Physics Degree - Any Help, Information or Advice Welcome

[Surferfish]

Please [/b]don't go by rankings - these are far more flawed than school league tables. Go somewhere where she likes the course modules and where she likes the place she going to live.
Birmingham uni was a train ride from town when I last took students there - have they moved it?

Yes fair point about ranking tables.

Regarding Bham location I didn't mean to imply it was slap bang in the middle of the Bull Ring shopping centre but it is still within the larger city itself rather than being an out of town campus. As with most large cities you generally need to get a train or bus into town from the areas where people generally tend to live.

[Guest55]

Regarding Bham location I didn't mean to imply it was slap bang in the middle of the Bull Ring shopping centre but it is still within the larger city itself rather than being an out of town campus. As with most large cities you generally need to get a train or bus into town from the areas where people generally tend to live.

Yes, I see that as a problem though. In a smaller city you can walk into town but it's too far to do that in Birmingham. I did not see many places to get jobs near the campus either. Aren't some of the halls not actually on the campus itself?

This is why you need to really consider location, halls, somewhere near the uni to live other than halls, transport, ... it is the whole package.

[Surferfish]

Yes there are many things to consider and everyone will have different things they like and don't like about a place. The course itself is also important obviously.

I was only commenting on the fact that Birmingham is a city university with more of a campus feel than say one of the London unis. That may appeal to some or it may not. Best for the DD to make a shortlist of courses she likes and then visit a few perhaps to get a feel?

[ToadMum]

Regarding Bham location I didn't mean to imply it was slap bang in the middle of the Bull Ring shopping centre but it is still within the larger city itself rather than being an out of town campus. As with most large cities you generally need to get a train or bus into town from the areas where people generally tend to live.

Yes, I see that as a problem though. In a smaller city you can walk into town but it's too far to do that in Birmingham. I did not see many places to get jobs near the campus either. Aren't some of the halls not actually on the campus itself?

This is why you need to really consider location, halls, somewhere near the uni to live other than halls, transport, ... it is the whole package.

Several of the 'not actually within the campus walls' halls at Birmingham (the Selly Oak ones) are actually closer to where a lot of the departments are than the 'on campus' Vale accommodation blocks are. As for employment, DS1 has managed to evade all but a bit of cleaning work so far (getting residences ready for moving in weekend), but apart from jobs organised through the Guild of Students, there are shops, bars, the hospital, the lovely new leisure centre etc. Also tutoring, probably?

[KB]

Once she starts the A level courses she will get a better idea of which areas she is interested in. As Guest says, there's a wide range of physics degrees and also courses that combine eg maths and physics. You can go from mathematical physics or theoretical physics to physical sciences to engineering.
Maybe after GCSEs you could take some relaxed trips so she can get a feel for what different sized towns are like and the difference between campus and city. Some university accommodation is available to rent as rooms in the vacations.

I would be careful not to add stress of post A level choices into GCSE year.

[SteveDH]

Also depending on which areas of physics she is interested in it may be worth looking at engineering, which is sort of about applying physics to the real world.

[KenR]

A number of Universities now offer Natural Sciences degrees (or M.Sci) with a Physics major which allow you to specialise in Physics modules at a later date. Take a look at Durham and Birmingham

[Guest55]

My advice for Year 11 is put all this to one side for next June and focus on getting good GCSE grades. This will give her more options re future unis - there's a whole summer to look at this before A levels start.

[2childmum]

That's good advice for something like physics, where the A-levels needed are obvious, but where we live Year 11s have to apply for sixth form this term, stating which A levels they want to do, so for someone less sure (like my DD) there is a bit of research needed now. If they change their mind when they go to register next August the course they might want to change to may be full and they won't get onto it.

Useful Physics websites -http://www.physics.org/study.asp?contentid=380 with info about studying physics

Institute of Physics - sixth form students can sign up for their newsletter. Go to the education tab.

But if she has decided she would like to do physics, then anymore research could wait until after GCSEs.

[Guest55]

Try this for finding the sort of courses A level choices give you:
https://university.which.co.uk/a-level-explorer" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The sixth form option booklet should also highlight key A levels needed for specific uni degrees.

Some of the advice in here was getting a bit time-consuming. I know A level choices have to be made but the focus in Year 11 MUST be on good GCSEs especially now there are no external AS levels.