Choosing your ‘A’ Levels? Here are 6 things you should know:

1. Certain university courses will be looking for specific A-levels

You won’t be able to apply to some courses without having taken some specific A-levels (and scored the right grades in them too, of course).

 

For more info, see this list of uni subjects and their typical A-level requirements. If you already know what you want to study, check out the full entry requirement details for a handful of courses at different unis to make sure you’re ticking all the boxes with your subject choices.
 

2. Taking certain A-levels will open up more university course options

Think you probably want to go to uni but don’t know what you want to study yet? You won’t be the only one! You can keep your options wide open when choosing your A-levels by selecting a smart mix of the most commonly asked-for subjects in university entry requirements, known as ‘facilitating’ subjects. Take your pick from:

• biology
• chemistry
• english
• geography
• history
• maths
• modern and classical languages
• physics

The more of these you choose, the more courses at university will be open to you. Additionally, if you have a talent for art, design or music and think it could be an avenue you’ll pursue, taking the relevant A-levels will help that to happen.

Some universities openly discourage students from taking certain combinations of A-level subjects, particularly when subjects are very similar like business studies and economics, so bear this in mind when you're making your choices.
 

3. A-levels are a lot tougher than GCSEs

The reason you take a particular subject is usually one (or more) of these three scenarios: you need it to pursue a particular career; it’s a subject you enjoy and are good at; or it’s a subject you’ve not studied before but you think will suit you.

Either way, be prepared for a big jump in the level of difficulty when you transition from GCSE to A-level. You’ll also see differences in the way you’re taught and in what is expected of you.
 

4. Some courses and unis have lists of subjects they don’t accept

Particular courses – take, for instance, an architecture course at the University of Bath – will view certain A-levels as less effective preparation for university studies than others. Similarly, some universities – such as the University of Sheffield – list which A-level subjects they prefer. Others, like the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), have ‘non-preferred’ subject lists.

If your subject choices don’t match up, you shouldn’t necessarily discount the course, or be put off from taking a creative or vocational A-level subject you’re really interested in.

 

5. Know myth from reality

Don’t take everything you hear at face value – the reality might be quite different.

Say you’ve heard that you have no chance of getting on to an ultra-competitive law course at the University of Durham because it doesn’t accept psychology A-level. Is that really the case? A university may view you differently from another candidate based on other factors such as extra-curricular interests or your portfolio. It’s best not to rely on pre-conceived assumptions or what you hear through someone else from their experience - there are ways to double check your facts.

6. Many unis and courses will consider you whatever you choose

Question: Accountancy, anthropology, archaeology, banking, business studies, classical civilisations, hospitality, information science, law, management, marketing, media studies, philosophy, politics, psychology, public relations, religious studies/theology, retail management, social work, sociology, surveying, television, travel and tourism… What do these subjects have in common?

Answer: They will all consider a very wide range of A-level choices and do not normally have essential subject requirements!

 

If you already know what you want to study at University, take a look at this list of A Level requirements:

 

http://university.which.co.uk/advice/a-level-choices/what-a-levels-do-you-need-for-the-degree-you-want-to-study

Satro AS Maths Challenge - 24th February and 5th March 2015

SATRO hosted its annual AS Maths Challenge across two dates at local George Abbot School on Tuesday 24th February and Thursday 5th March 2015. This after school event is aimed at sixth forth students from schools around Surrey and neighbouring counties, and challenges them to tackle mathematical problems, including concepts taught at AS Level, as well as ideas which the students might expect to meet should they continue to study maths at degree level.

In addition to the challenge element, the students were treated to talks from staff at Unum and Allianz on how studying maths at university can be an excellent choice for a career, explaining that there is far more to maths than meets the eye.

The highest scoring teams from the two evenings were the Royal Grammar School Guildford and Barton Peveril Sixth form College who travelled from Eastleigh, Hampshire for the event. The teams scored 95% and 90.8% respectively.

The Maths Challenge has always been fantastically supported by schools, with extremely positive feedback from both staff and students. Less than 20% of students continue the study of mathematics beyond the age of 16, and so it is important to encourage those who do to consider taking their studies even further. SATRO very much hopes the event will inspire those who attended to continue studying mathematics into University by providing interesting and unique problems for the teams to solve.

SATRO, based at Surrey Research Park, provides skills training and workshops within schools in the county, particularly with careers in science, technology, engineering and maths.

Over the past 30 years SATRO has worked with more than 450,000 young people educated in Surrey. The charity offers a range of practical hands-on programmes that engage young people of all abilities aged four to 19. Visit www.satro.org.uk for more details. 

SCIENCE CAREERS: ARCHAEOLOGIST

Have you ever considered archaeology as a career? Here are some interesting facts about archaeology that could make up your mind!

- Archaeologists study human civilisations that lived in the past through the discovery and analysis of the things they left behind, this includes artifacts from millions of years ago right up to things that have been developed in very recent times.

- Archaeology is so important because there are in fact no written records for 99% of human history, archaeology can help to reduce this percentage.

- Archaeology has helped and still does help us to understand how humans have evolved and also how different cultures have developed. An archaeologist would survey, excavate and analyse data to help us understand these aspects of the past (as well as many others).

- Archaeology is a varied discipline that can involve aspects of art history, classics, physics, chemistry and geography amongst other fields. If these aspects appeal to you - archaeology could may well be a suitable career for you.

- If you want to become an archaeologist, it would be a good idea to study subjects such as statistics, geography and geology or history.

SATROclub Research Placements - Celebration Event 2014

Students at the 2013 awards evening

Tonight, we are celebrating the recent SATROclub Research Placements. SATRO has participated in the Science Research Projects ever since the programme's inception some 20 years ago, and has afforded this opportunity to over 800 students during that time. Nearly every school with a Sixth Form in Surrey has had a student placement during this time, most have gained the coveted CREST science award and many students have gone on to exhibit and receive acclaim at the annual Big Bang National Science Fair. Students have completed their research in university departments, hospitals, companies and charities, carrying out useful and often very valuable work for their hosts. Each year a number of their projects have been included in publications and this year is no exception, several students will be able to put 'published work' onto their UCAS forms!

The programme in Surrey owes much to the wonderful spirit of participation which the supervisors have brought by providing interesting and appropriate projects for their students. Many supervisors have commented on the enthusiasm and dedication the students have brought to their work, some even saying they would prefer a SATRO student for a month rather than a postgraduate for a year!

Our thanks are due to all our supervisors; our link teachers, who chivvy the students to apply and complete the programme; all the parents and guardians who support their offspring, and of course all the participating students themselves. 

SATRO would like to thank Esher College for being so generous in hosting the Celebration and Induction Events over the time the programme has been running in Surrey. 

CASE STUDY - what SATRO's Scholar Scheme has done for me

What is your name?

Martin Blagoev

Could you confirm your job title and what your role entails?

I am a second year student and undertook a summer Placement last year and am just about to embark on a year’s placement with Tony Gee and Partners LLP.

Who do you work for and where are they based?

Tony Gee and Partners LLP are based in Esher.

What does the company do and how long have you worked for them?

Tony Gee are Civil, Structural and Geotechnical Engineers and I am just starting my year’s placement with them.

Prior to joining this company, could you provide a brief overview as to what you were doing before?

I am a student so have completed my A Levels and am currently studying at Bath University

What is the most enjoyable aspect of your role?

Because the company is really large, there are around 20 students in Head Office at the same time so we are treated the same as the other members of staff. I have really been allowed to get involved in projects and because there are a lot of students, it has been less intimidating moving into the Company. I have been trusted to just get on with the tasks allocated to be and have been able to try things out for myself to see what works and what doesn’t. I felt as though I learnt more in my two month placement at Tony Gee and Partners LLP than I had in the first year of Uni.

What aspects have you found the most challenging and how did you overcome them?

The most challenging aspect of the placement was overcoming the worry that I had done something wrong! I have learnt to trust myself and to have the confidence to make a decision and go with it. When I first started I was spending time excessively checking things and was hesitant to put my views forwards but now I have senior engineers asking for my advice which has helped build my confidence.

In addition to relevant qualifications, what other skills or experience do you need to do your role?

Practical experience. The summer internship was really useful in this area so any opportunity to gain experience on how sites work, what actually goes on rather than just the theory will be beneficial.

How did SATRO assist you in becoming interested in this career?

I sent my details to SATRO when I applied for my Uni course and they helped me get on the Surrey Scholar scheme. This helped with sponsorship and provided me with the Summer Internship which has lead to my placement. This gave me a real advantage as some of my fellow students are still trying to find placements.

What advice would you give someone who was thinking about this as a career?

Go for it!

A Level’s give you the theory but on a day to day basis, there is not much theory. Develop your own ideas and solutions for problems and just remember that there is no right or wrong.

CASE STUDY - SATRO SCHOLAR

What is your name?

David Hogg

Could you confirm your job title and what your role entails?

I run my own company called Horizon Imaging, offering architectural and low-altitude aerial photography services in the South East of the UK. Operating as a sole trader, I am the photographer, accountant, marketing and sales director – I have to do everything myself!

Who do you work for and where are they based?

I am based in Godalming, Surrey.

What does the company do and how long have you worked for them?

I started flying radio-controlled model aircraft in 1998 and since 2006 have been experimenting with taking aerial photographs using model aircraft. Around 2007 I set up Horizon Imaging (created a website, business cards, etc) and started taking on occasional commercial photo shoots for construction companies, hotels and schools. Since then I have achieved a degree in electronic and electrical engineering from the University of Surrey, and have spent 5 years in the engineering industry. In April 2014 I finally quit my last job and started running Horizon Imaging as a full-time business.

Prior to joining this company, could you provide a brief overview as to what you were doing before?

Before I went to University I took a 10 month ‘gap-year’ with Thales Avionics, a division of the Anglo-French engineering company which used to based in Raynes Park, London (now Crawley, West Sussex). During this time I helped out in their Hardware engineering department, testing new aircraft equipment, building cable looms and generally getting a feeling for working in the engineering industry. Thales then sponsored me for the duration of my University degree, providing financial support during term-time and 10 weeks of paid work during each summer break.

After completing my degree I joined Thales Avionics as a full-time employee for 2 years, working mainly as a Rig Technician. The most exciting project I worked on was building a mock-up cockpit of the Chinook Helicopter for testing a new suite of avionics instruments. I was involved with everything from designing and building cable looms to designing parts of the cockpit rig itself.

In 2010 I was headhunted by Blue Bear Systems Research, a small Research & Development company based in Bedfordshire, working on Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS). This was a fantastic job as it combined my passion for radio-controlled model aircraft, my hands on abilities in design and construction, and my knowledge in electronic engineering. I stayed with Blue Bear for 2.5 years, and my work mainly involved designing, building and test-flying UAS platforms and payloads.

What is the most enjoyable aspect of your role?

The most enjoyable part of my work at Horizon Imaging is receiving positive feedback from my clients. There is an indescribable thrill that comes from being praised for something you have achieved entirely by yourself – finding the clients, designing and building the aerial photography helicopter platforms, capturing and editing the photographs, etc. There are a lot of things to juggle when running the business, but it is this feedback that keeps me going!

What aspects have you found the most challenging and how did you overcome them?

Running Horizon Imaging as a proper business (and not just a hobby) has been a real challenge as there are so many things to do. However, I have received a great deal of help from the Government-supported StartUp Loans scheme. They provided me with a low-rate loan to help me buy the equipment I needed for the business, as well as connecting me with a dedicated business mentor who I can fire all my questions at! The StartUp Loans scheme also runs free workshops and events on the different aspects of running a business, such as cashflow management, securing additional funding, and marketing effectively.

On top of the help I have received from StartUp Loans, I have found the internet to be a goldmine of information for running your own business. There are many free resources such as LinkedIn where you can connect and engage with other professionals in your industry and ask them for advice and guidance.

In addition to relevant qualifications, what other skills or experience do you need to do your role?

Running a business requires many different skills. As well as being highly competent in the work you undertake (in my case photography), you need to know how to be an effective salesperson, how to deal with cashflow, how to advertise your services and how to manage your time effectively. These are all skills that I am acquiring / learning as I go along, mainly through the channels outlined in the previous section.

How did SATRO assist you in becoming interested in this career?

Whilst I am no longer in the engineering field as such, SATRO provided me with fantastic exposure to the engineering industry during my time at school, which ultimately led to my decision to study engineering at University and work in the engineering industry after graduating. During my time at school, SATRO worked with my sponsor, Rolls-Royce, to provide me with a valuable grant for the duration of my A-Level studies, and SATRO were also on hand to answer any questions I had about working in the engineering industry. They even arranged a trip around the Rolls-Royce gas turbine factory in Derby which was absolutely fascinating!

What advice would you give someone who was thinking about this as a career?

My main advice would be if you have a passion for something and you are very good at it, there is a good chance you can turn it into a successful career! Also I would advise researching all the support schemes that are available to you, be it the StartUp Loans scheme, or forums on the internet.

Ultimately, if you can provide a product or service of sufficient quality which people are prepared to pay for, and you are prepared to work hard to see your plans come to fruition, you have every chance of success!

SATROClub Extended Work Placement

Student Sagar Jaiswal from Strode's College has been involved in a SATROClub Extended Work Placement over the past few weeks at Technotomy, a specialist software development business. Here is what he had to say about his experience after only just a few days in...

"Having started my placement in Technotomy just a few days ago I have already learnt so many things. From overcoming complex problems to the art of coffee making, Technotomy has involved me at every step.

So far, this placement has provided me with a chance to learn new programming skills that will prove vital for my chosen degree at University. It has also given me an opportunity to implement and enhance my programming skills already learnt.

It has given me a chance to be independent on a big project and helped me to realise my true potential. In this placement, everyday is different where I have not found a task challenging. This further motivates me to complete the task with in stipulated deadline. This is one of the main reasons for me to look forward to the placement.

Lastly, it proves to portray itself like a job and provides me the taste of how it would be to work in a real company. All in all I am having a very good experience."