Hi, I’m Fletcher. I am a biology student at the University of York and I am currently in my second semester studying third-year Molecular Cell Biology in French at the Université de Strasbourg. One of the best aspects of my year abroad has been the skills I have developed. In this blog, I reflect on these skills.
Language proficiency
Perhaps unsurprisingly, living in France has greatly improved my French proficiency. For example, I have learned many French words related to biology which I had not come across before, such as écart-type (standard deviation) and boîte à moustaches (box-and-whisker plot). I have also been exposed to many phrases and words used on a daily basis in France. As a result, my comprehension skills and my ability to respond spontaneously in conversation have greatly improved.
French isn’t the only language I have improved in. My German skills have also benefited from my year abroad. While I took an LFA in German during my second year at York, I was keen to improve my ability further. I have taken German classes in both semesters, thanks to which I have improved my grammar and my vocabulary. My favourite word so far has got to be Übernachtungsmöglichkeiten, which means accommodation! Being able to take day trips across the border to cities such as Heidelberg and Freiburg im Breisgau has been a great opportunity to put my German skills to use!
Academic skills
Studying biology at Strasbourg has been much more intense than what I have experienced in York, with far more contact hours and exams. In my first semester, I took ten classes, which equated to at least 18 hours of classes per week. Some weeks included afternoon labs which increased the number of contact hours by another 16-20 hours. Alongside this, sitting exams every week means I have to revise continuously in my free time. I had over 30 exams in my first semester! This experience was a challenge. I was forced to manage my time carefully, and my organisational skills have greatly improved as a result. However, there were definitely moments where I felt overwhelmed with the workload, so there is room for improvement.
Range of modules
Nevertheless, having the opportunity to take a range of modules has been great. I have taken classes in many areas of Molecular Cell Biology, such as enzymology, genomics, statistics, plant pathology and structural biology. One of my favourite modules offered by the Faculté des Sciences de la Vie is called Langues Disciplinaires (disciplinary languages). The module consists of weekly talks given by visiting scientists from across Europe about their research. It’s covered topics such as climate change, circadian rhythms, and the packaging in viral genomes into capsids since my last blog. The statistics module I am taking this semester has been one of the most challenging modules of my year abroad, because we learn how to conduct statistical tests such as ANOVAs by hand. This has however been a great opportunity to understand the maths behind statistical tests.
Practical skills
I have also developed many practical skills which will be invaluable for my third-stage project in York and beyond. In my first semester I took a bespoke module which taught me how to extract and analyse genomic and proteomic data just by using the terminal of my computer, which is an incredibly powerful tool.
I have also been in wet lab settings. In one practical, I used heat treatment and ion-exchange chromatography to purify a bacterial enzyme. In another practical I learned how to study the structure of a mouse intestine through preparing, staining and drawing sections of the mouse intestine. Finally, in one practical session I used epi-fluorescent microscopy to identify plant cells in different phases of mitosis based on their DNA and their microtubules, and used GFP to localise a protein of interest in a cell.
I love the problem solving aspect of practicals, and finding explanations for results or what could have gone wrong. During my second year I took part in the York Strengths Programme, where experts analyse your strengths through team-based activities. I was identified as a problem solver and an agile learner. My time in Strasbourg has only strengthened these attributes.
Networking
Networking, the process of making connections with people who might be useful to know for your career, is an incredibly important skill to have. My year abroad in Strasbourg has allowed me to meet many students and researchers. Making these connections opens up doors for your career. For example, I have been able to organise a summer internship with a lecturer from a German university. This will develop my practical and German skills even further!
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