Education: What A Levels and Degree (if any)?!(Apr '09)

[JangoA380]

Bad A-levels but getting a Degree

Hello, I have a question.

I don't have good grades for my A-levels but my GCSEs are all passed with with grades at C or above. The thing is I am doing a degree (Aviation related but not engineering) so would that compensate for me not having A-levels in terms of getting a pilot job?

It's not that I couldn't do the A-levels it was just that I was having a really bad time in my life at that point. Now that I am free from that, I am now getting better grades than people with really good A-levels at Uni and one of the best in my class.

Thanks,
Jango

[garywoodrow]

Im no expert but I can't see how it would effect you much, sure it would help to have good A-levels but many pilots have made it without A-levels or GCSE's. Doing a degree which is aviation related i would expect to help alot too.

Gary

[Jimmy Macintosh]

I had attrocious A-level results, but managed to get onto a degree.

For the first two jobs I had after graduating from Uni I had to explain the poor a level grades, thankfully I got a good 2:1 and could show the results of each part of my course for my final year. But I did have to explain what had happened.

Now no-one even asks about my a-levels, and my degree is literally do I have a degree of a certain level now.

This is your last chance, screw up the degree and you'll struggle for that first job, a friend at Uni got a girlfriend in the final year and decided to spend all of his time with her. He got a low 3rd, took him three years to get a job that he wanted.

Work hard, get a good degree, get in the industry that you want and then mistakes during your a-levels can be overlooked.

Of course with pilot training it's about the licences, ability and whether your face fits. So bad a-levels aren't necessarily going to hold you back. When I interviewed for the cadetship with BA I had to explain the poor a-levels, but that was it. But they were not the reason I didn't get it, had an extensive debrief about 6 months later and I know where I went wrong.

[davepearsall]

i didnt get great A leveles either but managed to get a degree. Any interviews I have been t don't takeinto account my A levels. Sometimes they can just be a stepping stone to the next stage. Much like GCSE's were to getting to A levels.

[Felix Saddler]

How can you get a degree if you don't a-levels? I thought it was a requirement to get onto a degree course?

[adverse-bump]

if you got bad a level results, what makes you think you are cut out for a degree course? not taking them is one thing, but failing is something else.

however, you dont need either to be a pilot, I wouldnt shout to much about getting C and above in your gcse's, because the guy behind you will be shouting even louder that he got 10 A*'s!

[airborne_artist]

How can you get a degree if you don't a-levels? I thought it was a requirement to get onto a degree course?

My wife left school at 16.

She has no A-levels and a BA Hons 1st class. I know a guy who I think has only 3 O-levels (pre GCSE), and who also has a degree. Find the right college and show them the right stuff and they might let you in.

Don't forget that you can now earn UCAS points from a wide range of qualifications - list

[Re-Heat]

So long as you are trying hard to achieve your best, you should be fine.

On another note to some of the above, I am well past university, but the A-Levels are still a set criteria for a management job into which I am now moving.

[motherbird]

I didn't get A'levels but now have Masters Degree. Some courses accept students with 'life-experiences' as oppose to exam excellence.

[Philpaz]

I was a complete clown at school, got no GCSE's never mind A levels. Now i'm in a job that pays extremely well and i'm quite high up the company ladder. Nothings impossible, just choices you make early on in life set you down different paths. The path i took was through a marsh, you can still smell it when i'm blagging interviews lol. Now i'm doing my ATPL and it will be hard to get in the right hand seat but i'm sure with a bit of perserverance and some hard learnt interview skills i'll get on. Never say never and all that. Oh and my sister is doing some course which was soley set up to qualify you for uni, bridging course or something, i'll find out and update the post.
I do have some quals now btw, not kidding myself that i'll blag an airline job though i'm sure its been done before!

[captain_rossco]

million ways to get into uni these days,

bridging course, access course, hardship, mature student acceptance etc, as well as open university.

If you want that degree you can get it.

Regards

Rossco

[JangoA380]

Good question. They did not accept me into the course that I wanted and they put me in a similiar course where people in the course that I wanted, had to do the course that they put me in for one year. As I said before everything was fine in my life when I entered university so I did very well on all exams and actually did way better than the guys on the course that I wanted to go to. They had really good A-levels but I still did better than them, and some of them even later left the course and went the oxford to do the integrated course. The Head of the course that I wanted to do saw my grades and he put me in the course instantly.

if you got bad a level results, what makes you think you are cut out for a degree course? not taking them is one thing, but failing is something else.

- adverse-bump

If you read my first post you would have noticed that I said I was having a rough time when I was doing my A-levels. And when I mean a rough time I mean a extremely bad time and I was young as well so that didn't help. Thats all gone now though so are doing pretty good in Uni thank God.

Thank you to everyone who replied so far, I really appreciate it.

[abzyyy]

a levels

does it matter when you take your a levels? because personally i've retaken a year, after having missed the exams due to personal reasons. All my gcse's were taken at the first sitting and all that but what about a levels? From what i know it doesnt really matter as long as you have them, coz i know alot of people who leave school after gcse's only to complete their a levels many years later!

[captain_rossco]

Don't even woryy about it abz.

I did all my as levels a a bit later than usual as i was involved in the family business, being worked like a dog by the old man!

Don't see it being a problem.

Regards

CR

[abzyyy]

a levels

Thanks Captain Rossco!

I guess I needed the reassurance. I've been having personal problems for a while and sometimes I think I may even end up completing them later than expected (Even though I'm already taking a year). But I'm going to keep at it because my passion is to fly. Just taking it a day at a time I guess.

[captain_rossco]

You're only gaining by going through a bit of strife matey, everybody does at some point, friends, family, work etc.

It's a real measure of your 'metal' how you deal with these things as they come up, flight training is a reasonably big ask, and our abilty to cope with the rather unfair ****e that gets thrown at us now and again, no matter what it is, should only make you that little bit tougher.

Regards

CR

[smiffym1]

I've just finished my AS level exams and will be continuing next year to complete the A level course. However, I have decided to drop Physics as I would prefer to get 3 very good A level grades as oppose to 2 good A-Level grades and a poor Physics grade. Is this the right thing to do?

I really want to go to University before pursuing a career as a pilot however i am not sure what course to do. Although, with limited financial access, courses involving pilot studies are pretty much out of the question and im not really interested in doing a course on a core subject such as maths or sciences. Would it be better to get a degree in something to do with aviation such as 'Air transport and Management' or just go for something completely different such as Business studies.?

Many Thanks

[abzyyy]

what a levels

from what ive heard so far. It doesnt really matter. In fact, there are pilots with art and economics a levels. As long as you have GCSE's in maths and science. The a levels dont really matter. Minimum is 2 a levels, whatever it may be.

[F/O UFO]

So what AS levels???

Hi, (1st post on these forums so I’ve probably put this in completely the wrong place) anyway, I've got my college interview next week when I have to definitively decide what AS levels to take. So far I've decided on maths and physics for certain but have no idea for the other two!!

For the record my ambition is to become a commercial airline pilot

Thanks

[bri1980]

Maths and physics are important for pilots. After that it's up to you really.

Something business-related might be useful in later life-airlines like pilots with business sense!

B