Physics & Engineering work experience

If I'm planning to do physics or engineering in uni, what work experience should I do? Or is work experience for physics or theoretical physics even required at all?

Reply 1

artful_lounger

Universities Forum Helper

You don't need work experience for either course. Honestly for physics there isn't really substantive work experience because a working physicist is an academic at a university normally anyway. Obviously in engineering there may be options but it's realistically probably going to be closer to shadowing than actual practical work experience if you're a school student (as there's only going to be so much you're able to do practically with your background).

Reply 2

Iolite123

So how do I stand out as a candidate? Most supercurriculars surrounding physics especially are just reading academic books, articles, watching documentaries and I truly want to grasp someone's attention when they read my personal statement. So if not work experience, what else could I do?

Reply 3

Kingston Sarah

Official Rep

Original post

by Iolite123

Hello,

You don’t need work experience for physics unless if you are applying to an extremely competitive university that you need to stand out? You can enter physics competitions or create a school physics club and add that on your cv and personal statement.

All the best
-Sarah (Kingston Rep)

Reply 4

LSBU

Official Rep

Hello there, thank you for your question. If you are considering studying Physics or Engineering at university, it’s completely normal to wonder whether work experience is essential, especially for areas like theoretical physics, where hands on industry exposure can seem less directly relevant. From the perspective of London South Bank University, work experience is not a strict requirement for admission to our Physics related or Engineering programmes. However, gaining some form of practical exposure can be helpful in strengthening your application and deepening your understanding of the field.

Many of our students choose experiences that demonstrate curiosity, analytical thinking and problem solving. This can include shadowing an engineer, visiting a research lab, attending STEM workshops, participating in coding or robotics projects, volunteering in technical environments, or pursuing independent scientific projects. These experiences are valuable not because they are mandatory, but because they help students better appreciate the nature of scientific and engineering work.

At LSBU, Engineering students engage in a strong combination of theory and applied learning. They work in industry standard laboratories, take part in practical experiments, collaborate on design projects and often benefit from placement opportunities with engineering and technology firms. Our programmes emphasise real-world application, professional development and research informed teaching, giving students the skills needed for industry or further academic study. Regarding entry requirements, applicants to Engineering at LSBU are expected to have 120 UCAS points with subjects that include Mathematics and Physical Sciences, with Chemistry preferred. A GCSE Mathematics grade C or above, or the equivalent grade 4 or higher in the reformed GCSEs, is also required. If an applicant does not fully meet these criteria, we are still happy to consider their broader skills, experience and circumstances, as we recognise that talent and potential can develop through many different pathways. For those who need an alternative route, the Chemical Engineering with Foundation Year (BEng Hons) programme provides a supportive entry point with more flexible requirements.

Please visit the link below to learn more: https://www.lsbu.ac.uk/study/course-finder/beng-hons-chemical-engineering#entry-requirements. You’re always welcome to explore LSBU further. You can book a campus tour https://www.lsbu.ac.uk/study/study-at-lsbu/open-days/campus-tours to get a proper feel for our spaces, and you can chat with our current students on Unibuddy https://www.lsbu.ac.uk/student-life/chat to get an insight into the courses you’re curious about. LSBU Admissions Ambassador

Reply 5

artful_lounger

Universities Forum Helper

Original post

by Iolite123

Couple things:

Firstly, applying to undergraduate study is not about "standing out". People who try to stand out usually stand out for the wrong reasons.

Secondly, reading academic texts and writing analytically about them and reflecting on them is exactly what admissions tutors are looking for - emphasis is on the analysis and reflection that candidates do. Someone who shows through what they've written that not only did they read a text but they thought a lot about it are the ones that admissions tutors are looking for.

There's no magic bullet to this - it's not about doing XYZ activity that you can write down without a thought and that will tick a secret box on the admissions tutors hypothetical form that says "fast track this one into the course!". It's a lot more holistic than that and it's much more about the "soft" elements of how you can convey your enthusiasm and interest in the course and demonstrate the skills relevant to it through the things you've done and how you write about them.

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