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/sci/ - Science & Math

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4976835 No.4976835[DELETED]  [Reply] [Original]

I got my A Level results yesterday and they were as follows:
Biology - B
Maths - B
Physics - B
AS Further maths - B
AS Chemistry - B

I am having a year out, and didn't apply for university (I wish to study physics) at all last year. The aim was to do that this year.

So, where can I go with those results. I am intelligent, and have a passion for physics. What can I do?

>> No.4976842

You won't study physics with these results. You failed all of them.

>> No.4976844

You'll struggle to get a *good* place with those results, most want an A* and two A's, but since you did 4 A2's they may reconsider.

>> No.4976845

maybe physics or engineering but you won't be going to the top big uni's with those results anon.
Need at least A's.

>tfw when get A* A* B
>tfw when i still don't get accepted by the uni in adjustment i want to go to

>> No.4976848

>>4976842
>troll and/or not a physics student

OP, most physics students aren't geniuses, me included. Just know that you won't be able to coast along. Class grades tend to be in the high 90's-100 for the prodigies, high 80's-low 90's for hard working normals, and failing for everyone else.

Unless you're somewhat gifted, physics requires daily effort and interest or you won't develop the necessary intuitions, and you'll fail tests. Simple as that.

>> No.4976849

>>4976848
This guy knows his shit.

What I wouldn't do to be a genius.

>> No.4976851

>>4976844
Yeah, I know...Any ideas where I could get in? York? Are you saying that AS+AS=A2?
>>4976845
What are mid-tier physics degrees? Obviously Oxford/Birmingham are top tier.Where did you apply?
>>4976848
I do feel I underachieved, however, I know I'm not a genius. I'm pretty sure I would be able to cope however. Writing questions always let me down on exams. Doesn't excuse my maths grade though...

>> No.4976857

>>4976849
>>4976848
More like

high 90's-100 for hard working normals, high 80's-low 90's for the normals who didn't work hard enough

the prodigies are the kids who build small scale reactors at home and finish undergrad by the age of 10-14

>> No.4976859

>>4976851

I'm pretty sure york want AAB-AAA. Although your grades have there positives, you have 4 A2's and all in hard sciences they will probably take this into consideration.

>> No.4976861

>>4976857
Yeah, I guess I made it sound like you can't ace tests unless you're a genius. I meant those to be minimum grades, rather than maximums.

>> No.4976862

question

is the OP's question a britfag thing? never heard of it before

>> No.4976863

>>4976851
AS is the first year, A2 is the second year, AS + A2 = A-level. Most people only take 3 A2's, you took 4, so a uni may take that into account as it makes you more of a well rounded student.

>> No.4976864

>>4976859

I've read York's normal offer is ABB

>> No.4976868

>>4976864

Yeh I've just looked it up for you, its AAA for Mphys and ABB for BSc

http://www.york.ac.uk/physics/undergraduate/degree-requirements/

>> No.4976872

>>4976868

Right, thanks.

>AB in Maths and Physics (either way round) plus B in third A-level for BSc.

Reckon I'll have a chance?

>> No.4976881

>>4976848
Well faggot, you are wrong. I am a physics student and not a troll. If you think you have any chance of excelling in physics after failing highschool, you are retarded. We don't need a lot of idiots in physics. They are gonna fail anyway. Only true geniuses can achieve something in physics. This is reality. Deal with it

>> No.4976892

>>4976881

OP here, I have an iq of 145. I didn't really want to bring that up, as this will now probably turn into a argument about whether iq is valid or not, but whatever. I have also competed in the british mathematical olympiad and other competitions.

>> No.4976897

>>4976881
are you americunt by chance?

>> No.4976903

>>4976892
same iq as a postman. stick your iq score up your ass

>> No.4976910

>>4976881
There's more to physics than theory development.
Judging by your infantile tirade, I'm not sure how intelligent you are. That attitude certainly would not be endearing as a new member of a university staff, or laboratory. Congrats for being good at math. That doesn't make you special. You're still going to have to work among peers on day. Better work on being less of an ass first.

>> No.4976915

Lancaster have the best rank in terms of their research. Just sayin'.

>> No.4976918

>>4976915

What grades do they ask for? I went and looked round there, it seemed pretty bleak and boring....

>> No.4976931

>>4976892
145 is not high enough to be successful in physics.

>>4976897
Nope.

>>4976910
Do I detect some jelly?

>> No.4976935

>>4976931
>>4976903
>>4976881
>>4976842

Can we all agree to ignore the troll. Don't respond to him and don't let him derail the thread.

>> No.4976942

>>4976931
>145 is not high enough to be successful in physics.

>Richard Feynman
>In high school, his IQ was determined to be 125—high, but "merely respectable" according to biographer James Gleick.

>> No.4976943

>>4976935
Which troll? All I see is a guy helping OP by telling him not dwell in delusional fantasies. With such bad grades he won't be able to do physics.

>> No.4976946

>>4976942

See
>>4976935

>> No.4976947

>>4976942
And this is why Feynman became a pop sci hero.

>> No.4976961

>>4976918

A*AA for Msc and AAA for Bsc

http://www.lancs.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/physics-bsc-hons-f300/

>> No.4977009

Bump. Please ignore the troll.

>> No.4977015

You could resit a couple of a-levels as a private candidate if you want to attend a top uni. And since you're having a year out that might make sense to do anyway. Or you could just apply for a foundation year at those unis that offer it, but at this point why not just do resits.

>> No.4977028

>>4977009
>asks question
>doesn't want to accept the only legitimate answer
>dismisses reality as "trolling"

Stay delusional, moron.

>> No.4977072

You probably aren't intelligent.

To give you some idea of where you are, even cambridge students who went to crap schools and had challenging family circumstances still manage to get 3 As.

>> No.4977076

>>4977072
>even Cambridge
What are you implying there?

Also, it most likely is easier to attain good grades at "crap" schools than good ones. Depending on how it's crap, of course.

>> No.4977105

>>4977076
huh?

>> No.4977115

>>4977105
Pardon?

>> No.4977167

ITT: plebs who think memorisation and practice, which lead to good marks, equals intelligence, especially when we're all so different from each other.

>> No.4977178

you won't get into anywhere worth studying at with 3 Bs. Sorry. Good physics courses are in the range of A*AA-ABB. If you're taking a year out, use it to resit some courses or take a HND. You won't qualify for access courses yet and won't until you're 21.

>>4977076
>Also, it most likely is easier to attain good grades at "crap" schools than good ones. Depending on how it's crap, of course.
we all take the same exams. we're not talking about your grade within the school. we're talking about your performance in a universal exam.

>>4976961
An MPhys is not an MSc. An MSc is a postgraduate degree, typically taught and lasting one year. These days MSc teaching is geared towards professional, rather than academic career paths.

An MPhys, like its cousins the MChem, MEng, MComp, MMath etc. is a four year undergraduate degree, using the extra year to facilitate a large-scale project, often in an industrial or academic setting.

>> No.4977180

>>4977178

Thanks for your advice. What about doing some kind of small Open University course? Would that make me stand out a bit?

>> No.4977187

>>4976859
>you have 4 A2's and all in hard sciences they will probably take this into consideration.
no, he has 3 A2s. That's all universities care about; your top 3 A2 grades. 2 ASes doesn't add up to another A2, it just adds up to 12 wasted hours per week for you. Taking anything more than 3 A2s is retarded and is used by schools with more money than sense to inflate their performance on the league tables. That they're "hard" subjects won't be taken into account because A) he got Bs in all of them and B) everyone taking sciences takes 3 hard subjects.

unless he wants to go to a poly, he's going to have to resit or get some form of higher diploma (with top distinctions). if he genuinely enjoys physics, he doesn't want to go to a poly.

>> No.4977191

>>4977180
Probably. A friend of mine who got CDE at A level just got onto an MEng Mechanical Engineering course at Soton (pretty much the best one in the country), and during his interview process he was pretty much told it was his open university efforts that had got him the place.

However, you have to bear in mind this friend is 23. He was applying as a mature student, having done A levels so long ago as to make them almost irrelevent. Even with the OU study under his belt, even after passing a university entrance exam and interview process, he still had to do a foundation year. That made his undergraduate degree five years long, at the age of 23.

If you really want to go to uni and really want to excel, don't try and take back routes or bet on outliers, push hard now to improve yourself.

>> No.4977194

>>4977191

So how can I improve myself? You mean resits?

>> No.4977200

>>4977194
As someone who has just finished their A levels, resits are pretty much your only option. You don't qualify for access courses and an HND is inappropriate.

Be warned, though, as you have now completed your Level 3 qualifications, you will not be able to do them again for free. You will have to pay and a lot of places (especially colleges/sixth forms aimed at 16-18 year olds) won't even let you take them. As a result, your "resit" may end up being retaking the whole course, teaching and all.

You also won't be offered a foundation year. Foundation years are for people who were taught non-technical subjects, didn't finish their teaching for some reason or did an equivalent but nonstandard qualification with some doubts (particularly international ones). You did the required subjects, you just didn't get the required marks.

>> No.4977322

I'll give this another bump....

>> No.4977386
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4977386

This feel when I've literally coasted my entire life, and coasted my January exams, achieving 98% in Stats 1, and 87 in Decision Maths 1 with literally no work. This feel when you try the same for summer exams. This feel when you achieve
Maths - A
Physics - A
Further Maths - B
Chemistry - C
This feel when you have successfully fucked up your life, and all the god-tier unis for comp-sci will now most likely not give you an offer. ( I plan on dropping Chemistry, but resitting most of that shit)

>> No.4977709

Final bump

>> No.4977712

>>4977386

I felt exactly like you going into year 13. I coasted to easy A grades in Maths, Physics and Chemistry in January (and a B in History but let's ignore that). I thought i could do the same in June, but went and got 45 in Decision and 55 in FP1. I thought I had completely fucked up my chances of getting into a good university.

Now, I have achieved A*A*AA, and with retakes got FP1 up to 85 and Decision up to 100. The only difference in year 13 was that I realised that i am going to have to work so hard, and that coasting wouldn't cut it anymore. There is hope if you can do retakes, but you really have to take it to heart that you're gonna have to work.

In a way, i'm glad i messed up in year 12 because it change my attitude for the better.

>> No.4977733

>thinking a-levels matter, or undergraduate degrees

Masters is what matters

Everyone has a degree today so they are worth nowt

>> No.4977736

HAHA kids

enjoy paying 9k/a for uni!

>> No.4977804

>slack off for 5 years
>average grades
>oh shit oh shit what do I do now my life is ruined
>remember that I live in a country where bachelor courses don't have restricted access

>> No.4977886

>9 A*s at gcse
>become depressed as fuck for 2 years, bunk school, end up with AABB
>fucked up chances of where I want to go
>do new A-levels all in 1 year, get A*A*A

Got a place at UCL for maths, but feel I could've done better if I'd applied with these new grades (UCL is great, but its maths dept is a bit shabby). If I get into Oxford I'd probably end up in a lot less debt as well, fuck 9k and London living costs. Worth the risk of reapplying and starting aged 20? I don't think the latter is a problem, everyone around me seems to think it would be a disaster though

>>4977712
Well done, wish I had the mental strength to have done that earlier. Where you off to?

>> No.4977888
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4977888

>>4977804
>mfw i was about to write that
>mfw i can focus on important things instead of memorizing test results

long live europe

>> No.4977919

>>4976851
>Obviously Oxford/Birmingham are top tier
Bham student here. You just stroked my ego HARD <3

Anyway, OP. Just go to your local shithole college and retake your A-levels. They're easier the second time round. You're taking a year out anyway, so go for it.

Guy I live with did that and is on track for a 2:1 MSci

>> No.4977941

>>4977886

Imperial College to study Physics. Did not expect to be in this position this time last year.

I applied to Cambridge as well, but they turned me down pretty quickly. Probably because of the poor module results. Oh well, certainly not complaining about where I am going.

>> No.4977951

>>4976835
>We're #1
>We're #indeterminate form
>We're #1
I don't get it.

>> No.4977958

>>4976881
You definitely sound like a physics student, you autistic cunt.

Sincerely, a physics student that can function in society.

>> No.4977963

>>4977951

lol guiz look at me im so autistic lol

>> No.4977966 [DELETED] 

>>4977951
anything to the power of 0 is 1, faggot

>> No.4977974

>>4977966
a^0 is defined as a^(m-m) which is a^m/a^m, where m is a real number.
If m != 0, then you have 0/0, an indeterminate form.
If m=0, then the expression is defined for a != 0, but that's the problem we started with. See why it's an indeterminate form?

>> No.4977977 [DELETED] 
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4977977

>>4977974
hows it feel to be fucking wrong, faggot?
http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=x%5E0+%3D+y

>> No.4977981

>>4977974
mathematician
>>4977977
person who actually uses mathematics

>> No.4977980

>>4977977
http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=0^0&t=mfftb01

>hurr

>> No.4977986 [DELETED] 
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4977986

>>4977980
ahahahhaha!

>> No.4977987

>>4977977
You can define it to equal 1 at 0 if you wish, but the point at one doesn't exist analytically.

>>4977981
apt observation

>> No.4977991

>>4977987
at 0* rather

>> No.4978011
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4978011

I got shit poor grades because I refused to give a shit through my entire sixth form. Now I'm going to a university nobody has heard of to do a lackluster degree I couldn't care less about because I don't really have any other options.

>Implying I care where my life is going

>> No.4978047

>>4977386
computer science is hideously undersubscribed. while they'll only make conditional offers on the basis of A*AA-ABB, most will do clearing offers all the way down to BBB or similar.

i actually got into manchester to do CompSci with ABC through clearing, though that was going on six years ago now, when A levels were a mite harder.

>> No.4978051

>>4977919
>Guy I live with did that and is on track for a 2:1 MSci
master's degrees don't come with honours.

>> No.4978054

>>4977733
>Everyone has a degree today so they are worth nowt
lolnope
lots of people have degrees, but not all degrees are born equal. doing postgrad study isn't necessarily a good idea.

>> No.4978055

>>4978051
MSci not MSc
It's equivalent (and as far as I can tell, absolutely identical) to an MPhys but Birmingham want to use that confusing combination of letters for some reason :/

>> No.4978065

>4977386
buck your ideas up between september and christmas. remember the deadline for applications is in january. while it's beneficial to apply as soon as possible, it's always worth delaying your application if it means better predicted grades on your form.

university admissions tutors take your predicted grades and your reference very fucking seriously, far more seriously than your personal statement (most of these barely get read; they're all so over-coached they're wrorthless).

so if you've underperformed in year 12, worry not. sit down with your teachers, tell them you're going to work your cotton socks off and then _do it_. then when time comes for your reference to be written, you'll get the predicted grade you're capable of.

throw in a raft of resits and job's a goodun.

also, drop chemistry, doing more than 3 a levels is retarded and chemistry gets fucking awful at A2. plus if you're just doing maths and physics you wont have any coursework, plus they complement each other very very well.

>> No.4978070

>>4978055
are they fucking retarded? there's a reason they're called MPhys and not MSci. Are you sure it's not an integrated BSc/MSc?

>> No.4978084

>>4978070
I think the history behind it is that through the Bologna process, Bham's BSc in physics was singled out as having too much workload, so they removed some modules from the BSc and created the MSci by adding some modules to what they were doing before.
This is separate from (possibly before) the creation of the MPhys elsewhere.

It used to not be recognised by the IoP, but thankfully it is now.

http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/students/courses/undergraduate/physics/physics-msci.aspx

>> No.4978092

>>4978084
PS.
IoP now is like "Yeah whatever, same fucking thing"
http://www.iop.org/careers/university/higher_education/undergraduate/page_39442.html

You don't get this with Chemistry btw.
MSci Chemistry is practically worthless compared to an MChem because of lack of accrediation.

>> No.4978236

I got B, C, C, D.

FUCK, I hate being average.

>> No.4978246

>>4976862
Yes.

>> No.4978250

>not straight A's
get out of my house

>> No.4978265

>>4976835

You'd probably be able to get into some top Scottish Universities, it's a helluva lot cheaper than down south, and if you choose Edinburgh, you'll fit right in.

Heck up here, you'd probably get direct entry to second year, giving you a 3 year BSc (Hons)

>> No.4978323

>>4978265
for english students the most difficult universities to get into are the scottish ones because they give preferential treatment to scottish students. throw in the fees being so cheap and you get a situation where english students fight tooth and nail to get into edinburgh and glasgow and st andrew's

fuck the other unis though they're all shit
and actually to be frank the big 3 scottish ones have gone down the shitter in recent years. they've gone down the league tables faster than a whore on teesside goes down on payday

>> No.4978335

>>4976835
>implying 0.999... = 1

>> No.4978415

>>4978335
>>4978335
>>4978335

If .99999... equaled one, 1/e would also equal 1.