Retake stories

Don't just take our word for it, read what others have to say about retaking at Rochester

Another retake success story heading to Bristol with A*A*A, this time for Economics and Politics, is Charlie from St Olave’s Grammar. He says: “I could have gone to university with the grades I had last year and that makes it even harder when you know all your friends are settled on degree courses. But I knew I could do better. It is particularly hard at first when all your mates are already at university but I have matured a lot this year and appreciate the need for hard work much more than I did before.” 

Fresh directions with A level retakes 

“I had got really fed up with my previous school and looked around for a new place for my A levels. Leaving school gave me a real feeling of freedom and with that has come the ability to achieve despite being dyslexic. I am hoping to build a future career in corporate branding. A spell of work experience in London clinched the idea of pursuing Graphics at Leeds. I would like to go to California to work. The small classes here and friendly atmosphere helped me settle in. I don’t think I’d have got this far without coming here.”

“Having spent rather more time on playing rugby than doing homework, I did not do too well in my A levels last year – well, disastrously really! I knew I was going to do badly, but it was still a shock to get the results. Having thought about various options, I decided I did want to prove I could do better and so decided to retake. It has been hard work, but taking Film Studies as well gave a bit of contrast which helped – I had the chance to decide whether or not I wanted to take an AS or just do it for interest.”

“I did not do well in my AS examinations at my previous school and I would not have been able to carry on to A2 in the subjects I wanted to. Although I had always been in state schools for my education, I looked at going to an independent school for my last year. I knew I could do much better than I did at AS – I just didn’t do enough work. It has been much easier than I imagined studying at Rochester Independent College. I think the small classes are a big help and the fact you are allowed to develop at your own rate. I would still be failing had I not made the move and could never have got so far without the help I’ve received here.”

“It was a difficult decision to retake my A levels but now I know it was the best thing I could have done with my gap year. I have found all my teachers inspiring and enthusiastic and they have given me the confidence I needed to achieve my potential. I have the skills and confidence to go and do well at university.”

“I have taken a year course at Rochester retaking Maths A level and studying some additional A levels which I felt would improve my chances of getting into university. I didn’t get any interviews last year, but this year, not only have I been interviewed, I have actually been given an offer by the Royal Veterinary College in London even though I am retaking one subject – I can hardly believe it!”

“I suffered a compound fracture playing rugby and found that I lost confidence in almost everything and lack of motivation followed. My family has given me this chance to make up lost ground and it’s working. You are made to work here, much more so than at school and it brings results. I am now focused and self disciplined. I retook Geography after a term in January and I am now finishing a year course in History, Sociology and Art. In October I start a Business degree and then I am off to the States to make my fortune. I can only speak highly of the staff here.”

“I didn’t apply to university last year as I was really unfocussed. I just didn’t know what I wanted to do as a career. Instead of a Gap Year, I retook my A levels this year and it has given me a breathing space, a time to think. This College really helps you to focus on your objectives and I am now looking forward to a really interesting career in nutritional dietetics – a subject becoming more important as health issues in preventative and recuperative medicine take on a more important role in the medical field.”

“The disappointment of not achieving to my full potential in my A levels forced me to reappraise my choices and has further stiffened my resolve to realise my ambition. Therefore, determined and focused, I enrolled at Rochester Independent College to ensure that I achieve to my best ability. The college has provided me with purposeful belief in myself; the cultivating of independent learning aided with acquiring more in depth subject knowledge has allowed me to yet again thrive in an educational experience and hopefully this additional year will only go towards improving me individually and providing an exceptional foundation for a career in veterinary medicine.”

“I want to be a physiotherapist and have my sights on, Liverpool FC as a future employer! I came to Rochester Independent College to improve grades and now have an offer for Physio at Keele University. The college students are very motivated, which means no one is allowed to shirk. My essay writing has greatly improved with the help of the History teacher who really worked with me one to one. In Biology I was given a test every week to get up to exam standard. The atmosphere is informal, so you absorb your subject and the relationship between the tutors and students is interactive.”

“Part-time work experience at a local Medway Hospital convinced me that I didn’t have any interest in office administration. I want to be a teacher. My first A-levels were not as good as I hoped; like many people, I had a mental block with exams and it was really upsetting, as my overall standard was high. My schoolteachers recommended Rochester Independent College as an excellent alternative to anything they could offer and I have never looked back. With constant mock exam practice I’ve achieved the confidence I needed in exams. A place at the Royal Holloway at Egham, part of the University of London is now waiting for me. Not only have I conquered my exam problem, but the time I spent here has let me see how all my friends have settled at their universities and it made me positive about being a teacher. I’ve matured here.”