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never mind clearing, tbh, I think that uni's say those grades just as a rough idea...if you get BBC, they might not say 'NO' and throw away your form, I needed ABB for my course, and got CCB yet still got in, with good accomodation to go with it, with uni, a lot more than you think is in your personal statement - a friend of mine got in the top 5 A Level English grades in the country (UK) yet didnt get into either of her 1st choices (Oxford and Lughborough - spelling) so had to go to her 4th choice of Durum, still a great uni, but she was REALLY upset, she rang them and they said (in not so many words) you have no life outisde of school, your personal statement was all acedemic based

I'm sure you'll do fine tbh, I have several freinds at Swansea and they LOVE it...I keep meaning to visit...

Good luck anyways, get good cswk grades and you'll be flying through the exams

Dan

Uni's always base their offers on your three best grades - and it's always those of your highest merit. It's annoying as it seems that AS levels don't count towards anything. I tried doing 4 full A-Levels at college, which at the time I had to work my a** off to get the grades I needed, and I found the forth A-Level wasn't even considered.

Now I look back, this is probably the hardest that I've ever worked in my life - but it was worth it. I didn't work nearly as hard at university and had a fantastic 3 years. I met and lived with some lovely people, and I still see many of my closest friends regularly. No only that but my college sweetheart ended up in the same city and we kept it together. It's been 9 years now, and we're finally settling down and getting married in the summer.

All I can say is that working hard for something you want makes the reward so much better. Everyone has moments in their life they regret, and they're always times when they could've acted differently. If you want to go to University, then you need to make it happen! Don't lose site of the goal and throw yourself into achieving it! Good Luck!

Reading all this makes me so nervous! *nervous laughter* ..

I'm in AS and wow, you guys make it sound so hard.

Ah, thats me and head down aswel then!

Man, now I'm scared stiff!!

I finished my whole A levels, and now waiting for the results, which is coming in about a month's time! Physics was really tough this year (anyone agrees with me? Please?)

I feel like i totally screwed the whole A levels exam, or maybe because of physics it seems like i have screwed over the whole thing.

Daaaaa........... and my uni requirements aren't that much! (Gonna do business, so the requirements are lower i guess)

enough of ranting from me. Happy new year to you all!

*goes back to praying*

And Unless you are training to be a Doctor or something along them lines then most of the stuff you will learn is useless. I learnt a shed load of stuff at school that has no pratical use in the real world.

Now if the Education system taught things like common sense and the likes. Allthough there is one place you can learn to fill in your dole application.

Don't worry Jennifer, they're preparing you for degree level exams where you feel like every one was a total massacre, and somehow you roll out with a B!

Jennifer_Saint wrote:Physics was really tough this year (anyone agrees with me? Please?)

Well physics is my thing Jennifer, and it's always very tough.

They closed down my physics department at the university (used to be one of the best in the world, no less) and that was simply because there weren't enough students choosing the course. Too hard, you see.
They've never handed out physics qualifications out very easily, and that's because the subject is bloody difficult.
So well done for persevering with it.

It seems to me that academic quality is now second to status these days.
The thing is, a degree has always had status. And the thing about status is that everbody wants it.

Problems arise when rich parents have thick kids who can't get degrees. Then it seems, almost insidiously, courses which had for decades been 'vocational' become 'degrees', because let's face it, we can't be having nice upper-middle class families with children who cannot get into university. Some degrees were even invented for this purpose.

For an example have a look through any modern university prospectus. It is always a good toilet read. A degree in 'Pop Music' is a good one, as is 'Musical Performance'. This is particualrly good; I know of a student who passed this course and still could not read sheet music.
Let that sink in for a moment - a degree in (ostensibly) music and the graduate leaves without being able to pass a Grade One AB music exam.

This is an insult. I have never had a musical bone in my body and I have the utmost respect for anyone who masters an instrument, qualified or not. And yet a graduate of a degree like the one above can claim that they have a music degree and yet be outperformed by a nine-year-old kid with a recorder.

Pah.

Is the reason people choose these degrees is quite simply status? I saw at a jobs fair that a large high street bank offered places on its 'Graduate Management Scheme'. The entry prerequisites were "A degree, 2:1 or higher, subject not important" What the F******K?? What happened to academic quality?
When I pressed the representative, she told me that the three years a student spends taking and passing a degree shows a strength of character that is important in Banking.

Good lord help us all.

Speaking as someone with over 15 years experience in recruitment - don't worry about it !

1. If you don't get the grades you can still get in to Uni via an interview (my brother-in-law got 1 A level grade E, got to Uni via interview and graduated with a degree in Asronomy and Physics)

2. Most employers just want to see a degree - it doesn't matter what subject, so do an easy degree in a subject you like.

3. Many entrepeneurs didn't get a degree including Alan Sugar, Richard Branson and me

Kevin Cann wrote:2. Most employers just want to see a degree - it doesn't matter what subject, so do an easy degree in a subject you like.

This is certainly the case if your goal is a job in a 'field' (like finance or the Civil Service) and you care not for the subject you study.
However if you are driven by the persuit of academic excellence, then it certainly isn't.

3. Many entrepeneurs didn't get a degree including Alan Sugar, Richard Branson and me

And again I agree. Despite my ranting post above, there is very little that can stop a driven personality.

Also I think this may be usefull to remember. Its not what you know its who you know.