Biochemistry courses

[mightyducks]

Hi all, my DD is looking to study biochemistry at University, it’s early days as she’s just started Year 12 , but the preparation seems to start very early! Does anyone have any insight into the best courses? She’s very bright and got 8 9’s in her GCSE’s . What should she be doing at this stage? Is is too early for open days etc

Open days next Easter onwards. In the meantime think about where she wants (city/middle of nowhere, campus/spread out, 3 hours away/20 mins away), then get a short list including those parameters, and add in grade requirements (proxy for 'good' uni, also look at league tables, think about year in industry options), that should give you half a dozen to visit.

That’s great thanks, gives me a few Universities to look into

Hi! I found a very good online aggregator for online courses ->

coursesforchildren.co.uk

it is a new startup, but they are improving the website based on parents feedback! Hope you will find what you are looking there

My daughter did quite a lot of Biochemistry in her Pharmacology degree at Bristol. She really rated the department - definitely worth a look.

DD is doing Biochemistry at U Leeds. I've been really impressed at what they've been doing, and large numbers of her year got competitive placements for the placement year. York is also highly rated, Manchester too.

DD did a Futurelearn course. Also a 3 day residential course in life sciences at Warwick University in the middle of sixth form. Run by these people - chance to experience lectures, get taster into lab work and kit and sense of the content of different subjects. However now post-Covid looks like they are running online www.etrust.org.uk/insight-into-university But she wasn't sure which subject she wanted till we'd gone round a few Open Days and heard the different spiels about how Pharmacology differs from Genetics and Biochemistry in their course, so don't worry if it isn't clear yet.

That’s great thanks, gives me a few Universities to look into

Honestly, it really needs to be her, not you.

I agree with everything Titchy said about starting to think about what factors might be important to her in terms of where she studies.
The open days are mostly between Easter and October.
I found with all of mine that the first place they saw they were all a bit 'meh' about and I think that is partly to do with the whole experience being so different from their current life, it is difficult to know what they should be looking at / looking for. Having seen one University, they got much more out of the visit to the next one they visited, as they had something to compare with. If there is a chance for them to visit even a local University they don't think they are interested in, early on, I'd encourage them to go and have a look, and experience it.

Thanks all for all this great advice, we are off to look at Lancaster on Monday (inset) but she has set her sights on imperial so looking at the admissions stats , 9 applications for every 1 place, it’s going to be hard for her to get in. She is also up in the air about biochemistry or bioengineering now too so hopefully some open days will help