Prep I could do before starting an Ecology and Conservation degree?

I have been offered an unconditional place at a uni ( I’ve already got my A Level grades as I did them last year) for Ecology and Conservation to start this September. I got a place to start year 1 rather than having to do a foundation year, which I’m really pleased about and quite shocked, as I didn’t do any science related subjects at A Level. My only worry is, is that I’m concerned that I might be behind my classmates in terms of scientific knowledge as I’m guessing that most, if not all, of them have done at least one science related subject at A Level. Has anyone got any recommendations on any (preferably free) online courses or revision websites that I could use just to have a rough idea of what my classmates would have learnt at A Level ( focusing on biology, environmental science etc) Obviously this would just be a tiny sample of A Level content, but it would just make me feel a bit more prepared for September. I’ve done roughly 100 hours of volunteering in conservation in the last year, so it’s just the scientific knowledge that I’m lacking rather than the practical side.
If anyone could help I would be very appreciative, thank you!

You won’t be as behind as you think. Loads of people start Ecology/Conservation without A-level science, and the first year usually rebuilds the basics anyway. If you want a confidence boost before September, these are solid (and free):
Best use of your time: nail cell biology basics, genetics, evolution, ecosystems, and stats/data skills (graphs, averages, interpreting results). Your conservation volunteering is already a big advantage.

You won’t be as behind as you think. Loads of people start Ecology/Conservation without A-level science, and the first year usually rebuilds the basics anyway. If you want a confidence boost before September, these are solid (and free):
Best use of your time: nail cell biology basics, genetics, evolution, ecosystems, and stats/data skills (graphs, averages, interpreting results). Your conservation volunteering is already a big advantage.

I have been offered an unconditional place at a uni ( I’ve already got my A Level grades as I did them last year) for Ecology and Conservation to start this September. I got a place to start year 1 rather than having to do a foundation year, which I’m really pleased about and quite shocked, as I didn’t do any science related subjects at A Level. My only worry is, is that I’m concerned that I might be behind my classmates in terms of scientific knowledge as I’m guessing that most, if not all, of them have done at least one science related subject at A Level. Has anyone got any recommendations on any (preferably free) online courses or revision websites that I could use just to have a rough idea of what my classmates would have learnt at A Level ( focusing on biology, environmental science etc) Obviously this would just be a tiny sample of A Level content, but it would just make me feel a bit more prepared for September. I’ve done roughly 100 hours of volunteering in conservation in the last year, so it’s just the scientific knowledge that I’m lacking rather than the practical side.
If anyone could help I would be very appreciative, thank you!

BBC bitesize does not cover a levels 🙂
OP, you can find a level biology resources (and then just do the relevant bits) on seneca, cognito and primrose kitten academy

I do both a level bio and a level env sci! Heres some free sites I know of:
Biology- seneca, pmt, primrose kitten academy, cognito, save my exams
Env sci- primrose kitten academy (rly recommend), study rocket (not used yet)
Can I ask how you go the volunteering experience/do you have any tips for that? I really wanna apply for an ecology degree next year 😁
Btw uniguide has data on the most commonly takes a levels so if you want some piece of mind you could check what people have typically takes and what grade they got on average.

Thank you! That’s very useful, will definitely check those out! I got my volunteering experience by hearing about volunteering sessions for 16-24 year olds at a local nature reserve ( part of the Wildlife Trusts), which is really nice as I get to volunteer with people who are around my age. I would recommend looking on environmental/wildlife charities’/ companies’/ place’s websites on their volunteering sections, for example The Wildlife Trusts, National Trusts, local environmental/wildlife places near you. I would also recommend following these kinds of places on social media so if they ever advertise their upcoming volunteering sessions on here, you can easily see them and be notified. Hope this helps!

I have been offered an unconditional place at a uni ( I’ve already got my A Level grades as I did them last year) for Ecology and Conservation to start this September. I got a place to start year 1 rather than having to do a foundation year, which I’m really pleased about and quite shocked, as I didn’t do any science related subjects at A Level. My only worry is, is that I’m concerned that I might be behind my classmates in terms of scientific knowledge as I’m guessing that most, if not all, of them have done at least one science related subject at A Level. Has anyone got any recommendations on any (preferably free) online courses or revision websites that I could use just to have a rough idea of what my classmates would have learnt at A Level ( focusing on biology, environmental science etc) Obviously this would just be a tiny sample of A Level content, but it would just make me feel a bit more prepared for September. I’ve done roughly 100 hours of volunteering in conservation in the last year, so it’s just the scientific knowledge that I’m lacking rather than the practical side.
If anyone could help I would be very appreciative, thank you!

Hi, I'm a current Ecology and Conservation student at Lancaster.
Some things which could be useful:

In my experience first year is to make sure everyone knows the basic content taught during A Levels which you can then develop on in future years. So any prep work will definitely help your understanding of topics taught during your time at university.
Hope this helps,
Emily
(Lancaster Student Ambassador)

Hi there!
Hopefully I'm not too late to the party! I'm currently in my third year studying ecology and conservation at UEA, and before starting I was in a very similar situation to you- I took no science A-levels and despite taking a foundation year in Environmental Science, I still felt unprepared for a degree in Ecology, especially compared to some of my peers!
I think my first piece of advise would be to try and access your universities learning page as soon as possible, look through the modules you're going to be taking, and what topics they cover. Alternatively, speak to your module organisers about this! It's worth looking though these to highlight any areas that you think you might need to go over, as well as to see if there are any recommended readings which you could do before you turn up. A good addition to this would be to get familiar with the scientific literature. Reading papers is a major skill that you will likely be taught in your first year, so it is handy to get ahead! Reading journals will help you understand some of the concepts that you will learn about, and see them in practice in current research. Scientific papers can feel a bit daunting at first, but there's no pressure! If you don't understand something, you can go and research it! It is also very worthwhile to be up to date with what is currently being published, as this will tie into your lectures a lot anyway. Pick stuff that genuinely interests you to read about too- it will make it a lot easier!
Just to go into a bit more detail about the open university, because it has been mentioned: they have a great range of free short courses that are relevant to ecology, for example Evolutionary Tree of Mammals, Introducing the environment: Ecology and Ecosystems and Climate Change, but there's a load more on their website Nature and Environment Free Courses. Most of these are about 5 hours long, but some of them are longer (18 hours etc), and a lot of them will give you a certificate of completion too! Again, see if you can find out what modules you're taking and tailor what short courses you take to what would be relevant (let me know if this is something you need help with though!)
One of the best ways to prepare though is just to stay involved and engaged. Go to talks and webinars in your local area, the RSPB, Wildlife Trusts etc will often run these. Keep up to date with the news regarding ecology, as well as current research that is being published (if you don't use it already- LinkedIn is a great place to stay on top of this!) watch documentaries that are relevant and interesting, and keep volunteering! Volunteer work is one of the most valuable assets in conservation anyway, and it will take you a lot further in getting a career than your lecture content will.
Overall, I'd just say try not to worry! I felt the same when I started my degree, but I found that a lot of the content came very naturally to me, because I found it interesting, and that not having A-levels didn't hinder me in the slightest! If you're still concerned when you start though, speak to your tutors, advisors or academics, as they will be able to provide the most guidance! Don't be afraid to ask questions!
I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any questions or if you need help with anything!
Jas
UEA Rep

I have been offered an unconditional place at a uni ( I’ve already got my A Level grades as I did them last year) for Ecology and Conservation to start this September. I got a place to start year 1 rather than having to do a foundation year, which I’m really pleased about and quite shocked, as I didn’t do any science related subjects at A Level. My only worry is, is that I’m concerned that I might be behind my classmates in terms of scientific knowledge as I’m guessing that most, if not all, of them have done at least one science related subject at A Level. Has anyone got any recommendations on any (preferably free) online courses or revision websites that I could use just to have a rough idea of what my classmates would have learnt at A Level ( focusing on biology, environmental science etc) Obviously this would just be a tiny sample of A Level content, but it would just make me feel a bit more prepared for September. I’ve done roughly 100 hours of volunteering in conservation in the last year, so it’s just the scientific knowledge that I’m lacking rather than the practical side.
If anyone could help I would be very appreciative, thank you!

Good evening,
Do not worry too much about being behind, as universities tend to provide recaps of any information you may need. Or at least they will tell you which areas to revise or recap when you start university.
The main aspects of biology you would need to know are evolution, ecosystem services, basic photosynthesis, plant ecology (e.g. basic families), taxonomic order, and basic levels of an environment, e.g. ecosystems, communities.
BBC bitesize has some great resources for GCSE biology, also YouTube videos and documentaries are great.

Honestly, any documentaries you watch will also provide you with plenty of facts and information you want to know. You could also pop to the local library and have a look at their ecology and science sections.
All the best,
Ella
BSc Ecology

I have been offered an unconditional place at a uni ( I’ve already got my A Level grades as I did them last year) for Ecology and Conservation to start this September. I got a place to start year 1 rather than having to do a foundation year, which I’m really pleased about and quite shocked, as I didn’t do any science related subjects at A Level. My only worry is, is that I’m concerned that I might be behind my classmates in terms of scientific knowledge as I’m guessing that most, if not all, of them have done at least one science related subject at A Level. Has anyone got any recommendations on any (preferably free) online courses or revision websites that I could use just to have a rough idea of what my classmates would have learnt at A Level ( focusing on biology, environmental science etc) Obviously this would just be a tiny sample of A Level content, but it would just make me feel a bit more prepared for September. I’ve done roughly 100 hours of volunteering in conservation in the last year, so it’s just the scientific knowledge that I’m lacking rather than the practical side.
If anyone could help I would be very appreciative, thank you!

I have been offered an unconditional place at a uni ( I’ve already got my A Level grades as I did them last year) for Ecology and Conservation to start this September. I got a place to start year 1 rather than having to do a foundation year, which I’m really pleased about and quite shocked, as I didn’t do any science related subjects at A Level. My only worry is, is that I’m concerned that I might be behind my classmates in terms of scientific knowledge as I’m guessing that most, if not all, of them have done at least one science related subject at A Level. Has anyone got any recommendations on any (preferably free) online courses or revision websites that I could use just to have a rough idea of what my classmates would have learnt at A Level ( focusing on biology, environmental science etc) Obviously this would just be a tiny sample of A Level content, but it would just make me feel a bit more prepared for September. I’ve done roughly 100 hours of volunteering in conservation in the last year, so it’s just the scientific knowledge that I’m lacking rather than the practical side.

If anyone could help I would be very appreciative, thank you!

Hi,
There is some really good advice on this thread already, so I won't repeat that, but just to add- you can often find the email of the course director for your degree on the uni's website even before you start. Lots of unis have a 'people page' that will list this. It's worth emailing them to ask about their recommendations as these will be specific to your course. I did this and was told about what books I would need so I could get them in advance and start reading them before term started- it really helped! @UEA Rep Jas mentioned about contacting module organisers- this is a really good idea too (in a similar vein).
Good luck!
UEA Rep Rosie ☺️
BSc Ecology and Conservation

Might be worth leafing through some introductory first year degree level general biology type textbooks to get some general background. See if your local library has any
Could also have a look in local charity shops to see if they have any old Open Uni module materials someone donated, the ones near me when I lived in Cambs always seemed to have a selection. The OU materials are usually pretty well organised for didactic purposes in my experience, and particularly are designed for more independent/self-study by virtue of how the OU course works!
Reviewing your GCSE Biology (and probably, chemistry) would likely be useful to familiarise yourself with some basics. You could cross reference some of the above stuff Re: textbooks or similar with A-level subject content as well, although there's no specific need to tie yourself to A-level specific resources nor approach it from a narrow exam focused way as A-level students would necessarily do