2015 Physics Applicants

You're basically guaranteed a job if you go there, career prospects are that good!

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Aww I feel really old seeing this pop up, I made the physics 2014 thread last year 🙈
Feel free to ask a wallowing school leaver (soon to be university physicist) any questions!

Your thread gave me the idea!
Where you going in September?

Aww I'm glad it has continued I'm either going to University of Liverpool (my firm choice) or Heriot-Watt University (my insurance).

Where would you ideally like to go and where do you realistically think you'll go? I don't want to come across harsh saying that but I wish someone had made the distinction between the two clear to me early on ☺️

I think you were in the same boat as I am
I'm not realistically gonna get all A*s like some crazy clever people in this forum
I am hoping for 3As though so Ideally I'd like to go to Bristol but I have got more safe options like Leicester and Sussex which I'd be happy to go to

Why Liverpool anyway? Curious 😊

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Okay cool because I (and my teachers) thought that I'd get AAA or AAB and I was heading that way completely but came out with BBB- A Levels are just that hard

Leicester was one of my choices! What worked well for me and others in my school was to go off this model:

One aspirational uni (eg AAB)
Two or three right on your predicted grades (eg ABB)
If two are chosen then one with one grade drop (eg BBB)
One true insurance so one or two grade drops (eg BBB or BBC)

But make sure every university is one you actually want to go to! I made the mistake of putting Leicester down as when I visited after getting an offer I absolutely hated it, it was a waste. I will forever wish I'd applied to Southampton instead 😥

Liverpool has amazing facilities that have just been redone. The CTL is an absolutely breathtaking place to learn in too as the architecture is great and the space is really well designed. On top of that the course is spot on for me and I'll have a good foundation for going into research like I want 😊 The city itself is beautiful as well and there is always something going on in the city centre which makes it vibrant. I just love it so much 😍

Thanks for the advice
I hope you get the grades you need for Liverpool!
To be honest I won't have a clue what are realistic unis until results day
What made you hate Leicester?

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No problem, I can't talk about physics and uni for hours 😊 Thank you!

Don't set your heart on any until after results because it can be gutting to realise your favourite is out of reach after planning.
Leicester was just awful when I visited. I didn't like it one bit! The facilities aren't really up to scratch, the labs are super old (and a bit wiffy) and the lecture theatres were an exposed dark brick which kind of made me feel like it was closing in on me. The accommodation wasn't very nice either but that's only for one year. We drove through the student area on a tour which is where people live in other years and it was veeeeery run down, miles more than the worst of Liverpool. They have a park though, Victoria Park I think it's called, which is very big and where sports can happen. The park is alright! I can imagine it being really busy on a lovely sunny day 😊 Course wise they offer good modules such as one intensive winter course of lectures with an astronaut. That would have been cool!
Don't take anyone's opinion as law though, I know people that love Leicester! They're trying to bring people in with high grade predictions by giving them unconditionals, don't be swayed! I know it's very difficult to visit all the unis you are looking at but in Leicester's case- VISIT! I'd only visited 2/5 by the time I got my offers, 3/5 now, and I strongly believe I wasted an opportunity by putting it down.

When it comes to having a negative opinion of a university it's difficult to make an impression. It is because all they'll have read is positive reviews or positive hype surrounding it but most of the time it's all university endorsed as it's on their website. Just take everything with a pinch of salt and try and visit before the UCAS deadline basically, I wish I had 😔

I've visited Exeter, Bristol, UCL and Surrey so far which isn't too bad
I've just got to visit Sussex, Leicester and Southampton now
I just want to go to a uni that gives me the option to research whatever I want to after my course and is in a pleasant area
IS THAT SO MUCH TO ASK 😂
In the end I think I'll just need AA in Maths and physics, seems to be what most unis want 🔫


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Ooh you've got some good ones there! I had my eye on UCL at one point That was a major thing for me too but I decided than moving to another university to do a PhD isn't the end of the world. Well have a look because all of my offers and some other people's didn't specific subject grades, just overall! Mine is AAB for Liverpool but I've been assured I'll get in with ABB if my results aren't what I wanted. I'm so nervous 🙈

Yeah that's true going somewhere else for a PHD isn't the end of the world, well, as long as the original uni had enough modules in that area to allow for continuation to PHD level
Would you still be content if you had to go to Heriot Watt?

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Hi!
I'm from Southampton area
I'm going to be doing Maths, physics and Geography at A2 hoping for A*AA
Probably going to apply for:
- Edinburgh
- Liverpool
- Manchester
- Cardiff
- Birmingham
I'm really interested in astrophysics and particle physics - I visited CERN earlier this year and it was amazing!! I probably want to study an astrophysics degree and choose some particle physics units so I can still do both.


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Ooo I wish I could visit CERN!
You're interested in the same stuff as me
My advice would be take a straight Physics degree because then you can take all of the astro and particle modules you want, for example you can take straight Physics but still do exactly the same modules as an Astro student so it's more flexible especially if you want to do Particle Physics modules too

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Yeah I'm thinking about doing that but I don't like units such as electricity but I guess if I can choose different units it might be a better one for me. Thank you!


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People who haven't answered this question already
What's everyone done to prepare for application e.g. reading/work experience/summer school ?

Not much at all - some reading ( I've pretty much forgotten what I've read though so not sure how helpful it'll be ). Went to one taster day and one physics talk. I know for definite my PS will be quite boring. Anyone started their PS?

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