As a twenty-year-old student, there are many places I go to in Newcastle: clubs, parks and restaurants. When you’re only living in a city for a few years, you’ve got to try to make the most of it! I thought I’d visited everything that was worthwhile. How wrong I was!
A grand building on campus was hiding a multitude of wonders. I’d walked past it many times, but I’d never once considered going in. Who wants to spend their free time in a boring old museum?
We recently asked our students to submit entries detailing the work of inspirational female scientists as part of a blog competition for International Women’s Day. We are delighted to share all of the entries below – choosing the top two was not an easy decision, so congratulations to all writers!
Ada Lovelace – by Olivia Rowe, 3rd year MSci Biochemistry (1st prize)
What does it mean to be a woman?
For centuries, women have been objectified and designated ‘The Second Sex’. Lord Byron’s 19th century poem ‘She Walks In Beauty’ is a prime example, where he describes his female subject to be as provocative as ‘starry skies’ on a clear night.
In October, as part of Black History Month in the UK, we ran a competition asking students to submit blog posts showcasing the contribution of scientists of African and Caribbean descent to the scientific world. In the run-up to February’s Black History Month in North America, we are delighted to share the winning blog by Cerys Francis-Garside, Stage 1 Master of Dietetics student.
Mary Seacole: A Scientist by Nature
Perhaps on first hearing her name, you would not choose to label her a scientist. Perhaps you might think “Oh I’ve heard of her… who is she again?”. To me, the story of Mary Seacole is one of the most important in science as it is one we can continue to learn from again and again.
That’s how I would describe my experience transitioning to Newcastle University from NUMed. Life is pretty similar; people are friendly, the teaching is amazing, the city is as beautiful as home. The only difference is that these things are all bigger, bolder, and brighter here in the U.K. And I’m definitely not complaining!
The red bricks of Newcastle University’s Armstrong building looking glorious in the sun
The move from Malaysia was definitely a tough one. I grew up in Penang, an island just northwest off mainland Malaysia, and this was the only home I’d known. Moving 10-hours away to Johor to start my degree in Biomedical Sciences was scary enough, but NUMed turned to be a home away from home. We’re such a small, tight-knitted community, and on campus we could bond in ways students in a larger university wouldn’t be able to.
“Choosing to begin my studies at NUMed has been the best decision I’ve ever made!”
By Sabrina Amran, Third Year Biomedical Sciences student
Flatmates and I (in middle) visiting (and posing!) the med school for the first time!
The UK was a lot different in my childhood memories compared to how I see it as of now.
Sure, ‘Wilkinsons’ became ‘Wilko’, and everything was a couple pounds cheaper 7 years ago. The weather now seemed sunnier and hotter as well…but I’m not sure how long this will last.
By Ruth Harding, second year Biomedical Science student
I had a difficult time at home before I started at Newcastle university and I found that I was struggling to cope at points during my first year.
These are my top 5 tips to help improve your mental health while at university based on my personal experiences:
1. Access support
There is plenty of support available at uni, the first thing to do when you feel you are experiencing difficulties is to access the support that is available to you as soon as you possibly can.
I found the transition from sixth form to university to be a challenge especially when I was battling poor mental health at the same time. The university support I found to be the most helpful was my personal tutor and the student services team (student wellbeing). There is also an online CBT programme available to all Newcastle students here. There are also useful links and tips on the Ncl wellbeing app.
Family and friends form an important support network while at uni – me, Hannah and Cornelius.
As well as university support I encourage you to build a wider network, I do not think I would have got through the year without the support of my friends, and family.
Moving to uni can be lots of change for anybody. When you’re also living with a disability or a medical condition, getting through each day, let alone being able to study can be a challenge.
I’ve just finished my first year studying biochemistry and living and learning with physical disability has often been hard! I thought I’d share a few things that have helped, and so here are my practical top tips for starting university for those living with disability/long term medical condition.
Me on my scooter outside the med school
Get a Support Plan
A Student Support Plan (SSP) looks at all aspects of learning and possible adaptations that you may need, you get these from Student Wellbeing. Meet up with your disability advisor as soon as possible, the sooner you get this in place the sooner adaptions can be made. They will be aware of things you can utilise that perhaps you didn’t realise- for me that included creating a Personal Evacuation Plan (PEP) for when there were fire alarms! Continue reading “My top tips for starting university when living with disability or long-term medical condition”
With a flight ticket in my hand, I can still remember being so nervous and so excited at the same time before starting a new chapter of my life – university.
My big flight to the UK from Lithuania
“How did you handle that?” you may ask. Here’re my answers and top tips you.
John Cornilius was appointed as the School of Biomedical Sciences first ever Student Enterprise Ambassador earlier this year. Through a series of blog posts, his youtube channel and his LinkedIn profile, John aims to share reflections on his own enterprise journey. Follow along by clicking the #EntrepreneurshipDiary tag or the link in the sidebar.
Networking
Networking? or Nerve-wracking? Today’s video is a bit different, I need your help. How do you fully take advantage of networking opportunities to get the best out of them? I usually use the “Host mentality” method and ask a lot of “Whys”, “Hows” and “Wheres” rather than “Whats”.
John Cornilius was appointed as the School of Biomedical Sciences first ever Student Enterprise Ambassador earlier this year. Through a series of blog posts, his youtube channel and his LinkedIn profile, John aims to share reflections on his own enterprise journey. Follow along by clicking the #EntrepreneurshipDiary tag or the link in the sidebar.
Time Management
Juggling commitments can be a challenging task if planning is not integrated into the process. Managing my time has been a skill I actively exercise, this made me realise how lack of time management is sometimes the root of feeling overwhelmed by various commitments. So spend time just planning the next few days to help you keep track of where your time should go!
