One of the favourite things is lab work, the amount and type of lab work you get depend on the pathways you choose; someone who studies the chemistry pathway has more labs than someone who studies the materials pathway for example. Materials Processing is one of my favourite modules and has a laboratory element. First-year Natural Science students don’t have labs like a first-year straight chemist or biologist would have etc but when it comes to actually taking part in labs in second year you don’t feel disadvantaged, the lecturers and lab technicians are incredibly helpful, understanding and accommodating so you get the most out of labs. My materials labs have definitely been my favourite aspect of this year.
The support from my department has been phenomenal and I unequivocally know that should I need it again, it is there. I found leaving home and settling into university very difficult and I was not enjoying one of the pathways I had chosen. I had a very reassuring chat with my amazing personal tutor (Dr Sandie Dann) and the Natural Sciences course director (Dr Paul Roach) and within a week we had a solution and now I could not be happier with my course and within university life. Every first-year student, international student, Erasmus, and foundation student is assigned a peer mentor who is there to support you and answer any questions throughout the year, I found this so helpful for settling into university life. Any help or support is always given to those who ask for it!
I have yet to complete a placement year, but I am currently planning to undertake a placement year while at university or studying abroad. I have never been sure of what career I would like to do but a placement year would put me one step closer to knowing and allow me to earn whilst I am learning. I think a new environment would be beneficial for me as I grow into adulthood and learn more about who I am and what I might want to do in the future.
Although I am not sure of what I want to do when I graduate, teaching is an attractive profession to me. My Loughborough degree in Natural Sciences would be very useful if I were to become a high school science teacher as I have some background in all areas of science. If I were to choose a career more lab-based then my degree would support me in not only my laboratory skills but also in my theory. A Natural Sciences degree from Loughborough is a degree that would teach you to think out of the box and approach real-world problems with a multidisciplinary aspect to push the boundaries of what we know about the world around us.