Biology and you: partners in freedom. (Courses)

Member Name: Krebs

Product:	Courses
Date:	18/04/01 (50 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Women, well taught, great city

Disadvantages: wee bit of work.

I had a post up here recently about how biological science has a gender ratio of about 70:30 gals to guys, but i guess people were more interested in the course itself. How professional you young people are. But here you go:
As is the case in almost all Scottish universities, biological science is a four year course, with only the final year being devoted to a specialised honours of your choice. For the first year don't expect to have to work very hard; its just to get the English and Scottish students up to the same standard so you can kick back and enjoy yourself. Students with good A-levels or SYS may be offered direct entry into second year but i say NO! dont do it! Its best to start with other students who are also new to the scene, rather than people who have already 'been there and done that' for a year.
The second year is more in depth, and you get to specialise a wee bit although not in a way that will greatly restrict you later on. Again, its not particularily tricky. Third year is when you have to start getting more serious, but hey, this isn't medicine, right? The courses you choose here will narrow down your choice of final year specialisation to a couple of degrees. The fourth year honours is the daddy. This is what its all about, so you got to get jiggy wid tha course-work. But in many ways this is the most fun you'll ever have- the courses are mostly down to smaller groups of people (say 20 compared to about 200 in 1st year) and you'll really get close, kinda like being in the army i guess. Also, it seems like the final year is over after a couple of months so don't sweat it.

Edinburgh has excellent laboratory facillities, really top notch. It has a world-wide reputation for biological research, making a degree from here that little bit more kick-ass. Lab training for the first 3 years ties into the lectures, and in the final year you have to do your own project. But you'll love it, man. Maybe you&
#39;ll get to work with some famous dude?

So let me break it down: if you wanna be a biologist, and its a good career in these crazy post-millenial days, then Edinburgh Uni should come 3rd choice only to the Toff-towns Oxford and Cambridge. And what i wrote earlier about the *fun* that you can have? Well, Edinburgh has got EVERYTHING baby...

What's that? You'd still prefer to do medicene? Well, we need these people to be sure. But think about it: medics get taught a procedure which they MUST follow. Biologists get taught to think for themselves, and at the end of the day we're the guys who tell medics what to do.
Its all about freedom, baby.

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