Our Students
Charlie Daniels
I was very lucky to be working in the only lab in the world to actually be researching my Final Year project topic. I really enjoyed being given a task of what to do and achieving it and actually obtaining data that will be published in a journal this summer. I really feel that the project has given me an insight into how the world of research works and has prepared me for a possible future career in science.
Anthony Knight
The first year practicals are a great way to be nursed into practical techniques; you are not thrown into the deep end - there is a very gradual learning curve. The lecturers are on hand and everything is explained in depth. The topics are very relevant to lectures, but practicals provide a more hands-on way of getting your head around the subject matter.
Some techniques I didn't think I was capable of; such as the genetic engineering of E.coli during my week long practical in the second year. We were given the practical schedule and equipment, but I found that we could pretty much manage the project by ourselves.
Sian Wells
One of the best aspects of the course at Cardiff is its flexibility - in the first year I was able to study a language and at the end of the first year 1 was also able to change my course from Zoology to Biology, as my interests changed.
Gina Sanki
Everyone is really helpful at Cardiff University, and the Bioscience department is great to be in. It has brilliant facilities, lots of active research and the staff are enthusiastic about what they teach, making learning that much better.
The practicals are really interesting especially the week long practical in the second year which gives you lots of experience in the lab.
Samantha Hughes
My first project was working on gene flow in oilseed rape. This project had much wider implications than just making a contribution to my University degree, which was quite daunting; my results would be used in collaboration with a group in Scotland who would use my data to design a model to look at gene flow in genetically modified oilseed rape. The first few months I was supervised by someone in the lab who was also working with the collaborators in Scotland to isolate DNA from over 1000 oilseed rape samples and analyze it using the polymerase chain reaction and gel electrophoresis. These techniques were new to me in a practical sense – I had had lectures on the theory behind the techniques while at university. After many failed attempts, I could run a gel which was clear to read and from this I could glean information which would tell me about gene flow. I undertook the basic analysis myself and was required to present this data to the collaborators in meetings both as reports and as powerpoint presentations. Standing in front of a group of scientists wanting to know what you have discovered but who are not geneticists and do not understand the subject, is a challenge but definitely develops good skills. Having completed my oilseed rape project and written a report in the style of a journal, I began two other projects. These allowed me to expand on the skills and knowledge accumulated from the first project and transfer them to a new subject. Taking on new projects meant I was left more to myself on designing the way in which I could collect data and analyze them. Again this was daunting and a challenge, but the good results I had from my first project gave me confidence in my abilities so that I could complete the projects to the best of my ability. Having a PTY was a great experience. It was definitely hard work throughout the year, but the skills I learnt meant my degree could be used in the real world outside university. I gained many new skills in the lab (pipeting and PCR) and communication skills such as presentations and report writing; data analysis and interpretation. At times working in the lab is frustrating as you have to wait for equipment or for chemicals to arrive. Optimization and re-optimization of a gel is repetitive and often needs many weeks before you find the correct conditions. My experience was rewarding as I have had a publication of my work which is something every scientist needs and I know that the deer project I worked on is important to people in the way in which they go about managing the deer population in the New Forest. One of the swing factors in taking a PTY is that you get paid for it. Although being paid sounds great and potentially you could save money for the final year at university, you can end up spending it all in one go simply as a reward for getting through the PTY with all its associated ups and downs – in my case, my reward was a trip to Machu Pichu and the Salkantay mountain peak in Peru which I could not have done without my PTY wage!
Charlie Daniels
One of the best aspects of the course is that it is really sociable. ln the first year, a general day would be lectures in the morning and practicals in the afternoon; this practical aspect of the course meant that it was very easy to make lasting friendships.
Another very good aspect of the course is that you are assigned a personal tutor, which means that if you have any problems or queries about any aspect of the course, you have someone that is approachable and that you can go to immediately.
In first year, everyone has a lot of common lectures with people on different degree schemes meaning that at the end of this year, it is easy to swap courses. Few people know exactly what each degree entails, so this flexibility means that if you do enjoy a particular aspect of the course, you can choose your degree to accommodate this.
Lucy Moulder
The PTY is well worth considering, since it gives you insight into possible future fields of work. It improves yours career prospects and prepares you well for the final year, particularly the practical project. I spent a year doing malaria research at the National Institute for Medical Research in London. lt was a steep lending curve, but I was supported by some of the greatest experts in malaria research. It was a very sociable place too and I met people from all over the world. All PTY students then go to a 19th Century country hall turned conference centre for 3 days to compare experiences.
Anthony Knight
I am currently preparing to go on my PTY, in a pharmacology department of Organon Laboratories, near Glasgow. Subsidised accommodation is provided for me, just as a little incentive to considering PTY. There are workshops provided by Biosciences that teach you how to construct a good CV, how to fill in the application forms and how to pass the interview.
Samantha Hughes
A PTY usually means that you work 9 to 5. The free time at evenings and weekends with no other work commitments enabled me to do extra study. In the evening I could go out and enjoy myself without having to worry about an essay deadline or exam revision.
The skills I learnt meant my degree could be used in the real world outside university.
I can see the difference having lab experience gives you for undertaking the final year project. I have confidence in using equipment and in the data I am generating.
My experience was rewarding as I have had a publication of my work, which is something every scientist needs.