Third year has been difficult. My dissertation project added a heavy work load to my regular assignments and independent reading. This left little time for personal endeavours, interests and leasure. Fortunately, the series of lectures I attended for the employability module were a healthy compromise of interesting, educational and fun, and writing the blog helped take my mind off more stressful forms of assessments. We are now nearing the end of the year and time has come to reflect back on what I gained from this module, both in terms of knowledge and in terms of transferrable skills.

 

In the first lecture, I learned about policy-making in science and the role large institutions have in communicating science and implementing it into policy. I found this first lecture helpful, as I would later learn more about the subject in many of my modules and I found I already had an adequate understanding of the matter. The political perspective on science, that I had rarely considered but found very instructive, was particularly interesting as it helped me understand the reasons behind the slow pace of climate change policy, which finds itself fighting against institutional biases in favor of fossil fuels and unsustainable consumption practices.

 

Not all lectures I attended were equally as interesting or relevant to me, but the range of topics addressed and the possibility of learning about entirely new topics on a weekly basis was very appealing. I learned about microbiology and animal behavior and it is this unexpected opening to a wider spectrum of sciences, which brings with it valuable opportunities to find new interests and directions. Looking back, although I sometimes struggled to find lectures engaging, I am satisfied with the module, as it turned out to extend further, conceptually, than just the content it was teaching. From a wider perspective, it was more about encouraging students to discover and to take difficult steps into their future, than about conveying specific content.

 

Third year is coming to a close and many of us are still figuring out where they want to head. For my part, I have decided to apply to masters degrees in marine biology and aquaculture, as those have been my interests since I started studying and I truly believe they have potential to be essential fields in the near future. Not only has this module allowed me to attend relevant lectures, I was also able to perfect my skills in composing CVs and cover letters, and improve my interview skills, which have proven to be invaluable in my applications. The practical applications of these skills are endless, whether or not I choose to remain in science in my career. I gained confidence in my ability to convey my skills and enthusiasm to obtain my desired positions.

 

Although I was initially unconvinced, I have now gained appreciation for Mr. Walkers lectures on business in science. Science is no good if no real-world applications are developped. All the knowledge accumulated on climate change and sustainability needs to be translated into actions if we are to progress towards a safe future, regardless of policies. This means taking what I know and building new businesses which provide an eco-friendly alternative to what is already in place, or joining an existing business and engaging my skills to enable a transition towards more environmentally respectful practices.

 

All in all, I enjoyed the Science and employability module. Writing a blog allowed me to keep track of what I learnt and to express it in my own words, rather than blankly absorbing and forgetting, as is too often the case. It helped me integrate the knowledge I gained and reflect about  the meaningfulness of it, extracting more than just the cover value. I may not continue writing on this blog, but I will continue putting my thoughts into written words, as I find it helps me understand better and builds an interesting record of my progression.