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SK299 Human Biology

Hey there,
I was wondering if anyone has had experience in studying the SK277/SK299 course? I'm considering registering for October 2017 start in preparation to take BSc Physiotherapy. Anyone in the same boat?
Hi there im considering doing the sk299 with a view to do physio also! Im unsure as to weather the course will provide enough ucas to enter physio AND im unsure about how we will be examined in sk299 as i dont think its clear. Any thoughts? Matt
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Original post by Mattking1008
Hi there im considering doing the sk299 with a view to do physio also! Im unsure as to weather the course will provide enough ucas to enter physio AND im unsure about how we will be examined in sk299 as i dont think its clear. Any thoughts? Matt


Hey Matt!
It's good to hear from someone else in the same position!

Which unis are you considering?

I contacted Liverpool and East Anglia and both recommended a 55% + (aka a pass) would be sufficient alongside their other criteria outlined on the Physio course pages.

I'm currently in contact with UO as they seem to imply we need to take an introductory course in order to 'be prepared' for the SK299 course (I have no health-centred qualifications past GCSE Core and Additional Sciences - do you?).

From what I can tell the resources are all online and we're issued relevant books as part of the fees. Then we have a range of coursework that is submitted online to our relevant tutor (An essay perhaps?) and then there's a final exam at the end of the course. I'm not sure of its weighting though. I wish they'd add in some more detail!

Hannah
(edited 6 years ago)
SK299 is a Stage 2 / second year university module. Is that what you're after? Its predecessor, SK277, had less than a 60% pass rate (one can only assume that's among a majority of people who had already passed their Stage 1 modules). It also currently costs £1,432.

My best guess is that you're basing your decision off of looking at this page, because you don't have the requisite A-levels, and saw the OU listed as an alternative qualification:
https://www2.uea.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/degree?course-slug=bsc-physiotherapy

It might be worth it to check out the National Extension College for a non-traditional way to gain traditional qualifications, as jumping into a Stage 2 module at the OU with neither A-levels nor Stage 1 modules under your belt might not be the surest path to success.

The NEC is very similar to the OU, as it was created as a pilot programme to prove its distance-learning principles. It's cheaper, taught at an appropriate level to someone with GCSEs, and results in A-levels that compare 1:1 when looking at requirement lists.
Well it looks like you have to cover all the units in sk299 to complete the module. The uni ive been looking at just requires 134 ucas and i currently have 2 Cs at A level. Not in biology. I have qualifications and experience as a personal trainer and cardiac rehabilitation instructor but these done seem to count for anything, so unsure if im 'ready to study' Im unsure about takkng thise course as I started a biology a level through open study college a few years ago and when i applied for a uni i couldnt get in. Im hoping this course is as good ir better than an a level. It looks like uni of east anglia have very high entry requirements so you will need A levels as well as the sk299 if im reading it correctly?
Original post by JollyCynic
SK299 is a Stage 2 / second year university module. Is that what you're after? Its predecessor, SK277, had less than a 60% pass rate (one can only assume that's among a majority of people who had already passed their Stage 1 modules). It also currently costs £1,432.

My best guess is that you're basing your decision off of looking at this page, because you don't have the requisite A-levels, and saw the OU listed as an alternative qualification:
https://www2.uea.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/degree?course-slug=bsc-physiotherapy

It might be worth it to check out the National Extension College for a non-traditional way to gain traditional qualifications, as jumping into a Stage 2 module at the OU with neither A-levels nor Stage 1 modules under your belt might not be the surest path to success.

The NEC is very similar to the OU, as it was created as a pilot programme to prove its distance-learning principles. It's cheaper, taught at an appropriate level to someone with GCSEs, and results in A-levels that compare 1:1 when looking at requirement lists.


Thanks for this very informative!
Original post by JollyCynic
SK299 is a Stage 2 / second year university module. Is that what you're after? Its predecessor, SK277, had less than a 60% pass rate (one can only assume that's among a majority of people who had already passed their Stage 1 modules). It also currently costs £1,432.

My best guess is that you're basing your decision off of looking at this page, because you don't have the requisite A-levels, and saw the OU listed as an alternative qualification:
https://www2.uea.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/degree?course-slug=bsc-physiotherapy

It might be worth it to check out the National Extension College for a non-traditional way to gain traditional qualifications, as jumping into a Stage 2 module at the OU with neither A-levels nor Stage 1 modules under your belt might not be the surest path to success.

The NEC is very similar to the OU, as it was created as a pilot programme to prove its distance-learning principles. It's cheaper, taught at an appropriate level to someone with GCSEs, and results in A-levels that compare 1:1 when looking at requirement lists.


Hey there,
I'm actually a Masters graduate. To enrol on BSc Physiotherapy at a wide range of unis you need a minimum 2:1 (I achieved a 2:1 and then a Distinction at PG level) with the addition of the OU SK299 module if it was in a non-Biology centred subject. So not sure the NEC would be suitable for me but it's interesting for others following a different route to know! I definitely wasn't aware of it prior to your message.
Original post by Mattking1008
Well it looks like you have to cover all the units in sk299 to complete the module. The uni ive been looking at just requires 134 ucas and i currently have 2 Cs at A level. Not in biology. I have qualifications and experience as a personal trainer and cardiac rehabilitation instructor but these done seem to count for anything, so unsure if im 'ready to study' Im unsure about takkng thise course as I started a biology a level through open study college a few years ago and when i applied for a uni i couldnt get in. Im hoping this course is as good ir better than an a level. It looks like uni of east anglia have very high entry requirements so you will need A levels as well as the sk299 if im reading it correctly?


Like you I'm not following the traditional GCSE/A-level - degree application route for BSc Physiotherapy, and I found it so helpful to e-mail the admissions team to ask these specific questions just to ensure that the SK299 would be suitable!

From what I can see there are 12 modules listed but 10 need to be completed to complete... maybe that's because some are available and some aren't certain years depending on tutor availability? I'm not sure.

Physio would actually be my second degree so I can 100% assure you that your work will count for a LOT in your personal statement! Most Physiotherapy courses require you to have some sort of health related work experience (shadowing for a few weeks or so) so your experience definitely work in your favour. A lot of the time universities consider an individual's personal statements as the key determining factor in offering an interview/place over past qualifications.

I shared similar concerns about the OU module at first but the fact that some of the top unis recommend it for entry for people in a similar position to ourselves must mean its good. It's a lot of money to invest though so I'm still waiting on a variety of e-mails just to make sure all is good before registering.
Reply 8
Hi, I've never done A-Level Biology so bit unsure about the jump to level 2 SK299 but I need this in order to get into Osteopathy. Lots of hard work ahead for me. There is definitely a misunderstand with the general public and some universities about the level the OU works at but I have been assure that the level is the same as any other university. Looking to start this module in Oct 17. I bought the SK277 books second hand. Anyone know if this would be okay to use for the SK299 module?
Original post by sara1606
Hi, I've never done A-Level Biology so bit unsure about the jump to level 2 SK299 but I need this in order to get into Osteopathy. Lots of hard work ahead for me. There is definitely a misunderstand with the general public and some universities about the level the OU works at but I have been assure that the level is the same as any other university. Looking to start this module in Oct 17. I bought the SK277 books second hand. Anyone know if this would be okay to use for the SK299 module?


Hey Sara! I contacted all my top choice unis and all said it would be more than sufficient and that its a highly recommended preparation for any health science related degree. I didn't do A-level Biology either so I was quite nervous but hopefully with hard work it'll all be ok! :smile: Perhaps we could all form a sort of study group thread on here once October rolls around.

I contacted OU and they said SK299 is a direct replacement for SK277 so should be great. I thought course-related books were part of the fee though? I'll have to get shopping if not!

Where are you looking to study Osteopathy? :smile:
Hannah
Original post by PerhapsPhysio
Hey Sara! I contacted all my top choice unis and all said it would be more than sufficient and that its a highly recommended preparation for any health science related degree. I didn't do A-level Biology either so I was quite nervous but hopefully with hard work it'll all be ok! :smile: Perhaps we could all form a sort of study group thread on here once October rolls around.

I contacted OU and they said SK299 is a direct replacement for SK277 so should be great. I thought course-related books were part of the fee though? I'll have to get shopping if not!

Where are you looking to study Osteopathy? :smile:
Hannah


Hi Hannah,
A study forum is a great idea or even a whatsapp group/Skype would love to be able to chat with other students in the same position. I think we are more like my to get a better understanding of the content of the course and therefore get a better result at the end. I'm so glad we are in the same boat re: both haven't done A levels Biology. I'm looking to study at either Swansea uni or the European school of osteopathy down in Kent. What about you? I don't know if we will have to purchase books or if it comes with the cost of the module. we could start a forum to find other students doing this module and then have a Whatsapp group. What do you think? Sara
(edited 6 years ago)
Original post by sara1606
Hi Hannah,
A study forum is a great idea or even a whatsapp group/Skype would love to be able to chat with other students in the same position. I think we are more like my to get a better understanding of the content of the course and therefore get a better result at the end. I'm so glad we are in the same boat re: both haven't done A levels Biology. I'm looking to study at either Swansea uni or the European school of osteopathy down in Kent. What about you? I don't know if we will have to purchase books or if it comes with the cost of the module. we could start a forum to find other students doing this module and then have a Whatsapp group. What do you think? Sara


Hey again Sara,
yes! Sometimes it helps a bunch just knowing you're not alone with it all. I'm feeling slightly more confident knowing that there's someone else in a similar position as me too! :smile:

A friend of mine went to Swansea and absolutely loved it! I'm looking at Nottingham *ideally * but UEA, Kings College and Birmingham all have good courses so I think I'll have to go to some open days!

Hopefully others looking will go to the OU forum and see this thread but I'm keeping my eye out incase someone else starts it! Maybe people will start looking for a thread/forum/group once they register? If not we have each other haha!

I've been having a bit of a moment today worrying if I'm capable or not but I suppose it is true that if you feel passionate about something/change in direction the hard work will pay off
I did the module last year and found it pretty manageable, but I have done A-level biology and I'm a pure biology student. The nurses/midwives/people doing it to get on another course with little scientific background did struggle. The workload is fairly high, there is a lot in those three books. But it is certainly not impossible and if you have the books now definitely get reading before the module starts in October. If you don't have the books then have a look at GCSE Bitesize to recap basic biology and chemistry and the Khan Academy for some more complex biology. There also might be some useful module materials on Open Learn. I can understand why the fail rate is high for this course, because it is full on if you have zero scientific grounding, but you do have enough time to change that to do well on the course still.

There are Facebook groups each year. I wouldn't bother on here, there are so few of us. But I imagine the 2017 entry FB group is already going and people are always supportive, there are restrictions about what you can post but some people have even managed to arrange study groups from the FB groups. Also, have a look into SRW. I'm yet to see SK277 supported there, but it is an OU revision weekend so if its there it is definitely worth attending for revision help.

All module materials are included in the price of the course, this may or may not include textbooks because the OU are currently phasing out printed materials (especially in biology over the other sciences it seems), but the module information will tell you whether you'll get books or whether it is all online.
Original post by SuperCat007
I did the module last year and found it pretty manageable, but I have done A-level biology and I'm a pure biology student. The nurses/midwives/people doing it to get on another course with little scientific background did struggle. The workload is fairly high, there is a lot in those three books. But it is certainly not impossible and if you have the books now definitely get reading before the module starts in October. If you don't have the books then have a look at GCSE Bitesize to recap basic biology and chemistry and the Khan Academy for some more complex biology. There also might be some useful module materials on Open Learn. I can understand why the fail rate is high for this course, because it is full on if you have zero scientific grounding, but you do have enough time to change that to do well on the course still.

There are Facebook groups each year. I wouldn't bother on here, there are so few of us. But I imagine the 2017 entry FB group is already going and people are always supportive, there are restrictions about what you can post but some people have even managed to arrange study groups from the FB groups. Also, have a look into SRW. I'm yet to see SK277 supported there, but it is an OU revision weekend so if its there it is definitely worth attending for revision help.

All module materials are included in the price of the course, this may or may not include textbooks because the OU are currently phasing out printed materials (especially in biology over the other sciences it seems), but the module information will tell you whether you'll get books or whether it is all online.


Hey there SuperCat - thank you for such an in-depth response! It's reassuring to hear from someone who has previously undertaken the course.

I think its scary for someone who hasn't studied biology since GCSE which is why I'm really doing my best to try and figure out whether I'm capable now rather than after I've paid the fee! I've also never studied a course online/from home before so that'll be quite a different experience than what I'm used to. Where the books OU specific or did you find other textbooks that were helpful too?

I may have a cheeky look on eBay to see if I can get in some prep time before October!
Reply 14
Hi, I'm thinking of studying this course in September this year. I've just seen this thread and wondered how people without biology A level had found it (as I haven't studied biology since GCSE)? Thanks, Sally

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