Should I retake GCSE English?

invuk

I have a failed business due to coronavirus and will soon possibly be made redundant so will be able to commit time and effort into this. I am trying to find positive ways forward and education is a definite possibility at the moment. I am concerned about applying for courses only to find they are online or cancelled due to current measures but like I said previously online might be best for me anyway. Also when I previously tried to complete this course it cost me nothing so would prefer to do this again if possible.

eamon

Enlightened employers will know all about equivalency qualifications and you won't be the only person without a C in  English. Having said that in your shoes I would be doing some research in how to upgrade these core qualifications. Below is a useful starting point.

https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/find-a-course

General_Grant

Not all institutions are the same. 

I do have GCE in English but not Maths.  I have L2 in Maths equivalent level to GCSE.  A University admitted me to a Masters  (even before I had the L2) and another to a PGCE.
On the other hand, local authority Adult Education class last year insisted I take assessment at enrolment in order to start a bookkeeping course and wouldn't accept the L2 in Maths but would have accepted GCSE (I'm not sure whether they knew what a GCE was)..

suki1964

invuk said:

I have a failed business due to coronavirus and will soon possibly be made redundant so will be able to commit time and effort into this. I am trying to find positive ways forward and education is a definite possibility at the moment. I am concerned about applying for courses only to find they are online or cancelled due to current measures but like I said previously online might be best for me anyway. Also when I previously tried to complete this course it cost me nothing so would prefer to do this again if possible.

Time effort and commitment is all thats needed and it sounds like you have two of them already so there really is no reason to  not do it

If you are doing it online, may I suggest that you "book' the time in your life. Set aside the hours needed in your diary/planner/whatever it is you use, for study time and only use it as such and don't let others in your life take that time from you. Its so easy to be dragged into doing something else whilst trying to study at home. if you were in class, you cant be reached. Make the same rules for home study

The very best of luck x

Snow_Phoenix

I think it is worth you checking if there are any diploma courses which may fit the bill for you getting the qualifications to get into university if this is what you are looking to do. I paid to redo one of my GCSE's before then applying for an access course. I found out afterwards I could have done the GCSE for free as part of the access course and had paid out a lot of money to do the GSCE. Access courses are specifically targeted at mature students who are looking to go back to education. Whereas when I did the GSCE course it was a mixture of age groups who needed the pass. It just may be worth considering as could save you money and time in the long run. 

bucksbloke

I left school with no qualifications at all. I was bright but I got kicked out of home just before my exams. I now have a Masters Degree in HR and also an MBA but I still have no GCSES!. You don't need as a mature student to do these qualifications to go to college or Uni. 

invuk

Thanks for all the advice and comments provided - it's much appreciated. I really am at a sticking point in my life! I still live with my parents and have very little in the way of qualifications, I expect to be made redundant soon (customer service) and don't know what to do next! I have approximately  £25k in savings and am interested in studying but don't know for sure what I would be good at apart from science maybe? If I did an access course then maybe this would allow to study at a higher level but then I need to move out of my parents home (this is making me ill) and be able to finance all this as well as accommodation and living costs. Also, if I don't have a vision of what I ultimately want to be then am I wasting my time in even thinking about all this? 

Snow_Phoenix

I think there is a lot of information for you to process there and it is important to weigh up the pros and cons. You could do the course part time over 2 years if you wanted to work part time to support yourself. It is interesting as when I did the access course some years ago it was prices slightly differently. It looked like now they get you to take out the equivalent of a student loan for the course but then state they write off the balance in full if you then go on to do a degree and complete it, thereby getting the access course for free. I did the science based course and there were other people on it who completed changed the direction of what they wanted to at university by the time the course ended e.g. started off wanting to be a nurse and ended the course going on to study biomedical science and became a science teacher. Here is the UCAS leaflet on mature students which may be worth you looking at and takes you through a lot of things to consider.

https://www.ucas.com/file/35436/download?token=2Q6wiw-L 

It may also be worth contacting your local college to find out more as they may be able to give you some information that helps you to decide what is best for you as all courses are funded different. It is a really big decision, I walked away from paid work to do mine but it has put me in a better position long term with career prospects. Only you know your unique circumstances but it may be something you decide to do in the future. Do be aware prices and funding changes sometimes so just because there are offering these things now does not mean they will be in a few years time. 

invuk

Thanks Snow Phoenix. I have had a quick look and noticed the Open University offer free access courses. How can they do this?

Registering for an Access module

When you’ve chosen the right Access module for you, simply visit the module page to book your place.

As you register, you’ll get a choice of payment options. You may even be eligible to study your Access module for free.

Study for free

In order to qualify you must:

• be resident in England
• be registered on a qualification
• have a household income of less than £25,000 (or receive qualifying benefits)
• have not completed one year or more on any full-time undergraduate programme at FHEQ Level 4 or above, or completed 30 credits or more of OU study

Snow_Phoenix

Yes I had noticed that when I was looking for information earlier for you. I am not sure, also would be worth checking what a module counts as. My course consisted of 3 modules/subjects. It could be worth you dropping them an email to clarify.