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RfE Webchat 3 - Research Skills and the EPQ!
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AvatarMeghan Clamp
4:00
Hello everyone, it's Meghan and James here! We have the pleasure of being joined by our lovely colleague Helen who specialises in research and study skills here at the University, so this is a perfect chance to ask Helen any burning questions you may have about the EPQ if you are currently undergoing this qualification, or if you are considering taking it in the future! Helen will also be sharing her top tips for mastering those all-important research skills! If the chat is busy then we’ll be typing at breakneck speed to respond to you all, so please be patient if we take a while to get on to your question :)
Izzy
4:04
Hi Guys! Happy Wednesday
helen burton
4:05
Hi Izzy
helen burton
4:06
Anything I can help with?
Izzy
4:07
I am really struggling to come up with a focused EPQ question/objective :( do you have any top tips? I want to explore the pandemic but feel that theres so much out there to look at!
Sarah
4:11
Will completing the EPQ give me a lower offer entry to university?
AvatarMeghan Clamp
4:14
Hi Sarah, the EPQ alone isn't guaranteed to give you a lower offer but will certainly make you stand out to admissions tutors and will increase your UCAS points, if some of the institutions you are interested in work on a points system :)
helen burton
4:12
first don't worry at the first stage if you havent yet narrowed it down. The pandemic is great place to start but you need to think about what aspect of it interests you. Have you thought about any specific aspects that you might be interested in? For example the impacts on peoples mental health or the impact on the economy? They are still broad, but if you can first decide what area you are interested in then this will help you come up with some objectives. Don't forget your supervisor is there to discuss these issues with you
4:13
Your project can also change throughout development so don't worry about committing to something at this early stage
4:15
when you have done that consider if any could benefit you in your future career, consider how long you have to do it and are you genuinely interested in it
Izzy
4:15
Thanks so much Helen! I would like to focus on mental health and young people so this really helps! It just feels like such a huge piece of work without a specific question at the moment but this advice really helps!
helen burton
4:18
So try not to focus on the question right now. Think about what you would like to find out, ask yourself if its possible to find out the information, how accessible will it be? As you may find that some isn't for a number of ethical reasons so this will narrow down what you can do
Izzy
4:18
I've really enjoyed your research skills events btw - very very helpful!
helen burton
4:18
Thank you!
Izzy
4:25
its very quiet today!
helen burton
4:25
it is!
4:28
Don't forget that you can also add this discussion to your production log
Emily
4:28
Do uni's really value the epq?
helen burton
4:30
Yes they do very much. It worth half an a level and its a level three qualification. They may not all lower entry requirements for it but they all recognise the skills you have gained from completing it.
All research shows that you are more successful as an undergraduate having completed an epq.
Laiba
4:30
Hi! I will be applying for medicine this year and because I will be starting year 13 and preparing for BMAT, I'm not sure if I should do EPQ. What do you suggest?
helen burton
4:31
Honestly, this will all depend on you and your time management.
4:34
The skills it will provide you with are invaluable, BUT you need to balance this with your other academic commitments, outside interests, other commitments. You don't want to be putting too much pressure on yourself
Laiba
4:37
I'm wondering if a psychology based EPQ okay for medicine as well because I'm looking at sleep deprivation and its relation to cognitive impairment, sorry its just vague idea if u are able to understand.
helen burton
4:39
The EPQ does not have to relate to what you want to study at all, it's about an area of research your interested in. The EPQ isn't taken into account for scoring when medicine offers are considered, so it's important you do something that you are going to love researching about.
Laiba
4:40
ohhh that's really helpful. Thank you Helen xx
helen burton
4:41
You are welcome. It's the skills that you will learn from completing the EPQ that you can demonstrate in your personal statement and then at interview that will help you.
Laiba
4:42
I will. Thank you :)
helen burton
4:42
Goodluck
AvatarMeghan Clamp
4:48
We've just over 10 minutes left guys, so please do take this opportunity and ask Helen any questions you have :)
helen burton
4:48
Something for everyone to think about.... I was on a call with the principal examiner from aqa for the eqp this morning and she told me that she prefers students to avoid doing EPQ's on any subject that you are studying at A level. Its too easy to rely on the knowledge you gain in class and write this as your research, when actually attending a lesson is not research. Its very obvious in final reports when this has happened.
AvatarMeghan Clamp
4:49
That's a really good tip Helen!
helen burton
4:49
These reports never do as well
Pleasant
4:49
Hii! I wanted to ask, when discussing a project/ EPQ in a personal statement, how would you go about it without wasting space? Would you discuss the research skills that you attained, or focus more on the benefits/reflection on the topic?
helen burton
4:53
The reflection and evaluation are key! No need to to go into detail about what you have done, the uni will see that on your application. What you need to show is it enabled you to become a reflective learner, overcome problems, find solutions, be resilient, not afraid to make mistakes or change your mind, where you failed. We want to read this about you, as it shows who you are as a person/learner. Do not be afraid to say you failed, but you did not give up, you found the solution and moved on.
Pleasant
4:55
Thank you very much!
helen burton
4:55
you're welcome. Good luck
AvatarMeghan Clamp
4:58
We're going to close the webchat now everyone, thanks to those of you who have joined and thanks very much to Helen for helping out this afternoon! Please do remember to email and log your attendance for this event :) have a great weekend!
helen burton
4:59
Thank you everyone. Have a lovely weekend
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