James Howlett

Why Leeds is a right for me

Before coming to Leeds, I understood it was a highly respected Russell Group university, with high student satisfaction and high employment rates after graduation, which were all key things I was looking for in a university. It was after visiting on an open day and experiencing the university myself, I knew it was where I wanted to be; the feel of campus, how close it was to centre of Leeds as well as the enthusiasm of the faculty staff  reinforced my decision to study at Leeds.

Great student life

Some of my most enjoyable moments at Leeds so far have been through joining the Orienteering and Fell running society (LUUOC) and Faculty of Biological Sciences Society (FOBSOC); Taking part in societies has meant I have been able to meet people who have similar interests as me and make friends from outside your course. Thanks to the vast array of societies and inclusion of smaller societies such as Orienteering and Fell running, it has made making friends outside of my course much easier and has allowed me to continue taking part in my favourite hobbies.

Throughout my first year there has been a plethora of extra opportunities to take part in, I am currently a student ambassador, as well as the Pharmacology course representative. These opportunities have been fantastic in developing my CV as well as making a genuine difference to how the course is taught and what is taught on it; where our inputs make meaningful improvements to the course.  I have further applied for the Leeds Internship Programme, where summer internship placements at numerous businesses are exclusively offered to Leeds students, allowing me to gain experience in a work setting and improve my employability.

My favourite module

The Introduction to Pharmacology module has been one of the most enjoyable for me; it covers the treatment of cancer, drugs affecting the immune system, as well as the treatment of bacterial infections. The module also involved lab experiments, focussing on Ligand binding assays (quantifying the binding of ligands to a receptor) and Isolated tissue baths (measuring the effect of a drug on the contraction of a tissue). One of the most interesting parts of the course has been the opportunity to view human dissections, this has been invaluable to my understanding of human physiology and being able to visualise what we have been learning.

Careers and employability

Once completing my degree, I look to pursue a career in Patent Law, merging my interests in business and law with my knowledge of Pharmacology. The dedicated faculty of biological sciences careers team and careers centre team have been fantastic in checking my CV and applications before applying for summer placements and work experience, providing me guidance as to how I can reach my career goals and offering a careers discovery module which has allowed me to develop a structured career plan and greatly improving my employability skills.