How I became an MSci student

Two years ago today I gained a place at university for an MSci (Master in Science) degree course including a placement year, which I had to apply and interview for this year. As such, it feels like the perfect time to regale how I found my placement and officially became an MSci student!

Despite having a strong desire to do a placement, I didn't start applying until February this year. My first application was to Janssen in Belgium for an Alzheimer's disease-based project. I took my time writing my application and sent it off at 6:55 pm the day before the deadline. My diligence paid off: I was one of ten candidates selected for a Skype interview! Unfortunately, when the day came, technical issues rendered me invisible to the team in Belgium, but after a shaky start, I tried to make the most of my fifteen minutes voice-to-face with the head of the Neuroscience department. Disappointed, I at least managed to enjoy my first concert of 2016 (Patent Pending) later that day, but two weeks later I found out for sure that I wouldn't be spending my placement year at Janssen.

Thankfully, more opportunities arose in April. I applied for two more placements, one at a biotech company in Oxford and the other based at a university an hour's train ride away. While I heard nothing from the former, the latter invited me for an interview on the 6th of June. It was my first time visiting the city, and I was in awe of the beauty of the university grounds. The interview was a really positive experience, and a few hours later I met the other three candidates for a tour of the neurophysiology labs. I left feeling content, but it still came as a shock when, at 5:41 pm, I received an email offering me the placement!

Last week I had my induction to the university, my accommodation is all booked, and from September I'll be in the lab, trying to understand how epigenetics associated with Alzheimer's disease affects brain cell firing. It still feels like a dream, but soon it'll be reality…