My experience as a second year Ecology and Conservation degree student at Brighton 

Why I chose to study Ecology and Conservation 

Ever since I can remember I have been intrigued by wildlife. Growing up I used to spend my time watching nature documentaries, alongside visiting zoos and natural history museums. I grew up in the Chilterns where I was lucky to be surrounded by an amazing natural landscape, which was also home to the extremely successful Red Kite reintroduction. All of this fed my intrigue, leading me to study Ecology and Conservation at the University of Brighton. 

The course was structured in a way that built on my existing knowledge and allowed room for me to develop my personal areas of interest. The University of Brighton is also one of the best places in the UK to study Ecology and Conservation because of its proximity to the South Downs National Park and the UNESCO Living Coast Biosphere. 

What a typical week of studying Ecology and Conservation looks like 

I have just wrapped up the second year of my degree in Ecology and Conservation and have learnt so much, the subject is my passion in life. 

This past semester I have had roughly 14 hours of contact time per week, which consisted of 2-hour lectures for each of my yearlong modules, along with 1-hour lectures and 3-hour computer lab workshops for my semester 2 module. 

Some weeks I have extra contact time where lab sessions and fieldwork have been scheduled. I have had a diverse range of content this year from Physiology to Behavioural and Evolutionary Biology. 

My favourite module this year was the module on Population Biology; I enjoy using the many computer labs for experiments with various modelling software and learning about conservation genetics as part of the module. 

I think my standout experience this year has been a 5-day fieldtrip to Wales, where I undertook fieldwork as part of my Aquatic Ecology module. Whilst the weather was less than ideal, it was a great opportunity to apply my theoretical knowledge to a practical scenario. The freshwater macroinvertebrate surveys on this fieldtrip inspired my third-year research project too, which I am excited to begin soon. 

This year I have also been challenged by a module on GIS (Geographic Information Systems). This consisted of learning a new software and presenting data on maps, something I hadn’t done before. 

What I do outside of my Ecology and Conservation studies 

To help finance my time at University I have a couple of part time jobs; I regularly work in the Brighton Students’ Union shop, which has been an extremely flexible and consistent source of income. In addition to this, I do ad hoc work for the university as a Student Ambassador. I really enjoy this work as it allows me to work a range of shifts and meet all sorts of new people. 

Aside from my work, I am also a committee member for the Ecological Society. The society has proved to be a great social outlet with likeminded people, and being a committee member is a rewarding experience that builds upon my employability skills. 

What I hope to do after my Ecology and Conservation degree 

After I complete my bachelor’s degree, I hope to go on to study a master’s and PhD.
My long-term career goal is to work in research, specifically in the field of Conservation Ecology. Whilst I realise this is ambitious, my time at Brighton is setting me up for the best chances of success! 

Alongside my time at University, I have tried to volunteer as much as I can with local environmental organisations to build up my species identification skills and develop a greater understanding of current conservation issues.

My third year will further prepare me for my future career with modules covering hot topics in the field as well as my personal research project.  

My time at Brighton has made my career goals seem more attainable, and with the support of the staff here I am optimistic that I will achieve my goals.