Hello! I’m Sifa, a 3rd-Year Natural Sciences student (Physics Specialisation). With the summer term approaching and thus module selections not too far away, I’m starting to think about the year to come. Here are the things I’m looking forward to about being back in York – and what you have to look forward to next year.
Facilities
As a Natural Scientist, we have our pick of facilities. We’re able to access all the facilities open to our single science colleagues – from lab sessions to their study spaces and libraries. Plus, we have our own Natural Sciences Learning Studio, which is one of the newest, largest and nicest in the university. Having such a space allows for a tight-knit community to develop. It’s an area to hang out, relax and study together in. It allows you to get to know those not on your pathway too. Once you share fewer lectures in your later years, it’ll help reinforce those friendships as you can come together without having to search for a space in the library.
Science is such a hands-on subject, learning from doing, and the course is designed to give you a balance of theoretical knowledge and practical work. Not to mention, accidentally ruining an experiment in an inexplicable way is a rite of passage for all science students.
Broad subject matter
I’ve always said to whoever asked me that I love studying Natural Sciences. But I especially love how varied and wide the course is at York. As someone with rather broad and eclectic interests, this course absolutely serves that.
Learning across several subjects gives you a good overview of science, and it helps you see the connections. The little “oh”s from realising how different lectures connect are so satisfying. Plus, the breadth of knowledge and different viewpoints really help your problem-solving skills. For example, what you learn in physics can help unravel a knotty chemistry problem, or microbiology can explain an environmental phenomenon.
The city of York
One thing I’ve really come to appreciate this year is the city of York itself. Having spent so much time indoors, I spent more time looking around me on my walks. As someone who comes from a 20th-century and aesthetically unappealing part of London, there’s always something new to discover down the quaint streets of York.
The city walls are absolutely stunning, as well as a lot of fun to walk around. This is me on the walls, struggling to take a selfie to show my family.
I look forward to seeing you next year, and hopefully I’ve whetted your appetite a bit!
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