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anyone doing btec level 2 applied science this year (2014?)

just would like to see if i can get any advise from anyone who has gone through doing btec applied science level 2 or 3 that be great thanks :wink:

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Reply 1
Well Level 2 is GCSE, and Level 3 is A Level equivalent, so there is quite a difference between the two.

In level 3 you will start with a basic recap of GCSE Science, and then start to discover that a lot of what you learnt in GCSE was simplified, especially in Chemistry. The course itself isn't too difficult and there should be a nice range of experiments, research, and trips available.

I'm currently doing the second year of a National Diploma in Applied Science, so will be happy to answer any specific questions you have. :-)

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Reply 2
Original post by Davalla
Well Level 2 is GCSE, and Level 3 is A Level equivalent, so there is quite a difference between the two.

In level 3 you will start with a basic recap of GCSE Science, and then start to discover that a lot of what you learnt in GCSE was simplified, especially in Chemistry. The course itself isn't too difficult and there should be a nice range of experiments, research, and trips available.

I'm currently doing the second year of a National Diploma in Applied Science, so will be happy to answer any specific questions you have. :-)

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aha thank you ill keep that in mind i only wrote level 2/3 cuz i haven't confirmed which course im doing hopefully ill be able to do level 3 applied science so ill be only doing 2 years college
Reply 3
Yeah can I ask a question. WHat do i need to bring on Btech level 3 applied science? SHould i bring an a4 notebook and a laptop??

Not sure what to bring on first lesson tommorow.
Reply 4
Original post by anyg
Yeah can I ask a question. WHat do i need to bring on Btech level 3 applied science? SHould i bring an a4 notebook and a laptop??

Not sure what to bring on first lesson tommorow.


A notepad will definitely come in handy as you will probably need the paper to draw rough diagrams/report writing, as well as for notes. I would suggest not taking a laptop due to the lack of need, I.e. any notes would be fairly brief so heavy duty equipment isn't really necessary. During my classes; we usually plan a rough draft of the work we need to do, and then often go over to the computer room for a change of environment. In my first year we found ourselves writing a lot of reports in the computer room provided. If your school or college doesn't have one you can easily take the notes home to do the work there if you want.

Other utensils such as rulers and graph paper will also be needed at some point (especially Chemistry topics) but they may be provided by the tutor.
Reply 5
Original post by amzy6
just would like to see if i can get any advise from anyone who has gone through doing btec applied science level 2 or 3 that be great thanks :wink:


Hey, I just finished my Level 3 BTEC Applied science :smile:
I aimed for higher grade so worked extra hard! It is quite a lot of work, so if you want to achieve the Ds you will probably need to take a lot of notes and immediately do the set assignments the teacher give. Waiting and wasting time will only put you at the level of grade merits/passes.
Level 2, is GCSE work, so will be much easier than Level 3. I haven't done the Level 2 BTEC in applied science so cannot help you much with it, but I do know its less work like there are less modules, whereas Level 3 could be around 18 different units!
I know someone who applied to college with a Level 2 in applied science, but ended up being transferred to Level 3 In applied science after 1 week of college!! Simply because he proved to the teachers that Level 2 was too easy for him. Amazingly, after 1 year of doing Level 3 Applied science, after continuously obtaining Distinctions in every unit, he managed to get on to A level Chemistry, Biology and Physics (although it meant he had to stay at college for 3 years!) but regardless, even if you can't get on Level 3 because of your grades etc, you can always work hard and get to where you want to get :smile:

If you have any questions just ask :smile:


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Reply 6
Original post by SHINeexo
Hey, I just finished my Level 3 BTEC Applied science :smile:
I aimed for higher grade so worked extra hard! It is quite a lot of work, so if you want to achieve the Ds you will probably need to take a lot of notes and immediately do the set assignments the teacher give. Waiting and wasting time will only put you at the level of grade merits/passes.
Level 2, is GCSE work, so will be much easier than Level 3. I haven't done the Level 2 BTEC in applied science so cannot help you much with it, but I do know its less work like there are less modules, whereas Level 3 could be around 18 different units!
I know someone who applied to college with a Level 2 in applied science, but ended up being transferred to Level 3 In applied science after 1 week of college!! Simply because he proved to the teachers that Level 2 was too easy for him. Amazingly, after 1 year of doing Level 3 Applied science, after continuously obtaining Distinctions in every unit, he managed to get on to A level Chemistry, Biology and Physics (although it meant he had to stay at college for 3 years!) but regardless, even if you can't get on Level 3 because of your grades etc, you can always work hard and get to where you want to get :smile:

If you have any questions just ask :smile:


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thats part im kinda annoyed about im trying to research the sucess rate getting into really good coureses such as medicine etc with a btec but then i made some options for myself either 1. do applied science till extended diploma or 2. do level 2 btec and then go on to do a levels i prefer the first one the fact i wont be behind but what do u guys think i should do ? :smile:
Reply 7
I can't exactly tell you what to do because I don't know you personally :smile:
But the guy I was talking about who started with Level 2 Applied science, is now in his second year of college doing A level Bio Chem and Physics. He wants to do medicine, but because of his poor GCSE grades, he's going to do Biomedical Science and then opt for graduate Medicine.
If your GCSE grades are fairly poor and not adequate for medicine, then you should find similar routes :smile: whatever it is, don't give up. There is always a way!
I, myself, will go on to Biomedical science and opt for graduate medicine afterwards!


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Reply 8
aha nice hopefully u get in and another question btw (hopfully u dont mind XD) did u benefit information from classes or more from researching urself im kinda new to the college system so i kinda havent got a clue how the teaching is gonna be like
Reply 9
Thank you :smile:
Haha its cool, ask away!
To be honest, some lessons were absolutely pointless! But most are either experimental work or the teacher telling you to work on laptops.
Its sort of 50/50 tbh, a lot of the information the teacher gives you, you need it. But most of it is really independent work. For example, the teacher gives you a few pointers and you need to basically write essays on it. It's not as hard as it sounds as long as you really get into researching, also teachers will surely help you if they see you trying really hard if you can't find information on something :smile:


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Reply 10
Original post by SHINeexo
Thank you :smile:
Haha its cool, ask away!
To be honest, some lessons were absolutely pointless! But most are either experimental work or the teacher telling you to work on laptops.
Its sort of 50/50 tbh, a lot of the information the teacher gives you, you need it. But most of it is really independent work. For example, the teacher gives you a few pointers and you need to basically write essays on it. It's not as hard as it sounds as long as you really get into researching, also teachers will surely help you if they see you trying really hard if you can't find information on something :smile:


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hmm i see well u know when u try to research information from a source how does that work do u copy the information down and write where you got that from or do you have to make your own sentences and that and then show where you got that info from ?
You absolutely cannot COPY any work that you write, if the teacher senses its not yours, they will put it on Turnitin (a website to check for percentage of plagiarism) if your work shows up as 50+ % plagiarism, then the teacher will ask you to do it again and if it's a Distinction work then they may not allow you to do it again.
You need to read information online, and rewrite what you read into your own words - in a way to prove that you have understood what you read. Then you copy the url of the website, and put that on you reference list. You need to put a number next to the url link you copied thats on your reference list and also put the same number next to the information you rewrote from the website. Does that make sense? Also you should provide information such as what the website is called, who wrote the information, when you last accessed the website etc :smile:


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Reply 12
Original post by SHINeexo
You absolutely cannot COPY any work that you write, if the teacher senses its not yours, they will put it on Turnitin (a website to check for percentage of plagiarism) if your work shows up as 50+ % plagiarism, then the teacher will ask you to do it again and if it's a Distinction work then they may not allow you to do it again.
You need to read information online, and rewrite what you read into your own words - in a way to prove that you have understood what you read. Then you copy the url of the website, and put that on you reference list. You need to put a number next to the url link you copied thats on your reference list and also put the same number next to the information you rewrote from the website. Does that make sense? Also you should provide information such as what the website is called, who wrote the information, when you last accessed the website etc :smile:


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yhh i kinda get the idea usually i like to visualize how it structured but i dont think u would have a sample would u ? :smile:
Original post by SHINeexo
some lessons were absolutely pointless!


I once had a few whole lessons on rainbows. Rainbows had nothing to do with anything we did.
Reply 14
Original post by Davalla
I once had a few whole lessons on rainbows. Rainbows had nothing to do with anything we did.

lool what?? how did rainbows suddenly take over your lessons ??
Original post by amzy6
lool what?? how did rainbows suddenly take over your lessons ??


Exactly. Our tutors kept coming and going, so the replacements didn't know what to teach us really. There were four tutors all together, three of them left within ten months.
Reply 16
Original post by Davalla
Exactly. Our tutors kept coming and going, so the replacements didn't know what to teach us really. There were four tutors all together, three of them left within ten months.

ah thats pretty bad and can hold back your course.. bummer tho im like the only whos going collage in my school its kinda annoying the fact ill miss my friends but exciting finding new people hows college environment like busy, ,annoying, fun ?
I'll make one up for you now :smile: all my works on my laptop and I don't have access to it atm D:

Anyways, for example the teacher asks you to talk about the digestive system. You go online, do your research, and this is the information you have found online:

Human Digestive System
Digestive System Label Me! Printout (Simple version)
Digestive System Label Me! Printout

The human digestive system is a complex series of organs and glands that processes food. In order to use the food we eat, our body has to break the food down into smaller molecules that it can process; it also has to excrete waste.

And so you decide to make it into your own words, i.e:

The digestive system within the human body is a system in which organs and glands process food. Our body needs to break down the food that has been consumed into smaller molecules so that it can process and we can use, and also to excrete the waste. (1)


Your referencing should be something like:

(1) Human Digestive System available on: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/anatomy/digestive/ Last accessed on 02/08/2014

Hope that helps!! Also this was rough so apologies if you're still confused lol






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Reply 18
Original post by SHINeexo
I'll make one up for you now :smile: all my works on my laptop and I don't have access to it atm D:

Anyways, for example the teacher asks you to talk about the digestive system. You go online, do your research, and this is the information you have found online:

Human Digestive System
Digestive System Label Me! Printout (Simple version)
Digestive System Label Me! Printout

The human digestive system is a complex series of organs and glands that processes food. In order to use the food we eat, our body has to break the food down into smaller molecules that it can process; it also has to excrete waste.

And so you decide to make it into your own words, i.e:

The digestive system within the human body is a system in which organs and glands process food. Our body needs to break down the food that has been consumed into smaller molecules so that it can process and we can use, and also to excrete the waste. (1)


Your referencing should be something like:

(1) Human Digestive System available on: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/anatomy/digestive/ Last accessed on 02/08/2014

Hope that helps!! Also this was rough so apologies if you're still confused lol






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no no lool that was absolutely great infact i get the point now of how its structred how was is collage life btw as in how did the course work go , researching , making new friends ( or stayed with the same people XD )
its just the fact that alot of people i asked about getting into collage they make it look so bad and only thugs and whatever go there to study im looking to study in Westminster college place looks great but dunno bout the people... u know is kinda hard being around with people older than u ( im 16 btw ) and studying
I went to a college where I didn't know 1 single person! Its so much better when you don't know anybody because you come out of your comfort zone and become confident!! You shouldn't worry about making friends, I'm sure you'll make loads on your course! :smile:
Also, not everyone on the course will be older than you! Half probably will, but a lot of them will also be 16/17 so don't worry about a thing :smile:
The course went by very smooth! The first year was a little rough, getting used to doing work all the time, but if you put your head down from the start, research everyday when you come home then you will be doing great! :smile:
I actually hated my course at the beginning because I didn't like science much, but by the end of the year, I was totally in love with science :smile:
The thug bit is a total crap lol. Don't listen to what people say. Even the guys on my course were very genuine and friendly! <something I didn't expect lol


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