Is the extended project qualification worth it?

We had a presentation on it today at college, and were told it was good for your personal statement etc, but alot of hard work. I dont want to start it and find it too hard/much work, but equally I dont want to miss what could be a good opportunity. Any thoughts from anyone who has done it, or knows anything about it?

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Reply 1

Chocolate_Pecan_Fudge

YES!! I loved my EPQ, but then it is a lot of hard work so it's best to get it done over the summer- I would only really recommend it if you're good at self- motivating (choose a topic you're really keen on) It's also absolutely invaluable for A2 coursework if you're doing coursework subjects- I got A*s in both my English and history coursework having done EPQ. It's down to how hard you're prepared to work- I loved my EPQ, but then I know people who absolutely hated it. Also the logbook is a little annoying- there is a lot of self- repetition involved. I would recommend it though...! :smile:

Reply 2

Milly Anna

Thanks for that, you're persuading me to do it! (apart from the bit about the people who hate it!) And I didnt realise you could do it in the summer, i thought it was something that had to be done over the course of the year:/

Reply 3

Chocolate_Pecan_Fudge

Original post by Milly Anna

Haha well I definitely loved it! You can do different entries I think- In our college we did fast track (submission in October for the Oxbridge and medicine people) and normal (submission in December/ January) I honestly think it's best to get it out of the way before you start getting the university pressure with your A level exams- if you're applying to places where you need to get high grades for entry, then you really don't need EPQ hanging over your head. I did the fast track and I wouldn't have wanted it to go on for any longer! But even if your college is doing it over the course of the year, there is no reason why you can't do it over the summer and then have the spare time for revision. It is a great thing to do over the summer though, couldn't recommend it enough! :smile:

Reply 4

harh

If you're going to be applying for a subject that you didn't study at school, or you're applying to places which require interviews, then very much worth it :smile:

If not, probably useful, if it doesn't detract from other qualifications!

Reply 5

Super Cicero

Only do it if you really enjoy the subject your EPQ is related to. I'm glad I did it, but I have no way of knowing whether or not I would have got all the offers I did if I hadn't done EPQ. It kept me busy during the summer between Lower 6th and Upper 6th - it was a better use of time than just playing video games all day like I would have otherwise...

Reply 6

jada897

Original post by Chocolate_Pecan_Fudge

I'm doing epq over summer and I was wondering what you did about the supervisor signing things off in the log, did they sign it all when you came back in september? :smile:

Reply 7

OddworldInhabitant

Definitely, as usually it shows that you're a cut above the rest, and would look good for your results. Let's face it, most work for college or university is hard, but this looks better on your results than the 'bog-standard' General Studies. If you're prepared to put the work in, then it's a definite yes.

Reply 8

TheHaylio

Original post by jada897

I'm doing epq over summer and I was wondering what you did about the supervisor signing things off in the log, did they sign it all when you came back in september? :smile:

Do you have a set list of how you are going to approach yours?

I'm doing my independantly over the summer and i'm really confused aout things like research reviews? Like when you do them?

Reply 9

jada897

Original post by TheHaylio

Do you have a set list of how you are going to approach yours?

I'm doing my independantly over the summer and i'm really confused aout things like research reviews? Like when you do them?

Im really confused too :/ no books on it at any libraries :frown:

Reply 10

Chocolate_Pecan_Fudge

Original post by jada897

I'm doing epq over summer and I was wondering what you did about the supervisor signing things off in the log, did they sign it all when you came back in september? :smile:

Yeah, pretty much. With the advice sections I generally emailed my dissertation to them and they gave me feedback to put down. But it's quite easy to make this stuff up- just put down what you need to do and make it sound like your advisor said it (I know that's setting an awful example, but sometimes teachers canbe really disinterested with this whole project!) But I got mine signed off when I'd completed the whole thing. Hope that helps :smile:

Reply 11

Chocolate_Pecan_Fudge

Original post by OddworldInhabitant

This is completely right. It's hard work but do it if you possibly can, I think it does give you an edge above other candidates when it comes to applying for university.

Reply 12

Chocolate_Pecan_Fudge

Original post by TheHaylio

Do you have a set list of how you are going to approach yours?

I'm doing my independantly over the summer and i'm really confused aout things like research reviews? Like when you do them?

Whenever you want to with the research reviews. I did my dissertation first and kept notes on the problems that I faced and the chages I made etc... with brief notes in my logbook. I then properly filled in my logbook at the end- it is fairly easy to make up: if you can't think of any problems that you encountered then make one up like changing the title, or refocussing your essay to a different perspective. You can also comment on the progress and content of your essay, including what sources you used and found helpful. Be as verbose as you can!!

Reply 13

Chocolate_Pecan_Fudge

Original post by jada897

Im really confused too :/ no books on it at any libraries :frown:

Have you searched library catologues online? If it's not in your local library then they can order it in for you? Also Google scholar is great for finding articles about your topic. If there is really nothing then base it on original thought- examiners should love that!

Reply 14

Claire888

I found it really helpful as it was related to the course I applied to, so hopefully it will help next year when studying the subject as I have researched one key area which I probably now know more about than most. It is basically like writing a dissertation so is helpful for preparing you for that which you will have to produce at university anyway.

At my school all my year originally started out doing it (about 110) by the end only 25 had stuck it out. It shows the time and effort that you put in for it and it was generally the hard workers that stuck it out, so that is a good sign for the universities I guess. I wrote about it in my personal statement as well and although I didn't get an offer based on it I think it probably made my application stronger. I know I put a lot of work into it, probably more than I needed to but I can't ever do anything by half.

I would suggest deciding on a title early, discuss it with your supervisor and almost certainly make it relevant to the course you intend to study (as it gives you something to work for, if you know you have a goal). Then do research over summer between AS and A2, and try and get it from as many sources as possible not just the internet (magazines, books, journals etc, I used university libraries). This then gives you a good base to start from, make a rough plan and start from there and do small sections at a time. If it is something your interested in then it shouldn't feel too much like hard work.

Reply 15

TimmonaPortella

No, the huge stack of paperwork and menial tasks like keeping a journal in my experience take the fun out of even the most interesting topics. If you need something to write about on your PS do some personal research and discuss it. The EPQ doesn't add much in itself.

Reply 16

ThumbsUp

Loved EPQ, it was a quarter of my personal statement and the lecturers who interviewed me at unis loved it! it also let me research a topic i'm genuinely interested in beyond the syllabus

Reply 17

Petro_99

i loved it. i got to research a topic i genuinely loved, and learnt alot about essay writing and planning.

if you want to do it and are perhaps worried with the work, you could get most of it done over the summer, and then add in the last little bits over september when you are at college, that way you could have it by half-term, nice to talk about in your personal statement too. :smile:

Reply 18

Pensivedore

No. It really isn't. Yes, you get to research something you're interested on, independently. Yes, you learn a lot about time managment and organisation etc. But is it really worth it in the end? No. It's so stressful, time consuming and it just gets in the way of everything else, especially your other A2 subjects. Subjects that are essential for getting into uni (if you're applying, that is). I know many people who didn't even need their EPQ for their uni offers, but still had to stress about it all the same and treat it like an actuall A-level. I don't wish to deter you from doing one. Perhaps you'll enjoy it, afterall, everyone's experience is different. I'm just saying that, most of the time, the extended project is completely insignificant and overwhelmingly stressful, so maybe it's not worth it.

Having said that, my personal statment was pretty much ALL about my project. I talked about it like it was the most amazing thing I had ever done, so I can't complain too much. So maybe it is worth it, in the sense that it gives you something to talk about for things like uni. Though I still think it was a waste of time.