English Student Applying to Scottish University
Hey, so I'm looking to get a Masters in Physics and I like the look of Glasgow, Edinburgh and St Andrews Universitys.. I'm predicted A*AA so they're all okay in that respect. I'm confused about the whole scottish system though, I'd have to do 5 years to get my masters instead of 4.. but that involves studying two other random subjects for the first and second year, what is the point in that? It would kind of be like repeating this year (A2 Maths, Further Maths and Physics). I could apply for direct entry into second year, but then I'd be worried about everyone on my course already having friends and I'd be living in halls with people who are in the year below me kinda.
Does anyone have any experience of going to Scottish university with A Levels or getting advanced entry?
Thanks (:
Does anyone have any experience of going to Scottish university with A Levels or getting advanced entry?
Thanks (:
Original post by elliebuck95
Hey, so I'm looking to get a Masters in Physics and I like the look of Glasgow, Edinburgh and St Andrews Universitys.. I'm predicted A*AA so they're all okay in that respect. I'm confused about the whole scottish system though, I'd have to do 5 years to get my masters instead of 4.. but that involves studying two other random subjects for the first and second year, what is the point in that?
That's is just the nature of the Scottish system.
Many Scottish students (those who don't do Advanced Highers, and few do unless applying to universities elsewhere in the UK) will start university at 17 after finishing their Highers. This contrasts to those elsewhere, who usually start at 18 after completing A-levels of course. Highers are only equivalent to AS Levels, as opposed to full A-levels. This is why Scottish universities tend to offer longer undergraduate courses. The opportunity to study additional subjects is something that many people like, as they may develop new interests, and it adds greater breadth and versatility to their study.
They aren't "random" subjects. You chose the subject you wish to study.
Anyway, moving to Scottish Unis.
Original post by River85
That's is just the nature of the Scottish system.
Many Scottish students (those who don't do Advanced Highers, and few do unless applying to universities elsewhere in the UK) will start university at 17 after finishing their Highers. This contrasts to those elsewhere, who usually start at 18 after completing A-levels of course. Highers are only equivalent to AS Levels, as opposed to full A-levels. This is why Scottish universities tend to offer longer undergraduate courses. The opportunity to study additional subjects is something that many people like, as they may develop new interests, and it adds greater breadth and versatility to their study.
They aren't "random" subjects. You chose the subject you wish to study.
Anyway, moving to Scottish Unis.
Many Scottish students (those who don't do Advanced Highers, and few do unless applying to universities elsewhere in the UK) will start university at 17 after finishing their Highers. This contrasts to those elsewhere, who usually start at 18 after completing A-levels of course. Highers are only equivalent to AS Levels, as opposed to full A-levels. This is why Scottish universities tend to offer longer undergraduate courses. The opportunity to study additional subjects is something that many people like, as they may develop new interests, and it adds greater breadth and versatility to their study.
They aren't "random" subjects. You chose the subject you wish to study.
Anyway, moving to Scottish Unis.
Hey, sorry I didn't mean to make the first post sound like such an attack on the Scottish system! Just to clear things up though, I could choose any subject I wanted, except I only did A2's in Maths, Further Maths and Physics.. meaning I would pick up an additional subject which I have little knowledge in, for the first year. Does this mean that in all classes (ie physics) there will be people with no experience and therefore classes will be aimed at a lower audience?
I'll try to answer some of your questions. Would just like to start by saying that I did not do A-levels but Highers and Advanced Highers. I've had so many PMs from people asking me about what I got in my A-levels and stuff. Anyway, maths and physics are considered 2 different subjects so you would only have to take another 1 in 1st year and the 3 universities offer astronomy as a subject too (Well I'm pretty sure that it can work like that at Edinburgh and St Andrews; at Glasgow, you definitely can.) Outside courses would be aimed at people entering 1st year of a degree in that subject so for example, you might be able to take a beginners course in a language but chemistry would most-likely need you to have done the A-level. This means that the 1st year physics course is aimed at people who have done higher physics. You would probably be repeating alot of what was in A-level maths and physics but they should be covered in more depth and rigour than your high school teachers would have done. This is probably particularly true for the physics experiments.
I've just sent my application off for second year entry to the St Andrews MPhys course 
I was a little worried for the same reasons as you, but realistically, I don't want to have to spend 5 years on a course I can do in 4, especially not at 9 grand a year plus living expenses. Quite a sizeable portion of people apply to second year apparently, anywhere between a third and a half of all applicants, so hopefully we wouldn't be the only ones!
I was a little worried for the same reasons as you, but realistically, I don't want to have to spend 5 years on a course I can do in 4, especially not at 9 grand a year plus living expenses. Quite a sizeable portion of people apply to second year apparently, anywhere between a third and a half of all applicants, so hopefully we wouldn't be the only ones!
I'm in a Scottish Uni, have to say that the whole 'outside course' thing is really not an issue, you just pick what you want to do, there's plenty options even within your course area. As a biology student, I did 3 biology courses out of a total of 6 (astronomy, geology and german were the other 3), but I could eeasily have done 6/6
Wouldn't recommend advanced entry personally, I don't know anyone who's done it but I lived around a loooad of people on my course and that really helped. That said I've just gone into 2nd year and it's still ridiculously easy to meet new people.
If you don't want to pay the extra tuition fees, fair enough but I'd highly recommend it, since first year is the funnest year and is also ridiculously easy for someone who could do direct entry
Wouldn't recommend advanced entry personally, I don't know anyone who's done it but I lived around a loooad of people on my course and that really helped. That said I've just gone into 2nd year and it's still ridiculously easy to meet new people.
If you don't want to pay the extra tuition fees, fair enough but I'd highly recommend it, since first year is the funnest year and is also ridiculously easy for someone who could do direct entry
Original post by elliebuck95
Hey, so I'm looking to get a Masters in Physics and I like the look of Glasgow, Edinburgh and St Andrews Universitys.. I'm predicted A*AA so they're all okay in that respect. I'm confused about the whole scottish system though, I'd have to do 5 years to get my masters instead of 4.. but that involves studying two other random subjects for the first and second year, what is the point in that? It would kind of be like repeating this year (A2 Maths, Further Maths and Physics). I could apply for direct entry into second year, but then I'd be worried about everyone on my course already having friends and I'd be living in halls with people who are in the year below me kinda.
Does anyone have any experience of going to Scottish university with A Levels or getting advanced entry?
Thanks (:
Does anyone have any experience of going to Scottish university with A Levels or getting advanced entry?
Thanks (:
I studied Chemistry at Edinburgh but did Physics and Maths in the first couple of years.
I'm not exactly the kind of respondant you're looking for I suppose but hopefully I can be of a little help.
2nd year entry is available to Scottish students if they get good enough results and they've done an Advanced Higher (which is probably quite close to A2). I could have taken direct entry but chose not to as I wanted a 'proper' 1st year that would have been a bit easier.
I know two Scottish students who took direct entry, one in Chemistry, one in Chemical Engineering. Both had to work a little harder than most in their first year but both ended up doing very well academically and making plenty of friends both on their course and in halls.
I wouldn't worry about finding it more difficult to make friends, certainly not in halls. You'll still the same age as everyone and the 'year' structure is completely different to school - nobody will care what year you're in and it's likely the vast majority of your 'halls' friends won't be studying the same thing anyway. People on your course may be a little more 'established' but 1st year Physics is a very big class. Many people (like me) study it as an outside course so the numbers will thin considerably from 1st to 2nd and then from 2nd to 3rd. So I would say, if direct entry really appeals to you, don't worry too much about it being more difficult to make friends with people.
You will have to be prepared to work considerably harder than the average fresher but if that's something you're prepared for and you're a capable enough student, then that should be fine.
The first two years of a full Physics degree at Edinburgh would be 1/3rd Physics, 1/3rd Mathematics for Scientists and Engineers and 1/3rd a subject/subjects of your choice. Obviously the Maths is very central to your degree subject so hardly 'random'. You could study something like Astronomy or something totally different but, personally, I found that really good. Being able to continue studying Physics at university definitely influenced my decisions in where I went with my degree and ended up doing a PhD in Chemical Physics.
It sounds like direct entry would be better for you but it really depends what you want I suppose.
I can highly recommend Edinburgh University as well.
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