[Mystic Creature]

Hey everyone So basically, I want to do physics at university, and I have managed to get some work experience in a physics department for a week. However, now looking at key open day dates, I realise that Cambridge open day clashes with the dates of my work experience.

There are two Cambridge open days, one on the 5th, and one on the 6th, but both days, I have work experience at a university physics department, so what do I do? I can only choose one, so any advice, guidance will be very much appreciated. Which do you think is more important?

[Shelly_x]

Can't you just take a day off your work experience to go?

[Mystic Creature]

Nope, i'm afraid not, because it's more like a summer school thing, and they said I have to be present every day. But my school just made everything much easier for me - they said I can't go to the work experience because I would be taking time off school even though it's after exams. So open day it is I guess.

[Intriguing Alias]

(Original post by Mystic Creature)
Hey everyone So basically, I want to do physics at university, and I have managed to get some work experience in a physics department for a week. However, now looking at key open day dates, I realise that Cambridge open day clashes with the dates of my work experience.

There are two Cambridge open days, one on the 5th, and one on the 6th, but both days, I have work experience at a university physics department, so what do I do? I can only choose one, so any advice, guidance will be very much appreciated. Which do you think is more important?

Are you pretty certain you'll be applying to Cambridge? If so don't bother just visiting for the sake of it. Of course you should visit before accepting an offer (if you get one) but you'll get to do that when you go for interview (if you do).

[Intriguing Alias]

(Original post by Mystic Creature)
Nope, i'm afraid not, because it's more like a summer school thing, and they said I have to be present every day. But my school just made everything much easier for me - they said I can't go to the work experience because I would be taking time off school even though it's after exams. So open day it is I guess.

I'm sure you're allowed to apply for a during-school-term holiday. It would be massively unreasonable for your school to disallow you that for work experience.

[..lauren]

If you don't mind me asking, how did you arrange work experience? I've emailed a few Universities and companies in physics based industry but can't get anything

[Mystic Creature]

(Original post by hassi94)
Are you pretty certain you'll be applying to Cambridge? If so don't bother just visiting for the sake of it. Of course you should visit before accepting an offer (if you get one) but you'll get to do that when you go for interview (if you do).

Yep I'm sure I want to apply to Cambridge, so I do really want to see the place before. And the thing is, I don't want to apply to Cambridge only to find out i don't like it at the interview. So i want to see the uni before I even apply.

And no, my school is saying the absences would be unauthorised. there really inflexible for some reason And I don't want to get a bad record, because they're going to be writing my personal statement reference..

[hr30]

(Original post by Mystic Creature)
Hey everyone So basically, I want to do physics at university, and I have managed to get some work experience in a physics department for a week. However, now looking at key open day dates, I realise that Cambridge open day clashes with the dates of my work experience.

There are two Cambridge open days, one on the 5th, and one on the 6th, but both days, I have work experience at a university physics department, so what do I do? I can only choose one, so any advice, guidance will be very much appreciated. Which do you think is more important?

Personally, I'd go for the work experience and pull a sick week at school.

[Mystic Creature]

(Original post by ..lauren)
If you don't mind me asking, how did you arrange work experience? I've emailed a few Universities and companies in physics based industry but can't get anything

Erm just search around. This work experience was at Queen Mary university. Here's the link: http://ph.qmul.ac.uk/outreach/physics-academy Print out the application, the deadline's gone, but worth a try still. There's also an Oxford one: http://www2.physics.ox.ac.uk/about-u...ork-experience. The thing is, the deadline for most summer work experiences at unis has passed. So just search around really, phone up your ocal uni and ask them. Maybe the NHS in the radiology department or something. Or some engineering company? Ask your physics teacher if they can sort something out maybe..

[Mystic Creature]

(Original post by hr30)
Personally, I'd go for the work experience and pull a sick week at school.

Hmm yeah, may have to do that. But then, no open day

[hr30]

Are you sure about Cambridge?

All the open day did for me was to show me the pretty buildings in person rather than on paper and inform me what was in the prospectus. Most of my questions did get answered due to time so I asked them over email!

[Mystic Creature]

(Original post by hr30)
Are you sure about Cambridge?

All the open day did for me was to show me the pretty buildings in person rather than on paper and inform me what was in the prospectus. Most of my questions did get answered due to time so I asked them over email!

Yes, I'm sure about it, been thinking abut since like year 10

Hmm, my mate went there and he loved it, so I really wanna go there and see the city and colleges and facilities and stuff. Asking questions can always be answered over email, but mainly i want to see the place.

[hr30]

(Original post by Mystic Creature)
Yes, I'm sure about it, been thinking abut since like year 10

Hmm, my mate went there and he loved it, so I really wanna go there and see the city and colleges and facilities and stuff. Asking questions can always be answered over email, but mainly i want to see the place.

I'm only thinking that visiting the place wont change your application, whereas doing the work experience would give you something of an edge over other applicants who havent done that, which may make a difference to your application.

[Mystic Creature]

(Original post by hr30)
I'm only thinking that visiting the place wont change your application, whereas doing the work experience would give you something of an edge over other applicants who havent done that, which may make a difference to your application.

Yeah, really good point actually, and I guess I can just go and visit the town any time I want, some other time. Now I just need to sort it out with my school

[Miss Trololol]

(Original post by hr30)
I'm only thinking that visiting the place wont change your application, whereas doing the work experience would give you something of an edge over other applicants who havent done that, which may make a difference to your application.

I agree. Work experience would generally be more useful and make your application stand out. I'm not sure about Cambridge but lots of Unis in Scotland could arrange visits for you if you missed the Open Day

[hr30]

(Original post by Mystic Creature)
Yeah, really good point actually, and I guess I can just go and visit the town any time I want, some other time. Now I just need to sort it out with my school

Just make it very clear to your school that it would greatly help your application, promise to do extra work to catch up and smile