Geosciences, geology, or earth sciences

8

I’m interested in studying some kind of earth science as a degree, I’m in year 12 right now and I’m unsure what universities I should consider.(My GCSE grades were pretty good ,I went to an underperforming state school and I should be eligible for a contextual offer.)
Also are there any particular super curricular programs or opportunities related to geology/ physical geography I should look into applying for to help show my interest in the sector?

Reply 1

UniofReading

Official Rep

15

Original post

by jeweled-shelling

I’m interested in studying some kind of earth science as a degree, I’m in year 12 right now and I’m unsure what universities I should consider.(My GCSE grades were pretty good ,I went to an underperforming state school and I should be eligible for a contextual offer.)
Also are there any particular super curricular programs or opportunities related to geology/ physical geography I should look into applying for to help show my interest in the sector?

Good afternoon,

You may be interested in BSc Environmental Science, BSc Environmental Management and Sustainability, and Geography degree courses at the University of Reading.

The University of Reading offers an ambassador scheme, allowing prospective students to connect with current students through messaging; more information can be found here.

The University of Reading assesses every application on an individual merit basis, ensuring that every student's application is considered; this is the contextual offers scheme. However, this does not mean that every student receives an offer from the university.

Additionally, many student blogs highlight their opinions on the university facilities, such as UoR Secret Garden, Making the Most of the Library, and Making the Most out of the Careers Service.

All the best,
Ella
Bsc Ecology

Reply 2

BetaVersion2.9

9

Websites to look at
Education and Resources | The Geological Society of London
Discovering Geology - British Geological Survey
Royal Geographical Society | Advancing geography

What A levels are you studying?

Reply 3

Pra_07_Nav

1

Original post

by jeweled-shelling

I’m interested in studying some kind of earth science as a degree, I’m in year 12 right now and I’m unsure what universities I should consider.(My GCSE grades were pretty good ,I went to an underperforming state school and I should be eligible for a contextual offer.)
Also are there any particular super curricular programs or opportunities related to geology/ physical geography I should look into applying for to help show my interest in the sector?

Hey, currently im year 13 applied to 5 geology courses and got 5 offers (keele, cardiff, Liverpool, University of Birmingham and Leeds). For extracurriculars i didnt do a whole lot but I was very selective. First did Duke of Edinburgh. It was so difficult and lost alot of friends but made alot more. This would help with being exposed in the field. For work experience i did two. The first one was a online work experience from the British geological survey (on spring pod). This was so fun and quite quick and interactive. This helps as it expose you to the job market and skills. The second one I did was a 5 day work placement at a geotechnial engineering company. They are everywhere around the uk and the easiest way to get work experience. As for supercurriculars I would recommend reading a book on your most locally geology rich area. Im from the West Midlands so I had wrens nest. Sorry if this was alot let me know if you have any more questions.

Reply 4

jeweled-shelling

OP

8

Original post

by Pra_07_Nav

Hey, currently im year 13 applied to 5 geology courses and got 5 offers (keele, cardiff, Liverpool, University of Birmingham and Leeds). For extracurriculars i didnt do a whole lot but I was very selective. First did Duke of Edinburgh. It was so difficult and lost alot of friends but made alot more. This would help with being exposed in the field. For work experience i did two. The first one was a online work experience from the British geological survey (on spring pod). This was so fun and quite quick and interactive. This helps as it expose you to the job market and skills. The second one I did was a 5 day work placement at a geotechnial engineering company. They are everywhere around the uk and the easiest way to get work experience. As for supercurriculars I would recommend reading a book on your most locally geology rich area. Im from the West Midlands so I had wrens nest. Sorry if this was alot let me know if you have any more questions.

Thanks for your response! Also, how did you find the geotechnical engineering work placement , I’m finding it hard to access relevant work experience opportunities. So far, I’ve only completed the spring pod British geological survey work experience.

Reply 5

DerDracologe

Study Forum Helper

20

Original post

by jeweled-shelling

I’m interested in studying some kind of earth science as a degree, I’m in year 12 right now and I’m unsure what universities I should consider.(My GCSE grades were pretty good ,I went to an underperforming state school and I should be eligible for a contextual offer.)
Also are there any particular super curricular programs or opportunities related to geology/ physical geography I should look into applying for to help show my interest in the sector?

Some ideas:
Online courses or virtual work experience (openlearn, Springpod and edx)
Documentaries and podcasts (easily found on iPlayer and bbc sounds). I really enjoyed lost worlds, vanished lives so would recommend that if you like fossils at all even though its very old
Museums (either visiting them or volunteering at them) are great, especially if they hold events or talks ofc
School’s geology challenge is really fun and runs every year (the deadline is around now for this year but you could always enter pretty early next year so you can still talk about it on your ps)

(edited 2 months ago)

Reply 6

Pra_07_Nav

1

Original post

by jeweled-shelling

Thanks for your response! Also, how did you find the geotechnical engineering work placement , I’m finding it hard to access relevant work experience opportunities. So far, I’ve only completed the spring pod British geological survey work experience.

Hey again, my best answer that I can give is to ask teachers in your school and see if they have any connections as I got mine by asking a random bussines teacher and she had a family relative. If cant find any i definitely try WPS as they have offices around the country and you could chose what sectors you want to look at. I would also search for any major construction going on in your local area and contact them as they would 100% need a geotechnial engineer so they might help. For example the HS2 would be a great one as it covers 50 percent of the country and they always take on interns and people for wex. Hope this helps. Have any more questions just ask.

Reply 7

hihi_heiyi

6

Original post

by jeweled-shelling

I’m interested in studying some kind of earth science as a degree, I’m in year 12 right now and I’m unsure what universities I should consider.(My GCSE grades were pretty good ,I went to an underperforming state school and I should be eligible for a contextual offer.)
Also are there any particular super curricular programs or opportunities related to geology/ physical geography I should look into applying for to help show my interest in the sector?

Well what I did were really simple: Attending lectures held by Geological Society of London, reading New Scientists articles that were Earth Science-related, completed a virtual work experience on Springpod, and went to a museum to analyse a mineral sample, etc.
Imo you don't really need to do fancy stuff like heading on to Iceland. The unis would be more interested in what had you learnt and your own analysis to your supercurriculars😊

Reply 8

UniofReading

Official Rep

15

Original post

by jeweled-shelling

I’m interested in studying some kind of earth science as a degree, I’m in year 12 right now and I’m unsure what universities I should consider.(My GCSE grades were pretty good ,I went to an underperforming state school and I should be eligible for a contextual offer.)
Also are there any particular super curricular programs or opportunities related to geology/ physical geography I should look into applying for to help show my interest in the sector?

Good afternoon,

There is an ambassador scheme at the University of Reading where prospective students can message current students; more information is available here. They will be able to provide you with an insider's perspective on the degree and answer any questions you may have about the course.

The Whatuni website is good for Find A Course, as it offers a comprehensive list with reviews. Similarly, the UCAS website has tips on comparing undergraduate courses and universities, which is a great way to narrow down your options.

It is a very personal decision, so I recommend reaching out to our ambassadors and reviewing the course reviews and modules. This should help you come to an informed decision.

All the best,
Ella
BSc Ecology

Geosciences, geology, or earth sciences

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