We can't wait to welcome you to Andover College!
We have created this interactive page to give you a sense of what studying Biology at Andover College is like. Scroll down to learn more about the courses on offer and the topics you would study.
If you have any questions about the course or content please email - AskScienceMaths@sparsholt.ac.uk
Check out all the extra help and support we can provide through our experienced Careers and Health & Wellbeing teams.
Meet the lecturers!
About the Course!
Biology is the study of life at all levels from cellular through ecosystems to the human body! At Andover College your Biology course will include a huge variety of topics, including, genetic engineering, human health and disease, biodiversity, ecology, physiology of exercise and climate change!
We place added value on the practical elements of this course and you will regularly complete interactive laboratory sessions in our fantastic on-site facilities.
Activity!
Take a look at this video providing an Introduction to Biological Molecules: Monomers & Polymers.
Take a look at the document below for some information and advice about the transition from GCSE to A-Level.
The Biology department have also developed another experiment for you to try at home looking into extracting your own DNA!
You could also take a look at 60 Second Science podcasts on a variety of topics - available here.
Additional Resources
If you are interested in learning more about the various topics you will study as a Biology student at Andover College please take a look at the resources below.
Video: Carbon... SO SIMPLE: Crash Course Biology Here.
Come and learn about covalent, ionic, and hydrogen bonds. What about electron orbitals, the octet rule, and what does it all have to do with a mad man named Gilbert Lewis?
Video: Why water is the most important and fascinating substance on Earth! Here.
Video: Biological Molecules - You Are What You Eat: Crash Course Biology. Learn about the molecules that make up every living thing - carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins - and how we find them in our environment and in the food that we eat. Here.
Further activity; write an essay on “Cellular Reproduction of DNA”, you can include information learnt at GCSE and do further reading. This should be no more than 2 hand written sides of A4 paper. The topics you need to talk about are Mitosis and Meiosis. Diagrams are very good at help to explain a point. All sources should be listed at the end of the work.
The Open University has a variety of free online courses available in an array of different subjects. Take a look at the catalogue here and explore the different course topics available.
You might also wish to look into the EtonX programmes available, please note these are paid for courses that your current school may already have access to. They are not essential, please only engage with them if you have the means to.
Our Courses:
A-Level in Biology (2 Years)
BTEC Level 3 National Certificate/National Extended Certificate in Applied Human Biology (1-2 Years)
BTEC Level 3 National Certificate/National Extended Certificate in Applied Science (1-2 Years)
Careers Guidance
Our careers guidance aims to expand the horizons of all students enabling you to make informed career decisions in order to progress both during and after college.
Carol is our dedicated Careers Advisor for Andover College!
We also have our Sun Progression Mentor Anna!
Anna works alongside the Southern Universities Network (SUN) to help students recognise the routes of progression available to them, and to continue their journey in education!
We recently launched the new Careers Hub located in the College library so come and say hello to Carol and Anna!
Social Media
We love to post about all our students on our platforms including their achievements, trips and excellent work - take a look at some of the highlights below and make sure you follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube!
Student wellbeing and support
At Andover College we understand that starting college in these uncertain times can be daunting and we aim to make this process as simple as possible.
We have a dedicated team that provide our students with any additional support they need including;
- Counselling
- Carer support
- Childcare support
- Confidential one-to-one services
We also have at the college Romeo our therapy dog! Romeo is part of the continued effort from Andover College to consistently improve on and add to wellbeing provision for students. Romeo is based on campus with his owner throughout term.
Research has shown that students are significantly less stressed and anxious, and even have increased happiness and energy, immediately following spending time in a drop-in session with a dog present.