“Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it – there are lots of people you can
ask for advice.”
Sian Griffiths
Course: BSc Biology (third year)
“I came to the Nottingham open day and was immediately impressed by the campus, and the look and feel of the School of Biology. They offered a broad choice of modules in the second and third years so I could either specialise in one area or study a variety of fields within biology. The quality of teaching is very good and a lot of lecturers run extra sessions to help with your coursework. The facilities are great too – there’s always enough equipment in the labs to go around. Not having to share equipment between a large group means you can get more involved in practical work.
My favourite part of the course so far has been the three-week trip to Egypt as part of my third-year project on parasitology. I also enjoyed the Behavioural Ecology Field Course as it involved going to Portugal to work on a twoweek project about honey bees. Another interesting module was Molecular Pharming in my second year – it led to some fascinating debates about the ethical issues surrounding GM products. The modules we take often include student presentations and so have helped me feel more confident about public speaking.
I joined the Massage Society in my second year and learned how to do Swedish, Thai and Indian head massages. It’s been great to learn something completely different and is a fantastic way to wind down after a hard day at university. This year I’ve also volunteered with the Alzheimer’s Society, making home visits to people in the early stages of dementia. Through these activities and also living in halls of residence in the first year, I have been able to meet lots of new people who will probably be my friends for life.”