Blog - Page 12 of 33 - Open College

Re-Training for a New Career

16/12/202216/12/2022Open College

Re-training for a new career is not as out there as it might sound! It’s very rare for someone to stay in the same job or role for the whole of their professional career and whether it’s through choice or need, re-training can be a simple process. First things first, you need to sit down and decide what you want to change career to. Try and think about what skills you already have, what you enjoy doing and where you see yourself in a few years time. From there, you should be able to shortlist a few career ideas for you to work towards. If your choices are quite wildly… Read More

Is October too Late for Starting A-Levels?

18/09/202218/09/2022Open College

If you’re someone considering starting A-Levels, you can be forgiven for thinking that you need to start them in September, especially if you are looking to complete the courses in one year. After all, that is when all the schools and colleges start students on A-Levels right? But the reasoning behind students starting A-Levels in September has more to do with term times and tradition than it does with the practicalities of completing an A-Level course in time for examination in the following summer. How Many Hours of Study is an A Level? The amount of study time needed for A-Levels isn’t actually as many hours as people often think.… Read More

Can A Levels be done in 1 Year?

04/09/202204/09/2022Open College

Can A Levels be done in 1 Year? Absolutely yes. It will take you a lot of work and dedication, but it is possible to do it. First, let’s look closer at A Levels themselves and the work that they require and need. On average, one A Level subject will take a student approximately 350 hours of study time. That 350 hours covers all of the syllabus and the coursework for the subject needed for sitting the examinations. When you put 350 hours into the grand scheme of things, it really isn’t many hours of study at all. Which is why most students will study 2 or 3 subjects at… Read More

How UCAS Clearing Works

15/08/202215/08/2022Open College

Put simply, UCAS clearing is a way for students who don’t have an offer of a place or who didn’t get the grades they needed for a place to still go to Uni. Once all results are released, students will know whether or not their place at University is secured, if they don’t have sufficient UCAS points from their A-Level grades, then they will enter clearing. Universities use clearing as a way to fill places on Degree courses, so there is usually a wide range of both subjects and available universities for students to apply to. The UCAS clearing system is available from July until October, so there is plenty… Read More

How to deal with bad A-Level Results

10/08/202210/08/2022Open College

Now that exams are over, it’s only natural for thoughts to start turning to A Level results. When Results Day arrives, it can be a very stressful time for the students. Regardless of how much work and effort you put into your studies and sitting the examinations, there will always be that bit of worry that you haven’t achieved the results you want and need for getting your place at University. The first thing to remember if you do get bad A-Level results is that it’s definitely not the end of the world! There are still many options open to you and not all of them will mean going back… Read More

Which A-Levels Should I Study?

27/07/202227/07/2022Open College

You have made the decision you’re going to university, so the next step is deciding which A-Levels to study. Now you would have thought this would be a really straightforward thing to decide. But many students find this much harder than you think. The range of courses available is vast and then the options on how you study them is huge too. In this blog, we’re going to look at how to pick your subjects, the ways you can study A-Levels and the different combinations of subjects that work well for certain degrees. How to Pick Your A-Levels When picking which A-Levels to study, you have to be careful to… Read More

Cambridge International A-Levels

22/07/202222/07/2022Open College

Cambridge International A Levels are an increasingly popular choice with students. Although reference to ‘International’ is made within the name of the Awarding Body, you can actually study and sit A-Levels with them in the United Kingdom as well as around the world. With over 50 subjects available, it’s safe to say that Cambridge International A-Levels are growing in popularity with both schools and students. The courses follow the same familiar structure as A-Levels from AQA and Pearson Edexcel, with the main differences occurring with subjects such as the sciences. The science courses, Biology, Chemistry or Physics do not have a practical element. Instead, additional written papers are taken by… Read More

Should I Retake my GCSEs?

20/07/202220/07/2022Open College

The question of retaking GCSEs is a question that always comes up around this time of year. As worries about grades grow with Results Day fast approaching, it’s natural for students to start wondering what they will do if their results aren’t what they need or want. Whether you should retake your GCSEs depends on a few contributing factors, the first and probably most important one being what you need your GCSEs for. For example, if you need to have a certain grade in a set subject in order to go on and study that subject at A-Level, but missed the mark, then you really will have to have a… Read More

Do I need to wait until September to Start A-Levels?

18/07/202218/07/2022Open College

Many students who are looking to start A-Levels often get confused with when they can start studying them. Contrary to popular belief, if you would like to start studying an A-Level ,in any subject, you can actually start studying the course right away. With the introduction of online A Levels, there are no longer the previous restrictions of term times to hold students back. So if you want to start A-Levels in July or August you can! Why do A-Levels Usually Start in September? In previous years, when attending a traditional school or college, the academic year would always start in September, which is where the belief that starting A-Levels… Read More

Will Universities know if I have Studied A-Levels Online?

08/07/202208/07/2022Open College

A question we are often asked by potential students is ‘will universities know if I have studied A-Levels online?’. Even with the acceptance of online learning and the acknowledgement that the quality of learning and education achieved by students learning online, is just as good if not (in some cases) better than traditional school or college, people still worry that universities will not regard the qualifications in the same light. Does it Matter if I do A Levels Online? The simple answer to the question is no, universities will not know if you have studied A-Levels online, unless you decide to tell them as much. When you actually go to… Read More