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blackeyed | 19:37 Sat 27th Jun 2009 | Jobs & Education
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Is it possible to skip the starting 2 years of university and go straight to the third year(after doing A-levels)?
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Probably not, as you need to take exams etc. each year to contribute to your total grade. It's not only the last year that counts.
You probably won't be able to skip two whole years as, like pigletion says, your grades, attendance etc. will all count towards your final degree.

However, if you've got relevant experience or alternative qualifications (probably not just A levels, though), your university might exempt you from certain modules through APEL (Accreditation for Prior Experience and Learning).

It's worth asking your uni, but I'd be very surprised if any university let you miss that much of the degree. Just do the three years and enjoy it!! University's great!! x
Question Author
thanx for or answers guys!
None of my business I know, but I'd be interested to know whether and why you were considering this. Cheers.
Question Author
well,i don't know why you are interested,but yes, i am seriously thinking about skipping some years as i don't want to waste my uni years studing something i've already done.
Cheers.
I'm asking because I want to be sure we understand your situation so we can give the best advice. I've been through university at degree and post grad level and I've also recruited graduates so I have a pretty good understanding of some of the issues for people in your position.

If someone has done an HND or a degree in i similar subject then I can see that it's not a major step to upgrade to a degree in a new subject, but I'd be very suprised if the first two years at Uni would be little more than a repeat of what was done at A level. What subject is it?
Question Author
i wont be going to a Uni in the UK.
and honestly,i didn't understand your question!
all i can say is that i want to be an astrophysicist so i guess,the only new subject is going to be astronomy.
Sorry you don't understand what I said.

Let me remind you of your question. You said:
"Is it possible to skip the starting 2 years of university and go straight to the third year(after doing A-levels)?....i am seriously thinking about skipping some years as i don't want to waste my uni years studying something i've already done."

My response was to express some surprise at your perception that the first two years of your degree would be spent covering what you did at 'A' level. In my experience a good degree course in the UK would not spend any more than a few weeks going over what you would have done at 'A' level. The rest of the course would be stretching and interesting and bring with it all the other benefits of university life.

However you have now clarified that the degree would not actually be in the UK, so as this is a UK site you may not be asking the right people and certainly I cannot help.

If you are still in sixth form you need to speak to a teacher for advice. If you have already left, then the universities in whichever countries you are considering will be able to advise.
you should probably study physics, then specialise in astophysics at PhD.

First two years of a degree are not the same as A-levels, if they were, why would you want that degree?

Uni degrees build on the work taught each year, so in the second year your subjects will be taught assuming you have the knowledge from the first year. You won't be studying something you've already done, as this would be pointless! Although it does have to say you've done it on your CV, hence why you need the degree.

If you feel you are further advanced than your degree, then you can just get excellent marks and do other stuff to ensure you get the job you want with your free time e.g. extra research, working part-time for an Astophysics lecturer at your uni etc. Use all the resources/personel the University has to offer to get you to where you want to go.
Question Author
thanx alot for guys,you cleared a big misconception.The reason i've been AB is that i am a Pakistani living in Saudi Arabia.There are no Unis for girls in the city i am living in.There is literally and virtually no one i could discuss about my studies with,all of my teachers are Indians and they don't know about Pakistani or European Universities.If i go backto Pakistan and join a Uni i am prett sure they are not going to be much different than the the UK ones and thats why i turn to you guys for any educational help.
Cheers(if you didn't understand wh i wrote all this just take it as a teenager taking out her frustation and thanks again for your help you don't know what its worth)
For the UK, look at the UCAS web site www.ucas.ac.uk/
This is who you have to apply for uni through in the UK and they have info about unis and other FAQs. This is from UCAS http://yougo.co.uk/ and is more of a forum, so maybe you can ask some questions here from people in the same boat as you.

Also, when you interview for uni (don't always have to interveiw, but you can request one), you can ask any questions about course structure, research opportunities etc.


I'm sure there are similar internet resources for other countries. Just keep asking the questions and get as much info as you can.

Hope it all goes well
Question Author
Pigletion, ireally appreciate your help.but,yougo seems valid only for the uk candidates.Moreover,i would like to search on a free site i won't be able to buy their membership card.
oh sorry, I didn't really read the specifics of that site! I thought it was for anyone going to a UK uni, which I thought you were considering or finding out about, maybe I misunderstood, sorry!

Hopefully there are others that are free..
Question Author
no problem Pigletion,i'll try to get other sites.
appreciate your support though!
did you look at the UCAS site. You can search courses and what each uni has to offer and a bit on course structure. It's definitely free. Also has advice for UK and non-UK students,might be quite generic, but might be useful.

Like this

Picked Physics with Astrophysics, then Bristol at random as it's near beginning of alphabet! Is good uni though!

http://search.ucas.com/cgi-bin/hsrun/search/se arch/StateId/DycVuG_MMw_MhPC0bMCgxwqqRXe-w-4dz x/HAHTpage/search.HsProfileDetails.run?n=95652 1#1-2

Question Author
went through,it was very useful.
ihave one other doubt;english is not my first lang but iam studying eng as a second lang at my school,do i still need to go for IELTS or any other course?
Question Author
i went through UCAS*
Well you seem fine writing here!

I think they usually assess you when you apply, but based on many people I have been to Unis with, you will sail through! You may not have to do any sort of test, particularly if you are already studying it, as that will be on your record. It isn't anything for you to worry about
Question Author
thanx.
one other question(hopefully last),if i do the three year course in the uni would i become an astrophysicist?or would i need another Masters degree?
Well usually to be a scientist you either go into industry or become and academic and do research, I'm guessing the latter for astrophysics (can't think of industrial astrophysicists as such, but maybe they exist. Most will be research based). Whilst there may be some openings at graduate level, most will expect at least a Masters (postgraduate one), but probably a PhD. If you stay in academia, you will definitely have to go the PhD route to conduct research (I know, I've done it. Then left shortly afterwards!!).

Again, when you apply to Unis you can ask questions like this, staff member love people who are interested in their research.

Also my undergrad degree was a 4yrs MSci in Physics, which was becoming the norm at the time. However, we were also advised to apply for the four year degrees as it means you can secure your funding for the four years. It is easy to transfer to a 3 yr degree from a 4 yr one, but can be harder the other way. Not sure how you'll be funded, but it's worth thinking about ahead of time.

Also if you're on a 4yr degree and they don't think you're quite good enough (usually after 2 yrs), they can make you transfer to the 3yr BSc.

Hope that all makes sense. Definitely ask about all the different routes to your chosen career at interview, the unis are very helpful.

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