DD changed her mind

[Hoppinggreen]

DD has done her first year of A levels - psychology, and 2 humanities. She is academic and is predicted 3 As. She was thinking about doing a Psychology degree but has now decided she wants to do Zoology, which to be fair I think will suit her better and tap into her passion for animals.
So to do that she needs a Biology A level (has a good GCSE), she has looked into it and she can get a place with that, a Psychology A level and one other.
Obviously it’s too late for her to change A levels now and I don’t think she would cope with adding a 4th one in and trying to do it in 1 year even if that were possible.
She is thinking about having a year out post A level and working in an animal related field (she has experience), doing her Bio A level in 1 year and THEN applying for Uni.
Does anyone have any advice how/where she could do this? I know we will have to pay but that’s ok. Or is there a1 year conversion course she could do?
She is going to speak to the careers dept when she goes back to College in September but I was wondering if anyone on here had some advice please

That sounds sensible. I know someone who did the same with chemistry because they want to do veterinary.

I think she could do biology in a year at most FE or 6th form colleges under these circs. I’m not sure you would have to pay.

But I would also check with zoology degree courses that they don’t have a strong preference for chemistry as well. If they did she might be better restarting the whole thing in Sept.

Thank you
She has had a look at the entry requirements and says that Biology is enough if she has Psychology because that’s a science.
She is currently at a 6th form college so it would be good if she could stay there an extra year to do her Biology A level there as it will be familiar. She suffers from anxiety so she finds new places hard - I was quite surprised/pleased when she said she wanted to go to Uni at all to be honest

In order to get the practical endorsement part of the Biology A-level, she would need to complete the core practicals. If the rest of the class is taking it as a two year course, it might be difficult to fit into the scheduling of the practicals.

Some universities offer an extra foundation year at the start of the course, one of the target groups for this is applicants whose A-levels are not in the required subjects.

Thanks
It looks like she could do a 4 year degree then, I will tell her and she can do some research.
She has been working with a very friend over the summer and has other animal related experience so hopefully that could help her application

Vet friend, not very

She might be able to restart 6th form instead. A friends Dc did this and A levels to ones that were more suited.

*changed A levels ..🙄

My son has just done similar. Had planned to do chemistry at Uni but realised during his A levels he'd lost interest in it. He has therefore taken A level music during a gap year,, through his old school (largely self taught with some support from the head of music). Assuming his result is ok (when he gets it this Thursday) he will be off to study music in the autumn.
My advice OP would be to talk to her 6th form college to look at options

If you could afford a tutorial college for 1 A level she would have no problem doing it in a year.

Have a look at Foundation years for any of the uni courses she is interested in. She may be able to cover required material in preparation for the degree course.

Plymouth offer a foundation year and accept Psychology as a second science (many don't).

Sussex offer a Lifesciences foundation year leading to Zoology as a degree , for example.
www.sussex.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/life-sciences-with-a-foundation-year-bsc

If she is within striking distance of somewhere like London, Oxford or Cambridge it is relatively easy to find one year private courses. Just Google "one year intensive A level courses".

The first one that popped up was
www.ashbournecollege.co.uk/a-level-college-london/a-level-retakes-resits-london/overview/

A relative went there for a one year GCSE course after moving back to the UK and got an extraordinarily good set of results as well as some good pastoral care, though he had to work very hard. There are plenty more. The trick might be to look out for who select, ie how many questions they ask about your DD and her motivation. People sitting A levels in a year are either motivated and hard working including your DD and many of the international students intent on applying to a good RG University. Or there is a cohort that have had to leave a school setting for varying reasons.

A neighbours child who needed to pick up a physics A level having belatedly realised the University course she was on was not for her, was surprised at how efficient the teaching was. None of the extraneous school stuff. Just head down and learn each lesson.

I studied Zoology and there were some people on the course who had done a foundation year as they didn’t have the Alevels. Equally, there was someone in my class when I was doing my Alevels who was repeating his Chemistry Alevel, he seemed so much older and cooler. Each option might have different financial considerations. I had an extra year at uni to get a Masters of Zoology (MZoo) which is an undergraduate masters. I was able to get another year of funding but I’m not sure if I would have been able to if I had already done 4 years.

No advice as my dc are younger but your dd sounds amazing and determined. I wish her the best of luck, I'm sure she's make a success of it. My younger dc is obsessed with wildlife, pets and nature and zoology or veterinary med could suit her. Vet med is obviously for the most academic, not sure dc2 would be suited.Psychology and biology a-levels will give her a fantastic foundation for all sorts. May I ask what the other 2 subjects are she's currently studying?

Psychology and biology a-levels will give your dd a fantastic foundation

Thanks to everyone for their comments, much appreciated
To answer a few questions.
DD is studying Psychology, History and Politics at the moment because those were her favourite subjects at GCSE. She is slightly stronger in humanities (9 at GCSE) but got 8s in sciences and Maths.
She has anxiety and struggled to settle into 6th form college but now has a good friend group so I don’t think dropping her A levels now and starting again would be a good idea
We are in The North so not near the places mentioned but paying for her to do an A level isn’t an issue.
I will pass on all this info and once she’s spoken to her college in September I am sure she will have a solid plan

@Hoppinggreen

so, no advice, but I just wanted to say that I'm very impressed she's been able to admit this & not feel she just has to carry on the path she started.

Have a look at foundation courses. Lots of excellent universities have them for students that may not have the required a level subjects.

I have a friend who did zoology at Manchester with a years foundation. I also studied bioscience there but a different discipline. It’s a great program they get to spend a month in Ecuador in the rainforest forest as part of their final year.

There are tutorial colleges in the north. Google for independent tutorial colleges in your area.

That sounds amazing, what sort of a-levels would be useful for this path?

@Zippy1510 is it the zoology or biosciences degree with the year in Ecuador?

They say all applicants are taken on a case by case basis- so no specified subject. It’s bioscience but the foundation and the first year of all the bioscience subjects is the same with regards to module structure (I think with the exception of BMS) so you essentially can choose your speciality up until the end of your first year- which is great if you are still in two minds about what area you want to specialise in. I sound like I’m on commission 😂- which I promise I’m not- I am a lecturer in bioscience now but at a post 92- I did used to interview for the Manchester pharmacy foundation when I was a post doc though so have some experiance in how they go about processing applicants.

Thank you
We are just pleased she seems to have found her passion. She struggles with her MH but if there is something she REALLY wants she manages to be “brave”