Alannah King – 2nd Year – BioNatSci

 

Hi! I’m Alannah, a second year biological natural scientist (or “Bio NatSci” as they are known in Cambridge!). This is an example of my busiest day as a Bio Natsci, encompassing all the elements of my course.

8:00am – Wake up! This gives me plenty of time to get ready and have breakfast, as well as pack for the day.

10:00am-11:00am – Depending on the day, I have one or two lectures each morning – including Saturday! Lectures are an hour long, and usually there are handouts provided which cover the key points so you can really focus on understanding the content.

11:00am-5:00pm – A practical biochemistry session. (Don’t worry – it very rarely takes the full six hours!) At least an hour is given for lunch, which you can take whenever is most convenient, and I just walk the short five-minute distance back to college to eat in the main hall. If I have a particularly long lunch break I’ll grab a coffee in the Aula too, our coffee shop, and chat with friends before heading back. Practicals don’t just have to be in a laboratory, they can also be computer based, such as modelling metabolic pathways or studying protein structure.  

5:00pm-7:30pm – Dinner! I either walk back to Wychfield site – one of the college’s accommodation sites – to cook, or I eat in main hall on Central site.

7:30pm-8:30pm – A pathology supervision at Gonville and Caius college. In second year, you have three supervisions a week. It’s great as you can learn more about a topic which particularly interests you, and get support for topics which you find difficult!     

8:30pm-12:00am – After walking back to Wychfield site, I use this time to catch up with friends, watch a movie, or go to the college gym, before heading to bed.