Sooooooo Confused!!!

[CARLY_ANNE]

Hello,
Just wondered if anyone could help????

Ive nearly finished my AS levels and i was hoping to go to on to university to do equine studies and management, only thing is, some poeple have said i would be better to leave school now and get much more experience and im hopefully going to be doin my BHS stage 1 later this year, would it be better to get experience and a BHS qualification or to do my ! levels, as most of the university courses im interested in dont require many ucas points.

please help

[No_Angel]

If you want to carry on in education I would recommend going to college and doing a btec national diploma in equine studies, I did this and it gets you ready to wrok with horses, although thats not what I want to do anymore so Im going back to college to do a leatherwork course.

[cvb]

You may find some of the degree (or other) courses cover the BHS stages as you go - which kills two birds with one stone.

How clear are you that you want a career with horses ? and are you clear what it will be and what conditions you are likely to encounter ? Some of the career options will require degrees, others won't - but why close doors at this stage if you're not sure ?

another option might be a gap year - and do some work and stages in that.

I did a post uni gap year and did my BHSAI (Wellington, 3 months).

edit: p.s. my degree was entirely non-horsey (engineering)

[tracey_C]

i left school with 10 GCSE's wanted to be a forensic pathologist , started my AS Levels and then my horse was stolen while out on loan and thats when I decided I wanted to work with horses. I left and went to do the NVQ Level2. this was really good as i worked, got paid and learned new things all at the same time.

2 years ago I went to Myerscough College and started the BTEC National Diploma. This was again really good as you were with the horses and learning new things still but I had to leave because I was funding myself through it and ran out of money. I would really recommend the ND aS it opens up may opportunities for you in the future - you can do your BHS Stages alongside it too - the college I went to pays for 1 exam each year (you are more than welcome to undertake more than one but at your own expense). Min age is 16 and 5 GCSE's A-C

I am looking at working with horses again and doing the NVQ 3 and Bsc Hons Equine Science in the future.

Good luck in what you choose to do

Tracey

[TT11]

I did a degree in Equine Studies at Warwickshire College which included a year placement in industry. During my placement I worked at a racing yard and then at a riding school where I took my BHS stages.
Since I graduated I have worked for an equestrian wholesaler and a horse and rider insurance company.
The degree I did was really useful and the year out spent working on yards meant that I also have practical qualifications. A lot of jobs like you to have both a degree and BHS stages.

[hApPiNeSs]

I would definatly do your second year. Im in exactly the same position as you and you have NO IDEA how much i want to start my horsy degree. But i know i will regret if if i dont finish off my a-levels now.

Im doing equine studies and business management so that I have something to fall back on

[RachelBraz]

Originally Posted by hApPiNeSs

Im doing equine studies and business management so that I have something to fall back on

I did just that too, applied for EBM so the business side of it would be my back-up just in case the worst happened.
I can't believe it's my last week of school ever next week, A2s have gone really quickly! I can't wait to get out of 6th form and into uni, but I know I did the right thing by doing A levels first. I was going to do a National Diploma with horses last year but I was talked out of it as my friends all thought it was a waste of so many good GCSE grades, and if the worst does come to the worst and you find you can't work with horses in the end, it's better to have that back-up surely? And as you're already almost through AS levels, why not carry on? You can always do a gap year pre- or post-uni, a sandwich year (like at Warwickshire said above) or get a horsey job while you're at uni, and although my EBM course at Hartpury doesn't include a sandwich year it does include 8 weeks work experience, which I'll spend doing horsey things. BHS exams are also offered at so many colleges and riding schools, and they are in demand in the world of horsey work.
So my advice would be to stay put and endure the rest of A levels, and weigh up your options over the summer.
Rachel

[Volvic]

Dont leave school now - you've come halfway through your A levels, so I'm sure you'll be able to cope with another year.

I almost left school after GCSEs to do an ND in Equine Business Management, but I'm pleased I stuck it out & did A levels (even though they were very boring!) as I have now decided that Equine Science is more my thing than the Business Management & I have A levels to fall back on if I ever have a mid-life crisis & decide I dont want to work with horses!!!

I am currently doing NVQ 2 during my gap year (& loving every minute of it!), so I would highly recommend doing a gap year to gain qualifications before going to uni, but if you dont want to do that, you can just as easily get the qualifications at college/uni.

Good luck with whatever you decide. Feel free to PM me - I know exactly how you feel!

[charlotte+jill!]

Im at the same stage.

I am really not enjoying my A-levels and therefore not putting in the work and effort that I should. So I looked around a bit as i knew which degree i wanted to do (Equine sports science) and looked at colleges and Hartpury jumped out at me and next year i am going to hartpury to do ND horse managment stud option which will take me onto my degree. It will also give me the valuible experiance of working with stallions and producing youngesters. Also able to do all the BHS stages at the same time.

But that was the right choice for me, if you feel you can go on for another year and do a dregee in something horsey. for experiance work at a riding school/yard at weekends something look around

hope it works out

[joosie]

I would say stick with college!!! Having full A-levels will give you more options in the future should you change your mind about what you want to do. As No_Angel said -

Originally Posted by No_Angel

thats not what I want to do anymore so Im going back to college to do a leatherwork course.

Why spend a year doing AS levels and then drop out of college? It would make the whole of last year less worthwhile!

[CARLY_ANNE]

hmmm, thanks for all the help still VERY confused, lol!!!!

Will have a look around at evrything available and have to make my decision pretty soon ,

[tracey_C]

Good luck with whatever you chose - it will be the rifht decision for you