What Melina says about the Master's in Molecular Biology

Melina  from Greece

About the programme and the teaching style 

What do you think of your programme so far? 

"I really like it! What I like the most is that it's very flexible. There are lots of courses that we can choose from. The courses are not all in a specific part of the molecular biology field, but they are a range of areas of molecular biology. Depending on your interests, you can shape the programme how you’d like. I find that very refreshing to not need a specific programme that you need to follow. Also, I really like the fact that we can do projects or applied work and that can be either part-time, full-time or during summer. Instead of courses, you can take a project and then be in the lab performing your project and learning practical techniques."  

Why did you choose to study this programme here at Lund? 

"In my Bachelor’s, I studied general biology. I wanted to do a Master’s programme that dives more deeply into the field of molecular biology, but also offers a variety of subjects I could choose from. I did a very detailed search and I looked into a lot of universities. I felt like the programme here in Lund was one of the programmes that fit my interests the most. I already knew that Lund University was one of the best universities in the world, and I already had a friend here, so all of this played a role in my choosing Lund in particular."

What is day-to-day life like in your programme?  

"Most of the courses have been divided into a theoretical part with lectures and a laboratory part. For the labs, we have some assignments and exercises that need to be completed by the end of the course in the laboratory. Usually, it's pretty balanced. I was glad that it was not just theoretical, because we are biologists, and we have to have experienced doing the lab work. I can say that it is pretty intense, but not overwhelming. Of course, you are learning a lot, but you are doing a Master’s, so it must be more demanding than doing your Bachelor’s."

What is the teaching style like in your programme? 

"In general, I really like the teaching style here in Lund. I think it reflects the teaching style of all of Sweden. Coming from Greece, it was surprising to address your professors by their first names! That was really weird in the beginning, but I feel like the teachers are more approachable here. We are allowed to interact with them freely and we can ask any questions we have. It is very easy to communicate with them. We could drop by their office, and I also really like the fact they are really open to getting feedback from the students. We even had professors who asked for feedback directly. After the course and some classes, they wanted to know what they can do to keep the courses improving."

How international is your programme? 

"I would say it is quite international. From what I know, we have people from literally all over the world. Of course, there are Swedish students too. However, in my courses, I think the minority was Swedish students. I also think it depends on the course. Maybe some courses are more popular than others based on their past experiences. It is nice to meet people from around the world, and learn about their cultures and it is super eye-opening."

Looking at your post-graduate career, do you feel that this programme will help you get to the next stage?

"Yes! To be honest, I do not know exactly what I am going to do after my studies here. I think it is pretty much the same for everyone. Some people go for their PhD, some people go work for companies or the industry. I don’t know yet, but I will have to start thinking about that soon. One thing that Lund University and the programme have given me has been both theoretical and practical knowledge, but also the chance to network with professors, post-docs and PhD students. That way, you can find out specific labs that might be interesting for you. We also have the Master’s thesis where we can choose the credits and work in a lab. I expanded my network quite a lot. Lund has a student organisation called Synapse (more information below). This organisation is for life science students, so as a student in Molecular Biology, I was able to join. We work to organise events, learn about companies and we get to expand our network even more. Now I have a lot of possibilities and I just need to think about what I want to do later."

About Synapse (synapse-connect.org)

Student life and tips for prospective students 

What do you think of student life at Lund? 

"Lund is definitely a student city. About half of the population are students, so even if you don’t want to, you will get involved in student life in some way. Student life is very vibrant and it is very fun. There are always activities around and there is always something to do with the nations. They are the heart of student life. You have a lot of possibilities daily and you go to nations for lunch, brunches, clubs and so much more. You can go on hikes or walks to the beach when the weather is nice. Lund is also small, so anyone can go anywhere in a short amount of time. The fact that it's small, helps to build a sense of community, but it's never boring."

Do you have any advice for prospective students who want to study at Lund? 

"If you are coming to Sweden from Greece like me, or any other warm and sunny part of the world, I just want to say please be prepared for the winter and the dark. It is not as bad as in the northern parts of Sweden, but for me the difference was noticeable. You don’t need to do something in particular, but please be mentally prepared for that and it will be okay. Also, invest in some warm clothes and shoes if you are coming to Lund during the winter. Make sure you take breaks from studying, enjoy a hobby and partake in the fun to get through the dark and cold period of winter. Be sure to take advantage of the student discounts, the nations and the discounts for transportation. Sweden isn’t the cheapest country in the world, but there are lots of opportunities to save money.  

As for the programme, I would say go for it! You won’t regret it. If you study my programme, you will gain practical and theoretical knowledge and you will really enjoy your time at Lund in general."