Dissertation for a UG Biology course
So it is coming to the end, I am telling you. In fewer than 5 months, there will be no more coursework, no more exams, no more essays or presentations. But to get to that point and to guarantee my presence at the graduation in July, I need to get my research project, a.k.a my dissertation, done properly (well, besides my coursework for other modules and 4 exams in May - let's not talk about that now, shall we?)
I am in the final year of my BSc Biomedicine, Bachelor of Sciences. Every year have 120 credits, but the first year does not count towards our BSc degrees at UEA. So, the grade in the 2nd year will weigh 40% while the 3rd year will bear the rest 60%. And in the final year (3rd), for students studying natural sciences courses, such as Chemistry, Environmental Sciences, Biology, we all need to do a research project of 10-8 weeks long or an alternative option of a shorter period time in the lab (but more something else). I chose the first one and my research project (including a proposal, lab work, a report, and a talk+ poster) significantly weighs 40/120 credits of my 3rd year. So you can see how important this one is to my degree!
(credit: HarzardEx)
The whole process actually began last April -May when we were asked to think of a project area we would like to have a project on. Then we had to choose a list of 5 potential supervisors according to our interest. I wanted to explore a different institute with a different theme so I decided to have Dr Naiara Beraza from the Institute of Food Research (a partner of UEA in the Norwich Research Park) as my first choice. And yes, I got her project.
(credit: IFR)
The first semester of the final year was not so much for the dissertation. The only important thing is the proposal for the project. It essentially involved communication between the supervisor and the student. I was really lucky that Naiara was such a helpful and kind supervisor. She gave me a lot of guidance and advice.
(Doctor Naiara Beraza - Credit: IFR)
The real challenge of the dissertation actually lies in the second semester, when we actually set our feet in the lab and do 'wet' jobs (in science, 'wet' jobs mean experiments, while 'dry' jobs mean computer + paper work). I have been in the lab for 5 weeks so far and I can't believe to see how much time the lab takes. Everyday, from Monday to Thursday, I stay in the lab from 8:30 to 6-ish and also have to juggle it with lectures of two modules. There were moments I broke down and burst in tears when the experiment failed. There were moments I couldn't see the end. Yes, there were dark moments. But, that was not everything. That is not everything. People there are so friendly and thoughtful, Naiara is so understanding. And yesterday, after days of trying and correcting myself, I have now mastered an experiment that I never though I would be able to do so. My results on the screen pay off every exhaustion, every stress and every early morning-late night work.
(Credit: Google)
I am in the final year of my BSc Biomedicine, Bachelor of Sciences. Every year have 120 credits, but the first year does not count towards our BSc degrees at UEA. So, the grade in the 2nd year will weigh 40% while the 3rd year will bear the rest 60%. And in the final year (3rd), for students studying natural sciences courses, such as Chemistry, Environmental Sciences, Biology, we all need to do a research project of 10-8 weeks long or an alternative option of a shorter period time in the lab (but more something else). I chose the first one and my research project (including a proposal, lab work, a report, and a talk+ poster) significantly weighs 40/120 credits of my 3rd year. So you can see how important this one is to my degree!
The whole process actually began last April -May when we were asked to think of a project area we would like to have a project on. Then we had to choose a list of 5 potential supervisors according to our interest. I wanted to explore a different institute with a different theme so I decided to have Dr Naiara Beraza from the Institute of Food Research (a partner of UEA in the Norwich Research Park) as my first choice. And yes, I got her project.
(credit: IFR)The first semester of the final year was not so much for the dissertation. The only important thing is the proposal for the project. It essentially involved communication between the supervisor and the student. I was really lucky that Naiara was such a helpful and kind supervisor. She gave me a lot of guidance and advice.
(Doctor Naiara Beraza - Credit: IFR)The real challenge of the dissertation actually lies in the second semester, when we actually set our feet in the lab and do 'wet' jobs (in science, 'wet' jobs mean experiments, while 'dry' jobs mean computer + paper work). I have been in the lab for 5 weeks so far and I can't believe to see how much time the lab takes. Everyday, from Monday to Thursday, I stay in the lab from 8:30 to 6-ish and also have to juggle it with lectures of two modules. There were moments I broke down and burst in tears when the experiment failed. There were moments I couldn't see the end. Yes, there were dark moments. But, that was not everything. That is not everything. People there are so friendly and thoughtful, Naiara is so understanding. And yesterday, after days of trying and correcting myself, I have now mastered an experiment that I never though I would be able to do so. My results on the screen pay off every exhaustion, every stress and every early morning-late night work.
(Credit: Google)
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