Wider reading is an essential part of independent learning. If you are planning on going to university, you will be expected to read academic resources, from journals, articles, reports and text books. This means that universities will expect sixth form students to read a wide range of materials, draw their own conclusions, present arguments and list findings. Universities are looking for students who can go above and beyond the basic requirements of the A-Level course or BTEC qualification to demonstrate their interest and passion in a particular subject, and one of the key ways of doing this is through wider reading.
If you are looking to develop your knowledge in the science field through wider reading, we’ve got a fantastic publication that is well-written and full of interesting articles on all things science!
The Big Picture is a free and impartial educational resource that explores the innovations and implications of cutting-edge science. It sets out to connect modern biomedical science with its ethical and social challenges (including looking at how research impacts on individuals) and place bioscience research in a historical and cultural context.
Published twice a year since 2005, ‘Big Picture’ covers a wide range of topics, such as obesity, nanoscience, cognition, evolution, music and climate change.
Reading publications like the Big Picture will offer you an insight into key scientific topics, make a great addition to your personal statement and can act as points of reference in your academic interview.
You can download the publication for free using the below links.
- January 2015 – Immune System
- June 2014 – Populations
- January 2014 – Proteins
- June 2013 – Number Crunching
- January 2013 – Inside the Brain
- June 2012 – Careers From Biology
- January 2012 – The Big Picture Little Book of Fast Facts and Exercise, Energy and Movement
- June 2011 – Food and Diet
- January 2011 – The Cell
- June 2010 – Addiction
- January 2010 – Genes, Genomes and Health
- October 2009 – Influenza special issue
- June 2009 – Music, Mind and Medicine
- January 2009 – Health and Climate Change
- June 2008 – How We Look
- January 2008 – Drug Development
- September 2007 – Epidemics
- January 2007 – Evolution
- September 2006 – Thinking
- January 2006 – Sex and Gender
- June 2005 – Nanoscience
- January 2005 – Obesity
You can visit the Big Picture website for further articles and useful resources: http://bigpictureeducation.com.
