Interdisciplinary Science with Foundation Year BSc at Leeds

Hi
I was just wondering is it worth doing this course. I have just finished college so i was wondering is there going to be a lot of older people in this course. If anyone finished this course how did you find it and was it worth doing it.

Thanks.

I know someone who went through this course - it's with the Centre of Lifelong Learning so you do get some mature students who feel they need that extra year if they've not taken the usual, standard qualifications in order to get up to scratch/get used to things.

There are also plenty of young people who just missed their university offer and were instead offered an extra year on the foundation course instead. It's a good mix.

I was told quite a few of the assignments were laborious, especially with the self-reflection essay tasks etc.

I've just completed this course this year. I did the physics pathway though so didn't do biology. There are some mature students on the course but it depends what you mean by "mature". Most are late teens and early 20s. There was one guy in his 30s and two in their 50s. (I was one of the latter two).

It's a good mix of people and as mentioned it's run by the LLC (Lifelong Learning Centre). A bunch of us tended to use the centre as our rest place between lectures and for lunch. They give a lot of help too with office hours for when you're stuck on anything. Tutors are really good too and are really very helpful and enthusiastic.

I went into this course having only re-studied 4 GCSEs but not studied any A-level content. I did OK averaging 76% across the board. Some students did extremely well getting into the 90s but there were a few dropouts along the way too. It is an intensive course but generally starts off with higher end GCSE stuff. I'm really glad I redid those GCSEs as they stood me in good stead. Lack of previous A-level study for me didn't seem to matter much, but if you've done any already (as had many of the cohort) you'll be fine.

There is a Skills module you have to do as well. This is where you write reflective essays early on (short 300 words) and it can get a bad press from students. In semester 2 this grows into a student project and you need to do a report and presentation. But they do teach you how to use the library function on the computers and how to reference properly for academic essays. I'm going into year 1 engineering at Leeds now and I feel already at home there. No worries about what the place is gonna be like. If you pass you're guaranteed a place on your chosen course. But they do limit the number of people who choose medicine and mech.eng.

You're not stuck on the choice you make when you apply either. I chose mech.eng on my application but ended up selecting mechatronics and robotics. You just can't switch pathways between biology and physics degrees obviously as you take one or the other. Chemistry, maths and skills are core subjects for everyone.

I’m starting the course this year.

I've just completed this course this year. I did the physics pathway though so didn't do biology. There are some mature students on the course but it depends what you mean by "mature". Most are late teens and early 20s. There was one guy in his 30s and htwo in their 50s. (I was one of the latter two).

It's a good mix of people and as mentioned it's run by the LLC (Lifelong Learning Centre). A bunch of us tended to use the centre as our rest place between lectures and for lunch. They give a lot of help too with office hours for when you're stuck on anything. Tutors are really good too and are really very helpful and enthusiastic.

I went into this course having only re-studied 4 GCSEs but not studied any A-level content. I did OK averaging 76% across the board. Some students did extremely well getting into the 90s but there were a few dropouts along the way too. It is an intensive course but generally starts off with higher end GCSE stuff. I'm really glad I redid those GCSEs as they stood me in good stead. Lack of previous A-level study for me didn't seem to matter much, but if you've done any already (as had many of the cohort) you'll be fine.

There is a Skills module you have to do as well. This is where you write reflective essays early on (short 300 words) and it can get a bad press from students. In semester 2 this grows into a student project and you need to do a report and presentation. But they do teach you how to use the library function on the computers and how to reference properly for academic essays. I'm going into year 1 engineering at Leeds now and I feel already at home there. No worries about what the place is gonna be like. If you pass you're guaranteed a place on your chosen course. But they do limit the number of people who choose medicine and mech.eng.

You're not stuck on the choice you make when you apply either. I chose mech.eng on my application but ended up selecting mechatronics and robotics. You just can't switch pathways between biology and physics degrees obviously as you take one or the other. Chemistry, maths and skills are core subjects for everyone.

Hi there, I was wondering if you could give me some tips and advice regarding this course. I was wondering if you could send me some resources if possible? I’m on the progression route to medicine and I want to maximise my chances of getting in by starting my studying early.

Have you been accepted for this foundation year at Leeds? Because if you have and your progression is medicine then there is no "competition". Everyone is guaranteed to get onto their chosen progression if they achieve the grades required. Everyone's progression route is different, so everyone has different pass marks. It's small differences in the pass marks of the subjects. Some need 5-10% more in maths for example for one progression over another. I needed an overall of 65% in all subjects to get into mech.engineering. That's the midterm exams, final exams, coursework etc. all loaded together. Actual pass marks in each midterm and final exam are a bare minimum of 40%. So you can have a bad day and still pass overall if you make it up elsewhere.

As for prep work I can only advise on maths really. You are taking the biology path for medicine and I did the physics path. Just make sure you can handle exponentials and fractions at high end GCSE. If you can smash those then starting calculus will be much easier. You really need those skills for calculus. Laws of logs and learning the basic trig identities is also a good start. If you've already studied maths A-level (regardless of grade achieved) then you will be better prepped than I was as I only had GCSE passes.

You go slightly deeper into stats on the biology path then physics path, but we went a bit further into calculus. Not too much either way though.

Yeah I did accept the offer. Did the university give you textbooks, if so, which ones? Also did you know the percentages needed for people with the medicine progression route?

Hi
I was just wondering is it worth doing this course. I have just finished college so i was wondering is there going to be a lot of older people in this course. If anyone finished this course how did you find it and was it worth doing it.

Thanks.

I know this is an old thread but I want to apply this year, I study psychology, biology and chemistry my predicted grades are CCC this year has been a shambles I haven’t been in sixth form for 6 months I want to apply for this course and Im illegible for 2 of the criteria’s (low progression area and below avarage school) I was wondering if I would be considered as an applicant Im also 18

I've just completed this course this year. I did the physics pathway though so didn't do biology. There are some mature students on the course but it depends what you mean by "mature". Most are late teens and early 20s. There was one guy in his 30s and two in their 50s. (I was one of the latter two).

It's a good mix of people and as mentioned it's run by the LLC (Lifelong Learning Centre). A bunch of us tended to use the centre as our rest place between lectures and for lunch. They give a lot of help too with office hours for when you're stuck on anything. Tutors are really good too and are really very helpful and enthusiastic.

I went into this course having only re-studied 4 GCSEs but not studied any A-level content. I did OK averaging 76% across the board. Some students did extremely well getting into the 90s but there were a few dropouts along the way too. It is an intensive course but generally starts off with higher end GCSE stuff. I'm really glad I redid those GCSEs as they stood me in good stead. Lack of previous A-level study for me didn't seem to matter much, but if you've done any already (as had many of the cohort) you'll be fine.

There is a Skills module you have to do as well. This is where you write reflective essays early on (short 300 words) and it can get a bad press from students. In semester 2 this grows into a student project and you need to do a report and presentation. But they do teach you how to use the library function on the computers and how to reference properly for academic essays. I'm going into year 1 engineering at Leeds now and I feel already at home there. No worries about what the place is gonna be like. If you pass you're guaranteed a place on your chosen course. But they do limit the number of people who choose medicine and mech.eng.

You're not stuck on the choice you make when you apply either. I chose mech.eng on my application but ended up selecting mechatronics and robotics. You just can't switch pathways between biology and physics degrees obviously as you take one or the other. Chemistry, maths and skills are core subjects for everyone.

Hi I’ve applied for this course for 2022 start.I think you do get treated as a regular student and yes you can stay at regular student halls it will be like your a first Student. I’m assuming your lectures will be on campus so not far from student accoms.

I applied for the interdisciplinary science foundation years for 2022 start as plan B for dental surgery progression. I have been told that I need to achieve a minimum of 70% overall and pass the school of dentistry MMI to get into the course. Have anyone went through this route to Dentistry at leeds and if you can offer any help?