I don’t understand how university works :(

Do I need to revise and memorise a specification like at a level??? Is it all practical work?? Exams???? Do i need to memorise everything ever?? or is it understanding based or all exams are like open book. I’m so confused. I’ve applied to biomedical science and i already have all my offers back but i still do not understand.

Do I need to revise and memorise a specification like at a level??? Is it all practical work?? Exams???? Do i need to memorise everything ever?? or is it understanding based or all exams are like open book. I’m so confused. I’ve applied to biomedical science and i already have all my offers back but i still do not understand.

Do I need to revise and memorise a specification like at a level??? Is it all practical work?? Exams???? Do i need to memorise everything ever?? or is it understanding based or all exams are like open book. I’m so confused. I’ve applied to biomedical science and i already have all my offers back but i still do not understand.

Do I need to revise and memorise a specification like at a level??? Is it all practical work?? Exams???? Do i need to memorise everything ever?? or is it understanding based or all exams are like open book. I’m so confused. I’ve applied to biomedical science and i already have all my offers back but i still do not understand.

Hi, sorry if you get the same response from me as prior responses have said but I thought I'd put a response in which may be less bias than official reps (no offence).
I have both my BSc and MSc in Biomedical Science (2018 and 2024 graduation dates respectively) and can say the way you study Biomedical Science is VERY different than you would study A Level. Personally, I found A Levels the hardest things I've ever done IN MY LIFE and would never repeat them as I effectively failed them (only A Level I got was a D in Biology, failed Chem and Maths spectacularly).
Full story here: https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=7619124&p
Anyway, the way you learn in university is very different to how you would at school as you are expected to do A LOT of self study, particularly in Biomed as, if you just repeat back to the lecturers what they have taught you, you won't get any higher than a 2.2 (translation, you have to research diseases and clinical markers not mentioned in your lectures as well as mentioned content). It's also VERY important to blend one thing into another as, I went to UWE and specialised in Clinical Biochemistry, you have to perform differential diagnosis i.e. what the disease can't be based on patient results, clinical history and recommend different tests to determine what the condition can or could not be based on clinical presentation and the sample results given.
Also, with respect to open exams, SOME universities allow this (UWE did), at least with respect to my exam in Jan 2024 as it allowed us to take in whatever we wanted as long as it could fit into a folder, however, DO NOT rely on it as it's actually a hinderance (use it for useful facts not stated in lectrues which are hard to remember i.e. reference ranges, particular diseases for names you can't remember etc...). The exam may be 3 hours long, but sitting there reading when doing an exam is not easy as you're effectively meant to be writting for 3 hours straight and my MSc exam had 5 pages of hand-written A4 size content in it...
My BSc (may not be the same, it was a while ago) had an option where the examiner COULD tell us the second question, however, if she did, she would be much, MUCH stricter on the content (it was to write down the pathogenesis of a specific disease, in my case, haemochromatosis as it could have been any disease mentioned in the course otherwise if she did not).
Happy to answer any further questions you may have (I have some final year exam questions as examples if you would like one or two as examples) about the course in general.
Also, one final thing. If you want to work in a clinical/diagnostic lab, MAKE SURE YOUR COURSE IS IBMS ACCREDITED, as you can't work in a Band 5 post or higher without it, no exceptions. Unless of course you're willing to do top up modules (further time and money spent at uni after graduating).
EDIT:
Currently I am a trainee BMS in a Clincal Biochemistry laboratory but hope to have my full government registration before the second half of 2026. =)

Hi I’ve got exams in the next 2 weeks and 3 of them are multiple choice for biochemistry, would you say for this sort of thing I would have to know each lecture back to front or is memorisation not that beneficial? Because in my head with multiple choice I’d be able to recognise answers if I see them if it’s based of memorisation but I’m not really sure

With biochemistry, specifically clincal biochemistry, I found simply learning the material is not beneficial as you need to learn how to apply the material initially. One example is how for example where you may be given a question on a patient whereby they may present you with an immune response but throw in a small detail about any medication they were taking and try and trick you with said immune response when it may not be the cause of the condition at all. So I would not rely on simply knowing facts but how to apply them.
One example is, if you get a eGFR question and throw in some answers whereby you may get part of the equation wrong or forget to apply any variations to it i.e. if the patient is female or black or a black female, you may get the answer in the multiple choice which may not be the correct one if that makes sense (but is still an option on the paper)?
Also, don't forget that at degree level, it is simply not enough to regurgitate facts as we were told in our final year, simply telling the lecturer what they already taught us will not give us anything higher than a 2.2 and at Masters level, a pass (at least that's what I was told at uni, your's may be different). Learn what your lecturers taught you but also read around the subject to get a better grasp of it i.e. maybe better biomarkers for different conditions that have been brought up. Before I forget, statistics are also a very good thing to throw in if you can remember them!
Wishing you the best of luck in your exams and if I'm not making myself clear, please let me know and I'll try and rephrase it!

Thanks that is helpful to know, I should have probably specified that even though my course is biochemistry we haven’t actually started that module as we do that next semester, so as of now we’ve done building blocks off life, genetics and evolution, and origins and diversity where a bit of the content is building on a levels just in a lot more detail and there isn’t much stuff to do with examples with patients but a lot to do with enzymes, immunity, proteins etc. for this type of thing do you know if the exam is more likely to be recall or would what you previously said still apply? Thanks