Faculty of Creative Arts, Technologies & Science
School of Life Sciences
Welcome from the Head of Life Sciences, Professor Prasad S Sreenivasaprasad
I am delighted that you will be studying with us at the School of Life Sciences. We take pride in providing a vibrant and supportive learning environment along with employment-orientated education and skills training.
Our mission is to inspire you to achieve your ambitions and goals in your studies and your future career.
This booklet provides you with important information that will guide you during your first few weeks and months as you settle into university life.
I look forward to welcoming you to the University in September.
Head of Life Sciences
Course Leaders
Biochemistry – Dr Lindsay McDermott
Biological Science – Dr Eleftheria Diakogiannaki
Food and Nutrition Science – Dr Leonardo Guevara
Pharmaceutical and Chemical Sciences – Dr Gerta Cami-Kobeci
Pharmacology and Health Science – Dr Guy Grant
Forensic Science – Dr Vicki Barlow
Forensic Science and Criminology – Dr Vicki Barlow
Senior Admissions Tutor – Dr Robin Maytum
Student Information Desk (SiD) beds.ac.uk/sid sid@beds.ac.uk
Student Support beds.ac.uk/studentsupport
BedsSU (Students’ Union) bedssu.co.uk
help@bedssu.co.uk
Welcome from the Course Coordinator, Dr Eleftheria Diakogiannaki
Hello, my name is Eleftheria and I am the Foundation Year coordinator. We are all excited that you are joining us in September. This booklet will introduce you to what you will learn in your foundation year.
Our course is designed to help you improve your academic skills and prepare you to reach the level needed to start a degree course.
The first week of the semester is known as Welcome Week. During this time, you will be introduced to your course, the academic team and your fellow students (as well as having lots of fun!).
You’ll be assigned a personal tutor who will support you throughout your course, as will our specialist first year coordinator. We all have weekly office hours so you can book an appointment if you need to discuss any aspect of your course. And we can tell you more about the range of additional support services at the University to help you transition to life in higher education. We will all be with you every step of the way!
If you have any questions about our courses, then feel free to drop me an email eleftheria.diakogiannaki@beds.ac.uk or call 01582 743976.
Foundation Year Coordinator
It is very important to start your course well. Welcome Week is an essential part of navigating student life and your studies, and it’s a brilliant way of getting to know staff and students. There are a range of academic talks, an introduction to our support services and there will be plenty of social events too!
The following is a typical Welcome Week schedule (the exact schedule will be available to you prior to starting).
Day 1 am
Introduction to student support services, Students’ Union and library services
Ice breaker and social integration
pm Visit the Freshers’ Fayre
am Meet the course team and other staff from the School of Life Sciences
Day 2
pm
Accessing your email and getting the most from BREO (our virtual learning environment)
Q&A with current students
Sessions on communication skills and employability
Day 3 am Laboratory induction pm First meeting with your personal academic tutor (known as PAT)
Foundation Year students
Skills for Higher Education in Life Sciences
Biological Systems and Diversity
Core topics
Chemistry for Life
Integrated Project
The course assessment strategy is closely aligned to the University’s teaching and learning strategy which is designed to:
• Have an immediate relevance to practice
• Draw on expertise by experience
• Foster active learning and be learner-centred in approach
A distinct feature of the course is the range of assessment tasks. This includes work that is reflective of laboratory practice in research and industry, which helps you develop a range of transferable skills that are required by employers.
These can vary depending on the course you are studying, but here’s an example of what your assessments might include:
Laboratory reports
Posters/presentations
Portfolios
Case studies
In-class tests
Assessments are purposefully diverse and created to relate to industry practices.
Once you have met the conditions of your offer, you will receive an email to complete your online registration. Keep an eye on your emails and junk box to ensure you don’t miss it!
• Watch this short video showing the fantastic facilities you will be using in our STEM building
Take a look at our website and find out more about what is happening on campus during Welcome Week and at Beds Students’ Union.
• Start your student journey here
Take time to familiarise yourself with the layout of our campus and the names of buildings. This will help you get around with ease when you arrive.
• Luton campus
• Enjoy an amazing virtual tour of our campus
• Eating and drinking on-campus
The sample timetable below is given as an example of how your weekly timetable will look in your foundation year. Each week usually consists of two lectures, each two hours long, and three workshops. You will have one practical class most weeks, which lasts about three hours. There will be additional personal academic development tutorials (known as PAD) and occasionally, you’ll have additional timetabled sessions alongside this. This will give you two days of scheduled teaching each week, with your remaining time allocated to complete course work and individual study.
Your timetable will be available online prior to arriving on campus. To find out how to access your timetable go to beds.ac.uk/timetable
What happens if I miss class due to illness or have difficulties with childcare or travel?
We understand that everyone will face some difficulties now and again and we aim to be flexible. You are encouraged to discuss ongoing issues with your personal academic tutor or course leader to minimise the impact on your learning.
How can I get support with my assessments?
Every piece of coursework has an ‘assignment brief’ that sets out the expectations for the assessment and the marking criteria. Academic staff will explain the expectations in the practical and workshop sessions and are always available to answer any specific questions you might have.
The University also provides one-to-one meetings with our StudyHub – a central resource that provides support with academic writing, referencing and communication skills. If you have issues with meeting an assessment deadline, we have an independent Student Engagement and Mitigation team (SEAM) who will assess your situation and can provide extensions or deferred submissions for assessments. You can email them at mitigation@beds.ac.uk
Will I have chance to develop my practical skills for lab based assessments?
Yes! We have a student skills laboratory available two days a week for you to practice key laboratory skills. There are unit-related activities for you to work through at your own pace, which will help develop your confidence.
What support is available for students with a learning difference or disability?
Our Disabilities team support students with a range of disabilities including sensory and physical impairments, mental health difficulties, specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, and medical conditions such as epilepsy, diabetes, sickle cell anaemia and arthritis. You may be eligible for a Learning and Teaching Agreement, where we can discuss any reasonable adjustments needed for classroom learning and examinations. You can email disability@beds.ac.uk for further information and advice.
Are there clubs and activities I can get involved with?
Yes! The Students’ Union can provide you with lots of information about sports clubs, activities and events available for all students at the University. If you can’t see anything of interest, you can apply for funding to set up your own club or society. Check out their webpage bedssu.co.uk
Throughout the year, you will have the opportunity to take part in extracurricular events and meet with and listen to guest speakers from industry.
Always remember, our team is here for you!
We know there’s a lot to take in when you start university. Our staff have many years’ experience in both teaching and research in their specialist topics. We’ll support you throughout, especially at the beginning. Some students adjust to university life more readily than others, and it can take time to feel at home, but this is normal and you’ll soon make friends. Remember, many of your fellow students will be feeling the same.
We are confident that you’ll love our friendly campus and everything the University of Bedfordshire has to offer.
You will receive extensive support to achieve your potential! Our team’s research and case work experience feeds directly into our teaching, creating a vibrant and practical-oriented learning environment.
All students have the opportunity to conduct a practical laboratory project in their final year.
You will have the opportunity to spend lots of time in our specialist laboratories to develop a range of practical skills in areas like microbiology, biochemistry and immunology.
You will gain a wide range of key employability skills.
You could follow in the steps of many of our successful graduates! Many are employed by leading pharma/biotech, food and health companies such as Glaxo Smith Kline and AstraZeneca as well as NHS Trusts and universities in the UK and internationally.
You can access our Student Skills Lab to master your practical techniques outside of scheduled classes.
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