You will have developed a lot of important transferable skills during your time at school or college but at the same time you might be concerned that you are not up to speed in some areas, perhaps you have not done much maths or written an essay for a few years. This module offers you the opportunity to develop key skills in a Bioscience context; these skills include understanding and manipulating quantitative data, using computers, communicating information in written form and practical work. The module is designed to provide you with the basic skill set that you will need to be successful on your chosen programme of study. Development of these skills will of course continue throughout your 3 or 4 years of undergraduate study and you will find that these “personal transferable skills” much sought after by employers.
Most of the content of the module is delivered through workshops where you can work through problems and examples and get help with the parts that you find difficult. You will also take part in 3 practical classes which are focussed on laboratory techniques and allow you to practice your lab skills in readiness for the practical components of your other modules.
Clear writing and expression are very important in scientific communication. Some of you may not have written an essay for a few years and some of you will need to adjust to a different way of researching your essay and presenting the material. You will be guided through this process by your personal tutor and your tutorial essays will contribute to the assessment for this module.