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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Physics at uni

104 replies

dearydeary · 02/10/2025 19:24

Hi everyone

My son wants to study physics at uni and he is predicted two A stars and an A.

Anyone care to share their DC experience? Any good tips?

We have looked Durham/Warwick and he is also thinking Edinburgh/St Andrews/Lancaster/Exeter.

Still debating between them and also considering accommodation costs.

Thank you 😊

OP posts:
whiteroseredrose · 02/10/2025 21:05

My DS studied Physics at Oxford - and it sounds like your DS’s grades are good enough. He really enjoyed it and has continued on to a PhD. It sounded like the bulk of the course was problem sheets. Very little writing.

Oxford is relatively cheap I think. At the time I was paying less than friends with DC at Leeds and Sheffield.

dearydeary · 02/10/2025 21:07

whiteroseredrose · 02/10/2025 21:05

My DS studied Physics at Oxford - and it sounds like your DS’s grades are good enough. He really enjoyed it and has continued on to a PhD. It sounded like the bulk of the course was problem sheets. Very little writing.

Oxford is relatively cheap I think. At the time I was paying less than friends with DC at Leeds and Sheffield.

Thanks, he looked at Oxford and spent an overnight but was worried about the condensed approach and entrance exam 😊

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LemonVerbenaGeranium · 02/10/2025 21:15

For the Scottish universities, there is the option of direct entry to second year for A Level applicants from England so it doesn’t need to be an extra year. Not sure how many take that option and whether it’s hard to slot into the existing cohort though. Anyone have any experience of this?

dearydeary · 02/10/2025 21:24

LemonVerbenaGeranium · 02/10/2025 21:15

For the Scottish universities, there is the option of direct entry to second year for A Level applicants from England so it doesn’t need to be an extra year. Not sure how many take that option and whether it’s hard to slot into the existing cohort though. Anyone have any experience of this?

DS was saying about this and jumping a year but the effect of joining a cohesive group 😊

OP posts:
whiteroseredrose · 02/10/2025 21:28

@dearydeary The 8 week terms definitely aren’t for everyone!

dearydeary · 02/10/2025 21:30

whiteroseredrose · 02/10/2025 21:28

@dearydeary The 8 week terms definitely aren’t for everyone!

Absolutely, the costs are lower which is appealing 😊

Hope his PhD goes well!

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titchy · 02/10/2025 23:39

Can I caution slightly against an MPhys/MSci… Often kids start uni thinking they love one aspect of their subject and at the end absolutely love something completely different. So choosing a uni for BSc based on its specialism may backfire - go elsewhere for Masters once you know what you love.

shoofly · 03/10/2025 00:06

DS 1st choice was Physics at Durham. Had offer (&predicted) 2 A ☆ and A & got 1 A☆ and 2 As and ended up with Physics at Queens Belfast. Has worked out really well, just started 2nd year (particularly since he's living at home so saving a lot in fees and accommodation costs)

Crushed23 · 03/10/2025 00:16

I was involved in campus hiring (finance) until recently and Physics is looked upon VERY favourably for our internships and graduate programmes. Most of the universities listed are prestigious and would be regarded broadly equally (perhaps Warwick a nudge ahead of the others but not by much) so your son should choose which one he likes the feel of best / which has specialism in his areas of interest.
Good luck to your son!

Edit: All but Lancaster are considered prestigious btw. But that’s still a good uni.

Ashersmom · 03/10/2025 00:19

DD was impressed by Sheffield for Physics, although she decided on an integrated Masters in mathematical physics.

dearydeary · 03/10/2025 07:09

Thanks everyone for posts so far. There is a lot to weigh up for him (and us) 😊

All views are helpful!

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LemonVerbenaGeranium · 03/10/2025 08:08

@Ashersmom Where‘s your dd taking her integrated masters, as my DS is interested in Mathematical Physics and we are trying to put a shortlist together. Anywhere you’d recommend or avoid?

dearydeary · 03/10/2025 20:49

Thanks for your replies everyone

Talking again this evening about options

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Muu9 · 04/10/2025 05:02

CautiousLurker01 · 02/10/2025 20:21

My DS is the same. What I have learned so far is that no two physics degrees are the same. And it is a vast subject. So, for instance, my DS is realy interested in particle physics but, whilst every degree is required to cover it in at least one module, you need to chose unis with a specialism/research pedigree in order to be able to focus on it in 3rd and 4th year projects. So, whilst DS though Exeter was an amazing campus, their focus was on other areas of physics so it’s been excluded.

Additionally, he may need to explore the difference between BSc’s and 4 year courses that include MSc/ MSci/ Mphys which all offer different strengths and weaknesses depending on whether he wants to leave the door open to a PhD/industry related career or go into finance and banking!

Can you list the specialties of various too UK unis? It can be hard on the websites because each uni seems to talk about being strong in a whole bunch of fields.

Muu9 · 04/10/2025 05:11

dearydeary · 02/10/2025 21:24

DS was saying about this and jumping a year but the effect of joining a cohesive group 😊

At Edinburgh, as an example, second year entry physics students have special modules for second year entry students so they can connect with a peer group of students in the same situation.

http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk/25-26/dpt/utphysb.htm#dpt-year-2
http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk/24-25/dpt/utmapyb.htm
http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk/24-25/dpt/utmatph.htm

DPT: Physics (BSc Hons) (UTPHYSB)

http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk/25-26/dpt/utphysb.htm#dpt-year-2

Muu9 · 04/10/2025 05:17

@titchy doesn't going elsewhere for the master's mean you lose the option to fund it at the undergrad rate through student finance (no maintenance for postgraduate loans)?

CautiousLurker01 · 04/10/2025 08:18

Muu9 · 04/10/2025 05:02

Can you list the specialties of various too UK unis? It can be hard on the websites because each uni seems to talk about being strong in a whole bunch of fields.

Am sorry, no.

You have to go through the modules offered and read about the staff and their specialities at each uni with your DC as they are the ones that understand the course content and subject. As a non science grad I, personally, had no idea when DS started looking whether particle physics was a subcategory of astrophysics or quantum (it’s the latter LOL). A google enquiry may give you a list of ‘the best uk universities for research into particle physics/astrophysics/etc’ and produce a link to edurank, but even that requires your young person to visit each uni site and read the course structure and module content.

Teachers/careers advisors at school may be able to recommend a few unis from their experience that have interests/specialism in certain areas, as can staff at unis (a PhD student at KCL recommended a few for DS to look at).

Doing the research is often something DCs are encouraged and supported in at college during tutor time - understanding what they are applying for and researching independently is important as this can be steered by parents. We can help, but they need to be experts on the unis themselves? My DS has a very clear idea of uni rankings, which ones have minimal Part/Phys options, which ones have connections with CERN, what equipment each one has invested in in the last few years etc and can talk about them with the same enthusiasm that he and dad discuss the football league now! I just have focus on booking the open days so dad can take him (fellow physics grad) and research the boring stuff like autism support and accommodation.

titchy · 04/10/2025 11:59

Muu9 · 04/10/2025 05:17

@titchy doesn't going elsewhere for the master's mean you lose the option to fund it at the undergrad rate through student finance (no maintenance for postgraduate loans)?

Yes that is a negative, esp for students from poorer backgrounds. But full Masters are better, they’re 50% longer (180 credits vs 120), and allow for more specialism.

CautiousLurker01 · 04/10/2025 17:32

Just wondered whether anyone’s YP went to Uni of Manchester today. Just wondered what other’s impressions were?

tadjennyp · 04/10/2025 18:02

My ds went to Leicester today with my dh who is a physicist and they were very impressed. Worth thinking about for an insurance for your ds.

CautiousLurker01 · 04/10/2025 18:23

tadjennyp · 04/10/2025 18:02

My ds went to Leicester today with my dh who is a physicist and they were very impressed. Worth thinking about for an insurance for your ds.

Will look at it - DH is a physicist too and am worried that his enthusiasm might slightly overshadow and sway DS. Very keen that the shortlist is DS led!!

ButterPiesAreGreat · 04/10/2025 18:33

CautiousLurker01 · 04/10/2025 17:32

Just wondered whether anyone’s YP went to Uni of Manchester today. Just wondered what other’s impressions were?

Not yesterday but Manchester for STEM looked good when I took DC over the last few years.

CautiousLurker01 · 04/10/2025 18:39

ButterPiesAreGreat · 04/10/2025 18:33

Not yesterday but Manchester for STEM looked good when I took DC over the last few years.

Apparently it was brilliant and the accommodation speaker was a comedy superstar. The fact that Brian Cox takes quantum physics has my DH fanboying… but they were also very clear what the entry criteria was. AA maths and physics, A in another subject. Not much interest in personal statements (not mentioned at all). And the fact that you could see ManCity’s grounds from the physics labs was a big plus… oh, and the labs and facilities were brilliant. Sigh.

Kind of wish I’d taken DS as I don’t want him to be led or feel he has to live up to dad (Cambridge/Physics) or his sister at KCL.

ButterPiesAreGreat · 04/10/2025 18:55

So with my DC, we looked at Engineering and Maths so can’t really comment on Physics. I do know someone whose DH is in the Physics dept at Lancaster, and she works there too. I know it has a good reputation.

We visited Lancaster two years ago with DD as it’s relatively close and a popular choice locally.

The campus itself is away from the city centre and is quite self contained. The colleges varied wildly but some of the accommodation was quite new and varied in price. I am pretty sure that most only live on campus for the first year, so most end up in Lancaster itself which would require them to get a bus or drive to lectures. What I did like about that is they run an an accreditation scheme for off campus accommodation to maintain standards and encourage landlords to be student friendly. They offer a lot of support and information to help students find accommodation.

The campus does feel a bit disconnected from the city, so there’s that to bear in mind. The city is nice, though it has its own transport issues even though they built the Bay Gateway to take some traffic away from there. There’s a fair amount of students so there is some nightlife, bars and clubs. You are handy for Morecambe and the Lakes but getting north of Preston on the roads can be congested at weekends over the summer. However, it is on the West Coast main line for getting to Birmingham and London, and Preston is only 15 mins away by train, Manchester and Liverpool are both an hour or so journey.

Messier81 · 04/10/2025 19:40

I work and teach at a university physics department. That doesn't necessarily confer any special insight, but I would broadly agree with what has been said here.

Most physics degrees are accredited by the Institute of Physics. To be accredited, this means the degree must include content covering their "core" curriculum. That doesn't cover everything, but it does mean that the curriculum in Y1 and Y2 is broadly similar at most universities.

As @CautiousLurker01 said earlier, differences show up in Y3 and especially Y4. Although there will be some content that is the same at all universities, there will also be modules that are tied to the research interests of the department. The same is true for final year projects, which form a significant component of the final year mark. For example, we don't offer any projects in medical physics or medical imaging, because we have no investment in that. But (say) Nottingham has a major investment in medical imaging, because they have a major research group in it (MRI was invented there in the 1970s). But conversely, we will offer projects in areas that Nottingham don't. If I was recommending a University to someone for physics, I would first look at the specialization in Y3 and Y4, and how it matches their interests.

For MSc vs integrated masters, the major advantage of the BSc+MSc route is that you get to move institution before the MSc, maybe to somewhere that specializes in exactly your area. Also, as has been said, the MSc is a longer programme, usually with a more in-depth project (although often taught modules are shared between MSc and MPhys). The major downside is that it is more expensive, because the MSc counts as a postgraduate degree. There will be a range of views, but for me, the advantages do not outweigh the cost. However, many people do not agree. About 10 years ago we mostly saw applications for the 4 year MPhys degree. Now we see more applications for the BSc programme. It is not the only motivation, but I know anecdotally from speaking to some of our students that they are attracted by the option to change after Y3.

Theoretical physics was also mentioned. To further muddy the waters, if there is a real interest in this, remember that at some universities the mathematics department will have research groups that look like theoretical physics. The canonical example is Cambridge, where DAMTP covers astrophysics, high energy physics, mathematical biology, relativity and gravitation, and more. However, it isn't the only example. Many successful theorists come via this route.