Anna Mizrachi
- Course: MSc Infection and Immunity
So you’re deciding whether to follow an MSc in Bioscience at the University of Leeds? All I can say is DO IT, but be prepared for a very different experience to that of an undergraduate as you are now a fully fledged postgraduate student. Having worked after graduating, it was a breath of fresh air to study again. Here are my experiences...
Lectures, tutorials and workshops, seminars
Being a taught course, lectures, tutorials, workshops and seminars are mainly what you do during the first semester and for most of the second. As an infection and immunity student, mine mainly revolve around immunology and microbiology and it is great to get stuck into current research in this field. There is a lot to take in, but all is relevant and enjoyable, and plenty of time is provided for self-directed study and coursework completion. You are expected to try and understand things for yourself, but if required lecturers are more than happy to go over things with you.
In the lab
For me this is probably the best part of the course, getting to carry out experiments and the suspense of seeing if what you did worked. It is even better when it gets to your own project, as you can decide what you want to do and why, discovering new scientific information which you can then convey to others in your dissertation. I was ecstatic when I found I would be working on tissue engineering, as it is such a cutting edge topic not only in the scientific world but in the media too! There are also opportunities to attend conferences and meet people relevant to the subject.
The University and Leeds
As a Leeds graduate I loved it and that is why I decided to return for another year. Everything you need is available as well as brilliant facilities and, last but not least, a great social life. Living in Roundhay I get to enjoy the best of everything, living away from the undergraduate madness but with plenty of activities to do near my house. Additionally I’m only a 15 minute bus ride away from the city centre where shops, bars and restaurants await me.