Is a foundation year worth it for optom if I didn’t do A-level Biology?

A few things to think about :
1) It doesn't matter where you an Optom degree - all courses are accredited as equal, and future employers will only care that you are professionally qualified.
2) No Foundation course - less student debt to pay off.
3) Biology - if the 4 year Uni didn't think you could cope without it, they would not have made you an offer.

Hiii
I’m looking for some advice on whether it’s better to do a foundation year or go straight into the degree.
I want to study Optometry and I’ve received an offer for a 4-year MOptom course (no foundation year), and
an offer for a 5-year MOptom with an integrated foundation year. My subjects are BTEC Applied Science, BTEC Health & Social Care, and A-level Psychology.
One of my friends said the foundation year might really help because Optometry has a lot of biology content, and since I don't do A-level Biology I might find the first year quite hard if I go straight in. But other people have told me it's fine to go straight in as there will probably be other people who also haven't done A-level Biology
So I'm kind of stuck on which one I should put as my firm because both of them also gave me the same conditional offer. 😭
Any advice or personal experiences would really help. Thank you!!

Hiya lovely
You don’t necessarily need to do a foundation year just because you didn’t take A-level Biology. A lot of optometry students come from mixed backgrounds (including BTECs), and universities design first year to cover the biology you need from the basics. Your BTEC Applied Science and A-level Psychology are still very relevant, so going straight into the 4-year MOptom is definitely manageable as long as you meet the universities entry requirements, if you’re confident and willing to put in extra work at the start. However, a foundation year can be really helpful if you feel anxious about biology or would prefer a slower, more supported transition into uni-level science, even though it does add an extra year and cost. Ultimately, it comes down to how confident you feel — if it’s just nerves, going straight in should be fine, but if you want to build confidence and a strong foundation first, the foundation year could be worth it.
Kind regards Aneta PhD Chemistry

Thank you so much, this is really reassuring. I am a bit nervous about the biology, but it helps a lot knowing that other students come from mixed backgrounds too, so I won’t be alone.

I don't do optometry, but I do psychology which has a surprising amount of biological content. We had two modules exclusively dedicated to brain biology in our first year, for example. Most people in my cohort have not taken biology and, admittedly, yes, those who didn't do biology at A-level struggled a bit more compared to the few of us that did do biology at A-level, but at the end of the day basically everyone pulled through. So you can definitely get away with not doing the foundation year and that's what I'd choose. Good luck

They know you don’t have biology but have made you an offer anyway because they are confident you can succeed on the course with what you are offering. The vast majority of a biology A level will be irrelevant to the study of optometry anyway.

Hiii
I’m looking for some advice on whether it’s better to do a foundation year or go straight into the degree.
I want to study Optometry and I’ve received an offer for a 4-year MOptom course (no foundation year), and
an offer for a 5-year MOptom with an integrated foundation year. My subjects are BTEC Applied Science, BTEC Health & Social Care, and A-level Psychology.
One of my friends said the foundation year might really help because Optometry has a lot of biology content, and since I don't do A-level Biology I might find the first year quite hard if I go straight in. But other people have told me it's fine to go straight in as there will probably be other people who also haven't done A-level Biology
So I'm kind of stuck on which one I should put as my firm because both of them also gave me the same conditional offer. 😭
Any advice or personal experiences would really help. Thank you!!

Hi there!
I know this has received quite a few comments already, but I thought it may be worth giving you my perspective as someone who took a foundation year.
I was required to take a foundation year for my degree in ecology and conservation, since I had taken all humanities/social sciences A-levels. Whilst I felt as though I may have been prepared enough to understand the content taught, especially in my first year, what I wasn't prepared for was the assessment styles, which I hadn't encountered at A-level. Doing a foundation year really helped me to develop my skills in things such as scientific writing, and analysing papers. Had I gone straight into my degree, I think I would've felt really behind in first year! It really helped to boost my confidence, because I wasn't worried about whether or not I would understand certain tasks etc
Additionally, it helped me to feel a lot more settled in university before I actually started my degree. Because of this, I was able to put more effort into my studies, come first year, because I wasn't also juggling the stresses that can come with moving away from home and living by yourself for the first time. It also gave me a good feel for the university, meaning that if it wasn't the right fit, there would be more flexibility for me to move afterwards!
Ultimately, though, do what feels right for you. Look around the universities at open days, speak to the academics, look in detail at what each course offers, and pick based on the one that excites you the most, try not to pick based on the foundation year or not- your overall happiness with the degree is the most important thing! Besides, the year will go by very quickly anyway!
If you have any questions about what a foundation year is like, or what my experience was, please let me know- I'm happy to answer any thing you may ask!
All the best!
Jas
UEA Rep

I'm also taking BTEC Applied Science as well, Applied Science and Physiology covers Biology, especially physiology which is good meaning you might not need to do A-Level Biology. Another thing, idk if you know but if your doing Extended certificate of BTEC Applied Science that is equivalent to 1 A-level. I have applied to science course with a foundation year and one without (2 different courses). Since you have received a conditional offer, I would recommend to focus on meeting them. (I'm guessing its UCAS points). I myself is below target, but I'm pushing myself to meet the conditions.
I believe in you