Should I drop the EPQ?
I don’t know whether to drop my EPQ. I submitted an application and started at the start of June Year 12 (this month) and I have to hand it in by March Year 13.
My supervisor is not very good. She keeps on wanting to turn my history EPQ into a sociology EPQ and I am struggling to get her to remember it is a history EPQ, I have told her repeatedly. She seems to think that sociology of 1900 is the same as social history.
I’m doing well in my A Levels, but this was by putting a lot of work in and I don’t want the EPQ to detract from that work and vice verse.
My top uni would give me one reduced grade for an A in EPQ, but I don’t think that is enough to keep it.
I have to time manage enough as I have a lot going on. I will also learn how to reference through my history coursework, which I would also be focusing on over the summer.
In the summer when I have to do all my EPQ research I also have to do: two weeks work experience, history coursework, personal statement writing, revising Year 12 content and I am on holiday for a week.
I am going to speak to my head of sixth form, who is also the centre coordinator, about my supervisor tomorrow hopefully. But I have to submit a working title to be approved by Friday and I don’t know what to do.
I think I would prefer to focus on my A Levels and find other ways of showing that I love history and want to do it for uni such as by volunteering, essay competitions etc. I applied for history captain and mentor, but did not get it. My concern is that this is something that I have been actively thinking about for a week and so don’t know if I thinking too quickly.
Sorry this is so long, but I would love some advice. But I do know that Student Room is relatively against EPQ.
My supervisor is not very good. She keeps on wanting to turn my history EPQ into a sociology EPQ and I am struggling to get her to remember it is a history EPQ, I have told her repeatedly. She seems to think that sociology of 1900 is the same as social history.
I’m doing well in my A Levels, but this was by putting a lot of work in and I don’t want the EPQ to detract from that work and vice verse.
My top uni would give me one reduced grade for an A in EPQ, but I don’t think that is enough to keep it.
I have to time manage enough as I have a lot going on. I will also learn how to reference through my history coursework, which I would also be focusing on over the summer.
In the summer when I have to do all my EPQ research I also have to do: two weeks work experience, history coursework, personal statement writing, revising Year 12 content and I am on holiday for a week.
I am going to speak to my head of sixth form, who is also the centre coordinator, about my supervisor tomorrow hopefully. But I have to submit a working title to be approved by Friday and I don’t know what to do.
I think I would prefer to focus on my A Levels and find other ways of showing that I love history and want to do it for uni such as by volunteering, essay competitions etc. I applied for history captain and mentor, but did not get it. My concern is that this is something that I have been actively thinking about for a week and so don’t know if I thinking too quickly.
Sorry this is so long, but I would love some advice. But I do know that Student Room is relatively against EPQ.
hi there. what you're feeling is totally normal. i started my epq in year twelve, spent my whole summer on it, and then ultimately dropped it in year thirteen because of the workload. my teacher also tried to constantly change my idea (i wanted to do how the media depicted the disappearance of madeleine mccann compared to other missing children, but apparently it was too broad). i was predicted AAA and my uni also would've deducted by a grade if i got an A in my epq. however, i did decide to drop it and pursue my three a levels instead because of the stress. although...i know one girl who did four a level subjects AND an epq so please know that it is possible!
you've still got time to decide of course. speak to your head of sixth form if you can tomorrow for sure and just discuss any concerns you have. it's unlikely the teacher will change (it's unlikely more than one teacher at a sixth form can teach the subject) so it is whether you feel you can work with this teacher and overcome anything she throws at you.
i received four conditional offers from russell group unis without an epq and without any work experience (covid year unfortunately). and if i remember correctly, i wrote my personal statement in an hour. so if you're worried about unis looking negatively on you for not doing an epq, please do not worry! you should do it because you want to do it and feel able to do it. don't overwork yourself!
hopefully i've addressed everything? let me know if you have any questions
good luck! you can do this!
you've still got time to decide of course. speak to your head of sixth form if you can tomorrow for sure and just discuss any concerns you have. it's unlikely the teacher will change (it's unlikely more than one teacher at a sixth form can teach the subject) so it is whether you feel you can work with this teacher and overcome anything she throws at you.
i received four conditional offers from russell group unis without an epq and without any work experience (covid year unfortunately). and if i remember correctly, i wrote my personal statement in an hour. so if you're worried about unis looking negatively on you for not doing an epq, please do not worry! you should do it because you want to do it and feel able to do it. don't overwork yourself!
hopefully i've addressed everything? let me know if you have any questions
good luck! you can do this!Thanks for your message. It was really helpful.
I spoke to my head of sixth form, it was a relatively rushed conversation as both of us were busy.
But what he said was that:
I shouldn't need to push back against my supervisor and that I the title that I submit is my own choice (which I already knew), but with no advice on how to work with my supervisor or the option to switch.
Also, I raised the question that I didn't know if I wanted to continue doing it as the benefits that you see on the internet and were discussed in school do not seem to outweigh the benefits.
His response was: the main reason that you should do the EPQ is that you are the passionate about the topic (I am passionate, but I don't know if I am passionate enough to do a report around the annoying structure of an EPQ, I wouldn't mind writing about my topic in general) and that 30 or 40 people in my group of 100 ish will drop the EPQ before the deadline. But he said to give it some time and so I will find something to submit as a title for Friday and then think about it.
My teacher says to do some research over the summer and see what I am thinking them as I will not have done too much work: but I will have done a reasonable amount of work. Though my summer won't be so packed as one of my work experience weeks was at a hospital in the week of the tail end of junior doctors strikes and the consultant strikes, so that almost certainly won't go ahead, or only two days.
I don't have the time to think about what to do right now as I have other things going in, so will have to cobble something together for the next two weeks.
Is this a good idea? I don't want to get too far in and then think that I have put all this work in and can't stop now.
Again, sorry its long.
I spoke to my head of sixth form, it was a relatively rushed conversation as both of us were busy.
But what he said was that:
I shouldn't need to push back against my supervisor and that I the title that I submit is my own choice (which I already knew), but with no advice on how to work with my supervisor or the option to switch.
Also, I raised the question that I didn't know if I wanted to continue doing it as the benefits that you see on the internet and were discussed in school do not seem to outweigh the benefits.
His response was: the main reason that you should do the EPQ is that you are the passionate about the topic (I am passionate, but I don't know if I am passionate enough to do a report around the annoying structure of an EPQ, I wouldn't mind writing about my topic in general) and that 30 or 40 people in my group of 100 ish will drop the EPQ before the deadline. But he said to give it some time and so I will find something to submit as a title for Friday and then think about it.
My teacher says to do some research over the summer and see what I am thinking them as I will not have done too much work: but I will have done a reasonable amount of work. Though my summer won't be so packed as one of my work experience weeks was at a hospital in the week of the tail end of junior doctors strikes and the consultant strikes, so that almost certainly won't go ahead, or only two days.
I don't have the time to think about what to do right now as I have other things going in, so will have to cobble something together for the next two weeks.
Is this a good idea? I don't want to get too far in and then think that I have put all this work in and can't stop now.
Again, sorry its long.
Original post by CatLover1
Thanks for your message. It was really helpful.
I spoke to my head of sixth form, it was a relatively rushed conversation as both of us were busy.
But what he said was that:
I shouldn't need to push back against my supervisor and that I the title that I submit is my own choice (which I already knew), but with no advice on how to work with my supervisor or the option to switch.
Also, I raised the question that I didn't know if I wanted to continue doing it as the benefits that you see on the internet and were discussed in school do not seem to outweigh the benefits.
His response was: the main reason that you should do the EPQ is that you are the passionate about the topic (I am passionate, but I don't know if I am passionate enough to do a report around the annoying structure of an EPQ, I wouldn't mind writing about my topic in general) and that 30 or 40 people in my group of 100 ish will drop the EPQ before the deadline. But he said to give it some time and so I will find something to submit as a title for Friday and then think about it.
My teacher says to do some research over the summer and see what I am thinking them as I will not have done too much work: but I will have done a reasonable amount of work. Though my summer won't be so packed as one of my work experience weeks was at a hospital in the week of the tail end of junior doctors strikes and the consultant strikes, so that almost certainly won't go ahead, or only two days.
I don't have the time to think about what to do right now as I have other things going in, so will have to cobble something together for the next two weeks.
Is this a good idea? I don't want to get too far in and then think that I have put all this work in and can't stop now.
Again, sorry its long.
I spoke to my head of sixth form, it was a relatively rushed conversation as both of us were busy.
But what he said was that:
I shouldn't need to push back against my supervisor and that I the title that I submit is my own choice (which I already knew), but with no advice on how to work with my supervisor or the option to switch.
Also, I raised the question that I didn't know if I wanted to continue doing it as the benefits that you see on the internet and were discussed in school do not seem to outweigh the benefits.
His response was: the main reason that you should do the EPQ is that you are the passionate about the topic (I am passionate, but I don't know if I am passionate enough to do a report around the annoying structure of an EPQ, I wouldn't mind writing about my topic in general) and that 30 or 40 people in my group of 100 ish will drop the EPQ before the deadline. But he said to give it some time and so I will find something to submit as a title for Friday and then think about it.
My teacher says to do some research over the summer and see what I am thinking them as I will not have done too much work: but I will have done a reasonable amount of work. Though my summer won't be so packed as one of my work experience weeks was at a hospital in the week of the tail end of junior doctors strikes and the consultant strikes, so that almost certainly won't go ahead, or only two days.
I don't have the time to think about what to do right now as I have other things going in, so will have to cobble something together for the next two weeks.
Is this a good idea? I don't want to get too far in and then think that I have put all this work in and can't stop now.
Again, sorry its long.
i agree with what your head of sixth form said! you've of course still got time to decide so don't put pressure on it now. i certainly wasn't the only one who dropped the subject in year thirteen (i think that half the year did too).
certainly work on your title. it's got to be something you're passionate about and could spend several months of your life on- but of course under the limitations of the epq itself. there is a very strict word count too, i've found out recently aha.
i remember over the summer, we had to do our initial research stage (30 pieces of individual research to do with our topic) and that determined whether there was in fact enough research done on our topic. that's when i realised how much time and work it would take when i could've been focusing on other subjects. time management is a huge thing that you should definitely discuss with your head of sixth form when you've both got the time.
it sucks to hear that about your work experience! i'm really sorry. you could always look at it for next summer or at other places. it's near the end of term now but careers officers at sixth forms are usually great at helping to find work experience too last minute
certainly do what you can in the next two weeks with the intention of continuing next year. you have over the summer to determine whether it is something you would like to do and feel able to do! see if you can work out a schedule to balance your time between all four subjects- that certainly helped me to realise i couldn't focus on everything at once. there's no need to put pressure on yourself to decide right away at all!
no problem aha! write as long as you'd like!
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