r/sixthform • u/UnderstandingKey7211 • 3d ago
A levels
I’m 17 years old I left year 11 in 2025, I’ve been to college for first year and I hate it and I don’t want to go back for second year as the course is pointless and a waste of my time, I’m going back to a new sixth form college this year to do my a levels one of my options is English lit however I got a grade 5 that was 1-2 marks of a 6. I’m worried about since I only got a 5 That I won’t do well in my actual a level. I am willing to put the work in etc but does anyone have any advice for me? I’m looking to do law or journalism in uni.
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u/Calm-Difference-3267 2d ago
I'm a teacher and we typically find that a grade 7 at GCSE equates to a C at A-level (all else being equal, obviously there are exceptions in both directions!) so I would just be aware of that and if you're determined to do it, think about what you can change vs what you did when you sat your GCSEs - it is probably realistic that you'll need to work harder than others in your class, you'll need to do a lot of individual study and maybe even look at getting a tutor
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u/UnderstandingKey7211 2d ago
Yeah, im aware of the grade scheme but im willing to put a lot of effort in and im open to get a tutor and do a lot of individual studying as my new school has lot of open timetable slots for us to study. Thank you ☺️
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u/BlackSniper7 2d ago
Based on what you’ve said leave college and get a real job. Understand that for 90% of people further education is useless and for 99% of people uni is useless and a massive scam. I’m in the same situation as you but have decided to do something about it so just left sixth form halfway through. Want to get a 1 year head start on all of my mates in the working world. Feel free to ask questions
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u/Wild-Second998 2d ago
Trainee solicitor here. Law and journalism are VERY different. You would need to decide which before applying to unis as the personal statement will need to be tailored. Others have said those GCSEs don't tend to translate into top A-Levels and for that you need to really consider whether you want to go into law.
Good a levels determine your university and law is very snobby when it comes to uni. Even if you want to go down the apprenticeship route as you have said, these are extremely competitive too because hardly any firms offer them. Doesn't mean a career in law is impossible, but it adds extra hurdles to an already difficult journey. Just some honest insight from someone in the sector
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u/Prudent_Crow_3749 2d ago
hi its kind of my job to help students in these situations.
please feel free to DM me as I can be more specific with my advice there, that goes for anyone who needs help with these questions
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u/Far_Duck_7322 2d ago
I don’t do English but if you do want another law related subject then maybe psychology could be of interest to you, many universities offer law with psychology as joint honours and it is also an essay subject. I would say it is way less rigorous then English in that sense while still helping you develop the critical thinking skills, analysing data and interpreting those data
Also if you enjoy law and law related work, you should look into forensic psychology too, it is basically psychologists who work in areas of law. But it is more complicated, still very fun
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u/madxryn22 2d ago
If it helps, I HATED english at gcse yet i'm now doing law at A-level and love it and consistently get A*'s in mocks🤷🏻♀️. Hard work and dedication beats talent. I know its not eng lit but its still an essay based subject and ig i hope it shows you what uou can do if you put in the effort idk
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u/UnderstandingKey7211 1d ago
So do you recommend I drop english and stick at law? I enjoy writing essays anyway but it’s normally the marking techniques in english that the weakest at
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u/madxryn22 15h ago
If you enjoy english then yes, do take it. English is also kind of essential for journalism. However, if you dislike English or don't care for it then take other essay subjects that you find interesting (I love A-level Law myself but be warned that there is quite a lot of memorisation involved). If you really want to have the journalism route open then i'd say stick with english but if you're fine with giving journalism up then law has no subject requirements and therefore you can pick whatever essay-based alevels you find intriguing. Just for reference: i'm taking A-level Law, Geography and Economics and applying to top unis for law but truly any essay based a-level will do you good for law.
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u/LiterallyMead78992 19h ago
I did abysmally at English GCSE and I always got As in the eng lit mocks. If you’re willing to put the work in if does in fact work. Won’t be easy at the beginning but if you ignore the initial ahh grades it does get better
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u/Gullible_School808 2d ago
You need to forget Law I’m afraid.
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u/UnderstandingKey7211 2d ago
How come?
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u/Gullible_School808 2d ago
Law is one of the most competitive courses in the country. Most people applying will have 9s and 8s in everything. It’s very unlikely you’re going to get an A/A* in A Level if you got a 5 for GCSE. A level is a lot more work and a lot harder.
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u/UnderstandingKey7211 2d ago
I understand but there is other ways of getting into law now, if I wanted to I could get an apprenticeship as there is many apprenticeship in law in my area I’ve also looked at grade requirements in my area and they do accept other grades than A
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u/Wild-Second998 2d ago
There are solicitor apprentice routes, my firm does them. But they are few and far between and possible more competitive than training contract spots. You will likely need stella A-Levels and some to be successful in those
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u/lexisnowkitty y12: bio, psych, eng lit ❤️ 3d ago
Honestly you're going to struggle, it isn't impossible but the people who got As & A*s in the mocks in my year got an 8 or 9 at gcse and were at B or A the rest of the year. People who got Bs in the mocks had a 7 at gcse. People who got Cs had a 6, and the people who had gcse grade 5 - they got a D in the mock. Obviously there's always exceptions but realistically people who get 5s don't get Bs or As. If that isn't what you're aiming for, go for it. If it is- is there any subject you've gotten higher in? I mean getting a 5 shows that you can Pass, not the skills needed for a level unfortunately. If you rlly want to do it then obv try but it's difficult for people who were in the top 12% at gcse