the whole of second year sucks, i'm sorry. this module is one of the reasons why.

Alright, strap in folks, jaded final year student year giving you some real talk.

Unfortunately, all the optional second year biochemistry modules are shite, with the possible exception of the plant biochemistry one. But developmental biology one is up there with the worst. I know biology gets loads of choice for second year, but your final year options are even worse than the biochem second year options so there. Biomed, idk what to say, I think you'll be fine.

What's most annoying about this course is that, when you come to revision, you'll realise that what the course actually teaches is all the molecular and cellular processes involved in vertebrate development, from a sperm fertilising an egg all the way through to a fairly well developed embryo in quite some depth which, at least if you're a nerd like me, is really quite interesting. Almost magical.

Unfortunately, this course on its own fails to deliver that impression. None of these ideas are delivered in order, so the lectures jump around what should be a linear path with no continuity. The content itself is actually quite conceptually complex and is quite a leap from first year. Oh yeah, that's another thing. Likely no-one will have mentioned this, but the jump from first year to second year is quite significant. And first year does not sufficiently lay the academic foundations for second year. Anyway, the fact that the stuff is hard isn't bad, this is graduate-level after all, but unfortunately the lecturers don't really help make it that much easier. It is very much here is twenty lectures worth of content, please go away and learn it, see you in the exam hall. Which, unfortunately, is a bit of trend for second year modules. I feel like I'm using the word unfortunately a lot.

TLDR: second year sucks, there are no "good" modules, just pick the ones your friends are doing so you won't suffer alone. The specific content of each is fairly irrelevant, unless you actually are interested in it, in which case, lucky you. Remember, at the end of the day, all your degree proves is that you're a certain level of clever so other people e.g. employers can screen you more easily. Except as the average standard of a graduate has slowly declined as a greater proportion of people have gone to uni, employers have been forced into implementing their own independent admissions processes, so the whole thing is a waste of time and doesn't even adequately prepare you for a career in academia haha!

I recognise this sounds like a bit of a downer, but in a way I think it's actually quite liberating. Once you realise the whole thing is a mess, it frees you up to focus on the things that really matter i.e. your health, your friends and your family. Everything else you do is just to make sure those three things stay positive. I spent all of second year in a state of permanent stress because I couldn't work out what it was I was supposed to be doing, because for the first time in my life the primary institution that had previously defined that for me (education) wasn't. It's only now that I have worked out that it's you that decide what you're supposed to do. If you do need a high grade to get into that post-grad course or selective grad scheme or whatever, then more power to you, set your goals, do the work and I wish you the best of luck. If you think your academic achievement is less relevant to what you want to achieve in life, f*** it. Put more energy into the other things in your life that you value. Just think about what it is that you do want and what you need to do to make it happen. You'll likely find that your degree classification is, in the grand scheme of things, only of marginal or temporary importance.

I hope this reaches anyone that is struggling or worried about the future of uni and beyond, I know I was at this point. And I still am, for sure, but I also have a bit more perspective that allows me to recognise my own strengths, my own weaknesses and what it is that truly matters to me. Just because you aren't top of your class or even in the top two thirds, or you didn't secure that coveted placement and you feel lost, alone and worthless does NOT mean that you are any of those things. This is an unprecedented time in your life for you to be able to explore yourself and the world around you with little to no long-term repercussions. Unfortunately (i've got to find another word), we spend all too much time stressing over which module I should pick and neglect some rather more important ideas like building self-confidence, understanding how the global financial system impacts you personally and learning to cook something with at least two vegetables that didn't come pre-frozen.

So with that, I hope this helps you make your decisions, whether that's what module you pick for next year or anything else. It's been a genuine honour to spend the last four years here, even if at some points it really, really hasn't felt like it. Peace.