foundation year?

I already have a place in september to do psychology at UEA. But I was thinking about switching to do environmental sciences or marine sciences. I do not have the required A Levels at all, (english lit, french and psychology) so i would have to do a foundation year. One issue is, im a gap student, so im already a year older than most people starting this year, so when i graduate i will be 2 years older than most other graduates, and not to mention it's another year of student loans and accomodation costs.
do you think this is worth it? has anyone done a foundation year?

(edited 2 months ago)

Reply 1

MindMax2000

Universities Forum Helper

22

Original post by beefreya

I already have a place in september to do psychology at UEA. But I was thinking about switching to do environmental sciences or marine sciences. I do not have the required A Levels at all, (english lit, french and psychology) so i would have to do a foundation year. One issue is, im a gap student, so im already a year older than most people starting this year, so when i graduate i will be 2 years older than most other graduates, and not to mention it's another year of student loans and accomodation costs.
do you think this is worth it? has anyone done a foundation year?

I think this depends on how much you want to work in an environmental science related field.

Personally, I consider it rather easy to switch to psychology via a postgrad conversion course, should you ever need to switch back to the field.

I would also rather sit out a year and do at least one of the required A Levels (I recommend doing subjects that don't have NEA components and are 100% exam based e.g. Maths), but that's up to you. Do note, a number of the universities don't require you to have completed the NEA or coursework component in the A Level prior to applying for the degree, but I would check with the individual uni to be absolutely sure. If this is the case, you can just sit the exams and save yourself time and money.

Do note, environmental science is one of those funny degrees where you can get very sparse opinions of what should be required in terms of subjects. For some degrees, you can apply using your psychology A Level. See the following for example:
https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/studywithus/ugstudy/courses/UG/Environmental-Science-BSc-Hons-U6UEVNSC.html
https://courses.uwe.ac.uk/F900/environmental-science#entry
https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/gees/environmental-science#EntryRequirementsTab
https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/environmental-science-bsc-hons-f750/2024/#course-entry
https://www.qmul.ac.uk/undergraduate/coursefinder/courses/2024/environmental-science/
https://www.brighton.ac.uk/courses/study/environmental-sciences-bsc-hons.aspx (no specified subjects, so you're fine with any)
https://www.exeter.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/envsci/envsci/#entry-requirements
https://www.southampton.ac.uk/courses/environmental-science-degree-bsc#entry
https://www.keele.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/undergraduatecourses/environmentalscienceandgeography/#entry-reqs (no specified subjects, so you're fine with any)
https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/study-at-northumbria/courses/environmental-science-bsc-ft-uusene1/#entry-next-year (no specified subjects, so you're fine with any)
https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/clearing/courses/environmental-science-bsc-hons#entry-requirements (no specified subjects, so you're fine with any)
https://www.northampton.ac.uk/courses/environmental-science-bsc-hons/#tabbed-1 (no specified subjects, so you're fine with any)
https://www.ulster.ac.uk/courses/202425/environmental-science-with-education-and-optional-placement-year-33590#entryconditions (there are preferred subjects, not they are not mandatory)
https://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/study/courses/bsc-hons-environmental-science-2 (no specified subjects, so you're fine with any)
https://www.bangor.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/f900-environmental-science-bsc-hons#entryrequirements
https://le.ac.uk/courses/environmental-science-bsc/2024 (no specified subjects, so you're fine with any)
https://www.universityofgalway.ie/courses/undergraduate-courses/environmental-science.html#course_keyfacts (no specified subjects, so you're fine with any, based on the following: https://www.universityofgalway.ie/media/courses/downloads/A-level-Quick-Guide.pdf)
https://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/courses/geography-environmental-science-bsc/ (no specified subjects, so you're fine with any)
https://www.hope.ac.uk/undergraduate/undergraduatecourses/environmentalscience/ (no specified subjects, so you're fine with any)

The problem with the above is that none of them will be at UEA, a uni where about 1/3 of the campus is dedicated to environmental science. See: https://www.uea.ac.uk/course/undergraduate/bsc-environmental-sciences#entry_requirements

Some of the above unis are in clearing and would accept your offer. I would check with the uni as soon as you can if you want to enrol for September.

Original post by beefreya

I already have a place in september to do psychology at UEA. But I was thinking about switching to do environmental sciences or marine sciences. I do not have the required A Levels at all, (english lit, french and psychology) so i would have to do a foundation year. One issue is, im a gap student, so im already a year older than most people starting this year, so when i graduate i will be 2 years older than most other graduates, and not to mention it's another year of student loans and accomodation costs.
do you think this is worth it? has anyone done a foundation year?

Hi there,

Firstly, congratulations on securing your place at UEA! It sounds like you’re at a crossroads, deciding between sticking with psychology or switching to environmental or marine sciences, which would require a foundation year due to your current A Levels in English lit, French, and psychology.

Many students find that the extra time spent in a foundation year is invaluable, providing a strong grounding in the subject and helping them succeed in their chosen field. While an additional year does mean more in student loans and accommodation costs, ultimately choosing the right course is often worth it in the long run. If you’re seriously considering this switch, it might be helpful to talk to academic advisors at UEA and perhaps even reach out to students who have done foundation years. You can find them here: https://www.uea.ac.uk/ask-us. They can provide insights into their experiences and how the foundation year helped them.

Remember, many students take diverse paths to reach their goals, and being a bit older when you graduate won’t be a significant disadvantage, particular when were are talking just about 2 years :smile:

Employers generally value the maturity and previous experiences that come with non-traditional routes.

Best of luck with your decision!
Daniel
PhD in Biology

foundation year?

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