• Question: do you need good grades to get a qualification in science?

    Asked by sian <3 to Rebekah on 11 Jan 2022.
    • Photo: Rebekah Penrice-Randal

      Rebekah Penrice-Randal answered on 11 Jan 2022:

      Define good grades?
      I think it’s about keeping your options open. Different univestities will accept different grades, so do your research. I think if it’s something you really want to do, then you will probably do okay in your exams and get sufficient results!
      University is very self led, you do the learning independently!

      I have dyslexia so I always found learning in school difficult as the learning style didn’t really suit me. I learnt curriculum in my spare time in my own way cause I knew I wanted to go to uni! And by the time I got there, I had to teach myself anyway!

      Just keep asking yourself what you would like to do, and ask yourself how you can get there and you will make it happen!

Comments

  • Photo: David

    David commented on :

    Not neccessarily! There are a lot more options for getting into science based careers now-for example you can get BTEC or HNC qualifications in applied science which can help you secure a career in science!

    Some universities also offer gateway programs into science degrees for those that just missed the entry requirements.

  • Photo: Yang

    Yang commented on :

    Not necessarily! your grades, up to some extent, reflect your commitment, but there are other ways to show this too and motivation plays a big role!

  • Photo: Prabs

    Prabs commented on :

    I didn’t get good grades (as I had a medical condition which made revising/doing exams in the hot summer very difficult), but I did get all the way to a PhD.
    If you can get experience in anything science related (including volunteering, working in the summer holidays, etc) that helps.
    Remember, a lot of jobs/experience have science in them and you can include these in your UCAS applications or interviews. I worked at McDonalds, so I would research how the fat temperatures contribute to crisping up fries and nuggets (and how fat burns affect human tissue). If you deliver leaflets, you can use maths to figure out the most effective routes. If you are in a park or garden, you can use a magnifying glass on your phone to look at lichens, plants and bugs and think about how this changes during the seasons and write a mini project to do a Tin Tok about this to show your school and include in your application.