A week in the life of a Biomedical Science student
You might be wondering what life will be like at university – from how many lectures you’ll have to what you can get up to outside of your studies. Explore a typical week in Year 1, Semester 1 for a Biomedical Science student at Surrey. Next year it could be you!
In your first year, you'll study topics that are fundamental to biomedical science, giving you a strong foundation on which to build the rest of your degree.
Monday
The week kicks off at 9am with a one-hour lecture on Cell Biology. With an early start, there won’t be much time for a lie-in, but don’t worry, your next lecture doesn’t start until 12pm so you’ve got time to grab a coffee or snack and prepare for the day ahead. After your 12pm lecture on Microbiology: An Introduction to the Microbial World, you’ve got time to get lunch afterwards.
You’ll be based on our Stag Hill campus and there are lots of places to get food – Lakeside Coffee, Hillside Coffee and Food Court, Young’s Kitchen, The Hideout, The Sir Ronald Wates (our Wetherspoons pub) or the Co-op. If you’ve brought your own lunch and need to heat it up, you can go to our Biosciences Dot and use the microwaves there.
Your day will finish with a lecture on Fundamental Molecules and Processes in Biochemistry at 3pm, followed by a two-hour group tutorial for the Exploring Biosciences – Skills for Success module, wrapping up at 6pm.
Tuesday
You’ll be back at it at 9am with a two-hour lab session in our Innovation for Health Learning Lab (IFH) – a truly enjoyable space to work in, with lots of natural light, screens to see demonstrations and supporting materials up close, and friendly lab technicians to help you. In the afternoon, it’s back to microbiology with a one-hour lecture at 2pm, followed by a seminar for the Personal and Professional Development (PDP) Programme from 3pm to 4pm. If the weather’s nice, you could hang out by our lake, a 7-minute walk from IFH.
Watch our Insta360 tour of our IFH Lab and Biosciences Dot
Wednesday
Teaching takes place in the morning on Wednesdays to leave the afternoon free for sports or society activities. You’ll have three one-hour lectures between 9am and 1pm on microbiology, skills for success and cell biology.
If you’ve joined one of our Team Surrey sports teams you’ll attend practice and compete at Surrey Sports Park (SSP), or you might want to head to SSP anyway and go to the gym or do a class. There are several membership options available for students, including a student sports pass. You can get the bus, cycle, walk or drive to our Manor Park campus.
If you’ve joined any of our 170+ clubs and societies, which include our Biosciences Society, you could have activities lined up with them.
Thursday
A three-hour lab practical in IFH from 10am–1pm is all your uni time today. With the afternoon free, you might head home or go to the Library or another spot on campus, like the Hive or the Nest, to do some work. You could also get some food from our Thursday food market.
Explore our campus study spots
Friday
It’s a busy end to the week, with two tutorials and a lecture from 9am to 12pm (microbiology, cell biology and biochemistry) and two lectures from 2pm to 4pm (skills for success, biochemistry). Then the weekend is yours!
One of the great things about Surrey is the beautiful countryside surrounding our campus. If you like the outdoors, there is plenty to explore in the Surrey Hills (an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) or along the River Wey, whether you’re walking, running, cycling or paddleboarding. And Guildford’s historic High Street has lots of shops, restaurants and cafés, and plenty of nightlife too. If you want to stay on campus, you could go to The Sir Ronald Wates then Rubix, our on-site nightclub – before catching up on sleep!
Discover some highlights of Guildford’s High Street
Please note: the timetable referenced above is indicative, reflecting the information available for a typical week in Semester 1 for the 2026–2027 year at the time of publication. Weekly timetables can vary throughout the semester.
