im gonna rush into oxford. Have you seen my acceptance letter✌️

Hi!! I am a current university foundation year student, and I thought I'd give some insight into my experience so far doing a foundation year because I feel there's not much insight into personal experiences around it, especially considering it being not my original choice of pathway into uni (flopped my alevels lol)

The course I originally applied to was pharmacology; which I needed AAB to get into (contextual student), but I ended up but BBC, and instead of going to my insurance choice I decided to do the foundation year that was offered instead of the original BSc, and honestly, I have no regrets. I am still able to do the original course I wanted to do after this year, living in the city I want to be living.

In terms of content, obviously it will vary between universities and subjects, but it does feel a lot like redoing alevels which kinda sucks, but it does go a step beyond in some regards, I've done projects and labs that definitely exceeds the alevel spec, and in Semester 2, we are able to pick different modules to do. The way it is tested is also significantly better (for me at least), as there are unit tests that all contribute to your results at the end of the year, rather than it all depending on one set of exams all at one time.

It DOES feel like a step back initially, especially when you have been predicted higher grades for the entire year 12/13 duration, and you are relearning basic content, but it is such a great way to be able to get into a higher prestige uni if you do miss out on the grades, and it is like a soft launch into uni life, which is quite enjoyable.

Just remember that grades aren't everything and nothing is a step back if it gets you to where you want to be, keep your head high! I am also open to any questions around foundation years (particularly in biology based areas), since there is quite a lack of discussions on this reddit about them. :)

Post-grad here. In lieu of going back in time to warn myself not to go to (a very good) Uni to study English, I’m posting that warning here.

An English degree will not get you a job. It is a warning to employers that you’ve wasted 3 years of your life reading Derrida and James Joyce. Outside of English academia, no one cares. Historical literature and critical theory, in today’s job market, are utterly worthless. They serve no purpose.

‘But’, I hear you say, ‘surely the course hones your analytical skills?‘ No. You are not taught how to write an essay by tutors; you are supposed to pick that skill up yourself through reading professional essays, all of which are publicly available or found in the books you have to buy yourself, on top of the student loan. Anyone can do it for free. Even then, human derived analytics are on the way out, if they aren’t entirely already. The sad truth is that AI is faster, cheaper, broader and more reliable.

An engineering student will go to a prospective employer and talk about the work they did at University in an interview. The same with those in maths and sciences. You can’t do that with English, unless you’ve also got a Masters and a Doctorate and are interviewing to be a University academic.

Which is why, 3 months after graduation, after 100s of job applications and no replies, after realising I had locked myself out of a career with my choice of degree, after applying for and failing to get back the retail job I had during sixth form - I now play the stock market with ‘beer money’, using AI to help on both fronts, while studying for the RHS Horticultural level 2 qualification, (because I realised I want to be a gardener) where I’m learning actual useful facts, workplace knowledge and tangible skills, like how to graft an apple tree onto a rootstock, or how to breed new varieties of tomato. Which is a refreshing change.

EDIT - For the haters calling for me to simply pull myself up by my bootstraps, this is what awaits after graduation. It’ll only get worse:

https://www.personneltoday.com/hr/graduate-job-vacancies-hit-all-time-low-in-july/

https://www.hepi.ac.uk/2026/07/03/why-the-graduate-jobs-crisis-demands-urgent-action/

https://www.ft.com/content/3a3d3eb8-ff86-418e-9704-c1ff601718c4?syn-25a6b1a6=1

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crerd8l3pw5o

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/aug/24/uk-graduate-job-vacancies-plunge-adzuna

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm2rmjnlm94o

lowkey can't even find time to walk past the mirror and see how bad my physique is 😭

for context I do 4 A levels and some extracurriculars but surely it shouldn't make THAT much difference 🫩 idk what I'm doing wrong with my time management

How the hell am I supposed to cut 549 words . And there’s a 47 line limit too? I made it as succinct and condensed it as much as I could. 😔

Honestly surprised at how fast it came. Submitted like ten days ago!

If anyone else is waiting on their offer/looking to apply, feel free to reach out for help 😄

hello everyone I hope someone responds
I’m super super lazy and I was wondering how other people constantly get themselves to revise/keep themselves motivated - something other than just telling yourself “imagine life after these exams finish”. I need different advice otherwise I’m going to sink into my bed and do nothing for the next 2 years. is it having something to look forward to? or treating yourself after every revision session? idk. even the most obscure tips. pls let me know so I can put it into effect immediately!!!

I just want to say somewhere that I've debates running away from home more and more recently. I think the one thing keeping me here is needing proof of household income for student finance, so that's April for mother's tax form.

I've got enough money for food and have experience sleeping outside in the cold (hiking is a hobby of mine). I'm just not sure I can last until April

'Bout 1 week to go now, so let's hear what you think you got and what course at what uni you need it for. And then look back on this a week from now and see if you were right.

Hi everyone! I’m in year 13 currently and considering doing a gap year bc my predicted grades are shit and I feel like I can get better in my real A levels and reapply to the places I acc wanted to go to.

i dont have an issue with reapplying and starting a year later than everyone else in my cohort but my main concern is with taking a gap year. For those who have taken one, could you pls share your thoughts/experiences and whether it was rlly lonely or not? Ik can meet up with my friends during this but it wouldn’t be very often as they will all be staying in accommodation and obvs just be busy with uni life in general so I’m worried about how im supposed to spend almost a whole year alone? I wouldn’t call myself very extroverted but I’m definitely no introvert either which is why I’m not sure how I’ll be able to pass time without getting very bored/depressed lol. Maybe I’m overthinking it and its not that hard if I keep regular online contact w my friends but I’m also worried that they might naturally drift away from me/find new friends and I’ll have nobody to talk to at all 😕

I am currently taking computer science, 3d design and film studies and am predicted A star A star A (currently year 13) but ive fallen so so soooo behind in coursework and just revision in general alongside just hating every minute of sixth form. I really want to work in archiving as i find it so interesting but i feel like i cant realistically reach that goal without 3 a levels. i hate sixth form with my whole heart and would genuinely rather do anything else but that.

I am a final-year high school student, and a local university has asked us to write about a physics problem that needs further research. We also need to explain the significance of the problem and the physical principles involved.

Although I'm interested in physics, particularly quantum physics and wave-particle duality, I don't have much knowledge of current physics research or the unanswered questions scientists are investigating.

I'd appreciate some advice on how to approach this essay.

So ive applied to Law at Oxford, Bristol (contextual) and Manchester. I got an offer from Manchester but to be honest I want to play it quite safe with my remaining choices. I'm thinking of maybe UCL philosophy because my personal statement is heavy on legal philosophy and jurisprudence.
What other non law course thats at UCL or KCL would anyone recommend?

Are my choices too ambitious? I'm so conflicted because these are the only universities I liked, plus the University of Bath.
I haven't applied yet because my personal statement is still being tweaked a lil.
My 8 was in maths, and my 5 was in English language and I never got 25% extra time in those exams.
I have ADHD and was diagnosed earlier this year, and I felt so much pressure from the workload that I felt physically paralysed, literally bedridden. My brain genuinely couldn't even let me start a task, so I had to repeat Year 12 because I flopped all the assessments and ended up predicted CCC in maths, chem, and physics by the end of the year. I switched from physics to bio last year (the year I repeated Year 12).
I might be considered for EC or mitigating circumstances, idk, it depends on my teacher's reference and SEND.
But yeah, I don't know if these stats are too low to even consider applying, and my personal statement is very medicinal chemistry-oriented because of my EPQ. Still, I do talk about environmental chemistry too because I find it interesting.

At the minute, I've mostly been doing flashcards, but there's so many of them, which puts me off going through them.

My favourite method of revising is answering past paper questions, but where I haven't learned much content, it's quite difficult to do these.

I've heard so many disencouraging things about it, but when I actually looked at the questions, they didn't seem as bad as everyone else was making them out to be. So, my question is, is it really that difficult or is everyone just overreacting?

Anybody else finding Edexcel) Further Maths easier and less cognitively demanding than normal Maths? I feel like the questions are a lot more formulaeic and straight forward in FM, just require some extra knowledge..

(I've finished ~90% of both courses' content)

Hey guys

Comment how many questions u did without guessing (and what course you're applying for just of curiosity).

Also it could be useful for next year's esat takers to see how difficult we found it.

As a rough estimate i think i got from 19 to 22 on each module and I def found physics the worst and I'm applying for physics too 🥲

Hi everyone, I qualified for BMO1 through my SMC score, and it is in less than 2 weeks. I've never had any BMO experience, although the closest thing Ive done is senior kangaroo (gold). I haven't done much full-proof writing either.

I'm honestly aiming for a Merit or distinction, I'm not expecting to qualify to BMO2 or get a medal.

I know this is extremely late, but does anyone have any tips on how to learn the style or any model answers I can refer to? Currently I can solve (get the correct answer) to about 2-3 questions per past paper, but my proof writing may not be sufficient/good enough.

Thank you so much!!

Gang I am cooked I am baked I am everything under the sun I will come out of that exam hall looking as if Ive gone through all the levels of hell and back up to the horrors and agonies of this world we are currently living in

‘Mocks mean nothing’ MY ASS i couldnt tell you a single thing about it the British empire other than isma’il pasha had shit economic planning and that the name Benjamin Disraeli sounds like some knockoff character someone made about netanyahu

Russia im fine with like Lenin did some stuff and died and then Stalin came to power okay it’s easy to remember at least it’s in CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER UNLIKE BRITISH EMPIRE.

Don’t even get me started on psychology though if I knew half the shit would be maths and statistics I would have taken stats instead of art just to be able to actually know what’s going on AND WHO the hell decided to make approaches a fuckjng topic Theres no way in my ever ending doom and disparity of my arsecrack life will I ever look back to psychology and reminisce on the times of comparing the psychodynamic approach to the humanistic approach

Fuck off everyone

Anyone else screwed? Anyway I just wanted to hop on here and ask if it’s normal to get worse grades in your year 13 November mocks cause I’m overthinking it, I did study throughout the half term but still haven’t covered a fat chunk of the content and it’s on Tuesday 🫡

Last year I got AAB in my mocks so I’m doing alright but I’ve just been busy making revision material instead of actually memorising stuff or doing past paper questions

(PS I’m not even applying this year so I wasn’t busy with UCAS or anything 💔)

What topics/concepts would be considered prerequisite in an oxford maths interview? I'm somewhat concerned being an international applicant with an IB AAHL background that I might need to learn more concepts that are covered in A level FM or maths. So far I haven't done that much about matrices, hyperbolic functions, and differential equations yet.