A week in the life of a Paramedic Science student
You might be wondering what life will be like at university – from how many seminars 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 Paramedic Science student at Surrey. Next year it could be you!
In your first semester as a student paramedic, you'll learn in the classroom and simulation suite, building your knowledge and practical skills, with plenty of time to study, prepare and consolidate your learning.
Monday
In Semester 1 of first year, you'll have two taught days per week. On your first teaching day, you'll learn alongside our adult, child and mental health nurses and midwives as part of the core shared curriculum. This interprofessional aspect of the course is really important, as it provides an understanding of how different healthcare disciplines provide patient care and how they interact with each other.
You'll develop interpersonal and professional skills, and learn core clinical skills such as basic life support, communication, and clinical interaction.
Your learning takes place in our Kate Granger Building, the home of our School of Health Sciences. At the heart of the building is our Clinical Simulation Centre, complete with wards, a critical care unit, a community flat, an ambulance bay with a real ambulance, and an immersive learning environment.
Tuesday
This is the first of three days each week that are reserved for self-directed study. You might want to do some independent or group study at our Library or one of our other study spots, like the Hive or the Nest on our Stag Hill campus. If you're in accommodation on our Manor Park campus, you could go to Manor Park Social or the Health Sciences Dot in our Kate Granger Building, which is our common room for health sciences students.
Explore our campus study spots
Across our campuses, we have lots of places to get food and drink. This includes Hillside Coffee and Food Court, Young’s Kitchen, and our new Wetherspoons pub The Sir Ronald Wates on our Stag Hill campus, and Café Priestley Road (in the Kate Granger Building) and Manor Park Social on our Manor Park campus. There is also a Tesco Superstore conveniently located between the two.
Wednesday
This is another self-directed learning day. Across our undergraduate courses, Wednesday afternoons are left free for sports or society activities. So you could spend the morning studying, grab lunch on campus, then head to Surrey Sports Park if you've joined a Team Surrey sports club. Or you may have a society activity planned if you've joined any of our 170+ clubs and societies, including our Paramedic Society.
Clubs and societies are a great opportunity to meet people and explore interests outside of, or related to, your course. Our societies cover everything from cultures and countries, sports and hobbies to animals, activism and neurodivergence.
Thursday
This is your second teaching day and it's specific to paramedic science. These sessions build on your learning from earlier in the week but apply it specifically to paramedic practice and the unique challenges of working in pre-hospital and ambulance settings. These days combine theory and practice, so you'll mix classroom learning with simulation, using our ambulance bay and practising scenarios in our Immersive Learning Environment.
Friday
Your final self-directed study day before the weekend. By now, you'll be familiar with your preferred spots on campus for studying and relaxing. If you've joined Surrey Sports Park, you could spend part of the day in the gym, doing a class, or using the many facilities available like the climbing wall and squash, tennis and badminton courts. There are several memberships available, including a student sport pass.
With the weekend ahead, you might plan to do some exploring. 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. You could also go further afield and visit London, 35 minutes by train, or Portsmouth and Southsea for a day by the coast.
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.
