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Things for a prospective Geology student to do over the summer?

Hi all,

Seeing as I recently got rejected from both summer schools I applied to, and our family cancelling our summer holiday, I have found myself with loads of free time over the summer.

I'm applying to universities in the autumn and I was wondering if anyone had any advice on things I could do between now and then to show my interest in the subject and increase my 'appeal' to unis? Geology work experience opportunities appear to be few and far between but any advice would be great.

Thanks :smile:
Reply 1
Avatar for Zottula
Zottula
16
Outdoor type activities are good. So some kind of volunteering outside would go down nicely. For example, with a local environmental group. Volunteering at a geological museum would also be good, but I expect this is harder to find. Most Geology/Earth Science students I know didn't do much in the way of relevant work experience so don't stress about it too much. Other ways to show your interest would be to visit locations of particular geological interest and reading around the subject.
Reply 2
Avatar for GeoSeal
GeoSeal
Hoping I get my grades for the Geology MSci at Imperial over the summer!

One of the things me and a friend did, when we were given an enrichment week at the end of AS to find work experience, was do "independant field trips". Basically I asked my geology teacher for some good sites, and we went to a quarry in Derbyshire, Lyme Regis, and Wren's Nest in dudley (which we'd been to before anyway). If you've already done some field work beforehand it would make your time more useful, but we basically went, took photos, made field sketches and did a bit of fossil hunting. It's a good idea to read up on the local geology beforehand, and the UK fossils site is really good for finding good fossil sites.

My interviewer seemed to be interested in my field trips (claimed not to know what Wren's Nest was to see how much I knew about it!), and a friend who did a similar thing has firmed his offer from oxford, so I think it shows that you're interested enough to go out there and do some geology :smile:
Reply 3
Avatar for v0lcanicash
v0lcanicash
I have to agree! The best thing to do is show your enthusiasm by actually conducting your own field trips, I know in my personal statement I was able to talk a lot about the different sites I had visited and then I had an interview where we had to give a presentation on a geological topic and it's easier to be able to talk confidently about a subject if you have experienced it first hand. I was also able to bring along some of the fossils and minerals I had collected over the years which the assessors appreciated!

All I would say really is to show your enthusiasm and that its something you're willing to commit to, geology is such a diverse subject just find an area you love and go with that, because not everyone coming out of college has studied geology (I didn't) they are mostly looking for someone who will enjoy grasping the concepts when the course begins :smile:

I'm starting my geology degree in Southampton this autumn so if you want any advice about the whole uni application stuff feel free to message me!

Posted from TSR Mobile
I'm in the same position as the poster, I am applying for geology in the autumn and need some advice on extra things i could do to enhance my application.

I currently have work experience at a geotechnical firm which involved site visits, investigations and report making, which i know is beneficial.

Also, i have done some reading, the books I have read are:
-Supercontinent- Ted Nield
-The Earth - Richard Fortey
-A short History of Nearly Everything- Bill Bryson
-The Map That Changed The World - Simon Winchester
Could anyone reccommend any others?

Any help is much appreciated :biggrin: thank you
Reply 5
Avatar for deecharrl
deecharrl
Original post by v0lcanicash
I have to agree! The best thing to do is show your enthusiasm by actually conducting your own field trips, I know in my personal statement I was able to talk a lot about the different sites I had visited and then I had an interview where we had to give a presentation on a geological topic and it's easier to be able to talk confidently about a subject if you have experienced it first hand. I was also able to bring along some of the fossils and minerals I had collected over the years which the assessors appreciated!

All I would say really is to show your enthusiasm and that its something you're willing to commit to, geology is such a diverse subject just find an area you love and go with that, because not everyone coming out of college has studied geology (I didn't) they are mostly looking for someone who will enjoy grasping the concepts when the course begins :smile:

I'm starting my geology degree in Southampton this autumn so if you want any advice about the whole uni application stuff feel free to message me!

Posted from TSR Mobile




Hi, I'm planning to apply for geology to study at uni for next year and am thinking about what I can put on my personal statement! I'm looking to do something geology related this summer but not to sure where to start. I've started reading books and taking notes etc, but I want to do more! I never considered fieldwork and it sounds brill! I live in Winchester (20mins down the motorway from Southampton) and was thinking where do you think I could do some sort of fieldwork? Any help would be muchos appreciated :smile::smile: thanks

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