a million years would that be good enough now!

The thread is about what to do if you have no A levels and middle of the road GCSEs. Clearly the way forward is to explore all avenues. My friends DD is doing a nursing degree and has BBC at A level including Biology and has much better GCSE results. Nursing degrees are competitive to get into so your DD needs to look at all options.

Yes Grethen it seems and lot of posters and OP have no idea what the actual entry requirements for nursing are.

It's not Oxbrige or theoretical physics here, it's nursing (which requires more than grades!).

OPs daughter has more than good enough GCSEs and the next step is a Btec or access course. It would be perfectly achievable for her to start an access course in sept and be starting nursing in 2018.

Not passing A Level doesn't mean that she isn't able to gain a Nursing Degree, support her attempt and suggest an Access Course?