SOME PEARLS OF WISDOM - THE EXPERIENCES OF A
RECENT GRADUATE By Ellie Smith
It is an extremely underwhelming feeling, leaving university with that certificate tucked under your arm (or in my case, a print-out telling me they hadn’t printed mine and they would send it to me), hat balanced jauntily on head, feeling that the world is an open book in which your degree can buy you all the opportunities you dreamed of during those long nights spent persuading yourself that the dissertation, and the fact you’ve worn a dressing gown for 3 months solid, will all be worth it. Not quite so, it seems, as in the year and 4 months following my graduation I have worked a total of 0 hours as a Biomedical Scientist.
I decided to embark upon a degree in Biomedical Science after quitting a Speech and Language Therapy course in London and feeling fairly clueless about the future. After frantically searching clearance courses for an opportunity to present itself, here popped up the course that would change my life- BSc Biomedical Science (with the option of a 4 year course, which I eventually undertook) in University Wales Institute in Cardiff.
After frantically ringing and persuading the head of the course, the late Bob Williams, that it didn’t matter that I had a D in A-Level Biology and no Chemistry A-Level, I would get up to scratch, I was handed my place.
It all happened so quickly and fairly effortlessly, but I was excited for the future and the opportunities this vocational and impressive sounding course would bring. I never even dreamed that I would obtain a place on the sandwich year course, get into the hospital everyone was vying to work in,
in the department I wanted, get nominated for a bursary award, and eventually walk away with a First Class Honours degree. However, this was all too far in the future, and considering my previous science results, I kept my expectations low.
However, when I got stuck into the first year, I realised science was actually something I had a flair for. I felt at a disadvantage so worked twice as hard to make sure I kept up with the Jones’, and ultimately surpassing them through dedication and sheer will to succeed. I made some excellent
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