What to expect in your first year studying Pharmaceutical Science

I have been asked several times why I decided to study Pharmaceutical Science and the answer was very simple for me – it is what best defines me and my likings.

Before coming to the UK, I had to provide the subjects I was interested in to an agency. After an inclusion/exclusion process with the agency, I was given a few course options at different universities. I evaluated all the modules to guarantee I was choosing the course that was the most compatible with me. It was a hard time, especially with COVID-19 influencing everything, but little by little I was able to integrate within the university and several societies, allowing me to develop connections in the community.

First year is always the hard part as you are putting yourself in a strange new environment. Here are some key areas from my experience about the course and the student life.

Modules and assessments

This course offers a wide range of evaluation, so everyone has a taste of everything. This can include exams, lab reports, poster presentations, portfolios, essays and videoclips, allowing you to develop soft skills that are essential for a professional life.

The assignments are often about subjects discussed in class or experiments done in the lab. This is to further develop your knowledge, ensuring the technical part and the practical part are both present.

Every assignment is different, however there is always something that is always necessary (except when taking an exam) which is referencing. This is always a struggle with students since no-one knew what proper referencing and how important it was until getting to university. Basically, everything must be referenced and in a certain way, you cannot just copy the link or input the textbooks title (it would be amazing if it was that simple).

To learn a bit more about referencing, you can always go to the library’s website, and they have guides. If you still struggle, you can ask your lecturers to assist you, or even book a meeting with our library services. Let’s get this referencing completely right and get full marks for it!!

Details about the course

This course has several shared modules with Medical Science, providing a wide range of subjects with new people to collaborate.

What differentiates Pharmaceutical Science from Medical Science is the drugs-specific modules, whereas its development and formulations are taught.

This course does not offer placement; however, the university has summer placements that you can apply to and possibly gain more experience.

Student life

Being foreign and starting over in a new place can be a challenge, but in this case, I did not struggle as much as I thought. I was able to make friends and integrate quickly. I joined the Music Society and the Volleyball club, which allowed me to relieve stress and meet extraordinary people.

Working with ARU

In case you are wondering where you can work to get some extra money, the university has several events throughout the academic year (like open days) and more that you can work. You will get paid for your time and you can also add it to your CV, like being your course's Student Ambassador, which is my case, therefore I represent the university when needed! This helped me develop communication skills and networking with people in my area and other areas.

Adriana Borges studies BSc (Hons) Pharmaceutical Science at ARU. Find out more about this and other degree courses at one of our Open Days.