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Biochem, Psycho, Pharmacology???

Hi, I'm don't know what I'm going to take in university. I'm doing Bio, Chem and Maths for A level. Any suggests???? please help!!! :confused:

Reply 1

trouttrout

Pharmacology rules. And so does Newcastle university!

Reply 2

Ramaya

2

turtle

Hi, I'm don't know what I'm going to take in university. I'm doing Bio, Chem and Maths for A level. Any suggests???? please help!!! :confused:

What do you prefer? If biology is your favorite maybe biochem would be good, if chem then pharmacology. What kind of career would you like?

Reply 3

GraduateMedic

Ramaya

What do you prefer? If biology is your favorite maybe biochem would be good, if chem then pharmacology. What kind of career would you like?

Most biology courses cover a lot of biochem and vice versa.

Can you give any more info than your a-level choices?

Reply 4

turtle

OP

the problem is I don't know what I want to be. I haven't got my AS results, but I like Bio best cos I find the concept is the easiest out of Maths, Bio and Chem. Chem is interesting and Maths is what I probably need. Biochem, pscho and pharmacology is what I find intesting with the subjects that I'm studying. But I having got any insight of any of the 3 industries, or others. :confused:

So PLEASE HELP, WELCOME FOR ANY COMMENT AND SUGGESTIONS. :smile:

Reply 5

GraduateMedic

turtle

the problem is I don't know what I want to be. I haven't got my AS results, but I like Bio best cos I find the concept is the easiest out of Maths, Bio and Chem. Chem is interesting and Maths is what I probably need. Biochem, pscho and pharmacology is what I find intesting with the subjects that I'm studying. But I having got any insight of any of the 3 industries, or others. :confused:

So PLEASE HELP, WELCOME FOR ANY COMMENT AND SUGGESTIONS. :smile:

Most universities allow you to enrole on a generic biology course and then to choose your speciality at the end of year 1 (ie genetics, botany, zoology, marine biology, biochemistry, pharmacokinetics/pharmacology etc.). If you like biology a lot, may be this is a good way of starting uni and finding out what you're best at before you specialise?

Reply 6

turtle

OP

GraduateMedic

Most universities allow you to enrole on a generic biology course and then to choose your speciality at the end of year 1 (ie genetics, botany, zoology, marine biology, biochemistry, pharmacokinetics/pharmacology etc.). If you like biology a lot, may be this is a good way of starting uni and finding out what you're best at before you specialise?

that's a great idea :smile:

but will I be disadvantaged i.e. people may learn more about the specialised subject than me as I may already done something else on my 1st yr??

Reply 7

turtle

OP

trouttrout

Pharmacology rules. And so does Newcastle university!

are you at uni? what do you actually have to do for Pharmacology i.e. experiments?? :smile:

Reply 8

MadNatSci

12

turtle

that's a great idea :smile:

but will I be disadvantaged i.e. people may learn more about the specialised subject than me as I may already done something else on my 1st yr??

You shouldn't be particularly disadvantaged; certainly not from an employer's point of view. I suspect they would welcome the broader scientific education rather than disapprove of it. For you personally - it depends on which course you do and where you do it, I think, as to whether you study to the same depth as someone doing straight pharmo/biochem but to be honest, everyone needs a few of the same basic principles so I doubt you'd miss out on that much. But if you want to learn more about it, you could always do a Master's or a PhD :wink:

Reply 9

GraduateMedic

turtle

that's a great idea :smile:

but will I be disadvantaged i.e. people may learn more about the specialised subject than me as I may already done something else on my 1st yr??

No cos you usually are not really restricted in modular choice in the first year. Most places have very broad first year options such as 'Biology I', 'Biology II', 'Chemistry', 'Biochemistry' etc and at this early stage people tend to get to mix and match as they please. It's only in part two onwards that you have to choose modules specific to your 'speciality'. There are a few exceptions to this rule, but not many. On the whole the first year does not count towards your final dgree classification (unless you're after a double first) and is there to ensure everyone is singing from the same hymn sheet.

Reply 10

turtle

OP

thanks guys!!! I think I'll start reading through prospectus, which school do you recommend for Biology? I was thinking of UCL, Cardiff, Bristol, Manchester, Bath, Portsmouth, what do you think?? :smile:

P.S I prefer country uni coz I'm not quite a party animal.

Reply 11

Lupin Loopy

turtle

thanks guys!!! I think I'll start reading through prospectus, which school do you recommend for Biology? I was thinking of UCL, Cardiff, Bristol, Manchester, Bath, Portsmouth, what do you think?? :smile:

P.S I prefer country uni coz I'm not quite a party animal.

Hey! I was in a similar position as you this time last year. I've decided to opt for a broad biology course in the first year, with the ability to specialise in the second and third years, once I've found out where my interests really lie.

One thing to think about before you apply is a Sandwich year. I really would recommend joining a course which does offer a year in industry (if you decide you don't want to do it, you can always drop out). I think the professional placement is a great idea, as you will gain valuable work experience, which will make you a whole lot more employable at the end of your degree, and plus you get paid in that year! I wish I'd thought of that before I had started applying, as I would have applied for cardiff rather than bristol

I applied for Bath, Bristol, Manchester, Birmingham, Oxford and Sheffield. Some of these are similar to the ones you're thinking of applying to. I'll let you know what I thought of each:

Bath - v small........seemed a bit too schooly for me. I felt the course itself lacked options - the degree courses were Biology, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, and they each had quite strict syllabuses - no room for interchanging modules (which there was at many other places I looked at)

Bristol - They didnt off the professional placement year, which i want to do

Birmingham - Have chosen it as my firm - large dept, large uni, a huge range of modules to chose from, brilliant field trips and offers a year out for a professional placement

Oxford - As with Bath, the modules were EXTREMELY restricted. I think to do Biology at oxford, it would be for the uni status, and not the course itself

Manchester - Brilliant! Its my insurance, the course is very flexible, large dept, large uni (although a bit too large for my liking....), offers a year in industry to almost every student. Its my insurance though, as i did find the uni a bit too big and daunting, and its a bit too far from home for my liking, but I wouldnt be upset if i had to go there

Sheffield - Also great! A very reputable dept. Their reseach mainly focuses on animal behaviour (and therefore that is what you would be taught) and that side of biology is not what most interests me. It didnt offer the year in industry, and again, I felt that it was a bit too far from home for me

You really need to think about what type of course and flexibility you want, and also try to find out what research the uni does, as these will be the things you will mostly be taught

Hope this has been a help, good luck!

Reply 12

turtle

OP

hi, Lupin Loopy thanks for your reply. I would like to do a year of placement but it would cost me one more year of uni, are there any unis that you know got a placement and finish the course in 3 years? :smile:

I did thought of Brimingham but I thought it might be cold there, where is sheffield ( sorry, I don't know anything about choosing unis and ucas that lot )
many thanks!!

Reply 13

Lupin Loopy

turtle

hi, Lupin Loopy thanks for your reply. I would like to do a year of placement but it would cost me one more year of uni, are there any unis that you know got a placement and finish the course in 3 years? :smile:

I did thought of Brimingham but I thought it might be cold there, where is sheffield ( sorry, I don't know anything about choosing unis and ucas that lot )
many thanks!!

I'm not too good at geography either, but Sheffield is in Yorkshire, which is in the north (I'm sure loads of people will correct me!)
Most of the courses with the placement do involve taking a year out to do a placement, which lengthens the degree to 4 years.
At Bath, you do have the option of studying in that year out, so at the end of the degree you get an MBiol, rather than a BSc, so you might feel that you would be getting more of a formal recognition for doing that extra year out.
As Sheffield don'toffer the year out (although they said it is possible, but you would have to do alot of the organising yourself as there is no official placement course), they do encourage you to get some experience in the holidays, and they actually have a team of tutors whose job it is to find placements for people during the summer. This way you would get the experience, and the course would only last for 3 years
Also, if you do take a year out on a placement, you wouldn't have to pay tution fees (as you won't actually be being taught by the university), and you can still apply for a loan. Plus, on top of that, you will most likely to be paid by the company you work for (unless you work for charity or something like that)

Reply 14

Random.Girl

14

Those are the same A Levels as I did and I'm doing pharmacy now, but I knew that's the career I wanted to go into. So if you're not sure I wouldn't do a specialised degree. Biology would be a good choice like people have suggested!

I have friends who've done their first year in Biology at Cardiff and it seems like a really interesting course. What they've done this year has been very broad but as the course progresses they get to choose what they wanna specialise in.

Also I cannot recommend Cardiff enough as a great university :biggrin:

Biochem, Psycho, Pharmacology???

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