Physics 2014 Entry Hopefuls!

I'm Ilaria and I'm hoping to become an Italian physics undergraduate in the Uk!
I'd like to apply to Imperial, Edinburgh and St Andrews, but I still have to decide on the others.
Obviously the Italian school system is quite different, so I've started studying Physics just a few months ago and had 8/10 as a mark in the first semester, while I have 9/10 in both Maths and Chemistry but I'm working hard to improve my results.

And... yes, I'm a girl! :tongue:

Reply 2

SheldonWannabe

8

I'm Lewis,
Really want to do a MPhys in Physics with Astrophysics.

I want to visit Cambridge (won't get in, but I've heard it's a nice visit :cool:

), Exeter, Nottingham, UCL, Kings college, Imperial and Birmingham.

Predicted 4 A's at AS in Maths, further Maths, Chem and Physics. Not sure what my predicted A2's are yet!

I have about 15 prospectuses, I went to a UCAS convention and picked them all up, didn't have to get them online :jive:

And I'm very sorry to disappoint, but I'm a boy.

Reply 3

Qwertish

Original post by Abbseh

HELLO PHYSICISTS!
Time to share what you're wanting your future to be and how you intend to get there!
Here are some quick questions to get people started:
• What is your name?
• What universities are you interested in?
• What are your subjects and hopeful grades for AS and A2?
• How many prospectuses have you had all together now?
• Any female physicists out there?

~~~

I'm Abbie and I'm an aspiring physicist :smile:

I'd love to visit St Andrews, Kent, Leicester, Bristol, University of Liverpool, UCL, Aberystwyth, Queen's Belfast and Hull to see if I like their vibe.
I am studying biology, chemistry, maths and physics and think at AS I could get A(/B)AAA with a lot of hard work and revision :smile:

10 *blush*
Got one right here!

Your turn now guys :dance:

Not a 2014 prospective, but couldn't help but notice you want to visit Hull. Didn't realise people actively wanted to come here.

Reply 4

King Hotpie

15

Yo!
I'm Ben, and I can't decide what branch of physics to go into yet, so probably just straight physics if I had to choose now, to keep all bases open. Currently studying Physics, Maths, Chemistry and Economics, also picking up a Further Maths AS next year. Predicted 2 Bs and 2 As officially, but I'll be very disappointed with anything less than 4 As and I think my teachers probably would be as well.
Universities I'm looking at are Cambridge (on the off chance they make a huge mistake and send me an offer by accident :wink:

) and Durham. From there I get much less certain, also considering St Andrews, Manchester and Lancaster. And, like SheldonWannabe, I'm afraid I'm also a boy! (Could you guess from the name?)

Reply 5

Let's revive this thread a little bit!
What are you guys doing this summer to boost your application?

Reply 6

King Hotpie

15

A lot of extra-reading. Maybe try self teaching a bit of further maths, since my school only offers it to AS, and/or trying to learn a bit of programming, as I have 0 experience of that thus far. It'd be nice to get a bit of work experience, but opportunities for sixth form students to get work in physics in North West England (or anywhere I expect) are pretty minimal. Anyone else got any master plans to guarantee university acceptance?

Reply 7

OP

Sorry guys about not getting back to this thread!
I've applied to two summer schools and am going to apply to a Liverpool Uni based work experience week but other than that, as the above poster said, physics work experience is hard to come by in the north west :frown:

What books are people reading? I'm focusing mainly on the very core of physics but with a couple spinoffs of astro and chaos.

Reply 8

Qwertish

Original post by Abbseh

Sorry guys about not getting back to this thread!
I've applied to two summer schools and am going to apply to a Liverpool Uni based work experience week but other than that, as the above poster said, physics work experience is hard to come by in the north west :frown:

What books are people reading? I'm focusing mainly on the very core of physics but with a couple spinoffs of astro and chaos.

Have you tried to get something at your local Uni? I managed to get a month long placement at Hull last summer (help them to build their CVD furnace :biggrin:

).

Reply 9

OP

Original post by Qwertish

Have you tried to get something at your local Uni? I managed to get a month long placement at Hull last summer (help them to build their CVD furnace :biggrin:

).

University of Liverpool is my local one and I contacted a professor and managed to get a day of shadowing but that's about it. It's all so complex that I don't think I'd be able to do something like that with them :frown:

Reply 10

Felix Felicis

Original post by Abbseh

HELLO PHYSICISTS!
Time to share what you're wanting your future to be and how you intend to get there!
Here are some quick questions to get people started:
• What is your name?
• What universities are you interested in?
• What are your subjects and hopeful grades for AS and A2?
• How many prospectuses have you had all together now?
• Any female physicists out there?

Hello all

Maths and Physics applicant but :wink:

I'm Felix Felicis :wink:

I like the look of Cambridge, Warwick, Imperial, Edinburgh and Durham/ Bristol/ Bath :wink:

I'm doing Maths, Further Maths, Physics, Chemistry and Geography. Hopefully should get 4As and 1A* (Maths) come August :wink:

Ideally I'd like to get 4A* after dropping to 4A2s next year :P
None so far, waiting until the new shiny 2014 ones come out :P But I have my brother's 2013 Cambridge one
I am in fact, contrary to popular belief, female :colonhash:

Reply 11

Qwertish

Original post by Abbseh

University of Liverpool is my local one and I contacted a professor and managed to get a day of shadowing but that's about it. It's all so complex that I don't think I'd be able to do something like that with them :frown:

Yea. It's a major pain in the arse, trying to get work experience :/. Have you had a look at CREST Awards?

Reply 12

I'm currently reading "The elegant universe", which I'm enjoying very much, although I know it's a very common book among physics applicants, but I think it's a good start anyway. And I've already bought "Six easy pieces" and "Six not-so-easy pieces" by Richard Feynman, which I'm planning to read as soon as possible. If you have any suggestions about further reading, I would be very grateful.

I've also applied to some summer schools both here in Italy and in Uk and to European Space Camp in Norway. I'm still waiting for a reply from all of them, except for the University of Sussex, which has offered me a place for the 4-week long module of physics at their international summer school. Anyway, I don't know whether to accept it or not, because the cost is quite high and I would like to know if it's worth before making a decision. Do you know anything about this summer school? Do you think the participation to this course would somehow improve my chances to get into a good uni? I don't really know what to do and I've got only one week to let them know my choice.

Being an international student makes things harder when it comes to applying, because your admission system is quite different from the Italian one and I'm really doing my utmost to prepare in the best way possible, but I fear I'm not doing enough.
By the way, what summer schools have you applied to? And how could I get (or at least try to) a work experience in a uni?
Sorry for the amount of questions, but I really need a lot of help!

Reply 13

Goods

16

Rhys

Cambridge UCL Bristol Manchester and St Andrews/durham

Maths A2- A* Chemistry AS - 90%+ Physics AS 90%+ AS Art
(Going to take FMaths next year)

Only looked at UCL Cambridge and Manchester so far

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 14

Goods

16

Original post by King Hotpie

A lot of extra-reading. Maybe try self teaching a bit of further maths, since my school only offers it to AS, and/or trying to learn a bit of programming, as I have 0 experience of that thus far. It'd be nice to get a bit of work experience, but opportunities for sixth form students to get work in physics in North West England (or anywhere I expect) are pretty minimal. Anyone else got any master plans to guarantee university acceptance?

Im on a Engineering headstart course in manchester which should be great! and provided all the stars align I may get a work experience placement at UCL in the condensed matter physics lab :redface:

I find out on the 19th *fingers crossed*

Other than those reading feynman and other physics books

Reply 15

King Hotpie

15

Everyone's got/getting way more (physics related) extra-curricular than me! I'm beginning to get really paranoid I haven't done nearly enough to warrant the universities I'm looking at...

Reply 16

Original post by King Hotpie

Everyone's got/getting way more (physics related) extra-curricular than me! I'm beginning to get really paranoid I haven't done nearly enough to warrant the universities I'm looking at...

Well, many also say that extra curriculars aren't so important for physics applications, after all.
But I'm worried about it as well.

Reply 17

joostan

Does Maths with Physics count?

Reply 18

OP

Original post by joostan

Does Maths with Physics count?

Sure

Reply 19

OP