Warwick biomed or gap year?

So, I needed AAA for Durham Biomed, got AAC missing my KCL firm offer of AAB too, so ended up at Warwick biomed through clearing which is still a great university, but not entirely sure on the course. After some thought, I've come up with these options.

1) I'm considering taking a gap year and working out what course I'd like to do, reapplying for a different course maybe chemistry, applying for 2015 entry, retaking some exams and maybe doing AS maths, getting work experience for this new course.

2) I can try out Warwick biomed, but the only risk to this is that if I drop out (haven't even checked if this is allowed) after my first term I'll be in a bad position for reapplying for next year, not having much time to figure out what course I want to do (since the UCAS deadline is in January), and my school might not even take me on, since by the end of the first uni term, that'd also be the end of school's first term, and 1/3rd of the year's teaching gone.

One of my concerns is that I'll go Warwick because I don't want to stay at home for another year, feeling like I've wasted a year of my life also with recurrant arguments between parents, not because I actually want to do biomed.

What'd you think about the options? - How would you recommend I go about finding a new course? Also, how were you sure that you were going to like/enjoy a course, how would you recommend I go about doing it?

I was also wondering if anyone knew what the biomed course at Warwick was like (modules, workload, difficulty?) and if anybody was in a similarly apprehensive position as me about the course...and how it panned out for them?

Sorry for the monstrously long post! Thank you.

Reply 1

Lethorio

It doesn't really seem like you're massively convinced that you actually want to do biomed if you're considering chemistry. I was sure that I'd enjoy biomed because I read into the course, checked out the modules and thought that it was something that I would really enjoy studying. I've posted this elsewhere before, but it answers your question, so I'll paste it here:

You have your core modules, which are:
Proteins, Genes and Genetics - lots of biochemistry/molecular biology. Protein structure, DNA replication, transcription, translation, genetics, bacterial genetics.
Physiology and Metabolism - more biochemistry. Metabolic pathways, physiology mostly focuses on musculoskeletal and nervous system.
Agents of Infectious Disease - virology, immunology, microbiology and lots of other fun diseases
Cells, Tissues and Organisms - cell biology, a bit of embryology.
Quantitative Biology - biostatistics. Universally hated module, although it's necessary. It's being changed a lot for this year, as it was new for us and didn't receive great feedback.

Then your optionals (2 modules, 1 if you take Brain and Behaviour):
Brain and Behaviour - run by the psychology department. Lots of psychology/neurobiology. If you take this, it's your only optional module.
Health and the Community - similar to Agents of Infectious Disease, but more in depth on specific diseases and certain epidemics. My favourite module.
Animal and Plant Biology - mostly animal/plant/human evolution, with a bit of extra plant stuff thrown in. I took it, since I took H&C and I didn't enjoy it for the most part.
Environmental Biology - lots of climate type stuff. I don't know too much about it, as I didn't take it.

Then on top of those, you have tutorial work (two graded essays, one at 1500 words, one at 3000. A group poster presentation and an individual presentation) and lab work (biochemistry, microbiology, physiology and genetics labs). Labs are once a week for about six hours. You'll have to write a lab report for each lab, which are usually around 1,500 words or so.

I really enjoyed my first year. There's a LOT to take in, so my advice would be to study throughout the year to keep the material fresh in your mind. I left revision to a month before exams and it caused me a ton of unnecessary stress.

University of Warwick

Coventry

Reply 2

jrs971

I had a similar position. I had a full time contract lined up with a company however it fell through in May. I'd made a deferred application to Warwick biology and so as I no longer had a job, went via clearing to come a year early. Like you, I didn't know if I was just going to Uni because I didn't know what else to do, didn't know whether working would be better and so on.

But I loved the course, where I stayed and the people I stayed with and everything. The person above explained the course well so I won't do too much of that but I did enjoy it a lot. It's heavy on information and facts, so you do need to spend a lot of time learning but it's not incredibly hard - as the person above also said!

FYI, Health and Community is AID 2.0 so you don't have to learn too much on top. I've heard it is quite a good module though.
Environment you can pass by having done GCSE geography and reading the news on climate change occasionally, as well as by having a brain.
Brain and behaviour is difficult (hence why it'd be your only option), encompassing both theoretical psychology and physiology of the brain and such but very interesting and popular.
Animal and plant is a bizarre and quite an ambiguous module in my opinion - sort of like biology + history combined with half of it on evolution and half of it on 'proper' biology. I'd say avoid it.

Warwick biomed or gap year?

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