"University is easier than A Levels!"

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Just as an FYI if you think punnett squares count as genetics then you're gonna have a nasty shock next year :tongue:

I know, I know XD I just mean they are a good thing to show to people with no biology knowledge to give them an idea about how genes are past from parents and phenotypes etc. What I do find interesting is translocation of chromosomes, like in Down Syndrome and other genetic diseases e.g. Fragile X Syndrome.

Reply 21

tomtjl

Original post by AshEntropy

Ahhh I heard about MSci vs MSc vs MRes - they're all different in a certain way I just can't remember hwo :colondollar:

Yeah I love human orientated science as it makes it a lot more motivating to learn :colondollar:

MSci = Integrated Master's. You change from a BSc to a 4 year degree, the product of which is worth a BSc + a Master's.

MSc = Standard Master's. Has both taught and research components. The taught components of an MSc are equivalent to 2nd year biomed.

MRes = Purely research Master's. No taught component.

The MSc contains 60 credits more than the MSci year and these credits are 2nd year biomed modules, so it's damn pointless to do. I wouldn't really recommend an MRes either since there are no taught components. Plus the beauty of the MSci is that it's built into your degree, so your student finance is unchanged.

Reply 22

Breakingbank

Original post by AshEntropy

Hi all,

Have you heard this? I've heard people say this. Surprisingly, I heard it from teachers too..

Now, I can only speak on behalf of BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science - and all I can say is, that is a load of absolute tosh.

Biggest load of bulls*** I've ever heard haha!

Original post by CTLevers

I also do a bioscience degree. Currently in 1st year Genetics :smile:

I believe people say University is easier than A-Level for two reasons: 1. They have a better work ethic (hopefully). Also 2. 70% at Uni is a 1st (highest grade) while 70% at A-Level is around a B grade. So those who score mildly are now achieving top tier grades, thus giving the impression of uni being easier.

Good points, I also believe there are two reasons people say this but I was thinking of two different ideas.
1) They did not attend a RG University. As harsh as this sounds, it's 100% true, my friends at a non RG University and the work he is doing in his second year, we was doing in my first year (we study the same subject), in addition to the work being 10x more difficult in an RG, they also have a fair amount of coursework whereas my university course (and I assume most RG Universities are the same) is one exam worth 100% for each module, let's face it.. coursework can guarantee you a decent grade or if you're really lazy a pass grade where as an exams do not. 2) They do not study a proper subject even at a RG University if it is not a well respected subject in academia, it will be significantly easier.. my flatmates studied business and they had 6 hours a week of lectures, also coursework as assessment, went out every night and still achieved a 2:1.

Just my thoughts behind it

Reply 23

Joinedup

imo

When you run into a conceptual brick wall, the way you've got to get over it is different at uni than at A level

for all I know some subjects have more conceptual brick walls than others :unsure:

dunno about OP's example though - that just looks like naming parts... but with more parts (undergraduate diagram is quite pretty though :smile:

)

not trying to be insulting I couldn't stand all the drawing of cell diagrams from memory in school biology when I had to do it - just seemed pointless and you gave me a flashback.

Reply 24

SomeGuyHere

That's a bunch a crap. I slept through my A levels, and I'd fail at uni if I didn't try.

Reply 25

Jory

first year history
easy as pie mate
just referencing which makes it much harder than a level, in fact its more much more boring than hard if im honest

Reply 26

username2667475

(Still an A-Level student here) It will be interesting to see the difference with the new A-Levels. In the science A-Level you don't do EMPA's/ISA's now, instead you have a lab book and there are specific required practical techniques that you have to meet to pass science practical, which is a condition of a lot of uni offers now. I'd say the content isn't too bad it just takes a while to get used to, but the grade boundaries seem to be lower, we've just done last year's AS papers as a mock exam (AS exams don't count towards the final grade, all exams are at the end of year 13, with one paper on year 1 content, 1 on year 2 and the last one is different depending on which science.) but in the papers for last years AS in biology, you only needed 88/150 for an A.

It will be interesting to see the difference between the new A-levels and uni, but I'm expecting uni to be a lot harder.

Reply 27

Moonstruck16

I agree. Whilst university has been the hardest experience of my life, it was not because of the degree content but because of external factors. If I weren't on the verge of a nervous breakdown 24/7, university is easier because I'm studying one subject, all the modules are (usually) somewhat linked, I have much more time for studying, I can tailor my assesments to my strengths, and it's a subject I enjoy.

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Reply 28

2384911

Original post by SomeGuyHere

That's a bunch a crap. I slept through my A levels, and I'd fail at uni if I didn't try.

Yeah I'd fail instantly :colondollar:

Original post by Jory

first year history
easy as pie mate
just referencing which makes it much harder than a level, in fact its more much more boring than hard if im honest

Mhm.. I wonder if there's a Science / Arts divide when it comes to difficulty.

Reply 29

2384911

Original post by Moonstruck16

Yeah, I've noticed that emotionally things are a lot harder now that we're "adults" and have more responsibilities.

Reply 30

2384911

Original post by Joinedup

dunno about OP's example though - that just looks like naming parts... but with more parts

Sorry I didn't explain why it was harder, it's because you have to name more parts but you also have to learn the structure and function of those new parts as well as the old parts you learned at A Level Biology - but things are a whole lot more specific. :colondollar:

Reply 31

Pikachū

the only teachers who say this horseshit are the ones who went to london met and did theatre studies

do a stem degree at a RG uni and you'll know.

Reply 32

2384911

Original post by Pikachū

the only teachers who say this horseshit are the ones who went to london met and did theatre studies

I've heard a lot about London Metropolitan University on here, what's actually wrong with it? I know they did something bad involving international students but I've never been able to find out what it actually was. Whatever they did, it must have been really bad, because a university in Leeds (Leeds Beckett University) used to be called Leeds Metropolitan University and they got so worried that people would associate it with London Met (because of the same initials LMU) that they changed their name to Leeds Beckett.

Reply 33

MajorFader

Original post by KaylaB

Yup, I can confirm the same from my experience. I'm doing Chemistry BSc, but it also depends on the modules.

Like year some modules like the maths ones are just for catching everyone up to the same level, so for example to me it's easy. The change in terms of the course difficulty started on gradually but now is just leaps.

What did you get in your a levels by the way?

Reply 34

Airmed

Mental health **** at school. Mental health **** at uni (even more so).

I don't find the academia of my uni course to be mentally challenging at all. I just find the whole experience to be a lot worse than school because I'm hundreds of miles away from my family in a city I like but with no friends. So while the academia is boring for me, I struggle a bit more thanks to rollercoaster mental health.

Oh well, I hope I don't fail my degree. :rofl:

Reply 35

2384911

Original post by Airmed

I struggle a bit more thanks to rollercoaster mental health.

Yes, I totally agree with this. There are so many issues that arise as soon as you become an adult, then on-top of that you have university to worry about. :frown:

Reply 36

KaylaB

Original post by MajorFader

What did you get in your a levels by the way?

I got BBC in Maths, Philosophy & Chemistry and go to University of Leicester (although that wasn't always the plan)

Reply 37

Plagioclase

Yeah, at least for me uni and school are pretty incomparable. In my first term at uni I was like "what on earth is going on..."

Reply 38

Airmed

Original post by AshEntropy

Yes, I totally agree with this. There are so many issues that arise as soon as you become an adult, then on-top of that you have university to worry about. :frown:

For me, it is issues that I bottled up since I was about 6 years old and didn't acknowledge slightly until i was 18, and are still trying to acknowledge now :lol: