University of Sheffield Biosciences student- Ask me anything!

Hi there
My daughter has been offered a place at Sheffield. As a parent I’m just wondering about the sort of careers Sheffield bio students go into after their degree? Do they find employment in bio sciences after? Thanks

Reply 4

OP

Original post by 04MR17

1.) Best thing about studying Biochemistry and Microbiology?
2.) Worst thing about studying Biochemistry and Microbiology?

Hello there!! Those are great questions!

I would say that the best thing about studying Biochemistry & Microbiology is how creative it is! For example, I am really getting more and more interested in the applications of synthetic biology and how you can use it to solve real-world issues. You can learn about ways to produce vegan leather from mushrooms, generate silk from spider threads or genetically modify organisms to digest plastics which would reduce the need for sending unrecyclable plastics into landfill! It is a truly creative and mesmerising subject that gives you such broad opportunities after university.

The worst thing about studying Biochemistry & Microbiology? Hmm I would say that it is not an easy subject and there is a lot of material to learn because learning how some organisms work and their biochemical pathways can be quite tricky! But overall it is worth the struggle!

Let me know if you would like any more details about the course!

Reply 5

OP

Original post by domesticengineer

Hi there
My daughter has been offered a place at Sheffield. As a parent I’m just wondering about the sort of careers Sheffield bio students go into after their degree? Do they find employment in bio sciences after? Thanks

Hello there!
Congratulations to your daughter this is a very exciting time! In terms of careers for bioscience students after university, it should not be a cause for concern. Bioscience job opportunities are skyrocketing especially with the advance of technology and new discoveries made everyday.

Bioscience graduates have well developed research skills and would typically go into roles such as: scientific research, microbiology, immunology, biochemistry, laboratory technician, conservation management, toxicology. Some graduates (including myself) will go on to finding roles as pharmaceutical companies, environmental agencies, hospitals, forensic laboratories and clinical trials for medicines and vaccines!

Overall, the skills a bioscience student learns throughout their degree have endless applications and broad career opportunities.
I personally hope to work in a pharmaceutical company to help develop medicines and vaccines so my role will mostly be in a research lab!

I hope that answered your question, your daughter has chosen a fantastic degree and there is no doubt she will find amazing opportunities after university!

Reply 6

ApplePiePanda

11

Hiya, currently studying Biochem at Sheffield, I'm a little worried about upcoming exams and was wondering if there's any good places to find MCQ exam questions for practice or any particular methods you'd suggest to check my knowledge

Thanks in advance!

Reply 7

OP

Universities Forum Helper

Original post by sleep_supremacy

Hi! I've applied to Sheffield for biomed with a placement year :biggrin:

I wanted to know a few things about the course-

1) How many hours a week are typically spent on lectures?
2) How easy/difficult is it to secure a placement? How does the uni help prepare you?
3) Any tips for getting a placement?
4) How far is accom from the uni by walking?
5) What's iGEM? How does the uni let you know about such competitions?

Hope it's not too many questions, and thanks! :laugh:

Hey there! Fantastic questions! You picked a fantastic subject to study!

1) I am studying biochemistry and it is a little different from biomed in terms of the material covered in the lectures however we do have the same amount of lectures, lab time and assignments. I am currently in my second year and I have 7 lectures a week alongside a bioinformatics module that takes up three hours a week and also six hours of lab per week!

2) The university offers plenty of help on how to secure a placement for example they offer practice interviews, give feedback on your CV and cover letter skills and they also post regular updates on new placement opportunities that have been released so that you don't miss out on them! I would say that to make the placement application process easier, you should submit as early as possible and not wait until the deadline. You should also keep a look out for many opportunities and not just apply to one as the process is very selective. Overall I am very sure you can secure a placement as the university offers plenty of help and guidance!

3) Endcliffe/ Ranmoore accommodation is about a 15 minute walk (20 if you're taking your time) and then the city accomodation is in the heart of the city and is quick 5 minute walk!

4) iGEM is an international synthetic biology competition aimed at university students around the world to gather into teams and present a real world issue related to synbio and how they are going to solve it! The University of Sheffield has its own iGEM team and it competes every year in the competition. The University of Sheffield provides the team with a grant to fund the project throughout the summer!

I hope that answered your questions, let me know if you would like to know more!

Reply 8

sleep_supremacy

20

Original post by University of Sheffield Students

Hey there! Fantastic questions! You picked a fantastic subject to study!

1) I am studying biochemistry and it is a little different from biomed in terms of the material covered in the lectures however we do have the same amount of lectures, lab time and assignments. I am currently in my second year and I have 7 lectures a week alongside a bioinformatics module that takes up three hours a week and also six hours of lab per week!

2) The university offers plenty of help on how to secure a placement for example they offer practice interviews, give feedback on your CV and cover letter skills and they also post regular updates on new placement opportunities that have been released so that you don't miss out on them! I would say that to make the placement application process easier, you should submit as early as possible and not wait until the deadline. You should also keep a look out for many opportunities and not just apply to one as the process is very selective. Overall I am very sure you can secure a placement as the university offers plenty of help and guidance!

3) Endcliffe/ Ranmoore accommodation is about a 15 minute walk (20 if you're taking your time) and then the city accomodation is in the heart of the city and is quick 5 minute walk!

4) iGEM is an international synthetic biology competition aimed at university students around the world to gather into teams and present a real world issue related to synbio and how they are going to solve it! The University of Sheffield has its own iGEM team and it competes every year in the competition. The University of Sheffield provides the team with a grant to fund the project throughout the summer!

I hope that answered your questions, let me know if you would like to know more!

Thank you so much! :smile:

You've been a huge help. I got my offer letter from Sheffield around two weeks ago and I'm so happy! It's one of the top contenders for being firmed :biggrin:

I'll definitely let you know if I have any more questions.

Reply 9

Anonymous #1

Hello! Got an offer to study MBiolSci Microbiology for 2023 :smile:

Overall, how much actual biology is in the course? I ask this because, while some courses are a microbiology course in name, on closer inspection, they are actually more akin to a mixed biosciences and biotechnology than actually microbiology. I would also like to know what the labs are like, and your favourite modules :smile:

Also, what is the student accommodation like? Are they reasonable for the price, relatively spacious? Moreover, do you think the University of Sheffield are very supportive to those moving from further afield?

Thank you :smile:

Reply 10

OP

Original post by Anonymous

Hello! Got an offer to study MBiolSci Microbiology for 2023 :smile:

Overall, how much actual biology is in the course? I ask this because, while some courses are a microbiology course in name, on closer inspection, they are actually more akin to a mixed biosciences and biotechnology than actually microbiology. I would also like to know what the labs are like, and your favourite modules :smile:

Also, what is the student accommodation like? Are they reasonable for the price, relatively spacious? Moreover, do you think the University of Sheffield are very supportive to those moving from further afield?

Thank you :smile:

Hi! Congratulations on your offer!
I am not on the microbiology course, so I will let Sanela answer those questions when she is online!

In terms of accommodation, the student accommodation is all really nice. In terms of price, the shared bathroom accommodation is much cheaper, but is just as good (and in some cases nicer! Crewe flats in Endcliffe are really nice), and the bathrooms are cleaned for you too. Most of the student accommodation is ensuite and the room sizes are fairly standard - you get a single bed, a large desk, a wardrobe and there is a reasonable amount of floor space. Accommodation in Sheffield in general is much cheaper than a lot of other Universities. The University has students coming from all over the country and the world and is very supportive (particularly the students union). There are mentors within the student accommodation that will come and check to see if you are okay. The students union put on lots of social events too, to help integrate students and encourage people to mix. There are also lots of advice services at the Students Union which you can go to if you have any problems.

I hope this helps!
Evie

Reply 11

OP