Ho Ka Wa

Why I chose Surrey

Growing up, I was always curious about what health was and what makes us healthy. Health and wellness are relevant to everyone and I wanted to understand the science and evidence behind them.

I was recommended to Surrey by a friend who loved it and was really impressed by the league table rankings of the food science courses. It wasn’t long before I decided on the Food Science and Nutrition BSc and made my application.

My course

The course was well structured, and I knew exactly what to expect in each module. There was a clear schedule of lectures, laboratory practicals and tutorials, and I always received timely feedback for my assessments. I particularly enjoyed my final year, where I got to complete a research project.

My lecturers were very helpful and friendly. They were always there to support me and took onboard the cohort’s feedback.

My practical sessions were held in the Innovation for Health Learning Laboratory, home to biology labs fitted with the latest research equipment. Here, I did food analysis and microbiology experiments. For my dissertation, I also got to use the Surrey Clinical Research Facility, working with human participants.

My life at Surrey

Throughout my time at Surrey, I lived in university accommodation at Hazel Farm and on Stag Hill campus. Hazel Farm was lovely and quiet, and my room was huge, whereas my room on campus was more conveniently located but smaller.

When I wasn’t studying, I loved going to Surrey Sports Park! It had everything I could want, including a swimming pool, sauna, gym, fitness studios and much more! I regularly visited Guildford town centre, which is only a 10-minute walk from campus. There are lots of shops and bars, and the train station has great links to London.

My career and development

During my time at Surrey, I completed workshops to develop my time management and presentation skills, and went to careers sessions to help improve my LinkedIn profile, practise my interview techniques and prepare for assessment centres. I also took part in the Enterprise Summer School, where I developed a business idea and learnt about business models. It was a great opportunity and I got to meet lots of new people.

I’m currently studying for a masters in clinical research, which has a greater focus on research projects over lectures, compared to traditional postgraduate taught degrees. I really enjoyed the research element of my undergraduate course and knew I wanted to keep learning but wasn’t sure if I should apply for a PhD, so this felt like the perfect middle ground. Once I’ve finished my masters, I’ll either apply for further study or find a job in healthcare, preferably working within clinical trials.