My MU Experience
3rd Year Biomedical Science Student Kasia (having transferred from MH201 BSc)
Going to university in Ireland as someone who was born and raised in America was a new experience that I was excited for. Fortunately I made friends quickly at first which was a bit easier due to me being lucky enough to have on-campus accommodation. My brief time in secondary school was hit hard by covid but thankfully it started to die down when I started University. You will meet all types of people that you couldn’t imagine meeting in secondary school, but will meet even more people due to Maynooth being such a diverse university.
I was originally doing general science in first year, but thanks to hard work and perseverance I was able to switch to Biological and Biomedical Science. I know the transfer places are limited, so I was delighted because I hope to move into a postgraduate medical degree after my first degree. I was an academic rep in first year for Biology and Data Science which meant I was representing the issues of my fellow peers. This was a great opportunity for me as I didn’t want to be fully committed to University as I still wanted to focus on my studies but this was a great balance of both. I stayed consistent with my work ethic throughout second year and became a student ambassador which came with its own new responsibilities and expectations.
As a BioMed/MH208 third year student my weeks tend to be very busy academically. My Monday starts at 9am with my fungal and bacteria secondary metabolism lecture, at 10 I have scientific writing lecture, then I’m free till 2pm. I use this free time to eat and hang out with friends. Then I have another fungal and bacteria secondary metabolism lecture at 2pm and then at 3pm I have an ecology lecture. At 6pm I go to Ignited Christians in University society which usually ends between 8-9pm.Tuesday is a more relaxed day for me as I only have one class at 10am which is scientific writing. It gives me time to prepare for Wednesday which is a little more hectic as I have ecology at 10am, animal behavioural at 1pm then a biology lab from 2 to 5pm. My Thursdays are just a double lecture from 10 to 12pm which contrasts my much busier Wednesdays. Friday I have a animal behaviour lecture at 11am and a biomed lab from 1 pm to 4 pm and then I’m done for the week. I usually spend my weekends and free time studying as I am someone who takes pride in my academic work.
After I graduate from Maynooth, I hope to go into a postgraduate degree in Medicine. Doing Biomed in Maynooth allows me to take an alternative route into Medicine and get a fundamental understanding that I will need to go in the medical field.