Hi, I’m Nic, a Biology undergraduate in my final year at the University of York. I began my course studying a little bit of everything. Eventually, I realised in my second year that my favourite modules were about ecology and the environment, so I took the opportunity to do an internship in the Department of Environment and Geography. If you also like ecology, hopefully this blog will let you know about even more options you can follow!
Difference between auditing and electives
Some definitions to help understand my blog (and what you can do by checking the links)!
Auditing: Taking a module which is uncredited towards your degree. This means you don’t participate in any assessed work, and all audit-module work is voluntary. This will be on top of your credited modules, so will be your least-prioritised module.
Electives: Swapping out optional module credits on your course for modules on other courses worth equivalent credits. You will be assessed as per usual. Current information on electives can be found on the Programmes and Modules page.
ECORISC internship
ECORISC (Ecotoxicological Risk Assessment Towards Sustainable Chemical Use) is a Doctoral training centre spread across several universities.
This summer, I was selected for an eight-week internship with ECORISC. I got to do field trips doing river sampling in the Yorkshire Dales, Yorkshire Moors and the Lake District, which felt like a holiday! I used a pH meter and tiny buckets to sample river water.
Then, I went bird catching and ringing for the first time, which is a common type of ecological survey. We helped a PhD student survey Nightjars in the moors during the night. They tried to scare us off by opening their beaks wide, and hissing like very realistic snakes! Since then, I have started volunteering with bird ringing around campus – you can email module leaders if you’re interested too.
All this practical work grew my love for ecology and the environment, and I would do it again in a heartbeat. If the Department of Environment and Geography does any more internships over the summer, and you enjoy ecology, I would highly recommend them!
GIS
When I realised I wanted to be an ecologist (or consultant), I looked at jobs on our careers platform, Handshake. I couldn’t believe how many jobs wanted you to know Geographical Information Systems coding. Luckily, there is a 10-credit module in the Department of Environment and Geography called Geographical Information Systems that will teach it to you. I chose to audit this module.
GIS allows you to store data by using locations – a bit like Google Maps. The module will also teach you how to calculate areas and distances between locations in both 2D and 3D. But best of all, you learn how to make pretty maps like this in just three weeks. Plus, you become so much more competitive with this on your CV.
Land use, change and management
Land Use, Change and Management (LUCM) is my elective environmental module this year. I sometimes find with Biology, we learn what is best for the environment and biodiversity, and can get frustrated when nobody outside academia does ‘what’s right’ for the environment. LUCM has provided so much insight into why people need to prioritise other things.
Land usage is such a layered topic with tons of different necessities we need to function – as a society, as well as for biodiversity. We mainly focus on land use surrounding agriculture and forestry. This means we also get a farm and a forest field trip!
The module is really accessible for a biologist. It’s more about balancing multiple perspectives and problems than honing in on the specifics of a problem. There are multiple workshops that delve deeper into biofuels and how international trade works. If you are interested in consultancy or ecological policy, this is a great module to take.
Honourable mentions of environmental modules suited for biologists
Here’s a glance at some of the modules available to me this year.
- Environmental Hazards: This year, it included a big field trip in the Alps, and the opportunity to learn and use GIS for a report. I learned about how environmental hazards shape policies, and the impact of climate change.
- Ocean Management & Conservation: This was perfect for anyone interested in marine biology.
- Ecological Methodology: Detailed the different types of surveying and work ecologists do, and included the opportunity to do my own survey.
So, there you have it: plenty of ways to experience the best of Environment while doing a Biology degree. Never forget, you have the ability to mould your degree to your interests. Good luck!
Nic
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