Why did you choose Bristol for your BSc?

I chose Bristol based the structure of the course, the range of societies and the city itself. I wanted a degree that gave me the option to learn about the human body and specialise as I went through. Being able to have broad first year modules, choose a pathway of cells and molecules or systems biology and lastly, choose specialist optional modules in 3^rd year to tailor my degree to my interests. Once I visited Bristol for the offer holder day, I loved the university campus with the green spaces like Royal Fort Garden, the practical skills from labs and the city itself with spaces like the harbourside, events like the hot air balloon festival and eateries like Wapping Wharf.

How Would You Sum Up Your Experience?

I’ve loved my time at the university of Bristol. The range of knowledge and freedom to make your degree specialised for what you’re interested in meant that I had ended up with a degree that set me up for my next step. Additionally, I found a community of like-minded students in the expeditions society, which gave me the option to develop passions outside of my degree.

What Were the Staff Like?

The staff at Bristol were always happy to help. Lecturers were always passionate, knowledgeable and made the effort to have interactive and interesting lectures. From personal tutors to third year project supervisors, everyone took a vested interest in how I was doing to support me through me degree.

How did your degree influence what you went on to next?

During my 3^rd year at Bristol, my modules and dissertation project focussed on immunology which I loved. Setting up a degree in immunology allowed me to pursue a Masters by research with Dr Borko Amulic at Bristol where I got to develop my practical skills and move forward with my career in academia. My project focussed on how differences in neutrophil maturity could be linked to pathogenesis in inflammatory disease which allowed me to train in flow cytometry, cell culture imaging and write a thesis at the end. For me it was the perfect way to explore whether I wanted to do a PhD.

What advice would you offer to students contemplating a place at Bristol?

If you want to a degree that is flexible and allows you to follow your interests academically as well as personally then Bristol is the place for you. There’s something for everyone and while the degree requires hard work and dedication, it’s all worth it in the end. Bristol has one of the highest rate of student retention of all UK universities and personally I think it’s the quality of education, sense of community and city itself that makes people want to stay.