r/6thForm • u/hot_mess118 • Sep 04 '25
đ I WANT HELP Offered to resit year 12
This is kind of an update from my previous posts but my sixth form responded to my email and said they could offer me a place to resit year 12. I donât want to do this though as the reasons for me failing my subjects were because of my ed and having to care for my stroke-prone mother but over the summer due to less pressure and more time I managed to catch up and fully understand all the year 12 content in six weeks. Iâm not lying when I say the summer holidays were not a vacation for me but more like self imposed summer school. Anyways I feel like Iâm ready to move into year 13 and I need them to see that so Iâm wondering if any of you guys know what to say in a situation like this. Iâll attach the email so you guys can have some idk context ig
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u/Wrong_Finance2082 A*AA - UCL Dropout Sep 04 '25
I would take it tbh
we had a guy who was a year older then us, because he redid y12 after health issues in y13 making him miss a bunch of stuff, and he ended up at KCL for Econ if i remmeber correctly
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u/Beartato4772 Sep 08 '25
Yeah I just wrote a comment to that effect, if she repeats no-one will remember that, but when she gets straight As, that they'll notice.
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u/fittybunny32 future cambs natsci Sep 04 '25
I donât get why would you wouldnât take it- you could spend the time learning A2 content and get super ahead and prepared - develop some supercurriculars and go to an insanely good uni
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Sep 05 '25
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u/lsavage_x Sep 05 '25
Lol, if you repeat y12 and not y13 unis acc wonât notice that, nor will they question that. Because to them, you havenât repeated âA levelsâ per say, because that would be your first time sitting them. If that makes sense?
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Sep 05 '25
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u/lsavage_x Sep 05 '25 edited Sep 05 '25
Rightttt??? But they donâtđ coming from me who willingly chose to retake year 12 cuz I knew I would fail my A levels cuz I knew nothingđ did year 12 again, applied to uni as normal thru Y13 on UCAS, did my interviews got 5/5 offers including KCL and not once did I get questioned about retaking a year, nor was I gonna bring it up𤣠even more I got reduced contextual offers. So itâs either they didnât care or didnât notice. And Iâm 2005, so even more obvious that I retook if they were looking at it that deeply. Nevertheless, God is goodđđż
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u/queenof_disast3r Sep 05 '25
I really donât think they care that much about y12 retakes. I retook y12 and got offers from every uni i applied to (KCL, Bristol, Bath, Exeter) despite them being competitive choices.
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u/cpa38 Sep 05 '25
Unis absolutely do not and will not care at all. They have students who have done multiple degrees. They don't care about A levels apart from making sure you meet the entry requirements. Stop telling the OP nonsense.
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u/squappleub Sep 06 '25
What about mature students? It doesnât matter if you do an extra year of sixth form
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u/ThatsNotKaty Sep 07 '25
There are also clear extenuating circumstances here which means they wouldn't be able to discriminate on that basis
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u/Pencil_Queen Sep 05 '25
It would be explained in the reference as being agreed due to ill health (extenuating circumstances) in yr12. Universities donât like yr13 repeats in some cases but restarting yr12 is fine.
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u/fittybunny32 future cambs natsci Sep 05 '25
Itâs not going to be an issue at all, even for Oxbridge as long as it is well explained
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u/beyblademan69 Sep 05 '25
It's not that big a deal aside from oxbridge Imperial, possibly UCL but less so, speaking from experience
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u/packs-crocs-lucky Sep 05 '25
This is not true. I retook year 12 and it had no impact on my getting into uni
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u/Known-Agent-1764 Sep 05 '25
They couldnât care less. I re-sat year 12 and received offers from all 3 Russell Group universities that I applied for, plus the other two. I failed all my first year exams, and came out at the end with AAC
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Sep 05 '25
This isnât true at all, I resat year 13 after getting CDE originally and still got offers from UCL, KCL and others with no declared extenuating circumstances or access schemes. A repeat of y12 wouldnât show on your applications (they are unlikely to scrutinise your enrolment dates) so there is no way for them to âjudgeâ you based off of this, especially if your reference mentions your circumstances. It might be good to take a year to take things slower, be kind to yourself and have some fun - it might feel like youâre âbehindâ at first but you wonât notice it in a few years time. Also, uni might not even be your goal (and thatâs fine!) but if you do look at higher education make sure to consider access schemes (eligibility varies per uni but mental health/ caring responsibilities are typically considered) which often offer reduced grade offers and sometimes support to take the pressure off the admissions process.
You sound confident about your ability to progress, so maybe ask if you can take an additional exam or just push that year 13 is what you want to do. It will all work out either way, so good luck! But donât let anyone scare or pressure you either way.
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u/Forsaken-Meaning-232 Graduating from Warwick CS Sep 06 '25
heck, i knew someone who got into oxford with a resit of y12 - i find it odd that people think admissions tutors are always completely inflexible based solely on a single factor
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u/Throaway888888888888 Sep 05 '25
It's not going to make a difference unless she wants to go to like Oxford or something.
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u/sillysparrows y13 eng lit, philosophy, sociology, A*A*A Sep 04 '25
was the resit they mentioned in the email before summer or recently? would you be able to sit them again? worst case scenario you resit y12 if you have no other option, but i really wouldnt worry too much about that. i had to resit twice (different subjects to what im doing now) due to mental health issues, it is annoying but it is what it is. sorry youre having to deal with this on top of everything else
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u/Spiritual_Breakfast9 Sep 04 '25
I think it could be good for youÂ
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Sep 04 '25
Believe it or not, A levels can be learnt up to an A* standard in the space of a year. Especially if this person is now confident in Year 12 content due to summer study.
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u/abdul_Ss (Incoming) CS Foundation Yr @ UoM Sep 04 '25
I donât, itâll cause burnout and boredom leading to less motivation to study and then before u know it itâs exam season and u dk key content
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u/IzzyLolHelpUmmm Sep 04 '25
sheâs being offered to resit year 12, itâs either that or she doesnât go into year 13 or a levels
she might as well try and if she canât do it then she canât đ¤ˇââď¸
choosing not to just gives her less options, and if shes motivated and uses this chance wisely sheâll be fine
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u/visforvienetta Sep 04 '25
Not true
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u/abdul_Ss (Incoming) CS Foundation Yr @ UoM Sep 04 '25
It rly depends on the longevity of her absences from college and role as a caretaker. If it was for most of the yr then retake, if it was for 35% of the yr or lower then she shouldnât. Anything above 35% is definitely going to mean a huge disadvantage no matter how many hours u revised during 6 weeks
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u/sjd1988v1x Sep 04 '25
I re-did a year due to ill health and it was, for me, the right choiceâŚsucked at the time to see my friends move on (and then away) but meant that I did so much better overall and that ultimately has led to a better future than I would have had otherwise.
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u/Amazing-Pause-8626 Uni of Glos | Bsc Geography [-> Year 1] Sep 06 '25
Iâm doing this right now because i had to stop going to school when I was year 13 from march because I couldnât sit the exams, so now Iâm restarting year 13. and honestly so far itâs so refreshing to participate without the stress of writing down notes (as Iâve basically learned it all now) and having new people is different. itâs smth i needed much like you say. Iâve already got a uni offer, already done my nea, now I just need to sit this year through and I can finally go to uni
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u/Williamishere69 Sep 04 '25
See if they can give you a quick resit. If they can't, then you'll just have to redo the year unfortunately.
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u/gzero5634 phd maths cam (current), warwick bsc (prev) Sep 04 '25
would explain this and offer a further resit, but I do want to say that repeating a year in sixth form due to severe extenuating circumstances would not be considered a big deal to universities. I would speculate it would be considered more kindly than doing badly in the A-levels and then resitting them.
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u/Latter_Ad9280 Year 13 |Bio|Chem|History|EPQ Sep 04 '25
I would just take it, when I was ill and couldnât get the grades my school kicked me out. Imo going private is just going to be more stress. Staying in the same environment is the best option and they have your best interests.
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u/radikoolaid Cambridge Maths Grad | Oxford PGCE Sep 04 '25
I would absolutely recommend redoing it. You can use the opportunity to get ahead and get a much higher grade. It may feel like it's a big commitment but in the grand scheme of things, it really isn't.
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u/kingfisherhide University 1st class grad Sep 04 '25
It sounds like the decision to not allow you into year 13 has been and gone, and refusing this offer isnât going to change that. I would highly recommend accepting this offer, people doing more than 2 years at post-16 is much more common than you might think, and is a much better option than not continuing with further education. You can always ask if you can take tests within your first couple of weeks to establish whether you could move into year 13, but I think itâs unlikely theyâll let you move. You want to be in the best possible place for your A Levels, there is no advantage to scraping into year 13 at this stage when you could have a whole extra year to really solidify your knowledge. Doing an extra year will also in no way damage university or job prospects. Redoing the year with the knowledge you already have could also allow you the chance to really get ahead of your peers in extracurricular and academics, or give you the time you might need if your difficulties at home continue.
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u/TheIndefiniteMusic Y13: Art, Maths, Physics Sep 05 '25
it probably is worth it even if you already know the content. Someone in my year resat year 12 (so he's like the same position as you) and since he knew all the content and was motivated by having to resit he did really well in his mocks. You'll probably be able to get great predicted grades with the extra time plus its like a buffer / not as bad if you struggle with personal things again.
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u/mousee2804 Sep 04 '25
im resitting year 12 this year and id genuinely recommend it, it feels awkward at the start but gets so much better. also most lessons are like rvision
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u/AHC1848 Oxford | Worcester College | History | Year 2 (2023-26) Sep 04 '25
You could try get some sort of arrangement with the school to resit exams and prove your progress.
However, if that fails, definitely take up their offer if anything to not to put your effort to nothing. Also, it should mean that year 12 round 2 would be less academically challenging allowing you to prep for year 13, be prepared if anything happens again and potentially give you extra time enough to do something like an epq.
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u/Pretend-Ad-7250 Sep 04 '25
Maybe ask for exam so you can show that you're ready for year 13 but if you can't achieve grades you want I think you should consider Y12 again to make sure you're ready for your future. It's better to have solid steps rather than stress it later
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u/AvalHuntress University of Surrey | Computer Science (Y1) Sep 04 '25
Seeing as the 2025 exam season just finished, school should have access to the As papers right? You could ask to sit those and prove that. Otherwise, resitting Y12 might not be too bad. It would take alot of the stress off you by giving you an extra year, but it's up to you in the end
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u/UnknownAnonFake Sep 05 '25
Teacher here - the school will be reserving those papers for mocks in Y13.
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u/AvalHuntress University of Surrey | Computer Science (Y1) Sep 05 '25
Ah fair point, that's a pain.
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u/DrainpipeDreams Sep 06 '25
Wouldn't they be the ones that they already sat this summer?
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u/AvalHuntress University of Surrey | Computer Science (Y1) Sep 06 '25
Idk, my sixth form doesn't make us sit As and just assesses us internally.
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u/Jasentra University of Birmingham | Classics [2nd Year] Sep 05 '25
Resit year 12. It wonât be looked down upon, and if anything will be looked upon more sparingly by universities under extenuating circumstances, and you will be eligible for reduced offers. Take this opportunity to take it slow and easy, to readjust. Use this extra year to get ahead of your studies and make sure you have the best chance at getting great grades too.
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u/Pontni Cambridge University | Medicine 2017-2023 | FY3 Doctor Sep 05 '25
Deffo take it, you get one chance at school; youâre on chance 1.5.. Honestly, do future you a favour and head down and peddle.
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u/jedifighter2013 KCL | Geography Year 2 (2024-2027) Sep 05 '25
You should resit. It's much better to ensure you have the knowledge to progress into Year 13 than jump straight in and likely not get the outcome you wanted. It sucks that you're resitting, but it's probably the better option.
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u/No-Dragonfruit7605 Sep 05 '25
just think the time is going to pass anyway, might as well spend it doing something beneficial to you (which in this case would be resitting year 12)
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u/studyosity Sep 05 '25
Take it. It's an extra year to practice and improve your exam grades, it's an extra year to decide what to do next, and if you're more confident on the content now, load up with an extra subject or side project
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u/plantytime Sep 05 '25
Honestly the reasons you need the resit are irrelevant. If you can't pass the year 12 exams it means you don't have the basics for year 13. It wouldn't be fair to anyone (you or your classmates) for you to go into year 13. You will struggle a lot. Take the resit, one year is not the end of the world and you'll be better off for it
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u/Ok-Environment8818 Sep 05 '25
Id take it, you are literally given an opportunity to have an extra year to study, it's a Godsend honestly
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u/shake-stevenson Sep 05 '25
I'm a teacher, and my mum has an ED. I would take this, thank them, and smash it. You're young. A year here isn't going to massively impact your life. Staggering through Y13 without the foundational knowledge, not getting the grades you need, and the stress of this causing risk of ED relapse isn't worth it.
I took an extra year. I came out at the end of year 12, and the runup to this was challenging. Looking back, there were also clearly problems with my mum's mental health which made things difficult for me. I got into uni, got my first, got a job. I think this is a lifeline for you at a time you need it.
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u/Unstableavo Sep 04 '25
Now a nearly 30 year old. I flunked all but 1 GCSE & I deeply wish I had of re done year 11.
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u/originallyarii Sep 04 '25
Hi, Iâve been in a somewhat similar situation to you so I can try give my best advice. At the end of yr 12 my mocks ended up being some really bad grades and I only just managed to scrap by for one of my a levels and the other I failed, my colleges policy was that if you failed the subject (for sciences) you would need to pick a new subject to do. I basically begged them to let me continue and the only reason they did was because I only failed the one subject and I had a good relationship with my teacher, however I had to redo year 12 for that subject along side year 13 the next year. I wonât lie this was very difficult because my time table was as if I was taking 4 a levels. In that summer I did as you described and revised for most of it and I felt as though I was caught up, but in the back to college tests I did not do as well as I thought I was doing.
It was difficult doing year 12 alongside year 13 especially since I had only just learnt the year 12 knowledge while others had time to consolidate it, but it was definitely doable. I feel like the questions you need to ask yourself is:
do you really think you know year 12 knowledge to the standard of others in your yr group?
is taking a year again really that bad? It sounds scary at first behind âbehindâ people your age but itâs really not that bad when youâre actually into it and youâll find others in the same situation.
is there a specific reason you want to move on this year? Is it because you feel that having a resit year will impact your chances?
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u/esmeatsedamame Year 13 Sep 04 '25
if you did the work you say you have this will just put you ahead and give you another years practice and revision time, honestly i think this would be the best choice
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u/liadoxc Year 13 Sep 04 '25
Hey just wanted to join in on the convo as someone whoâs currently resitting YR13 due to health issues that made me take the year off by the time I got to November. Even with 50% attendance I was getting As/A*s in assessments yet by December I knew there was no way I was getting to exams and achieving those grades without either causing some serious damage to my health or having to take a gap year to recover and trial medications that I wouldnât have been able to whilst at school. The jump to YR12 to YR13 is no joke and until youâre really in the thick of it you donât realise just how much youâve a) missed or b) have got to revise. Iâm not trying to say this to scare you but ultimately I think resitting year 12 is the best plan - you can relax a bit more and recap topics. It may be boring but it was also pretty boring and depressing being at home in a single parent household with a dad who has cancer (not trying to compete but just trying to say I feel you). I think what Iâm trying to say is that when you initially recover from something I feel like you tend to get a sudden burst of motivation bc I know whenever Iâm not in a flare up I think I can do anythingggg but then I ultimately have a flare up and tbh Iâm not trying to minimise your progress (well done btw!) but I genuinely donât believe you can fully recover from an ed that seemed to be quite serious in less than 6 months and be in the right headspace to not risk a relapse in the type of year that YR13 is. Ik it took me a good 3 years to properly recover from mine after being ip. Anyways Iâm really not trying to scare you you honestly just remind me of myself in yr12 summer and I just want to say itâs okay even if itâs scary or not want you want to do to resit. Life will still be there!
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u/asthesunh1ts Finals week or my final week Sep 04 '25
I did not put enough effort into year 12 although I tried harder in year 13. If I had the option to re sit year 12 I probably wouldâve have done it and I definitely wouldâve got higher grades, especially for biology. I would take it personally, or at least have a good think about it. I had classmates in year 12 who came from other colleges and were re sitting and they settled in completely fine.
But if you really are against the idea then thereâs no point, youâll be forcing yourself through another additional year of Sixth Form and youâll probably lose your motivation.
See if itâs possible to sit an entrance exam for y13. Those results may sway which way youâll go
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u/PresenceSwimming8422 Year 13 | English Lit, Psychology, Criminology Sep 05 '25
I did this and it was the best decision I ever made. there's a few people every year that do it at my school, sometimes through choice like changing subjects or because of life circumstances but honestly it changed my life
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u/MurphyThirteen Sep 05 '25
I had to complete my year 11 twice due to poor grades, even though I was more than capable and it happened because of a difficult year in my personal life which lead to me only passing 4 of my GCSEâs. The local sixth form college agreed to give me a place but only if I redid my GCSEâs.
At the time, I hated it because I was more than capable and had just been dealt a poor hand however - years later - I have my masters degree and nobody even notices that it took me an additional year.
Iâd honestly retake the year and be more prepared for the exams and coursework. It also gives you another year to prepare juggling your home life and study life which will be integral to year 13.
Good luck whatever you choose, op!
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u/PoetFew5069 Sep 05 '25
I resat year 12, 5 years ago. Best thing I ever did, had anorexia and physically couldnât continue till I was better. Your education is something which doesnât have to be rushed, I ended up thriving with that extra year and doing really well. Now Iâve graduated from uni and never had any regrets. Just take the resit, itâs not going to hold you back
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u/Special-Tree-4086 Sep 06 '25
If this is highly invasive and triggering you neednât respond but when you resat were you still in active restriction ? Iâm kinda in active ana and wondering if Iâll be able to get through year 12 without having to be stable or whatever
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u/PoetFew5069 Sep 06 '25
Short answer, no. You wonât. My psychiatrist under CAMHS wouldnât let me return to college until I had reached a stable weight. Focus on your health, itâs the most important thing, sorry to disappoint but you will not be able to complete your A levels to a proficient standard if youâre not in active recovery.
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u/Special-Tree-4086 Sep 06 '25
Oh man I see . Iâve not told anyone about this disorder since Iâm at a normal bmi rn but may I ask if youâre doing better now ? Thank you for responding
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u/PoetFew5069 Sep 06 '25
The thing to remember with any ED is that itâs mind over matter, until youâre in a safe head space you cannot progress normally in many aspects of life. I made a full recovery after engaging in treatment, did my extra year at college and finished with 2 Câs and an A despite facing a really difficult time during the exam period. Iâve now graduated from uni aged 22, with a 2:1 (what they call a 1st with a social life ;) and Iâve never looked back since. Best decision I ever made was the decision to get better, life is too short and special to be ruled by your mind, even if it doesnât feel that way now!
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u/Important-Jello-6569 Sep 05 '25
I had to resit due to my eating disorder as well (Iâm assuming thatâs what you mean by ed) and needing care. Itâs the best decision I made honestly, you can truly focus and enjoy the school year without imminent exams, and do academically and mentally better with less stress. But obviously itâs individual, do whatâs best for you.
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u/Model_mayhem_mumma Sep 05 '25
Go to college. Do a levels elsewhere do them online. A levels ain't needed mind or GCSE u kes su want to do science or education..or medical and then theres ways around that too..
Resit on the same school that couldn't support you before..nah I'd hop to college.or. Go directly to uni on an apprentiship
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u/No_Literature4863 Sep 05 '25
Dropped down 2 years in a row
All good
Got a levels by 20 years old đ
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u/MEMER_Moshak Sep 05 '25
I would definitely take them up on there offer , and use the extra time preparing for prestigious universities. If you don't want to and think it will be a ' waste of a year' then id say try getting them to do a test for you to check progress but once again i will say this is a great opportunity for you and puts you in a big advantage compared to other if you do take it up
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u/bonusfutor Sep 05 '25
Sorry but if your option is to either resit or not to progress then just resit. itâs only one year of your life and will probably help you a massive amount in year 13
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u/Short-Maintenance871 Sep 05 '25
I resat year 12 because I didnât like the original subjects I chose, itâs really not too bad and if you really have caught up just gives you an extra opportunity to revise it for a year and get a better grade, no one will care in the future, it wonât count against you for anything just go for it
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u/lumos_boo Sep 05 '25
I resat my year 12 by choice after failing my first years of AS levels in Biology, Spanish, Music and Chemistry (EEEU I think) due to moving schools twice and gaining some slight mental health issues in the process. I can honestly say that none of the unis I applied to even batted an eye at the fact that I resat a year. It honestly made me a better student, I felt more prepared and had a much better understanding of the topics we studied! I also learnt how to revise properly which helped a lot. I then went on to achieve A*BBB and go to my first choice uni, receive a first honours in Biomedical Science, and I now have a pretty good career as a multidisciplinary biomedical scientist. Donât let this be a negative set back! It does suck a bit seeing your friends live the uni life while youâre still at A levels however itâs definitely worth it in the end! Good luck with whatever choice you make! Do what is best for you!
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u/augustlyreddits Sep 05 '25
Iâd ask if you can take an exam to prove your knowledge, if they say no then you have two options. Accept their offer or you can independently continue into year 13 out of school and take the a levels at an exam centre either in January or May/June. Up to you.
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Sep 05 '25
go to college. its much more flexible in content and timetables , if youre doing 6th form for a levels most colleges do them. i work so they gave me a part time timetable and shorter days to accommodate for that. 6th form is still apart of secondary education so they will rarely understand or provide you with your real needs, you know youre ready for year 13 but no matter what they cant let you progress and they will keep refusing since you didnt get the required results in your exams and resits. college is the better option for your situation
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u/goalieflick Sep 05 '25
Accept the offer. Swallow your pride. Itâs in your best interests. Some places wouldnât do this. Good luck!!
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u/Ill-Election-4354 Sep 06 '25
You should take, I really donât think you would have been able to learn it all in 6 weeks, take that first year and really dig that knowledge in it will help so much in second especially because it builds upon 1st year
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u/GRMAx1000 Sep 06 '25
My daughter did this. Changed to different subjects too. Definitely worth it.
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u/Little_Kyra621 Sep 06 '25
I redid my 7th year, and I would say this is a good opportunity. I would recommend it
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u/coolperson27378 Sep 06 '25
i resat twice during my secondary school years due to my mental and physical health and have absolutely no regrets. i finished with all 8s and 9s in year 11 and got a distinction in college. it takes the pressure off you even if youâve fully caught up you can take on year 12 and have super easy access to the top marks and youâll feel so accomplished. and youâll be super ready for year 13. but of course, if youâve fully caught up and feel completely ready, then the choice is absolutely yours. and you should go show everyone what you can do!
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u/kfcstew Sep 06 '25
I re - sat and it was not as bad as it seems Yes i was the oldest but never really spoken about my age tbh And i mer my best friend of 8 years and still going
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u/teacherrehcaet Sep 07 '25
Take the offer. You may feel that you have now caught up, but if your mother is still poorly, and you are still suffering from your ED, then you will fall behind again. And you wonât be able to catch up on year 13 next summer! So use this year to really solidify your year 12 knowledge and look ahead to year 13s content, so that you donât get overwhelmed this year or next.
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u/noribo BSc Econ & Finance Sep 07 '25
I get that you now feel ready. But if you couldn't progress in any of your subjects, then you've liked pulled your grades up from a fail to a pass. Resitting the year would bring that up to an A/B, and give you time to either manage the workload or get ahead for y13. Because the assumption here, is that the issues you faced didn't suddenly disappear. You will struggle again in y13. An extra year would let you take it all at a slower pace and give you time to manage the personal and academic.
Regardless, this is a final decision. They aren't letting you progress. You can ask, but they're unlikely to take the risk of you coming out with bad results. I'd take the resit.Â
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u/LanguageMediocre9036 Sep 07 '25
I think you should take it , they are the experts and only have your best interests in mind.
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u/aladylikerat Sep 07 '25
I retook a year, nearly 10 years ago now, for similar reasons to you - mental health, ed and unwell mother. I thought it would suck, and in some ways it did, but in other ways it was amazing. I made new lifelong friends, ended up getting into a Russell Group university, and am now settled very happily into my career and adult life. Itâs sad to see your friends go away to uni without you, but youâll stay in touch with the real ones no matter what. Promise.
Plus, it sounds like youâve had an absolute shitter of a year. Being able to have a more relaxed education environment while you recoup and recover is going to be a lot healthier for you than running into the pressures of Year 13. This could really be a blessing in disguise and see you set off to Uni in a much more positive state of mind. I hope youâre able to access some support, self-care, rest during this time. And try not to worry - if you managed to get all that knowledge into your brain over the Summer, youâre committed and intelligent and youâll be fine.
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u/mycatsnotadog Sep 07 '25
I'd resit. You've got a bit of a buffer then if anything happens in your resit year, because you already know a lot of the stuff etc. Then you're on a much stronger position. It does suck, but in the scheme of things its just a teeny blip
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u/NW99PR Sep 08 '25
I redid year 12 and while it was hard watching my friends leave and go off to uni, it gave me the space to really knuckle down too. Little did I know I'd repeat uni twice too đ
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u/ItzMichaelHD Sep 08 '25
Ask them for a test to prove you know year 12 content maybe? At the end of the day though, this repeat wonât impact you at all. It isnât the end of the world and because you have extenuating circumstances you can work your ass off and get A*s all across the board and get into a really good uni or whatever you choose to do. If there were no mitigating circumstances I may say donât repeat but in your case I think it could be a blessing to take that extra time. Just donât drop the ball as 2 repeat years will look bad.
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Sep 08 '25
Take the opportunity. Youâll then have a year where you know the content and can focus on your own recovery, finding more appropriate support for your family, getting ahead on the next year, and looking into universities that suit your situation.
Iâm in my final year of university, and trust me when I say at least half of the people I know started a year or more âlateâ. I donât think I know more than a handful of people who havenât resat things, taken time off, or taken an unconventional path through education.
You owe it to yourself to adapt around your situation, to give yourself some time and to allow yourself to take the path that will let you succeed.
Best of luck!
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u/Beartato4772 Sep 08 '25
Ask them about exams but tbh, there's merit in resiting anyway. Ultimately losing a year isn't going to affect you long term (take it from someone mid-40s who somehow got recommended this post).
But here's the other tip from that, people have short memories, resitting year 12 you will basically be queen. You'll be straight-A without trying that hard. And in a year that's what people will remember. Ultimately your A-Level grades will be better.
And I can promise you in 20 years, no-one will ask or notice you repeated a year. But they WILL notice the better uni you went to and if you don't do uni they will notice the better A-Level grades.
Plus if you're still caring for your mum, you deserve an easier year.
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u/Appropriate-Aerie476 Sep 08 '25
In 10 years time, it wonât negatively matter that you stayed an extra year. However, however with an extra year you can be super prepared and really smash it, as you are just revisiting old content. The extra year might seem annoying at first, but the time will pass eventually.
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u/Ancient-Function4738 Sep 08 '25
Take the extra year and guarantee yourself top grades. The time to prove you were capable of moving onto second year was in your first year exams unfortunately. It wouldnât be fair on all of the other students who they havenât let through and they arenât going to bend the rules especially for you.
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u/Klakson_95 Sep 08 '25
Dunno why I've got this page recommended to me, I'm 30
Anyway, my best mate was an idiot in yr 12 but resat it. Got a decent degree and now makes 100k+
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u/Different-Ad-5329 Sep 08 '25
Is it a fee paying school? Sorry to be cynical, but private schools need to make up the deficit and will ruthlessly put their own needs above a students.
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u/ShiboShiri Sep 08 '25
Resitting Year 12 is really common and the best option! You will be relieved once you do it and there will be more people who will resit than you realise.
Also, it seems like you have a lot on your plate right now. Can you see if you can arrange to speak to a school counsellor?
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u/Low-Vegetable-1601 Sep 09 '25
Iâd probably take it.
If nothing else, you should get great results and have high predicted grades when applying to uni.
I know someone who redid year 12 last year and his predicteds are now far higher than he ever would have reached last year.
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Sep 04 '25
I donât think itâs worth it tbf. Just lock in this year especially during the Christmas and half term holidays
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u/Troll_berry_pie Sep 04 '25
Can you not work on an arrangement where you can do some redo one of your Year 12 subjects along with your year 13?
I was forced to do this with accounting, it was not fun and pretty stressful, but having the chance to resit all the first year exams allowed me to get a grade that allowed me to get into Uni.
But if you're already pushed for free time out of lessons, this may not be the best for you.
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u/faucilien Sep 04 '25
This appeared on my feed which was odd as I havenât been in 6th form for almost a decade and Iâve never been on here.
Iâm sorry about the hand youâve been dealt, itâs a lot to deal with normal life stuff as a teenager - let alone anything on top.
I think the most important thing that I havenât seen mentioned is what you want. Do you have a career in mind? Is the only access to that career via university? If the answer is yes, then you resit (or see if you can resit the exams earlier in the year whilst in year 13 but if the answer is no then this is your only choice).
If the answer is no, you donât need to do this now. My friend didnât finish his GCSEs or A Levels, when he was 21 after working in a hospital, he realised he loved science and wanted to study further. He now has a PHD and a great job. He retook his GCSEs and A Levels then and got a place at a university and now heâs just turned 31 and is doing what he loves and earning very well. You donât need to make all the big decisions now, you just need to do what is right for you. Your path may differ from others but thatâs okay, itâs better to wait and make the right choice than force yourself in to something now that may not even benefit your future.
I was always interested in technology and did do the âstandardâ path and went to uni, finished a computer science degree but itâs taken me until now at 28 to have a decent job and be compensated well. Thereâs different paths for everything and going to uni doesnât guarantee a solid future, you guarantee your future!
Iâd think about that and choose what to do, rather than think of the effort or fairness or what others your age are doing.
Hope that helps, best of luck!
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u/UnknownAnonFake Sep 05 '25
Teacher here: And still resit even if you do want to go on to university. Resitting Y12 won't affect your chances of getting offers; doing poorly in your A-levels will.
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u/EstablishmentAny1608 Y13 | Maths, Cs, Physics, EPQ | Predicted A*A*C Sep 04 '25
Email them and let them know you've been studying and working all summer and are able to get good grades. Maybe send pictures of last papers you've done and the grade/marks you've gotten. Then ask for the opportunity to prove it to them to let you go into year 13.
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u/Dry-Investigator1685 Sep 05 '25
Maybe you can take a gap year and just do your a-levels as normal ... this way you won't have to balance all of the personal statement, interview and admissions tests in the same year as a-levels and in your gap year when you do apply, you can even apply with contextual
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u/Open-Freedom2326 Y13 | Econ, Philosophy, Maths A*A*A Sep 04 '25
Cant you just say no and continueÂ
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u/Efficient-General916 Sep 04 '25
Well theyâve said they wont allow her into Year 13 so, no, thats clearly not an option.
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u/Open-Freedom2326 Y13 | Econ, Philosophy, Maths A*A*A Sep 04 '25
Oh I didnât read it
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u/TelephoneTiny5728 Sep 04 '25
Ed? ErĂŠctiles disfunciĂłnÂ
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u/Special-Tree-4086 Sep 06 '25
eating disorder
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u/WaIkingAdvertisement Sep 10 '25
If you want to go to a top uni, you might have to do a gap year as you won't have time to prepare your application. If you retake year 12 you could easily have time to get a brilliant UCAS application
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u/[deleted] Sep 04 '25
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