Viktorija is an international student from Lithuania and is in her final year of studying BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science here at The University of Bradford. She tells us about her life at university and why she chose to study her course.
Viktorija, BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science
My name is Viktorija Rimskyte and I’m from this quaint little country near the Baltic Sea, called Lithuania. I came to Bradford to study Biomedical Science and I’m currently in my third and final year which is both exciting and a little bit scary!
Aside from trying to meet deadlines and write lab reports, I’m also part of a few societies; biomedical sciences, baking and gaming – I also have a couple of part-time jobs on the side.
When I do get some time off for myself, I’ll fully embrace my inner grandmother and tune in to a latest baking show and crochet a cute plushie or a keyring while scrutinising the contestant’s fondant techniques on the screen. When I’m feeling homesick, I text my family and friends back home, and reminisce about my mums home cooking, because student diet often has me craving for a nice, well-cooked, homemade meal.
Exciting facilities and lots to learn
When I’m not thinking about food, my mind shift towards my course. I‘m glad I picked it, even though, to be fully honest, I wasn’t sure exactly what biomedical science was before I came to university. I had a vague idea about blood tests and being a scientist but not the full scope and multiple different areas.
Personally, I’m mostly drawn to laboratory work, but the lectures themselves are also very interesting. You get to learn how your body works on a molecular level and see how disease affects your natural body processes, how everything fits in together so nicely and works in harmony.
You get to work in exciting facilities, especially in year one human physiology – the interactive sessions were engaging and really helped understand the subject at hand. By the time you reach your third year, you’ll definitely know what research project topic to pick based on what sounds most interesting to you.
My average day
If I had to describe an average day, I would say it’s quite straightforward. The schedule is normally well organised so you clearly know that Mondays are for genetics and Thursdays are for microbiology with everything else falling on Tuesday and maybe Friday.
You do get enough days off and gaps between lectures to keep on top of your revision although admittedly not many students actually start revising that early in the year (even though they should!). If you’re in your final year like me you’ll most likely spend all gaps in the library, working on whichever coursework deadline is closest.
During lectures themselves, you’ll get a variety of professors with different areas of interest, and it’s always exciting to have a professor go off on a tangent about something they’re interested in. Nonetheless, in my experience, all the university staff are very helpful, so don’t hesitate to reach out if you ever feel stuck.
Help from careers
Year three also gave us plenty of sessions to introduce you to your future prospects, whether you’re looking for further study in medicine or dentistry or to jump straight into work or postgraduate study.
Personally, I would love to work in a research lab somewhere, especially in the beauty or skincare industry, and I have used the university’s Careers Service multiple times to help me on the journey. With my CV fixed up and enough links bookmarked that I check regularly for new opportunities, I am excitedly looking forward towards what the future holds for me as a scientist.
Finally, I have to say I am happy I chose Bradford. With well-qualified professors and high-quality facilities you feel confident in the knowledge gained here.
The financial support, careers and counselling services are all there to guide you and help you out along the way. The quiet library corners have become my second home and after all this time I have tracked down the best coffee places and restaurants the town has to offer, but I’ll keep those a secret because discovering them is half the fun!
I know that graduating will be bittersweet because it will mean leaving part of my life behind, but the bright opportunities ahead of me are keeping me looking forward towards whatever else is in store for me!
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