Clearing- Complete change of course

3

Hey everyone, as results day is approaching I really need some advice.

I’ve got an offer for English at Liverpool hope Uni but I’m strongly doubting it and considering going for the career I’ve always wanted to do which is Forensic Science.

However, I don’t have a science A-level and therefore would need a foundation year which doesn’t bother me but the only closest uni to me that does a foundation forensics course is LJMU. I’ve emailed them a few times and I’m stressed because I keep getting different responses…

One of them told me that a science A-level is still required alongside 64 ucas points to even be considered for the foundation course and that threw me off because I always was taught by my sixth form that foundation years were for A) people who don’t meet the grades and B) people who don’t have the specific subjects/qualifications…I then spoke to someone else who said that I may still be considered but it’s entirely up to the admissions team.

I’m so stressed now because LJMU is the only uni I’m hoping to get into because all of the others that offer the course are a bit too far away for my liking, especially since clearing doesn’t give you much time to sort things out etc…therefore moving away right now is not something I’m ready (both financially and physically) for.

I was wondering if I could still apply to LJMU for Forensics (with a foundation) since I have a friend who went to uni recently who was on the phone, researching etc and she could only find/was told into that you only need the 64 UCAS point and there was no mention of an A-level science requirement

I wanted to ask you since I’m stressing about what to do, and what if I don’t get a place at LJMU through clearing?

Any advice and/or help would be appreciated, apologies for the long message

Ruby

Reply 1

PQ

PS Reviewer

21

FY courses are usually EITHER for applicants without the right grades OR for applicants without the right subjects. If the LJM FY is for people with low grades in science subjects then you might find it a challenge if you don’t have science A levels (and they may well be cautious of making an offer for that reason).

How did you do at science at GCSE? Particularly chemistry?
Have you spent any time alongside your A levels finding out about science in your free time?

Forensics is quite an extreme pivot from English, especially for someone without any science A levels, what is it that’s got you doubting your original course choice and what’s pulling you towards forensics?

Reply 2

LJMU Rep

Official Rep

5

Hi Ruby 😊

Sorry to hear you're feeling a bit stressed, that's totally normal in a situation like this! I see you've emailed LJMU a couple of times - what I would recommend is calling up Course Enquires (Telephone: 0151 231 5090) who can take the details and then put you through to our admissions team. They'll be able to advise you on the options available.

Let us know if you have any more questions!

Ellen
Liverpool John Moores University

Reply 3

ruby_c3

OP

3

Heyy

So basically I’ve decided to do a complete switch and apply through clearing for Forensic Science. I originally have a firm offer for Liverpool Hope to study Drama&English but I’m really regretting not choosing Forensics (a career I’m really interested in and know it’ll offer me good job prospects etc…) due to school knocking my confidence by not letting me do A-level Biology. The only uni that is close to me and does Forensics (with a foundation year since I don’t have a science A-level) is LJMU.
I’m stressing because I emailed them and asked if I’d be eligible to apply for foundation year forensics, one person said no since they still require a science a level alongside 64 UCAS points and another said that it’s totally up to admissions and that my Health&Social Care Level 3 certificate could potentially be considered…

A friend of mine who’s been to uni was gratefully helping me and called the uni, looked online etc…and they could only find/got told that you just need 64 UCAS points and that they couldn’t find any mention of a science A-level requirement for the foundation year course. They told me that universities tend to be more lenient through clearing but I can’t help but overthink the whole thing…

It’s making me so stressed because LJMU is the only Uni I’d wanna go to for this course since all other universities that offer it are too far away for my liking and personally I feel, for me, that it’s too soon to the start of university to decide to uproot and move to the likes of Newcastle or Bristol because I’m not ready to leave my hometown (Liverpool) and I wouldn’t have enough funds to do so and I really don’t wanna take a gap year…

I was always told and learnt in sixth form that foundation years are for people who A) Don’t get the necessary grades needed for a standard entry and B) people who don’t have the correct qualifications…

I’m so stressed because idk what to do…should I go through clearing and apply for forensic science (so the foundation year) and take the leap or do I stick doing my firm offer at Liverpool hope for a completely different degree that I’m severely overthinking about?

Any help would really mean a lot, no one in my family has ever been to Uni either so I’m on my own trying to figure it all out and it’s daunting me right now 😭

Many thanks,
Ruby x

Reply 4

PQ

PS Reviewer

21

Original post by ruby_c3

Heyy

So basically I’ve decided to do a complete switch and apply through clearing for Forensic Science. I originally have a firm offer for Liverpool Hope to study Drama&English but I’m really regretting not choosing Forensics (a career I’m really interested in and know it’ll offer me good job prospects etc…) due to school knocking my confidence by not letting me do A-level Biology. The only uni that is close to me and does Forensics (with a foundation year since I don’t have a science A-level) is LJMU.
I’m stressing because I emailed them and asked if I’d be eligible to apply for foundation year forensics, one person said no since they still require a science a level alongside 64 UCAS points and another said that it’s totally up to admissions and that my Health&Social Care Level 3 certificate could potentially be considered…

A friend of mine who’s been to uni was gratefully helping me and called the uni, looked online etc…and they could only find/got told that you just need 64 UCAS points and that they couldn’t find any mention of a science A-level requirement for the foundation year course. They told me that universities tend to be more lenient through clearing but I can’t help but overthink the whole thing…

It’s making me so stressed because LJMU is the only Uni I’d wanna go to for this course since all other universities that offer it are too far away for my liking and personally I feel, for me, that it’s too soon to the start of university to decide to uproot and move to the likes of Newcastle or Bristol because I’m not ready to leave my hometown (Liverpool) and I wouldn’t have enough funds to do so and I really don’t wanna take a gap year…

I was always told and learnt in sixth form that foundation years are for people who A) Don’t get the necessary grades needed for a standard entry and B) people who don’t have the correct qualifications…

I’m so stressed because idk what to do…should I go through clearing and apply for forensic science (so the foundation year) and take the leap or do I stick doing my firm offer at Liverpool hope for a completely different degree that I’m severely overthinking about?

Any help would really mean a lot, no one in my family has ever been to Uni either so I’m on my own trying to figure it all out and it’s daunting me right now 😭

Many thanks,
Ruby x

See post #2 above

Why do you think forensics degrees have good job prospects?

Reply 5

ruby_c3

OP

3

Original post by PQ

FY courses are usually EITHER for applicants without the right grades OR for applicants without the right subjects. If the LJM FY is for people with low grades in science subjects then you might find it a challenge if you don’t have science A levels (and they may well be cautious of making an offer for that reason).
How did you do at science at GCSE? Particularly chemistry?
Have you spent any time alongside your A levels finding out about science in your free time?
Forensics is quite an extreme pivot from English, especially for someone without any science A levels, what is it that’s got you doubting your original course choice and what’s pulling you towards forensics?

Hi sorry, I didn’t see your response hence me putting up a new post (I must’ve clicked something 🤦🏼*♀️)

I really enjoyed chemistry at GCSE, in lessons I was quite good and understood the material. I got a grade 55 (I did combined science). Biology was the one I loved the most, and I found myself doing really well in that, as best as I could. I would’ve liked to get better results but my family life impacted me greatly in GCSEs and A-levels due to caring for a family member during GCSEs and them their unfortunate passing before the start of my A-level exams etc…

I’ve had a look at science courses, specifically the online ones, but I’m just feeling unsure about them, also because they’re costly…there are universities further away (Bristol, Northumbria etc…) that I’d be eligible for their FY Forensics Course. But I feel it’s too soon/costly to be moving so soon, but if that’s the only option if I want to start university this year, I’d have to start thinking about it…

I’ve always been interested in Forensics but I never chose it originally due to my sixth form not allowing me to do Biology A-level, that threw me off big time since I’ve always found such deep interest in the course, it let me to doubt myself on if I could actually do Forensics in the future, hence why I clung onto English. Something I also enjoyed and was good at, and I knew it was a versatile degree. But ever since I’ve put my application in, I can’t help but doubt it because I can’t stop thinking “should I have just been confident and applied to forensics first?”, “forensics is something I’d enjoy so much more” etc etc…and since no one in my family has ever been through the uni process, I didn’t know FY existed. That made me feel a bit more confident in wanting to apply for Forensics but now because of what LJMU has said I don’t know what to do anymore…

Reply 6

ruby_c3

OP

3

Original post by PQ

See post #2 above
Why do you think forensics degrees have good job prospects?

Forensics would open doors and offer more jobs in terms of ones like CSI, or what I really wanna do which is an Anatomical Pathology Technician (a job you can also gain a qualification on, forgive me for not remembering the name of it)

In terms of Drama&English, I know English is a versatile degree and can get you anywhere but to be honest, I wouldn’t know what to do with the degree and I don’t wanna waste all those tuition fees etc…I chose it first mainly based on the Drama/Acting side of things since I’ve always enjoyed it and found myself quite good at it but trying to get jobs in Acting and Drama are very competitive and you’re faced with more rejections that job offers…therefore I wouldn’t be better off not only in terms of job prospects but financially too..

I did a whole pro cons list for both Drama&English and Forensics and to be honest…forensics won by a long shot

I’m just so stuck thinking that I’m not gonna get in anywhere and it’s really making me worry that I’m just hoping for the best at this point 😭

Reply 7

ruby_c3

OP

3

Original post by LJMU Rep

Hi Ruby 😊
Sorry to hear you're feeling a bit stressed, that's totally normal in a situation like this! I see you've emailed LJMU a couple of times - what I would recommend is calling up Course Enquires (Telephone: 0151 231 5090) who can take the details and then put you through to our admissions team. They'll be able to advise you on the options available.
Let us know if you have any more questions!
Ellen
Liverpool John Moores University

Thank you so much!

Reply 8

artful_lounger

Universities Forum Helper

21

Original post by ruby_c3

Forensics would open doors and offer more jobs in terms of ones like CSI, or what I really wanna do which is an Anatomical Pathology Technician (a job you can also gain a qualification on, forgive me for not remembering the name of it)

In terms of Drama&English, I know English is a versatile degree and can get you anywhere but to be honest, I wouldn’t know what to do with the degree and I don’t wanna waste all those tuition fees etc…I chose it first mainly based on the Drama/Acting side of things since I’ve always enjoyed it and found myself quite good at it but trying to get jobs in Acting and Drama are very competitive and you’re faced with more rejections that job offers…therefore I wouldn’t be better off not only in terms of job prospects but financially too..

I did a whole pro cons list for both Drama&English and Forensics and to be honest…forensics won by a long shot

I’m just so stuck thinking that I’m not gonna get in anywhere and it’s really making me worry that I’m just hoping for the best at this point 😭

Forensic science is not a growing job market by any account, as I understand the workforce has been pretty stagnant with minimal growth for a long time, there are a lot more "CSI degrees" now with lots of grads looking for roles in the sector, who are also competing with people with basic science degrees (for lab based roles) or any degree (for police force based roles). I would really recommend if forensic science (i.e. lab based roles) is the goal, to do a "basic" science degree (e.g. chemistry, biochemistry, biological sciences etc) so you have more options in other lab based roles if you aren't successful in securing something in the forensic science sector initially. Not to mention you can join the police force with literally any degree then aim to move into CSI stuff.

My understanding is the work is fairly routine for the lab based work, as you just do the same tests repeatedly at a very exacting standard. You wouldn't be "interpreting" the evidence you receive to test, as that's the job the courts (and if you did they may be able to argue that you were biased in your processing of the evidence and have it thrown out). I gather also there's also fairly limited scope for developing in the career i.e. the basic bench based lab work is all kind of done by the same technician grade people, and from there your main promotion opportunity would be to move into management of the lab (and thus, no longer be doing the "science"). For the police force my understanding is the promotions would be into other roles within the force outside of the actual "actions" of being a CSI or SoCO or whatever they call them now.

I don't really see that forensic science would have better job opportunities than any other science degree, or even potentially than many non-science degrees. Most graduates don't do anything related to their degree anyway, and research has found that STEM and non-STEM graduates in the UK have equivalent career and salary outcomes within 10 years of graduation. There are reasons to decide against an English degree but unfortunately the oft touted assertion that it's not going to get you a job is not one of them - because the reality is, that's true of every degree (except medicine).

Also almost nobody knows what they want to do when they go into a degree, many have no idea what they want to do even when they finish a degree, and many also have no idea what they want to do even after they've been working in a job in some sector for a number of years after graduating. Research has found most people go through 3-7 career changes over the course of their life - and once you've started in the first career, unless you need a specific degree to qualify as a professional in the new career (e.g. nursing, teaching, etc), your degree (both subject and result) is largely meaningless. One of the data analysts at the corporate place I work at originally did a degree in geography before later transitioning into data science. One of the public health managers also did a degree in geography before transitioning into PH.

Essentially I don't think your reasons for such a drastic change tally with the reality of things, and I think it may be biasing your motivations with unfortunately incorrect information. I think you need to look at it objectively and consider if you actually:

a) want to do science (both lab work and exams etc...including plenty of "boring" science around data analysis, experimental design and methodology, and various lab techniques and theoretical concepts in chemistry, biochemistry etc) for the next 3+ years of your degree and

b) the expectation that you would get a job in the forensic science sector after doing such a degree (or any science degree) is actually a realistic one

Reply 9

phi04

11

You could try the applied science foundation year at northumbria

Clearing- Complete change of course

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