The Student Room Group

Natural Sciences wider reading

I will be going into year 13 in September and am hoping to apply for Cambridge Biological Natural Sciences (predicted 3x A* in Chem, Bio, Maths and A in Latin at A-Level, 10 9s and 2 8s at GCSE).
I have been doing extracurriculars and wider reading to support my application but was wondering if anyone who has successfully applied or was passionate about these subjects had suggestions for books/journals/podcasts etc. which are particularly interesting and less well known?
Thanks!!

Reply 1

Original post by Anonymous
I will be going into year 13 in September and am hoping to apply for Cambridge Biological Natural Sciences (predicted 3x A* in Chem, Bio, Maths and A in Latin at A-Level, 10 9s and 2 8s at GCSE).
I have been doing extracurriculars and wider reading to support my application but was wondering if anyone who has successfully applied or was passionate about these subjects had suggestions for books/journals/podcasts etc. which are particularly interesting and less well known?
Thanks!!

First of all well done on your predicated and GCSEs grades!

Oxbridge both have a reccomended list for natural sci(cambridge) or similar subjects which is a good place to start checking out first. Academic journals like Oxford or Springer etc are a good place to read around the subject. Podcasts I listen to are cancer research UK (because I'm really keen on cancer biochem🫣). Less well known I guess is going down your own rabbit hole doing moocs, futurelearn, edx related to bio nat sci and further reading that most importantly interests you!

Good luck xx

Reply 2

Original post by Trickia
First of all well done on your predicated and GCSEs grades!
Oxbridge both have a reccomended list for natural sci(cambridge) or similar subjects which is a good place to start checking out first. Academic journals like Oxford or Springer etc are a good place to read around the subject. Podcasts I listen to are cancer research UK (because I'm really keen on cancer biochem🫣). Less well known I guess is going down your own rabbit hole doing moocs, futurelearn, edx related to bio nat sci and further reading that most importantly interests you!
Good luck xx


Thank you so much! I’ll look into that

Reply 3

Original post by Anonymous
Thank you so much! I’ll look into that

No worries have fun!

Reply 4

The important thing for Nat Sci is that you demonstrate that you are interested in the overlaps and connections between core sciences - ie. don't focus on individual sciences, but on the benefits to science of working across disciplines. Suggestion - Trefil & Hazen: Sciences: An Integrated Approach

Reply 5

Original post by McGinger
The important thing for Nat Sci is that you demonstrate that you are interested in the overlaps and connections between core sciences - ie. don't focus on individual sciences, but on the benefits to science of working across disciplines. Suggestion - Trefil & Hazen: Sciences: An Integrated Approach


Thanks so much!

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