My Experience Doing a Pharmacy Master’s at Nottingham University

We spent some time speaking to students studying at Nottingham University, currently living in Nottingham at The Vantage so that you can learn from their experience and make yours unforgettable. 

In this post we met and spoke with Dinobi, a masters pharmacy student at Nottingham University. She has quite a varied experience living in different accommodations since the start of her studies. Now since her gap year, from 2022 -2023 she’s  living as a masters student in The vantage.

Why did you choose to study pharmacy at Nottingham?

I really like chemistry, so I was interested in pursuing a healthcare course. I wasn’t really keen on studying medicine or traditional biochemistry. Nottingham has a really good pharmacy course, and had a really good rapport with my old-school, so a lot of my friends ended up coming here and so I suppose I wanted to come here too. 

My dad really cared about me going to a university that ranks well, and Nottingham ranks highly for pharmacy, so that helps. Also, there were quite a few opportunities to do sports at this university, which was important for me as I used to play rugby and it’s a big part of my life. 

How have you found your time at Nottingham?

I’ve really enjoyed it to be honest. I’ve been up here for a while now, and moving up with my friends made it feel like a new city but with the same friends. I’ve definitely made some new friends along the way too. Met one of my closest friends in my accommodation during my first year, and we ended up living together for second and third. So I’ve really enjoyed Nottingham, my course, the city and the uni.

You an check out Future Generation’s Nottingham Student Guide for tips on living here as a student.

How did you find the transition from school to uni life?

I haven’t found it too hard, to be honest. I’ve always been pretty independent, so cooking and cleaning weren’t new to me. I suppose my main struggles were getting used to a new city and expanding my friendship circle. Uni also expects you to take charge of your own work, which was different from school. No one is reminding you to do your homework or attendance anymore. It was a bit of a transition getting used to this aspect of school like but in terms of taking care of myself that hasn’t been too difficult. 

How have you found managing your time at uni?

I know that my attention span can be low at times, so I’ve set up a routine for myself. In my first year, I played rugby so we trained five times a week. I made sure to schedule everything around that and all the other things I had to do. Usually I’d be in uni from 9 until 4 then I’d head to rugby practice. It’s all about sticking to a schedule, something I got used to back in sixth form doing the IB.

How’s uni life changed over your four years of study in Nottingham?

Compared to my first year, I’m definitely going out a lot less now, so I’m spending more time at home by myself. Second and third year were during the COVID years, so things were quite different. I didn’t actually go into uni; I stayed at home with friends. Because of uni, I’ve learned a lot about self-motivation. I can’t always rely on just wanting to do something; I’ve got to actually do it. That’s something I’ve realised this year compared to previous ones. I’ve come to understand how important coursework and revision are. I can’t just coast through; I need to be more engaged.

In my fourth year, doing my masters and all, it’s been a lot more hands-on than before. In the first year, we mostly had lectures, maybe a few seminars, but not many interactive sessions in small groups. This year, there’s been a lot more in-person interaction and group work. Recently, as part of my course, I did something called PLM, where we ran a simulated pharmacy. It involved group work running a fake pharmacy. We’ve had a mix of synchronous and asynchronous lectures. I’ve chosen to stay home for some, but there have been lectures scattered throughout the week. Thursdays usually involve case studies that we work on together in class, so our contact hours have been quite high.

What do you love about Nottingham?

The city is super walkable for me – although my friends might not agree, I walk into uni every day. I’ve got three different routes that I switch between. Sometimes, my favourite one takes me along the canal. I absolutely love this part of Nottingham, especially around Vantage, where the canals are. I used to love going for runs down there all the time. Plus, there’s such a variety of restaurants in Nottingham. Having lived in London before, I can say it’s much more affordable here, with loads of student deals available. Clubbing isn’t really my thing anymore; I feel a bit old for it, but I like the student nights, especially on weekdays when there’s loads of people around. And there are some really good cafes nearby, which is a bonus.

Where do you like to study?

I’m a little lazy when it comes to studying, so I usually head downstairs to the study rooms in the Vantage building. They’re like the library but I prefer the vibes downstairs. The rooms have these big windows where you can watch the world go by, which is a vibe. I usually have to book ahead though, especially when it’s busy. I aim for late afternoons so I can catch the sunset while I’m studying.

Why did you pick the Vantage for your student accommodation?

Before my gap year, I had planned on living at the Lace Works, but all the studio spaces were already gone. Anyway, when I got back, I remembered passing by the Vantage building while driving and thinking, “That place looks nice.” Turns out, it was a good choice. If I’d stuck with the Lace Works, I think I would have felt pretty lonely since all my friends are back home and I was worried I wouldn’t make any new friends in my final year at uni. But The Vantage turned out to be a really great place to live – the rooms are comfy, and having a TV in my room is a bonus. The only downside I’d say is not having a wardrobe, however, that’s also turned out to be ok as I have a little more space to hand my clothes with an open rack. Overall, I’m happy with my decision. Plus, having a cleaning team is great; student kitchens can get pretty disgusting sometimes.

Another big reason I went for Vantage was the gym. I looked at a few other places, but none had a gym as good as this one. Pure Gym, the closest one, would’ve been a trek to get to, especially late at night. Having the gym right downstairs is great. So the gym for me is the best thing about living here.

What was moving into the Vantage like?

Initially, moving in felt a bit strange since my housemates had already been here for two or three years. It was like stepping into someone else’s home, with their own decorations and LED lights everywhere. It took some getting used to, but they were really welcoming. There are five guys and one girl, which might seem like an odd ratio, but we all get along really well, which is pretty cool.

My tips for new students:

• Number one, get to know your flatmates! Moving into a new place can be a bit weird at first, and building a good relationship with your flatmates can make the whole experience a lot smoother.
• Make sure to spend time on campus. It’s a great way to meet new people outside of your usual circles.
• Step out of your comfort zone and explore new places in the city. Whether it’s visiting a castle or trying out different restaurants, it’s a fantastic way to get to know the area better.
• Time goes by a lot faster than you think, so enjoy every moment of being away from home and having fewer responsibilities.
• Don’t spend all your money in one place, you don’t need to eat out every week. There’s a really good app called Too Good to go, where you buy boxes from restaurants full of food that would have been thrown out. I got a box once that would have been worth £24 for £3.99!