If it hadn't been for... the extensive experience I had gained from SETU, I don't think I'd have gotten onto the grad programme. There were over 500 applicants and it was my time in SETU that set me apart."
SETU Graduate, Adam James
Adam James is a past pupil of De La Salle College, Waterford city. He studied the BSc (Hons) in Molecular Biology with Biopharmaceutical Science at SETU before joining EirGen on its graduate programme.
Renowned Science faculty
I'm from Waterford and during my final year in secondary school I knew I wanted to do a course in the STEM stream. After a lot of research, I realised that SETU had a fantastic array of courses and a renowned Science faculty. I decided to apply for the common entry Science degree, that way I could make an informed decision as to what science stream I wanted to pursue. That was how I ended up going down the biology route. I haven't looked back since.
Adam James
SETU at first was a massive change, I thought that going to my local college would put me at a disadvantage to my peers in that I wouldn't get the "full college experience" but I couldn't be more wrong. Within weeks I had settled into my course, made a whole new group of friends and joined the Kayaking club. Fast forward a year, I was captain of the kayaking club and flying it in my course. My lecturers were phenomenal mentors, throughout the entirety of the course it was clear they wanted to help develop each individual in my course into a biologist ready for either the commercial or academic sector. Comparatively to other similar courses in Universities and colleges in other parts of the country, my course size was quite small, facilitating easy one-to-one interaction between lecturers and students, a major advantage.
The course content, although challenging, resulted in me learning about all things biology at a rapid, yet in-depth pace. Every element of me as a professional scientist was being developed in each module I undertook.
Very best knowledge
If you want to be given the very best knowledge and skillset, both practically and academically and to become one of the more desirable biology graduates to industry and research bodies alike, pick this course.
Work placement
I entered into the course just before it was updated to include the third year work placement and so I had to seek my own. I didn't have to look too far as in the summer after my third year in SETU I underwent a three-month internship in one of the research centres in SETU. This was of phenomenal benefit to me, I am where I am on the back of the fantastic experience and knowledge I gained from this research internship which set me apart from other job applicants. This was only possible by the relationships I had built with lecturers in SETU's biology department.
Close industry ties
SETU holds close ties with industries in Waterford. If it hadn't been for that and the extensive experience I had gained from SETU, I don't think I'd have gotten onto the grad programme. There were over 500 applicants and it was my time in SETU that set me apart.
Excellent preparation
SETU prepared me by giving me extensive knowledge in this field. I also gained essential practical lab experience in my course. What I also gained by going to SETU however, and it's something that is often overlooked is the people skills I gained by going to a college that puts so much emphasis on social activities. A massive part of my college experience was my time in the SETU kayaking club where I gained skills in teamwork but also in leadership and organisation coming from my year of being the captain (chairperson) of the club.
Eirgen Graduate Programme
I got word of the graduate programme from my final year project supervisor, again this ties into my previous point about SETU having such close ties to local industry, really giving its students the edge in finding employment. This also speaks a lot about EirGen which is very similar to SETU in the sense of its awareness and interaction with the surrounding community. Being a Waterford business it emphasizes supporting STEM in SETU and supporting graduates and students from SETU, one of the most surprising things to me upon starting was the amount of alumni who are employed here at all levels.
A rounded professional
The programme I feel is giving me the very best foundation for my career as a Microbiologist in the Pharma sector. Here, I am being trained to become a rounded professional in the industry, in the lab I am being trained in a lot of areas as part of my training plan, outside of the lab I am being taught other essential skills in the day-to-day running of the microbiology department by my colleagues and area manager who have years of experience from working in labs across the world. The difference between the programme and starting as an entry-level analyst is that as part of the graduate programme, you have a comprehensive training plan set out for you. This includes targets you have to meet at various time points, as a result, you get trained in far more areas in a much shorter period which ultimately accelerates your career development and progression in whatever stream you set out on.
