My first degree was in biochemistry, which I did at The University of Manchester. I applied straight from English Martyrs Sixth Form, after completing A-levels in biology, chemistry and maths.
I had considered studying medicine when I was in year 11, but I didn’t really have the motivation for it nor had I completed any relevant work experience or volunteering. At this point I was more leaning towards doing scientific research/academia. I applied to Warwick, Imperial, Manchester, Bristol and Birmingham to study biochemistry instead. All but Imperial gave me offers and I had to attend a short interview at Manchester, although this was very informal.
I attended various open days in year 12 and this was very useful because I could see which university would suit me the most. Manchester was my first choice with entry requirements of AAA-ABB (with A-level chemistry as a must plus one other science from biology, physics or maths). They had given me an offer of AAA. Warwick University was my insurance choice as they had given me a slightly lower off of ABB.
My decision to pick Manchester as my first choice was based off my open day experience and the reputation of the university– Manchester is a very diverse, bustling city, second only to London in size, with one of the largest students’ union in the country. Manchester was also ranked in the top 20 for Biological Sciences in the country, and was on the brink of entering the top 30 in the QS world university rankings – they are now 27th. During the open day I really liked the fact it was a campus-based university but within a city and the history of the university. Manchester is highly regarded academically, being a red-brick university and part of the Russell Group – this is not the only reason you should use to choose a university, but during my time there I could see the impact of the research the university was doing. With the specialist facilities within the school of biological sciences, range of student support and facilities, including a number of institutions they owned such as The Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester Museum and The John Ryland’s Library, I could see myself studying at Manchester and knew the culture there would be right for me.
This last point is very important for anyone choosing a university – it has to be somewhere you can see yourself studying and living at.
On results day in 2016, my place at Manchester was confirmed and I moved in on the 17th September 2016. I will never forget the day I moved into halls because of how apprehensive I was but also excited at this new beginning. Freshers week was a very fun experience and I would urge you to make the most of it – there will be no other time like this during your university experience. Meeting new people, exploring the city and seeing the nightlife were all on the agenda.
Biochemistry is taught in the school of biological sciences at Manchester, which is part of the faculty of biology, medicine and health (FBMH). It was a very large faculty, with many biological sciences degrees including biomedical science, microbiology, zoology, neuroscience, molecular biology, cell biology and plant biology being offered. Biochemistry and biomedical science had the largest cohort of students, although in first year many lectures were taught together across all biosciences and the only exception to this were chemistry modules, which were not optional for us. You could also transfer between bioscience degrees after year 1 because of this.
As the years progressed, there were more specialist modules we could choose from such as infectious diseases and immunology, in addition to the core modules for biochemistry. I really enjoyed all of my optional modules because you could choose to study something very different to core biochemistry which was very focussed on molecular biology, genetics and metabolism. Most of the first year lectures were in university place - the largest lecture lecture theatres on campus. In later years it was more spread out as module sizes were smaller. The Stopford Building was the main building for the school of biological sciences, with tutorials and first and second year practical sessions being held in the Stopford Building teaching labs. In final year I got to choose from a range of projects - I chose a lab-based project and my own supervisor. It was very flexible and you could very much tailor the project to your own interests, or get randomly assigned an academic supervisor. My project was biotechnology focused and I had to join a lab group based in the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, in the university's north campus. The project explored the stabiity of recombinant cell lines in the production of monoclonal antibodies - in short examining how cell lines are used to produce pharmaceuticals on an industrial scale. I really enjoyed my project and had an excellent supervisor who I learnt a lot from.
Manchester also offered many units in the University College for Interdisciplinary Learning, so you could take humanities or languages units too. With further options to study an integrated master’s, take a year out in industry or study with entrepreneurship or a modern language, there was definitely a lot of flexibility in studying at Manchester.
After my first year in halls I decided to live in a house of seven with some friends I made from halls. We lived here for two years in the Victoria Park area in Manchester, which was still within a 20-minute walk from uni. Second and third year were a lot of fun because settling down with your group of friends and being able to go out and do stuff together is a very different experience to living in halls. I don’t have a favourite standout year, but I think by the time third year came around I was happy to finish my degree (although still a bit unsure on what to do afterwards) and it was the year where I felt like I matured the most.
My undergraduate experience at Manchester truly gave me some of the best times of my life and at graduation it was nice to celebrate with my family and course mates – although I graduated on different days to my housemates which was a bit of a shame! Since I finished biochemistry, I went on to study MRes infection biology at Manchester and now am working in Manchester – so this city has been an integral part of my life for many years. Whilst I will be sad to leave this summer, I will always be grateful for my time spent here and look forward to coming back to visit the many friends I’ve made. It will however, be an exciting start to a new chapter in London!
If you are doing A-level biology and chemistry, and are unsure what to study at university, then biochemistry can be a good stepping stone to future careers. Biochemistry is the study of chemical processes within living organisms, but the flexibility of biological science degrees means you can explore other scientific disciplines.
There is a lot of genetics and molecular biology found in biochemistry, with chemistry modules that set it apart from other biological sciences. If you like learning about biomolecules and the way they interact in nature to drive life processes, and molecular mechanisms underpinning essential cellular processes in the body, then biochemistry could be for you.
Biological sciences degrees follow a similar structure across most universities (unless studying natural sciences at Cambridge) and so choosing a university that is right for you is probably more important for a course like this. Considering other study options such as an integrated master’s, industrial placement year or learning with a modern language might be one of your priorities.
Biochemistry can open doors to many paths – postgraduate study, studying medicine and many scientific careers. There may be many jobs you have never heard of that you can do with a biochemistry degree (e.g. scientific writing) and often the skills you have developed – problem solving, analytical skills, interpersonal skills, organisational and specific research skills, will be transferable to other non-scientific fields. Many biochemistry graduates go on to do further study – master’s or PhDs, although a larger proportion go straight into employment. Biochemistry degrees are very valuable and if you want to choose a degree that draws on many different areas of scientific study, then it could be for you.