DD 23 retaking GCSEs

[Georgeismydog]

DD 23 had mental health issues when she took her GCSEs and didnt get the grades she needed to take A-levels. She has paid privately to retake her GCSEs and then go on and take A-Levels with a view of going to Uni. She has decided this week to pull out of some of her GCSEs to reduce her workload but i am worrying myself silly

She is doing an amazing thing

you need to stop worrying yourself silly as you put it and be the supportive parent in the background. No dramas no stress. Woman up and let her get on with it.

gcse maths & English are important, others aren’t so she could focus on those if she is finding it hard to do a lot. However as she’s 23 has she looking into doing an access course for uni? It would be faster than a levels and probably cheaper

I work for a uni and I second doing a coursewith a foundation year over A levels. It will prepare her better for the course she ultimately wants to do than random A levels in adjacent subjects, get her used to the University level style of working (each uni does things like referencing, study blocks etx differently). And it only usually takes a year whereas A levels take two. Once she has enough GCSEs it's worth looking at that.

Online unis such as Arden or the OU tend to have quite flexible entry requirements as well. I studied with Arden and can really recommend them personally, incredibly flexible University and the option to do part-time in person, or fully remote without any exams. And you can choose your own workload if you do distance learning so can do no modules, one or two at a time, it's not dictated to you and she can work it around other commitments. I completed my 3 year degree in 3 years while working full time and didn't burn out or anything as the course was so flexible and I could work it around getting married, moving house etc

She will not consider anything other than a Russell Group Uni.

That's fair enough, but entry requirements will be a lot higher for these unis.
They will do access courses, maybe less choice than other unis, still it's an option.
Some do offer online courses if that's what she's interested in, they are popular with mature students.
Good luck to your DD.

She won't consider an access course. Apparently she is capable 😫

Is she ND given she is fixed on one route without really considering the other options?
I agree with the others that an Access course would surely be the way to go at 23.
How many GCSEs is she taking? And then she is going to spend 2 more years doing A levels? If she is eg attempting 10 then dropping down to 5 or 6 may be sound, but seems a bit daft at this stage having done 95% of the work...?
You sound as if you are worried about her MH again. It must be a worry.

Doing an access course doesn’t mean someone isn’t capable 🤦🏻‍♀️ it’s just a total waste of time to spend all those years doing a-levels

TeenToTwenties

At last someone who understands. Yes DD is ND and yes I am concerned for her MH again

Do you mean a uni foundation year? Don’t you need alevels to do these?

Access courses are not for the thick. They are for anyone who needs to get qualifications to go to uni. So people who left school to focus on sports endeavours or who were poorly or who went down one track but now want to return to education.

No my ds did a foundation year attached to a degree without A levels.

As @MissyB1 said, usually you don't and often foundation years (which is what access courses are now commonly called) have flexible entry requirements that will take into account work history etc.

It's not that the other posters haven't understood.
Doing a foundation year/access course with a uni that offers proper student wellbeing services and tutorial support, is probably going to be more supportive of your daughters mental health than trying to self-study through A levels for 2 years. It'll also get her where she wants to be faster.

Edit to add - i say this as someone who is ND and suffered massively with mental health through my teenage years, struggled immensely with A levels (even at college. Doing them alone without a cohort supporting you would be even harder). This got much better when I started uni as I preferred the modular structure, less exams etc. I understand what your daughter is going through very well.

Even Oxbridge and some med schools accept Access to FE courses (in some subjects). What does she want to study?

Entry requirements for mature students differ to school leavers. However she will need to demonstrate her enthusiasm for subject and that academically she would keep up. Might be worth attending some open days this summer , meet admissions tutors and the student support team to get advice as what entry qualifications she should aim for and where might be best to apply. RG is definitely not be all and end all and may not be the most suitable study environment, but it may be easier coming from them,

My DD is doing a foundation course at a Russell group Uni
She changed her mind halfway through A levels about her Degree choice so did a further privatey funded A level in a gap year.
We did consider Foundation but as she is very academic we (and she) decided it wasn't the best route. Turns out we were wrong as despite being all 9s A's she got a D in the additional A Level so had to do Foundation anyway. With hindshight she should have done OU Foundation instead BUT its all ok now. She is enjoying the course and she finds it reasonably easy and I hav eno doubt she will have a flying start next year.

So what does she want to do at the end of her degree?

Surely she’s got an aim and a plan in mind if she’s so specific and given her age I assume it’s not simply for the experience?

DD also ADHD and autistic struggling with A levels and wouldn't take anything less than Durham or Manchester.
Her predicted is at the moment D in one of the subjects.
She just cannot see it! I know we will ultimately go for a few gap years and maybe the access course route if she hasn't fallen out of the uni idea in a few years
It is like banging your head against a brick wall. I just nod and say ok when she says "can I book this open day".
You have my solidarity OP. I know it's easy to say leave her to it when I fully know their mental health won't cope with the stress and the failure.
Sadly nothing we can do
Black and white thinking...

Don’t you need a levels to get into a foundation year?

Oh that’s interesting. I always thought you had to have a-levels but they weren’t the right subjects or high enough grades

RainyDayCoffee
It is really hard isnt it

Non Russel groups can be far better than Russel groups in lots of cases. Look at Lancaster for example. Russel is an old fashioned and outdated system.

She has 4 A Levels but the one directly related to the course she wants to do was a D and the minimum for the Degree course was a C. She was predicted an A or A* so a bit of a shock and The Uni offered her a place on The Foundation instead of just refusing her a place at all.

She has decided to withdraw from her exams