Discuss

Ø Name the course(s) in biology you are doing now at university? Are they theoretical or practical?

Ø Which course are you enjoying most? Why?

Ø Which new courses are you going to take next semester? What topics do they cover?

Go online. Study the web site or the prospectus of your university and find information about your faculty. Write a description of the biology course you are doing. Be sure to include

· aims of the course

· course description

· departments and staff

· methods of teaching

· frequency of classes

· methods of assessment

Read this student profile and take notes under the headings:

§ reasons for studying biology

§ reasons to choose the university

§ study and research experience

§ achievements

§ leisure time activities

Student Profile Behrad Derakshan   When it came to choosing A Levels I was quite sure which route I wanted to take. I knew I definitely wanted to do biology, just because it was a subject I was good at, and it interested me more than most subjects. It gives you a solid knowledge of all that we see, touch and breathe. Why the University of Surrey? It seemed the ideal choice of university for me. Being a campus university means that it’s a great place to meet people, play sports, and the services provided on campus mean you really have everything you need on your doorstep. The research facilities at the University are excellent, there are always computers available on campus 24 hours a day and the libraries are easy to work in. Besides, the diversity of the programme enabled me to gain insight into different scientific fields such as pharmacology, molecular biology and genetics, immunology, microbiology and physiology. As a result of this, I was able to decide where in this vast field my specific interests lie. During my first year on the Biology course I realised that I really enjoyed the biochemistry module more than any of the others, so I decided to switch to BSc Biochemistry for Year 2. So, next years I had different things: lectures, practicals, tutorials and all sorts of things like that. I also spent 14 months in New York City where I was working in a research laboratory at one of the best clinical and medical research centres at Cornell University’s Pharmacology Department, which has been taking placement students from Surrey for years. I was given my own research project and was responsible for all of my own experiments. Working at Cornell was an amazing experience. It confirmed my interest in science and allowed me to interact with many interesting people. It provided me with an invaluable opportunity to gain knowledge of current research and improve my communication skills, as well as opening many doors for my career in science. I am also very happy to have been offered the chance to do a PhD. It feels good. Recently I have been elected as the Editor for the Student newspaper “Bare Facts”. At the moment I am working really hard to release the next issue. Well, even though I have a lot of work to do, I do feel it’s important to relax and go out and have a good time. In my spare time I spend a lot of time doing sports. I’m actually a member of the soccer club and this year, I’m their captain. We train twice a week at the University, in the university Sports Centre. We also travel around other universities and compete there, which is a really good chance to get to know people from other universities and have a look round their university and see how it compares with ours.

(Adapted from the Internet sites)