subject: A Level Retakes : Don't Let Poor Grades Stop You Going To University [print this page] There are many reasons why students decide to do A level retakes, but it is mainly because they know they could do better with a little extra help and a second chance. In some cases, illness or personal problems mean that lessons have been missed through no fault of the student. Some may have the ability to do well but not the motivation until disappointing grades give them a wake-up call. Sometimes life just gets in the way of a good education. For many students, confidence is a big problem. They may have all the knowledge and skills to do well, but they freeze and their minds go blank when it comes to sitting down in an exam hall.It is important to dispel the myth that doing retakes is a waste of a year. People who make such a claim are assuming that a year later they would come out with the same grades again, which almost certainly will not happen if they properly apply themselves and rectify the issues that held them back first time around. What would be a waste of time would be to turn down the chance to do A level retakes in favor of taking up a poor job. Once people get out of education system, few make it back into it again. So, if you have aspirations to go to university, then doing A level retakes is not just an option, it is basically essential.A level retakes are about more than just waiting a year and sitting the same exam again. It is important to find out why your grades were disappointing and to turn things around. A good college will look at your strengths and weaknesses, concentrating on the gaps in your knowledge. There is an art to answering exam questions and some are better than others at decoding the language. Often students can improve their grades by having a better understanding of what is expected from each answer. Learning good exam skills can make all the difference and this is achieved through studying past exam papers and examples of model answers.There are many Sixth Form Colleges offering various different options for A level retakes. You can start in year 12, just repeat year 13 to retake A2 modules, or do a combination of AS and A2 exams over a year. The classroom atmosphere is usually far more stimulating and the pupils more motivated than at school, and the resulting grades are usually well worth the time and effort involved.
So, if you are not happy with your A level grades, do not be afraid to repeat the process. In the long term, it may well be one of the best decisions that you ever make!
A Level Retakes : Don't Let Poor Grades Stop You Going To University
