I've had great support on the course.

What made you want to study your course?

I've always had a love of animals and the natural world so I was interested in learning more about them, particularly understanding how animals interact with each other and the environments they live in.

What made you decide to study at the University of Sheffield?

I was really impressed by the variety of topics taught on the course, the feedback from students on open days and the reputation of Sheffield's great SU + student life. I also really liked the city upon visiting for open days.

What have you enjoyed most about your course so far?

I have really enjoyed the variety of different topics I've been able to pursue and learn about, from science communication with experience in documentary making, to modelling ecosystems and learning so many amazing facts about animal adaptations. 

The lecturers are so enthusiastic about the topics they teach, often including their own research and new developments in the field alongside the main teaching material when delivering lectures. I've had great support on the course, my lecturers and supervisors are very helpful, always willing to provide assistance in understanding difficult concepts, answer any questions I have and give suggestions for extra reading in topics I've been interested about.  

I also really enjoyed being able to use the Alfred Denny Museum as part of my study and also work there on my year long placement - it is a fascinating museum with so many unique specimens that helped me learn more about and appreciate the sheer diversity of animal life.

What skills have you developed during your course?

Programming (in r studio), data analysis, research, critical thinking, academic writing, presentation, creativity, team work, resilience, problem solving, science communication and field-work skills e.g. surveying practice, ecological identification.

I can guarantee you'll make lots of friends with shared interests, we zoologists are very friendly - there's also lots of societies relating to zoology/ the environment such as animal and plant society, nature and wildlife society, duck society and more - so lots to get involved in!"

Kane Dibb

Zoology with Placement Year BSc

What did you do for your placement year?

I was a Digitisation and Communications Officer at the Alfred Denny Zoological Museum at the University of Sheffield.

Over my placement I worked to increase the online presence of the Alfred Denny Museum through the creation of a website, management of our social media and developing virtual reality experiences for visitors to access remotely. I also investigated and laid out guidelines for the digitisation of our collections, running a pilot project with the University Herbarium and working to make our archives more accessible.

Additionally I helped organise more outreach events, run educational workshops and deliver our monthly tours alongside our tour guides.

What were the best things about your placement?

I really enjoyed the freedom and creativity I was able to employ over the placement to carry out my tasks and develop new skills from 3D scanning to graphic design and even video editing. I always found my work interesting and I was very passionate about working with the museum and found so much of its history fascinating, so it was never boring. I am very proud of my accomplishments.

What are you planning to do after your degree?

Continue down the route of scientific education/outreach working in a museum, zoo or nature reserve.

What would you say to a student thinking about studying your course at Sheffield?

Absolutely go for it - you will find it really interesting and there are so many different routes you can follow depending on what you are passionate about, everything from genetics to paleobiology to food-web interactions and more - you'll find something that really captures your interests, there is something for everyone (and often you'll find out about some topic you didn't even know about and become captivated with it).

I can guarantee you'll make lots of friends with shared interests, we zoologists are very friendly - there's also lots of societies relating to zoology/ the environment such as animal and plant society, nature and wildlife society, duck society and more - so lots to get involved in!