Jessica recalls how at the WIT open day she loved the college and the fact it wasn’t too big and had smaller classes which she was more comfortable with
Jessica Murphy, a former pupil of Loreto Clonmel, graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Molecular Biology with Biopharmaceutical Science in 2018.
Time at WIT
2014-2018
What brought you to Waterford to do the course?
I suppose when I was in school, we went to the WIT open day and I just loved the college, I loved that it wasn’t too big and had smaller classes so you aren’t lost in the class.
It was brilliant that there was only about 21/22 people in the class which meant you got some one on one time with the lecturers.
Why did you choose your course?
I have always had a keen interest in Biology even as a child, but it was not until I was older that a decided I would like a career in this field.
I chose to follow this goal at WIT as a mature student because of the great reviews I had heard of the supportive and approachable academic staff.
WIT is recognised for having a fantastic Science department, which offers a large element of practical classes to help students gain more experience in the lab. This opportunity work within a lab and gain hands-on experience really appealed to me when deciding on a course to undertake.
What was your experience?
I thoroughly enjoyed my four years at WIT. Returning to college as a mature student was daunting, but I really had nothing to worry about as WIT offers a huge amount of support and resources to all students.
All of the staff in the Science Department at WIT are extremely supportive and encouraging and they helped me to realise my full potential as a student. All of the course material was delivered to an extremely high standard and the practical elements helped me to develop the skills necessary to work within the Biopharmaceutical Industry or pursue academic research.
What are you doing now that the course is over?
I’m doing a graduate programme in quality management and food safety.
Do you have any stand out moments from your time in Waterford?
The whole course was amazing and the lecturers were fantastic and really friendly. I enjoyed my research project as well which gave us the chance to decide our own project and do our own work.
What did you do your research project on?
I did my project on breast cancer which was really interesting because I got to work with breast cancer cells and look at the effects of different treatments and different genes so it was really interesting.
Would you have any advice for students looking at the course?
I’d say just stick it out because it does get tough at times but just put in the work and the study and you’ll get through it.
Can you recall your feeling when finding out you were offered a place in WIT
When I was offered my place at WIT I was both excited and nervous as I was returning as a mature student, but I was made to feel at ease straight away due to the support offered by all staff at WIT.
What advice would you give to students considering your course?
I would highly recommend this course to anyone with a strong interest in Biology that are willing to put the work in.
While this course is challenging and requires time and motivation, it is an extremely rewarding and exciting course.
I would advise students to look at all of the course modules before making a decision but not to let some of the more difficult subjects such as Maths put them off as there are great resources available to help students struggling in any of these areas.
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