Open day questions: biological sciences students

About the course

• Who will be teaching me? Do my lecturers still practice in the field of medical research?
• What modules are optional on this course? Is it better to specialise early on?
• Can I choose modules outside this course?
• What skills will I learn on this course?

Equipment and facilities

• What books and equipment should I buy?
• How much time contact time do we have per week and how is this structured?
• How much time do we get in the labs?
• Are the labs modern / state-of-the-art? What areas does the department specialise in?

Placements and field trips

• Are there any research trips I can go on, or vacation projects I can get involved with?
• Will I need to do an industrial placement? Do I organise this, or will the university arrange it?
• Do I need to do some work experience before I start this course?

Assessments

• What is the split between individual exams and group work?
• Do I need to complete a dissertation or research-based project?
• Can I choose the subject of my research?
• If I do a placement, will I be marked on it?

My prospects

• How does this course help me get a job? What sort of jobs have previous graduates gone on to do?
• What percentage of graduates continue into PhD-level study? Can I get funding from the university if this is what I want to do?
• Does the uni have links with industry so I can look for jobs?

Next:

• Questions to ask if you're a medicine student
• Don't know what course to choose?