Uni help!!
Hi, i'm in year 12 and I'm the oldest child to foreign parents (who both went to uni) and i'm not sure on what to do at uni and what course
My predicted grades are A, A, A* (bio, chem, maths) and for gcses I got 5 grade 9s and 2 grade 8s.
I know i want to stay in london (Russel group unis) and do something biology related, something to do with humans and the body etc but i dont know what course or what steps to take
Do i need work experience? Do i need to do voluntary work? When do I apply? What do i need in order to apply? My school isnt very helpful with informing stuff like this and my friends have no idea
Someone please help me!! I literally have no idea on this and time to apply is so near, i'm so scared
My predicted grades are A, A, A* (bio, chem, maths) and for gcses I got 5 grade 9s and 2 grade 8s.
I know i want to stay in london (Russel group unis) and do something biology related, something to do with humans and the body etc but i dont know what course or what steps to take
Do i need work experience? Do i need to do voluntary work? When do I apply? What do i need in order to apply? My school isnt very helpful with informing stuff like this and my friends have no idea
Someone please help me!! I literally have no idea on this and time to apply is so near, i'm so scared
Original post by sum.jmb
Hi, i'm in year 12 and I'm the oldest child to foreign parents (who both went to uni) and i'm not sure on what to do at uni and what course
My predicted grades are A, A, A* (bio, chem, maths) and for gcses I got 5 grade 9s and 2 grade 8s.
I know i want to stay in london (Russel group unis) and do something biology related, something to do with humans and the body etc but i dont know what course or what steps to take
Do i need work experience? Do i need to do voluntary work? When do I apply? What do i need in order to apply? My school isnt very helpful with informing stuff like this and my friends have no idea
Someone please help me!! I literally have no idea on this and time to apply is so near, i'm so scared
My predicted grades are A, A, A* (bio, chem, maths) and for gcses I got 5 grade 9s and 2 grade 8s.
I know i want to stay in london (Russel group unis) and do something biology related, something to do with humans and the body etc but i dont know what course or what steps to take
Do i need work experience? Do i need to do voluntary work? When do I apply? What do i need in order to apply? My school isnt very helpful with informing stuff like this and my friends have no idea
Someone please help me!! I literally have no idea on this and time to apply is so near, i'm so scared
Try putting your A levels in the following tool for degree suggestions:
https://www.theuniguide.co.uk/a-level-explorer
Career guide listing 100s of job profiles:
https://www.prospects.ac.uk/
Search for courses:
https://www.whatuni.com/ the ‘Enter subject’ box is reactive so if you start typing ‘biology’ it suggests other similar options
https://www.ucas.com/explore/search
Go to the websites of unis you are interested in and scroll through the undergraduate course lists to see what grabs your interest. For example:
https://www.imperial.ac.uk/study/subjects/
Also consider degrees such as Natural Sciences.
Go to some uni open days next term and attend as many subject talks as you can. The following site lists open days but check uni websites too:
https://www.opendays.com/
Information on when and how to apply:
https://www.ucas.com/undergraduate/applying-to-university
For the majority of degrees, you don't need volunteering/work experience unless you want to apply for medicine/healthcare courses, etc. What you do need to show is a passion for your subject through additional reading, MOOCs, etc.
Original post by sum.jmb
Hi, i'm in year 12 and I'm the oldest child to foreign parents (who both went to uni) and i'm not sure on what to do at uni and what course
My predicted grades are A, A, A* (bio, chem, maths) and for gcses I got 5 grade 9s and 2 grade 8s.
I know i want to stay in london (Russel group unis) and do something biology related, something to do with humans and the body etc but i dont know what course or what steps to take
Do i need work experience? Do i need to do voluntary work? When do I apply? What do i need in order to apply? My school isnt very helpful with informing stuff like this and my friends have no idea
Someone please help me!! I literally have no idea on this and time to apply is so near, i'm so scared
My predicted grades are A, A, A* (bio, chem, maths) and for gcses I got 5 grade 9s and 2 grade 8s.
I know i want to stay in london (Russel group unis) and do something biology related, something to do with humans and the body etc but i dont know what course or what steps to take
Do i need work experience? Do i need to do voluntary work? When do I apply? What do i need in order to apply? My school isnt very helpful with informing stuff like this and my friends have no idea
Someone please help me!! I literally have no idea on this and time to apply is so near, i'm so scared
Hi @sum.jmb,
It's great that you're interested in doing something biology related! I'm a student ambassador up at Lancaster University (a bit far away from London I know but I thought I could help out with some of your questions anyway!). In terms of what to do at uni, there are lots of courses that fall under the biology umbrella so it is very overwhelming choosing a single course to do! I studied Natural Sciences at Lancaster and there are several universities around the country that run Natural Sciences too. It allows you to study a few different areas of science without narrowing down your choices too early. Alternatively, a straight biology degree could be a better fit depending on what you want. I would recommend finding a couple of courses that might work and having a look at the modules within them to see what you would find interesting. @normaw has already listed some great resources for steps to take with this. If you find an interesting course, you can usually find student experiences from these on various threads on The Student Room which are useful!
Don't stress about work experience or voluntary work if you haven't already done any or don't have any lined up. With your personal statement, showing a passion for your subject is what is important. Work experience or extra reading in this area can show this passion.
Good luck with the process and let me know if you have any more questions
- Bethan (Lancaster University Student Ambassador)
@sum.jmb
Talk to your parents. They both went to university and so even though their experience might not be exactly the same as yours, they will still be able to give you valuable advice. They know you well, so they might be able to help you identify your strengths and weaknesses, and things that are important to look for in a university or course.
Have you thought about medicine or dentistry?
You do not need work experience, but anything that helps show that you are a well-rounded individual is good e.g. you’re not only strong academically but you also have other interests, knowledge, and skills.
It might be an idea to use the summer to do some voluntary work or to start a new hobby (if you don’t have any hobbies now that you think you could use to strengthen your personal statement). Languages, musical skills and sport all add a bit extra to your personal statement and make you sound more interesting. Whatever you do, don’t lie about hobbies because if you’re called for interview and they ask you about a hobby (because they have the same one) and you can’t answer it, it will not look very good.
From September, you will need to start thinking about your application. They should guide you through it at your sixth form/college, but it might be helpful to speak to a careers’ advisor or your form tutor.
Focus on getting good results in your exams this year and when they are done, you can spend more time thinking about Y13.
You still have time.
Don’t panic,
Oluwatosin – 2nd year student – University of Huddersfield
Talk to your parents. They both went to university and so even though their experience might not be exactly the same as yours, they will still be able to give you valuable advice. They know you well, so they might be able to help you identify your strengths and weaknesses, and things that are important to look for in a university or course.
Have you thought about medicine or dentistry?
You do not need work experience, but anything that helps show that you are a well-rounded individual is good e.g. you’re not only strong academically but you also have other interests, knowledge, and skills.
It might be an idea to use the summer to do some voluntary work or to start a new hobby (if you don’t have any hobbies now that you think you could use to strengthen your personal statement). Languages, musical skills and sport all add a bit extra to your personal statement and make you sound more interesting. Whatever you do, don’t lie about hobbies because if you’re called for interview and they ask you about a hobby (because they have the same one) and you can’t answer it, it will not look very good.
From September, you will need to start thinking about your application. They should guide you through it at your sixth form/college, but it might be helpful to speak to a careers’ advisor or your form tutor.
Focus on getting good results in your exams this year and when they are done, you can spend more time thinking about Y13.
You still have time.
Don’t panic,
Oluwatosin – 2nd year student – University of Huddersfield
Original post by University of Huddersfield
@sum.jmb
Talk to your parents. They both went to university and so even though their experience might not be exactly the same as yours, they will still be able to give you valuable advice. They know you well, so they might be able to help you identify your strengths and weaknesses, and things that are important to look for in a university or course.
Have you thought about medicine or dentistry?
You do not need work experience, but anything that helps show that you are a well-rounded individual is good e.g. you’re not only strong academically but you also have other interests, knowledge, and skills.
It might be an idea to use the summer to do some voluntary work or to start a new hobby (if you don’t have any hobbies now that you think you could use to strengthen your personal statement). Languages, musical skills and sport all add a bit extra to your personal statement and make you sound more interesting. Whatever you do, don’t lie about hobbies because if you’re called for interview and they ask you about a hobby (because they have the same one) and you can’t answer it, it will not look very good.
From September, you will need to start thinking about your application. They should guide you through it at your sixth form/college, but it might be helpful to speak to a careers’ advisor or your form tutor.
Focus on getting good results in your exams this year and when they are done, you can spend more time thinking about Y13.
You still have time.
Don’t panic,
Oluwatosin – 2nd year student – University of Huddersfield
Talk to your parents. They both went to university and so even though their experience might not be exactly the same as yours, they will still be able to give you valuable advice. They know you well, so they might be able to help you identify your strengths and weaknesses, and things that are important to look for in a university or course.
Have you thought about medicine or dentistry?
You do not need work experience, but anything that helps show that you are a well-rounded individual is good e.g. you’re not only strong academically but you also have other interests, knowledge, and skills.
It might be an idea to use the summer to do some voluntary work or to start a new hobby (if you don’t have any hobbies now that you think you could use to strengthen your personal statement). Languages, musical skills and sport all add a bit extra to your personal statement and make you sound more interesting. Whatever you do, don’t lie about hobbies because if you’re called for interview and they ask you about a hobby (because they have the same one) and you can’t answer it, it will not look very good.
From September, you will need to start thinking about your application. They should guide you through it at your sixth form/college, but it might be helpful to speak to a careers’ advisor or your form tutor.
Focus on getting good results in your exams this year and when they are done, you can spend more time thinking about Y13.
You still have time.
Don’t panic,
Oluwatosin – 2nd year student – University of Huddersfield
I have considered medicine and I feel like it's my only option to get a good-paying, respectable job but there's so much pressure and competition surrounding it, I don't know if it's for me. I've done minimal research on other biology-related courses but nothing stands out to me much. Any advice?
Original post by sum.jmb
I have considered medicine and I feel like it's my only option to get a good-paying, respectable job but there's so much pressure and competition surrounding it, I don't know if it's for me. I've done minimal research on other biology-related courses but nothing stands out to me much. Any advice?
If you're not sure whether medicine is the course for you then it definitely isn't for you. You need to really want it if you're gonna put yourself through all that pain lmao. Also, it's absolutely not the only option for a good-paying job!!
There are so many biology-related degrees out there it's hard to give you any suggestions without knowing what kind of career you want in the future. Could you see yourself teaching, being a researcher, working in a hospital lab, helping run a company in a science related field, writing articles for the media etc? Normaw has some incredibly helpful resources to get you started so I highly recommend you look at those.
I'm doing biochemistry at KCL atm and want to go into research so if you've got any specific questions about that I can answer them
Original post by kaorimiyazono
If you're not sure whether medicine is the course for you then it definitely isn't for you. You need to really want it if you're gonna put yourself through all that pain lmao. Also, it's absolutely not the only option for a good-paying job!!
There are so many biology-related degrees out there it's hard to give you any suggestions without knowing what kind of career you want in the future. Could you see yourself teaching, being a researcher, working in a hospital lab, helping run a company in a science related field, writing articles for the media etc? Normaw has some incredibly helpful resources to get you started so I highly recommend you look at those.
I'm doing biochemistry at KCL atm and want to go into research so if you've got any specific questions about that I can answer them
There are so many biology-related degrees out there it's hard to give you any suggestions without knowing what kind of career you want in the future. Could you see yourself teaching, being a researcher, working in a hospital lab, helping run a company in a science related field, writing articles for the media etc? Normaw has some incredibly helpful resources to get you started so I highly recommend you look at those.
I'm doing biochemistry at KCL atm and want to go into research so if you've got any specific questions about that I can answer them
I've been thinking of doing research in the future, what do you plan to do exactly in the future and what does your course consist of if you don't mind me asking? Thanks for the reply, KCL is local to me!!
Original post by sum.jmb
I have considered medicine and I feel like it's my only option to get a good-paying, respectable job but there's so much pressure and competition surrounding it, I don't know if it's for me. I've done minimal research on other biology-related courses but nothing stands out to me much. Any advice?
@sum.jmb
It would be good to do some more research about different careers.
It is also important that you try and identify what motivates you, your strengths and the most important things for you in a future career.
You have already started to do this: "a good-paying, respectable job" and "biology related".
What else is important to you?
Do you prefer teamwork or working individually?
Do you want to work with people or prefer working with technology?
You could try exploring different careers with the NHS.
They have a mini NHS career quiz that could help you begin to identify possible options. You could also explore different NHS roles.
You could also begin to look at universities which have a strong science background and could ask them to send you their prospectus (they will send it to you for free) which will have their biology-related courses and usually will have careers that graduates normally go into after completing the degree.
You can also view their prospectus online and see if there are any open days coming up. Open days are a great opportunity to talk to students to get a better idea of their course and their reasons for choosing their degree.
Hope that helps,
Oluwatosin – 2nd year student – University of Huddersfield
Original post by sum.jmb
I've been thinking of doing research in the future, what do you plan to do exactly in the future and what does your course consist of if you don't mind me asking? Thanks for the reply, KCL is local to me!!
Hi
I don't actually have an exact plan yet haha. But I want to do a PhD and I know I find cancer epigenetics and neuroscience really interesting so maybe in one of those areas.
So in year 1, King's has a common year one programme where all the biosciences take the same modules so you get a taste of everything and they then give you the opportunity to switch to another degree. The year 1 modules are all compulsory and you don't get any options: biochemistry, intro to chem for bioscientists, genetics, cell bio and neurosci, pharmacology, anatomy and physiology, and skills for bioscience (I might be missing one?). A lot of bichem people switched to do pharmacology actually.
I'm in year 2 atm. We had 3 required module in semester 1 (cell bio, molecular basis of gene expression, and metabolism) but I actually went abroad that semester to Johns Hopkins which was incredible. King's lets you do 1 semester abroad (either semester- it just depends when you apply) and return to complete the year so you don't have to add an extra year of study if you don't want to. The option of doing a full year abroad and extending your degree is still available though. In semester 2 you also have to do protein structure and function and a lab module. The optional modules I took were intro to programming and physiology & pharmacology of the CNS which I really enjoyed.
Year 3 gives you more flexibility ish. You have to do a research project (either wet lab, group project, or library-based) which you can choose the topic for (from a large list), another compulsory protein module, and a disease or diagnostics module. Then there are a bunch of optional modules ranging from anatomy and physiology, developmental biology, cancer, genetics, neuroscience, pharmacology etc. I'm planning on taking cancer genetics, epigenetics, and pharmacology of psychiatric and neurological disorders.
I'm also on the 4 year programme. So the final year is kinda like a master's where you do a research project and write a dissertation so you graduate with an MSci rather than a BSc. You can apply to switch from BSc to MSci while at King's but imo it's easier to just apply directly to it initially and then drop down to the BSc if you change your mind than applying to the MSci while already at uni.
Sorry for the lengthy reply lol. I hope this was useful. If you have any more Qs please do ask
I'm happy to help!!Original post by kaorimiyazono
Hi
I don't actually have an exact plan yet haha. But I want to do a PhD and I know I find cancer epigenetics and neuroscience really interesting so maybe in one of those areas.
So in year 1, King's has a common year one programme where all the biosciences take the same modules so you get a taste of everything and they then give you the opportunity to switch to another degree. The year 1 modules are all compulsory and you don't get any options: biochemistry, intro to chem for bioscientists, genetics, cell bio and neurosci, pharmacology, anatomy and physiology, and skills for bioscience (I might be missing one?). A lot of bichem people switched to do pharmacology actually.
I'm in year 2 atm. We had 3 required module in semester 1 (cell bio, molecular basis of gene expression, and metabolism) but I actually went abroad that semester to Johns Hopkins which was incredible. King's lets you do 1 semester abroad (either semester- it just depends when you apply) and return to complete the year so you don't have to add an extra year of study if you don't want to. The option of doing a full year abroad and extending your degree is still available though. In semester 2 you also have to do protein structure and function and a lab module. The optional modules I took were intro to programming and physiology & pharmacology of the CNS which I really enjoyed.
Year 3 gives you more flexibility ish. You have to do a research project (either wet lab, group project, or library-based) which you can choose the topic for (from a large list), another compulsory protein module, and a disease or diagnostics module. Then there are a bunch of optional modules ranging from anatomy and physiology, developmental biology, cancer, genetics, neuroscience, pharmacology etc. I'm planning on taking cancer genetics, epigenetics, and pharmacology of psychiatric and neurological disorders.
I'm also on the 4 year programme. So the final year is kinda like a master's where you do a research project and write a dissertation so you graduate with an MSci rather than a BSc. You can apply to switch from BSc to MSci while at King's but imo it's easier to just apply directly to it initially and then drop down to the BSc if you change your mind than applying to the MSci while already at uni.
Sorry for the lengthy reply lol. I hope this was useful. If you have any more Qs please do ask I'm happy to help!!
I don't actually have an exact plan yet haha. But I want to do a PhD and I know I find cancer epigenetics and neuroscience really interesting so maybe in one of those areas.
So in year 1, King's has a common year one programme where all the biosciences take the same modules so you get a taste of everything and they then give you the opportunity to switch to another degree. The year 1 modules are all compulsory and you don't get any options: biochemistry, intro to chem for bioscientists, genetics, cell bio and neurosci, pharmacology, anatomy and physiology, and skills for bioscience (I might be missing one?). A lot of bichem people switched to do pharmacology actually.
I'm in year 2 atm. We had 3 required module in semester 1 (cell bio, molecular basis of gene expression, and metabolism) but I actually went abroad that semester to Johns Hopkins which was incredible. King's lets you do 1 semester abroad (either semester- it just depends when you apply) and return to complete the year so you don't have to add an extra year of study if you don't want to. The option of doing a full year abroad and extending your degree is still available though. In semester 2 you also have to do protein structure and function and a lab module. The optional modules I took were intro to programming and physiology & pharmacology of the CNS which I really enjoyed.
Year 3 gives you more flexibility ish. You have to do a research project (either wet lab, group project, or library-based) which you can choose the topic for (from a large list), another compulsory protein module, and a disease or diagnostics module. Then there are a bunch of optional modules ranging from anatomy and physiology, developmental biology, cancer, genetics, neuroscience, pharmacology etc. I'm planning on taking cancer genetics, epigenetics, and pharmacology of psychiatric and neurological disorders.
I'm also on the 4 year programme. So the final year is kinda like a master's where you do a research project and write a dissertation so you graduate with an MSci rather than a BSc. You can apply to switch from BSc to MSci while at King's but imo it's easier to just apply directly to it initially and then drop down to the BSc if you change your mind than applying to the MSci while already at uni.
Sorry for the lengthy reply lol. I hope this was useful. If you have any more Qs please do ask
I'm happy to help!!Thank you so much!! Is it just KCL where all the biosciences do the same first module or are there any others that you’re aware of? I think that’s such a good idea I’ll look into it
Original post by sum.jmb
Thank you so much!! Is it just KCL where all the biosciences do the same first module or are there any others that you’re aware of? I think that’s such a good idea I’ll look into it
Np
Idk about all biosciences doing the same first year modules, but I think Manchester also lets you switch. I don't know about any other unis though sorry!! But yeah it's rly nice cuz once you actually start studying things at uni level you might change your mind about the degree and that's totally ok. I acc realised I really enjoy neuroscience which I didn't expect, but luckily with biochemistry as my degree there are a wide variety of modules to choose from, including the neurosci ones.
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