{"id":4993,"date":"2020-08-27T14:00:29","date_gmt":"2020-08-27T13:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/students\/?p=4993"},"modified":"2020-08-20T09:48:25","modified_gmt":"2020-08-20T08:48:25","slug":"my-experience-completing-an-epq","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/students\/2020\/08\/27\/my-experience-completing-an-epq\/","title":{"rendered":"My Experience Completing An Extended Project Qualification (EPQ)"},"content":{"rendered":"

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What is an Extended Project Qualification and why did I do one?<\/strong><\/p>\n

An EPQ is a chance for A level students to complete a project in an area of their interest. This could be an essay, a presentation, a report or investigation, and even an artefact. The best part about it is that the possibilities are nearly endless and you can show off your interest in a particular topic that isn't covered by your A levels. One of my main motivations for completing an EPQ was that I wanted to complete a Sociological piece of research before studying Sociology at university, as my school didn't offer it at A level. I saw it as an opportunity to show my passion for social issues and to follow my independent interests at the same time.<\/p>\n

What was my experience with completing the EPQ?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Of course, the EPQ is an extra undertaking at an already busy time in your life as an A level student. I completed mine in Year 13, so I was already feeling the pressure of all my other subjects. Having said that, it was a really refreshing experience. As I was already writing enough essays in History, I decided to make a presentation in a lecture-style format. This helped me get into the university frame of mind as I was researching pressing social issues, much like I was about to be doing in my degree.<\/p>\n

Growing pains<\/strong><\/p>\n

When I first began thinking about my presentation and what I wanted to investigate, I found it quite difficult to narrow it down. However, after a couple of meetings with my supervisor followed by some more independent research, I managed to find a topic that would suit the time I had and the resources available to me. After this, I had to find a particular question I was trying to answer and again, my supervisor helped push me in the right direction. I had to learn to come up with my own research questions.<\/p>\n

Getting started<\/strong><\/p>\n

After I was all set, I began to plan the skeleton of my presentation. I used my free time between classes to research and further explore the topic. This involved being selective with the information I found, as I couldn't include all of it! This could be tricky because I was so eager to learn more, but I just had to ask myself whether it was directly relevant to my project.<\/p>\n

Throughout the EPQ, there are regular check-ins with a supervisor and paperwork that must be filled in. This is all to make sure that you are meeting deadlines and goals that you and your supervisor have discussed. I found that it was a good middle between being told what to do by teachers and finding out how I work best. The paperwork is a significant part of the project, so make sure it's up to date!<\/p>\n

Reaching the end<\/strong><\/p>\n

Once I had finished my project, I had to give a small presentation explaining it. This was fairly nerve-wracking, but I felt confident in my knowledge and ability to answer any questions asked. It went really well, and all I had to do next was submit the project and the paperwork. It was a huge relief, but I also felt proud that I'd done an independent piece of work.<\/p>\n

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Finishing up our EPQs in the library<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The benefits of an EPQ and my top tips<\/strong><\/h2>\n

I found the EPQ to be a very positive experience, and here are some of the reasons why:<\/p>\n