Becky Heslop

Becky Heslop

4th year, Biochemistry

I hadn’t considered applying to Oxford until sixth form when a friend suggested that I should give it a go. After visiting Oxford I knew I would apply. I chose Oxford rather than Cambridge mainly because you do straight Biochemistry from day one, rather than the natural science course with later specialisation which Cambridge offers. Oxford also seemed to offer much more as a place to live; an important factor when you spend three or four years there. I applied to Univ because of its friendly atmosphere, location and size. The College is big enough so that you can carry on making new friends during your time spent here but when you walk around college you are constantly bumping into people you know.

Since Biochemistry isn’t offered at A-level I didn’t really know what to expect; I really enjoyed Biology and Chemistry at school so it seemed like the natural choice. Univ usually admits four undergraduates to read Biochemistry, with around 90 in total across the University each year. In the first year a typical week is very structured with around 10 lectures, 2-3 tutorials, 1 day of labs and 2 classes. I really enjoyed the structure as it allowed me to plan my days and made sure I actually got the work done! The contact time also means that you get to make friends on your course in addition to friends in college.

The course in first year is split into five areas; Molecular Cell Biology, Biological Chemistry, Biophysical Chemistry, Organic Chemistry and Mathematics. Problem sheets and tutorials are used to consolidate material from lectures and to enhance your understanding of the material. Tutorials are usually taken in groups of 2-4 and classes are normally no more than 10, which means that they are a really great chance to ask questions and learn from people who are leading researchers in their field. It did take some time to get used to the workload as tutorials and classes require a lot of preparation, but it’s certainly not impossible! In second and third years the course is known as ‘Part I’ and is split into six papers which are taken at the end of third year; Structure and Function of Macromolecules, Energetics and Metabolic Processes, Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cell Biology and Integration of function, a General Paper and a Data Handling Paper. In fourth year, known as ‘Part II’, students take part in a 20 week lab project, which involves working with a research group in an area you are interested on a project which is of importance to the lab. There are also two written exams on specialised areas which you choose after your project. Biochemistry is a very fast-moving subject which is active in research; preparation for tutorials can involve reading papers published only the month before so it really is an exciting subject which is of great relevance to various important areas such as drug design and development.

Despite the typical view of Oxford students living in the library and the busy schedule of Biochemistry there are so many opportunities to get involved in clubs and societies. During my first two years I coxed in the Univ Boat Club and thoroughly enjoyed it and I still try to get out in a boat when the opportunity comes up! In my second year I was also part of the JCR Entertainment “Entz” Committee and together we organised various social events such bops (parties in the college bar), club nights, open mic nights and we also helped to organise Freshers’ Week. There are so many clubs and societies within College and on a university level that there will be one for you, and if there isn’t you can always start one!

I would definitely recommend applying to Univ. I really felt part of the College from day one and can’t imagine being anywhere else.