A2 Biology - module options

Hey. I can't really speak for your school, best way is to ask your teach asap. However, I think self-teaching yourself a module could be really difficult. I know genetics can be a bit confusing, but I think self-teaching yourself environmental biology might end up being as difficult as being taught genetics. It depends how quick you are to catch on to things really. Have you ever taught yourself things in the past and done well?

Well that sounds great (kinda sounds like it was written for you tbh!). I'd advise you to talk to your teachers as soon as you get back and see what they say

If i carry on with biology next year (A2) then one of the modules my school has 'chosen' for us is Application of Genetics. However, genetics is my least favourite area of biology and there is another option i would much rather do which is Environmental Biology. I'd rather do this because i find it much more interesting and i've touched on many areas of it in my AS geography course and i want to do geography at university. However this would mean self teaching myself the whole module if i was allowed to do that option. Do you think i would be allowed to?? (I bet i wouldn't be.) Has anyone else done a different module to the rest of their class? I really do *hate* genetics by the way!

If i carry on with biology next year (A2) then one of the modules my school has 'chosen' for us is Application of Genetics. However, genetics is my least favourite area of biology and there is another option i would much rather do which is Environmental Biology. I'd rather do this because i find it much more interesting and i've touched on many areas of it in my AS geography course and i want to do geography at university. However this would mean self teaching myself the whole module if i was allowed to do that option. Do you think i would be allowed to?? (I bet i wouldn't be.) Has anyone else done a different module to the rest of their class? I really do *hate* genetics by the way!

hey.. yes u be making the right choice not to do genetics.. im doing the A2 bio at the moment and i have to do the applications of genetics and i have to say its soooooo difficult!!.. if i were u i would definetly do environmental biology, even if it means teaching myself the whole module!

surprised they picked genetics for you..we were told that was the hardest of them..so few people did it. (perhaps paradoxically the people who did got the highest grades overall i think, but that was probably a self selection thing?)

the perk of going to a huge 6th form was we had a choice of all of them.. & the most popular was 'mammalian physiology & behaviour' (touted as the "easy" but lots of content option..)

bets bet is to ask the school i suppose..although i can see why they'd be reluctant to let you do that.. but if you did well at AS, are a highly motivated student in general & get some of the subject teachers on side then i suppose they might..

Yeah after reading the spec genetics does seem the hardest and most boring option.

At my college we could choose which of the optional modules to do, but we had to self teach. It was weird to begin with - not necessarily learning the same thing as the person sat next to you, and alot of the time I ended up just copying out big chunks of the text book. After a few weeks it got better (and learnt how useful diagrams are!), and I actually really enjoyed the self teaching. I've just finished Mammalian Physiology, and I have found there is a lot of detail you need to learn. Some of my friends did the Environmental option (mostly those who were already doing Geography or Env Science A-level), and there seems to be alot of overlap with these subjects. My teachers admit that the Env. Bio option is the easiest

Seems like a few people have self-taught themselves successfully. I would feel weird to not be going to the lessons (but i don't really like the lessons anyway).

We still had to go to lessons. Every now and then our teacher would go over the more difficult parts

the thing is, alot of people take chemistry alongside biology, and "Applications Of Genetics" involves alot of chemistry as well as biology, so chances are you'd be outvoted.

BUT i must say this, I've looked at the Environmental option book before, and it is FULL OF WORDY TEXT, so i dont recommend it. I personally did the "Mammalian option" which is ok, but its clustered with weird names and inner molecular biology that is quite difficult. Trust me out of all the module options, Environmental will be the boringest, and boring things tend to make people dont wanna revise it......