How does Biomedical Sciences year 1 compare to A level?

My daughter is starting Biomed year 1 soon and is a bit worried about how hard things are going to be compared to A Levels

From reading the module handbooks and stuff it looks like things will be similar (and in some places easier) than A level Biology Chemistry, be good to hear some real experiences

Reply 1

Judi Elazhari

Original post

by TopBun

My daughter is starting Biomed year 1 soon and is a bit worried about how hard things are going to be compared to A Levels
From reading the module handbooks and stuff it looks like things will be similar (and in some places easier) than A level Biology Chemistry, be good to hear some real experiences

Hey! I’m starting biomedical science this year as well. From looking over the modules, it really does seem quite similar to A level biology and chemistry, just a bit more structured. I’ve also heard from older students that the first year is mainly about settling in and building on what we already know, so hopefully it won’t feel like too much of a jump.

Reply 2

Scienceisgood

Hey, I’m a Biomedical Science (Not sciences, science, biomedical sciences is more for research, biomedical science is for diagnostics) graduate from my BSc and MSc.

Typically your first year will be easier. I would recommend LEARNING HOW TO CITE AND REFERENCES PROPERLY. I didn’t learn how to do it properly until second year and it cost me marks, particularly where your first year doesn’t normally contribute to your overall mark (or at least not much).

Use this year to build your foundations, it also helps if we know which university you are attending but failing that, it’s effectively laying the foundations for you and helping you adjust to your first year, typically away from home. So don’t worry too much and I need to state this.

If your daughter is struggling, DO NOT be afraid to go to a lecturer or say you don’t understand, the lecturer will likely rephrase what they have said as I had a time during my Masters when I mentioned something and my phrasing was so poor, I had to rephrase what I said about 4 times for it to be clear what I was saying…

Reply 3

TopBun

Thanks folks, was hoping to hear this :smile:

@Scienceisgood you are right about learning the academic skills in year 1. I was a part time academic for over 10 years and this was one area where lots of students would lose (easy) marks

Reply 4

UEA Rep Daniel

Original post

by TopBun

My daughter is starting Biomed year 1 soon and is a bit worried about how hard things are going to be compared to A Levels
From reading the module handbooks and stuff it looks like things will be similar (and in some places easier) than A level Biology Chemistry, be good to hear some real experiences

Hi there,

Year 1 Biomed usually feels like a step up in pace rather than difficulty. Much of the content builds directly on A level Biology/Chemistry, just with more depth and applied examples. The main difference is independence, lectures move faster, and students are expected to do more reading and manage their own time.

If your daughter did well at A levels and stays organised, she’ll likely find the material very manageable, and often more engaging because it links to real biomedical questions.

Best,
Daniel
PhD Biology

Reply 5

UniofReading

Official Rep

Original post

by TopBun

My daughter is starting Biomed year 1 soon and is a bit worried about how hard things are going to be compared to A Levels
From reading the module handbooks and stuff it looks like things will be similar (and in some places easier) than A level Biology Chemistry, be good to hear some real experiences

Good afternoon,

It's great to hear your daughter is starting university soon; it can be a very daunting time.

There is an ambassador scheme at the University of Reading where prospective students can message current students; you can find more information here.

Additionally, the jump from A-level to university can be daunting as there is more free time/self-learning, where students will be required to carry out their own research and assignments. The first year is created to slowly introduce new topics and ideas to students. At the University of Reading, the first year of teaching isn't included in the final university grade, and students just need to pass the year, so students have less stress when it comes to exams and assignments.

Generally speaking, students will have a couple of lectures a day / a couple of hours where a topic is introduced and taught, then students will have practicals and laboratory work throughout the semester. Then the students research these topics and techniques in their own time. Typically, students will have 5-10 assignments to do throughout the semester, plus exams. These will be spaced out with some small overlap, ensuring the student has enough time to do each assignment. Deadlines usally allow 2-4 weeks for a student to complete an assignment, providing lots of time for completion.

I hope this helps settle your daughter's nerves, and I recommend you contact our student ambassadors to learn more.

If you have any questions, please let us know.

All the best,
Ella
Bsc Ecoology

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