I’m in grade 10, and I’m thinking about going private next year because I feel like school is just wasting my time. My teachers aren’t helpful, and I end up having to study everything on my own for my IGCSE exams anyway. I’m considering going private for A levels after my exams next May/June. Do you think it’s a good idea?
Hey there! I’m currently a private candidate (homeschooler, kind of), and to be honest, I wouldn’t recommend studying A levels entirely at home. I’m finishing my IGCSE this year, but I plan to attend school next year for A levels.
If things are really bad, you could consider changing schools instead of going completely private. But only if you’re sure you can manage your time and lessons by yourself. Even then, it’s tough.
Also, are you doing all your IGCSE subjects with your current school? Have you thought about taking them as a private candidate somewhere else?
In my opinion, school is only a waste of time towards the end when you’re revising for the exams.
@Jason
Thanks for your honest opinion, I appreciate it. Yes, I’m taking physics, biology, chemistry, maths, and English with my school. If I go private, I can take the exams with the British Council or other centers.
Can you explain more about why you think going private for A levels would be a bad idea, especially since you’re homeschooling? I feel like I can handle managing my own schedule, and changing schools isn’t an option for me because I have issues with both the teachers and students.
@Silas
The thing is, I’ve looked at the A level syllabus and exam questions, and it’s much harder than IGCSE. Even for IGCSE, I needed tutors for some subjects.
If you’re thinking about A levels, be ready to spend a lot on tutors because the good ones can be more expensive than regular school fees.
Another thing to consider is practical exams for science subjects. A levels require hands-on practicals, and it’s not something you can easily do at home without the right lab equipment.
In my experience, homeschooling for grades 1 to 10 is possible with some effort, but A levels are on a whole different level. There’s a lot less overlap between the IGCSE and A level syllabi, so it’s almost like starting from scratch.
CathyGenesis said:
@Jason
What if I’m just doing AS levels? Is that any easier?
I’m not entirely sure about that. I’ve done a lot of research, but I couldn’t find much difference between AS and full A levels. If you feel confident, you can try it, but definitely make use of textbooks, summary notes, and YouTube videos for better understanding.
@Jason
The practicals part makes sense, but I’m already studying with tutors, so that shouldn’t be an issue.
As for practicals, do you think I could learn them by watching videos online? Right now, the practicals we do are pretty simple, and most of the instructions are already provided in the past papers.
@Silas
Some practicals, sure, you can learn by watching videos, but others might be tricky. If you make a mistake, the video won’t be able to help you out in real-time. That’s the main issue. I’ve only done practicals for ICT, and sometimes I needed someone to point out where I went wrong.
Maybe you can try studying the first half of the year on your own and then transfer to a school or academic center if they allow you to continue where you left off. When I moved from school to an academic center for my IGCSEs, I saw a big improvement because they focused more on the actual studies.
@Jason
I see, that makes sense. I’ll look into academic centers in my area. Unfortunately, schools here don’t let you pick up where you left off, so I’d have to repeat the year.
Thanks so much for sharing your experience and advice! I’m still not 100% sure, but I’m leaning more toward going private since I’m already tired of going to school every day 
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@Silas
Yeah, that’s pretty common with schools. That’s why I mentioned academic centers—they tend to be more flexible. You could do private study for the first part of the year, and then switch to a center later. By then, you’ll have covered a lot of the syllabus and won’t feel too behind when you join.
Yes, I think it’s a good idea.