Tom’s First Year Blog: My First Semester of First Year.

Hello again everyone! I’m back once again, and straight away sorry for the lateness of this blog post. After an incredible summer, I returned to Manchester in September to start a new year at university. I successfully passed my foundation year which made be eligible to enrol on any degree course with in the faculty of Life Sciences. Out of a vast array of options I chose to study Biomedical Sciences. I had to think long and hard about my decision, mainly because there is large number of courses to choose from, the variety is endless. This was defiantly something which drew me to the University of Manchester because it gives you the option to study such a variety of subjects. However in the end I choose Biomedical Sciences because it was quite an open degree in the respect that there were many modules you could choose from which gives you the ability to study many different topics under the same degree, but having the choice to specialise in your second and third year. Furthermore, the university allows you to transfer degrees within the facility. This gives you the flexibility to change course if you discover another interest, or for example you might have discovered that whilst studying for the Body Systems module in Biomedical Sciences you’ve developed a deep interest in anatomy. The university gives you the chance to change from Biomedical Sciences to Anatomy if you choose.

I’ve been on the degree for a couple of months now, so plenty of time to get a good grasp on things. I’m really enjoying it! It’s certainly different to the foundation year and college in general. You have to adapt to a new style of teaching. The lectures are very busy, with some of my lectures containing 300 people or more, but it’s a great way to make new friends. In addition, in collage I was very use to putting my hand up at any time to ask a question, but you would be a brave person if you did that in front of 300+ people! There is plenty of opportunities to ask lectures and professors questions if you are unsure on a certain area. There is obviously a large increase in the work load, but if you manage your time well, there is still plenty of time for socialising!

As a first year Biomedical Sciences student we have labs every week which are really interesting. The labs at the university are world class. It’s a really great way of backing up what you’ve learnt in lectures and putting it into a practical scenario, and backing up your knowledge. The experiments we undertake in the labs vary from testing blood group, to extracting DNA from e-coli.

Anyway, that’s enough from me! Speak to you all in a month.

T x

Rachael’s First Year Blog: “It’s Chriiiiiiistmaaaaaas!”

Hello hello!

Well, the hats and mittens have been donned, the cotton wool decorations hung, and Slade has been added to the iPod playlist…the season is here!  I hope you’re all feeling sufficiently Christmassy.  As I write this I am surrounded by bits of gold tin foil trying to hastily make some Christmas cards whilst listening to a Molecular Genetics podcast and trying to absorb as much information as possible.  Christmas as a student is…interesting.

Of course, all the merriness is well and good, but there is an underlying feeling of something ominous on the horizon – alas, January exams are upon us.  Yesterday I invested in some good quality Stabilo highlighters, which can mean only one thing: the revision season will shortly begin.  

As much as exams are a bummer, I’m actually really enjoying the content of what we’re learning.  We’re going over some cool stuff about RNA and the transcription of DNA at the moment in Molecular Genetics, and in Genes, Evolution and Development we have this crazy crazy lecturer who is in love with his subject and shows us all these crazy videos of mice with amplified brain activity and other weird science-y things.  Mixing the whole thing with Spanish continues to be a challenge, but it means that my days are varied and diverse so I’m hardly complaining.

Today was the First Year Poster Competition in the Faculty of Life Sciences.  Every tutorial group had to make and present a poster about a chosen topic.  My group chose neurotoxins, and our poster featured a huge synapse complete with channel proteins and rubber snakes and a massive clay scorpion that one of my coursemates made (which, incidentally, bagged us 100% marks for presentation!).  Making the poster was probably the most fun I’ve had doing anything for my course.  My tutorial group are a laugh; meeting up with them barely felt like work.  Plus it meant that I could legitimately spend an hour making a paper snake.  What’s more, our tutor rewarded us with a decent mark so that kind of topped it all off really.

Our awesome poster

 

Apart from work, my life as a student in Manchester is exciting and random as ever.  Aside from the standard house-viewing, Christmas-market-exploring escapade that normally occupies the majority of a First Year’s time, I’ve been grooving at the Manchester Harmony Gospel Concert, attending carol services at my church, and getting lost in Didsbury.  The Anchor Coffee House has become my Wednesday afternoon haven, and Platt Field Park remains the best place to escape for half an hour’s chill in between stints of revision.  A couple of weeks back I went to see ‘Singing in the Rain’ at the Opera House with my boyfriend, and also had a cheeky explore of Salford Quays with my cousin (we watched the sunset from the bar in the Lowry Gallery – quality stuff).  Also recently discovered ‘Falafel’ – a Pakistani take-out place on the Curry Mile that looks crap on the outside (and on the inside, actually) but sells THE BEST cheesy foccaccia things on the whole planet.

Gospelicious

Salford Quays

Me outside the Opera House

Now all that remains are a few short days in Manchester before I head home for Christmas.  My main concern is to make my clothes last until Saturday so I don’t have to fork out to use the washing machine…

 

Wishing you grace and peace this Christmas,

Rach X

Inez’s Second Year Blog: Markets and Mayhem

Hello to all you readers,

Things have been quite crazy lately, with deadlines coming one after the other. I had four assignments due on pretty much the same day which was mayhem! But I got them all done eventually and managed some respectable firsts and 2:1s . All the assignments carried some weight towards the end of term grades. It’s a good way of making sure that not everything depends on the final exam at the end of the semester.

There’s only one week of the semester left… time has gone by really fast! I’ve been busy juggling my academic work with my part-time job and contributions as a news reporter towards the student paper.

My course also includes a sandwich year, which as you have probably read about on Alice’s blog, involves applying for placements. Many of my friends have already applied for and gotten placements of their choice. It can be quite stressful in deciding which placement you want to apply for, as once your application is done you pretty much have to stick with the job if accepted. There are many great lab-based placements available, but competition is quite stiff as students from all over the country apply to advertised placements like this. Things like education and enterprise placements are also available, but are usually fewer in number. So far I haven’t seen any that have caught my eye, but the placement apps usually pick up after the New Year… so watch this space!

Aside from the uni stuff, Xmas is approaching fast and Manchester certainly knows how to prepare for it. There was the amazing Christmas lights switch on which was held on a rainy evening, but the rain was conquered by the festive atmosphere. The Christmas markets have also opened and I had a wander through the quaint wooden cabin-like stalls which sell everything and anything. It’s a great atmosphere and much more fun shopping for authentic gifts than at high-street stores.

I’m going home for the holidays and am really excited. Last year I braved the winter but this year I’ll be cheating a bit and leaving for the break. Exam revision awaits though and I have 5 upcoming ones in January.

Stay warm!

Xoxo Inez