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Access to science then physics at uni?

Hi as the title suggests I'm starting an access to science course this September with the hope of going on to university to study physics. I was looking for some advice from anyone who has already done this I just wanted to know:
how well does the access course prepare you for uni?
Are universities happy with the level of maths taught on the access course?
When applying to university did you need to include the units from your course?
Did universities require certain units?
What were your conditional offers for a physics degree?
How well does the access course prepare you for uni?
Access is really good for developing learning skills, such as referencing, report-writing, exam preparation, etc. The subjects studied don't cover the full-range of A Level material, so you may need to do some extra reading over the summer before starting university to fill in any gaps.

Are universities happy with the level of maths taught on the access course?
Generally, no. Pick your college carefully to make sure there is plenty of maths. At mine, we did 24 credits in maths out of the total of 60. We covered almost everything in C1 - C4 (core maths A Level) plus some extra material (complex numbers, matrices, vector calculus). If you can't find a college that offers this much, you may have to apply for a foundation year, or take an extra year after Access to home-study maths A Level.

When applying to university did you need to include the units from your course?
Yes, there is space to list them on the UCAS form. Some Admissions Tutors seem to ignore this though, and may email you to ask for this information.

Did universities require certain units?
Some did. Calculus is essential for Physics. Check that your college offer this. It may be split into two units called "Differentiation" and "Integration".

What were your conditional offers for a physics degree?
Portsmouth (Applied Physics BSc): Originally asked for 45 Merits, but later changed it to "Pass the Access course". This change may have been due to a mistake on the website, so it's probably best to assume they will ask for something like 45 Merits next year.

Royal Holloway (Astrophysics MSci): 30 Distinctions, including maths and physics modules, plus 15 Merits.

Southampton (Physics with a Foundation Year): Distinctions in all physics, maths and English modules. In my case this came to 54.

Surrey (Physics BSc): No reply within 6 months of application, and I withdrew just before the deadline in order to meet the conditions of a scholarship elsewhere. Last year, Access was listed on their entry requirements page for physics, but they have removed it this year, so this university is probably not an option.
Reply 2
Original post by Schadenfreude65
How well does the access course prepare you for uni?
Access is really good for developing learning skills, such as referencing, report-writing, exam preparation, etc. The subjects studied don't cover the full-range of A Level material, so you may need to do some extra reading over the summer before starting university to fill in any gaps.

Are universities happy with the level of maths taught on the access course?
Generally, no. Pick your college carefully to make sure there is plenty of maths. At mine, we did 24 credits in maths out of the total of 60. We covered almost everything in C1 - C4 (core maths A Level) plus some extra material (complex numbers, matrices, vector calculus). If you can't find a college that offers this much, you may have to apply for a foundation year, or take an extra year after Access to home-study maths A Level.

When applying to university did you need to include the units from your course?
Yes, there is space to list them on the UCAS form. Some Admissions Tutors seem to ignore this though, and may email you to ask for this information.

Did universities require certain units?
Some did. Calculus is essential for Physics. Check that your college offer this. It may be split into two units called "Differentiation" and "Integration".

What were your conditional offers for a physics degree?
Portsmouth (Applied Physics BSc): Originally asked for 45 Merits, but later changed it to "Pass the Access course". This change may have been due to a mistake on the website, so it's probably best to assume they will ask for something like 45 Merits next year.

Royal Holloway (Astrophysics MSci): 30 Distinctions, including maths and physics modules, plus 15 Merits.

Southampton (Physics with a Foundation Year): Distinctions in all physics, maths and English modules. In my case this came to 54.

Surrey (Physics BSc): No reply within 6 months of application, and I withdrew just before the deadline in order to meet the conditions of a scholarship elsewhere. Last year, Access was listed on their entry requirements page for physics, but they have removed it this year, so this university is probably not an option.


Thanks very much for the information you have been extremely helpful on both threads I asked questions in I will be very careful with the college i pick now.
No problem.

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