Day in the life

Student vlogs

Soony's action-packed day includes everything from lecture hall to labs, free lunches to black-tie events.

Gaia Greco, BSc Medical Innovation & Enterprise

• I chose my course because it provided me with a strong biomedical base to pursue a postgraduate medical degree while also integrating business and marketing. The business side really interests me.
• The best part about my course is there are no limits to the topics we wish to discuss during our lectures. We are always encouraged to share our opinions and debate amongst ourselves or with the lecturer.
• My typical day consists of a main lecture which is usually in the morning and then some independent study to carry out in preparation for the next day. Sometimes I'll also have a tutorial to attend, which is shorter and more interactive. That helps me gain more hands-on experience. In the evening, I like to keep myself busy with some of the activities UCL has to offer, like Drama Society and Student Hospital Fun Team.
• I think my future career will be somewhere between clinical medicine and social entrepreneurship. My ambition is to work with kids, being able to treat them through therapy and pharmacology. I also hope to create a larger platform that conveys the use of storytelling and gamification in communicating with paediatric patients.
• My advice to new students is not to be afraid of asking questions. Reach out to lecturers via email or schedule meetings with them. They really are on your side and will do what they can to help.

Simran Raheja, BSc Applied Medical Sciences

My typical day during the pandemic and away from campus is quite different from what it was like before. Currently, it consists of attending lectures (usually mornings) and preparing for upcoming lectures. This might involve watching and taking notes on pre-recorded lectures, reading papers for tutorials, and sometimes working on coursework. During the day I also ensure I fit in a walk and try to get in a short workout in the evenings, before returning to work.

Before COVID, I would travel to the Royal Free Hospital in the morning for lectures and tutorials and enjoy socialising with friends during lunch at the student hub. I would then head back to Bloomsbury, where I spent a few hours at the Student Centre preparing for upcoming lectures before heading to the gym. In the evenings, my flatmates and I would cook and eat dinner together.

The best part about studying at UCL is being around professionals who are at the forefront of research on the topics we study and having the chance to learn from them. What I truly appreciate is the thought that goes into developing coursework that challenges our understanding and creativity while helping us solidify the concepts taught in lectures and tutorials.

My advice for new students is to try to stay on top of lecture prep and not put it off until just before exams or coursework. My favourite parts of the course are looking at clinical scenarios and trying to diagnose and guide treatment, which is only possible once you have a good understanding of the topic from the storylines. So, you truly gain the most from teaching and your lecturers when you have done the pre-reading.