A levels vs BTec to do Zoology at University

[soggyweather]

My DD is 18, has missed a couple of years of schooling due to mental health issues. She has managed to get GCSE Maths and English and just got her L2 Art and Design. She has been offered Biology, Psychology and Art A levels or BTec Extended Diploma Animal Management at the local college. She wants to go onto to study Zoology at University and doesn't know which is the best route to chose. Either can get her into uni and I feel BTech would probably be better for her due to MH problems. She really feels she has missed out on her schooling (she has) and this is her last chance to prove herself, by doing A levels. She also feels that everyone looks down on BTecs. Another issue is that she will be 2 years older than the other A level students. It's a real dilemma and she changes her mind constantly and is getting very stressed about the decision which she has to make in the next week or so. Any advice or similar experiences?

Does she have any ideas on where she might want to study Zoology? Could she get in touch with them for some advice? I did Ecology as an undergraduate which had a big crossover with Zoology if that helps widen options.

Has she checked that Animal Management will allow her to progress onto a Zoology degree? If Universities would accept her with this qualification - and animals must be her love - why on earth would you choose A levels when you can start learning about what you want to do now! Who cares what everyone thinks about BTEC - it's what your qualifications allow you to progress onto that counts!

There are quite a few unis that require biology at A Level for zoology.
Could she do biology a level alongside the animal management btec?

Biology A level is hard, and even harder if you haven't done it at GCSE. DD achieved A* at GCSE and still found it difficult. A level does assume prior knowledge I'm afraid.

My Nephew did a BTEC Animal Management course at the local FE college (also an Ag College), and then went on to do Zoology at Aberystwyth. He wasn't able to do ALevels, but did really well in his BTEC's and loved the course at Uni. He did some amazing work experience at bird, big cat and monkey sanctuaries. Sadly, the down side is that work opportunities on graduation seem to be very limited, and he has only worked in pubs so far, which is very sad.

My dd is currenting on that BTEC course and loves it. At the open day it was pointed out that our local uni doesn't accept the BTEC for Zoology, but that many others do, so definitely worth checking out specific unis she'd be interested in before deciding

*currently

Sadly, the down side is that work opportunities on graduation seem to be very limited, and he has only worked in pubs so far, which is very sad.

My niece has a good degree in zoology from a Russell Group university, and has never been able to find a job using her degree since she graduated 5 years ago.

Thanks for your responses. We've researched unis and quite a few take BTec, including Bristol and Exeter, BTecs have got harder in the last couple of years and are considered the equivalent of 3 As. Our local FE college is being really good and she is going to both 6th form and Btec induction days next week. DD seems to be moving towards BTec!! I know getting a job at the end of a zoology degree may be hard, but DD has missed out on so much education she just wants to prove that she is academically able and have that educational experience that her peers are having.

Hi we had this exact same dilemma - my DD did decide to do Biology, Psychology and Art A-Levels in the end but it was a hard choice. The college that had the Animal Management course had animals on-site where she would have had access to different animals.

Covid made the decision easier because the college was far away and we worried about using public transport.

I have a family friend whose DD (not academic at all) wanted to be a zoo keeper. She wrote to every zoo, animal park, farm park within an hour's drive offering to be a volunteer anywhere in the park for a year. A local animal park/small zoo accepted her. So she worked 2 days in Tesco for petrol money and 5 days volunteering at the zoo.

8 months later a job came up with small mammals at the zoo and she got it. (She used to bring wallabies home to nurse over night when mother's had rejected them!) Fast forward 12 years, she is now head of large mammals at a large zoo in the south of England. Being a volunteer (and not just a week here and there) and showing commitment is often the way in to zoo jobs.

My niece is doing Zoo Biology at Nottingham Trent which is more hands-on and less theoretical than Zoology. It might be worth a look.

Thanks again for all your responses. I think it's going to be BTec! She has talked to the Biology teachers on both courses and they say that the Biology is actually harder on the BTec and is more applied. She will also do work experience one day a week on the course so that will help and has already volunteered at various places nearby. It's a hard choice though, but in the end they both get her to uni.

It won't be everyone's way of looking at it, but if she is realistic about maybe not achieving a job in the sector afterwards, doing the BTEC and moving on to a degree in the area which is her passion will at least have given her a whole five / six years enjoyment (and academic qualifications to boot). Doing A levels instead might broaden her university options, but if she is happy with what the BTEC can do for her, then if this were my DD, I would say 'go for it', too.

Hello, definitely don't worry about the age thing, lots of people (myself include) go to uni a few years later. As for qualifications, i'd go for whichever she is more likely to succeed in and enjoy.

Just one point to add...is she fully aware of what a degree in Zoology entails? Purely because I was always interested in it but it turned out not to be what i expected at all when I looked in more detail. It is very heavily biology based with a big focus on evolution, classification etc as appose to animal care and behaviour...really very different than the sort of thing she will learn on the BTEC.

If she is more interested in the management side of things, it may be worth looking at Animal Science instead. This is what i ended up studying and loved it, lots of hands on work too. First year is similar to zoology but i later studied lots to do with nutrition, breeding, disease etc etc. (I am also proof that you are employable in the relevant field straight from uni...with zoology often a PhD is required to get into it).

Just something to consider :) Best of luck whatever she decides.