EPQ Topic

Hi! I'm doing an EPQ under AQA and I'm reaching the point of being close to writing my final draft. I have just started learning year 2 content in biology, and found the function of neurons/how they work to be a part of it. My EPQ is on the correlation between neuronal migration disorders and the onset of seizures in epilepsy, and neurons are obviously the 'controllers' of seizures so to speak. My Biology teacher did say my EPQ would be fine, and I'm planning on the main body of my essay to be more about how the two disorders link genetically, and functionally. But part of it will also be about how neuronal migration disorder affects the functions and connections of neurons, and how that changes how they function This is important because it links into how seizures can be caused by the imbalance of neurotransmitters causing hyperexcitability - we learn about excitation of neurons as well as the role of neurotransmitters in the OCR A-level spec. Will my EPQ be voided? I'm not sure what to do if it will because I'm too far along to change topic now and I'm stressing if you couldn't tell haha

TLDR; my EPQ is on epilepsy and neuronal migration disorder, both of which we do not learn about, but we do learn about the mechanisms of neurons so I'm worried my EPQ may be made void.

Reply 1

UoL Students

Official Rep

Hello @EPQEnthusiast

I do not think you have anything to worry about because although you learn the foundations of neurons, your EPQ is more specialised than what you will be studying, because it uses the foundations in a more specialised manner by looking at these disorders. For example, I did my EPQ on Leadership Psychology despite studying A Level Psychology. I was using the knowledge I learnt in the research methods part of my course but this was just putting what I learnt into practice. I then applied my research to the different approaches in Psychology which was allowed because although the foundations were the same I went a step further by applying the new knowledge, which was not learnt on the course to the approaches.

I hope this helps. If you have any further questions, please do let me know.

Charlie
Law LLB Student

Reply 2

EPQEnthusiast

Original post

by UoL Students

Hello @EPQEnthusiast
I do not think you have anything to worry about because although you learn the foundations of neurons, your EPQ is more specialised than what you will be studying, because it uses the foundations in a more specialised manner by looking at these disorders. For example, I did my EPQ on Leadership Psychology despite studying A Level Psychology. I was using the knowledge I learnt in the research methods part of my course but this was just putting what I learnt into practice. I then applied my research to the different approaches in Psychology which was allowed because although the foundations were the same I went a step further by applying the new knowledge, which was not learnt on the course to the approaches.
I hope this helps. If you have any further questions, please do let me know.
Charlie
Law LLB Student

This was so, so helpful for my nerves. Thank you so much for your time!!! ☺️