Biomedical Science: My first year
Hi everyone, now I’m in the home stretch of my final year I thought it would be a good time to reflect on my three years here at Warwick in the Life Sciences department. There’s no better place to start than right at the very beginning, my first year!
Moving in: the scariest day of my life. I packed way too much, I was essentially preparing for an apocalypse and I would love to say I’ve gotten better at packing light (I blame the English weather). The first night was the hardest, I was incredibly homesick but I forced myself to socialise in the kitchen. If you’re homesick, meeting and spending time with your flat is the best cure. People in your halls almost become a mini family, although I was coined the nurse for attending to the many sliced fingers. My advice for moving in is to arrive early and leave your room asap to meet your new friends!
Lectures: The first week was entirely introductions so that you could find your way around campus and the building. The first people you sit by don’t always become your friendship group, it takes time to find those who are similar to you. It took me ~3 weeks to find the people I’ve been friends with for well over 2 years now. The first few lectures I had were covering A level content that may not have been taught on other specifications; this really eases you in. They do get harder and there is a lot of content so you may have to re-listen to lectures. However, skipping lots and relying on lecture capture makes the exams a lot harder.
Labs: In my first year these came thick and fast. I had a lab every other week and a lab report to match. But, it rely hones in on time management skills. My advice is to read the lab manual before the lab, ask the demonstrators (PhDs and lecturers that are there to help) lots of questions and to start chipping away at the report as soon as you leave the lab. Leaving the report to the last minute means you’ll forget a lot the methods you used.
Socialising: arguably the biggest part of university life. Whether you are a big drinker or totally sober there are lots of opportunities at uni. You can join sports clubs or societies to meet people with the same interests. There is a fab student cinema showing the latest films. You can even get pizza delivered to campus if you really don’t want to cook.
Exams: I’m only slightly touching on this part. I had one module tested every couple of weeks with multiple choice questions (MCQs). In May/June I had 4 MCQ exams and 1 written exam. My written exam was the optional module that I chose, and it was half essay; half short answer questions.
What did first year teach me? To get out of my comfort zone and explore more. University was the most exciting time of my life, but I do feel that it is my time to leave education after 16 years. I’m sad to be leaving in a few months but I’m looking forward to entering the "adult world".
