• Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!

Starting University?

Status
Not open for further replies.

Nym

Established Member
Joined
2 Mar 2007
Messages
9,098
Location
Somewhere, not in London
After all the congratulations of A Level Results, I thought it may be pertinent to extend a remote welcome to all of us starting university this month?

Myself, I am lucky enough to be returning to university for my 2nd year of a Part Time MSc.

I'd also like to wish all of those luck in what they're doing (hopefully something useful), with a special welcome to those not choosing the HE route, anyone on Advanced or Standard Apprenticeships, equal levels of good luck to yourselves.

Anyone else starting the next phase of their studies or training this year?
 
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

hassaanhc

Established Member
Joined
5 Jan 2014
Messages
2,206
Location
Southall
Starting Year 2 of BSc Computer Science, first lectures tomorrow :o although moved into halls on 19 September :D. I couldn't have asked for better flatmates :)
Also need to concentrate on studies this time, don't want to have any resits :oops:
 

ralphchadkirk

Established Member
Joined
20 Oct 2008
Messages
5,753
Location
Essex
Just got out of all that saying I'll never go back, and now I'm thinking of doing a masters.
 

crehld

Established Member
Joined
1 Nov 2014
Messages
1,994
Location
Norfolk
As a member of academic staff at university, allow me to extend my welcome to all those starting or returning to university. Best of luck with your studies and I hope you enjoy your time :)
 

DarloRich

Veteran Member
Joined
12 Oct 2010
Messages
29,182
Location
Fenny Stratford
just spend as much time as possible drinking and trying to sleep with people. Enjoy yourself!

The work is easy, you don't have to turn up half the time and you will have the most money you will ever have in your life to waste on nothing of importance. Just have fun. Unless you are the most incredibly dense person in the world a degree will happen after 3 years.
 

crehld

Established Member
Joined
1 Nov 2014
Messages
1,994
Location
Norfolk
just spend as much time as possible drinking and trying to sleep with people. Enjoy yourself!

The work is easy, you don't have to turn up half the time and you will have the most money you will ever have in your life to waste on nothing of importance. Just have fun. Unless you are the most incredibly dense person in the world a degree will happen after 3 years.
You're either trolling or have no idea what a university education involves! Or perhaps a bit of both.
 

DarloRich

Veteran Member
Joined
12 Oct 2010
Messages
29,182
Location
Fenny Stratford
You're either trolling or have no idea what a university education involves! Or perhaps a bit of both.

I have a pretty good idea what a university education consists of seeing as I have a degree after a 4 year full time course! :roll: ( although , admittedly it was an increasingly long time ago ;) )
 
Last edited:

TheNewNo2

Member
Joined
31 Mar 2015
Messages
1,008
Location
Canary Wharf
just spend as much time as possible drinking and trying to sleep with people. Enjoy yourself!

The work is easy, you don't have to turn up half the time and you will have the most money you will ever have in your life to waste on nothing of importance. Just have fun. Unless you are the most incredibly dense person in the world a degree will happen after 3 years.

You're either trolling or have no idea what a university education involves! Or perhaps a bit of both.

It really depends what sort of degree you're on and how smart you are. Also where you are - at Nottingham, the first year doesn't count towards your degree, you just have to pass it. Maths and such subjects with "right" answers also lend themselves to being eminently skippable - take this from someone with a PhD in the subject. However you should certainly go to lectures, but don't be too worried if you miss a few.

I have a few suggestions for freshers, and returners:

1) You will either love freshers week or despise it with a passion. University is a time to try new things, but don't be pressured to do stuff you don't want. You will make friends in all sorts of things, it doesn't have to be with the annoying drinking crowd.

2) There is a club which will do exactly what you want. No matter how insane your tastes.

3) Get involved in student politics, or organisations of some kind. I was the president of my (postgrad) hall of residence, and served on several SU committees relating to elections and bye-laws. There are places as representatives for courses, for clubs, for minorities... You can get to fight for what you care about, plus it looks good on your CV.

4) University is not about what you learn, it's about learning how to think. Unless you do medicine or something similar, it's fairly unlikely you'll ever use what you learn. But what you do use are the methods of thinking.

5) Everywhere has free pizza.

6) Have fun.
 

crehld

Established Member
Joined
1 Nov 2014
Messages
1,994
Location
Norfolk
It really depends what sort of degree you're on and how smart you are. Also where you are - at Nottingham, the first year doesn't count towards your degree, you just have to pass it. Maths and such subjects with "right" answers also lend themselves to being eminently skippable - take this from someone with a PhD in the subject. However you should certainly go to lectures, but don't be too worried if you miss a few.

I have a few suggestions for freshers, and returners:

1) You will either love freshers week or despise it with a passion. University is a time to try new things, but don't be pressured to do stuff you don't want. You will make friends in all sorts of things, it doesn't have to be with the annoying drinking crowd.

2) There is a club which will do exactly what you want. No matter how insane your tastes.

3) Get involved in student politics, or organisations of some kind. I was the president of my (postgrad) hall of residence, and served on several SU committees relating to elections and bye-laws. There are places as representatives for courses, for clubs, for minorities... You can get to fight for what you care about, plus it looks good on your CV.

4) University is not about what you learn, it's about learning how to think. Unless you do medicine or something similar, it's fairly unlikely you'll ever use what you learn. But what you do use are the methods of thinking.

5) Everywhere has free pizza.

6) Have fun.

Excellent advice. Especially Nos. 3 and 4.
 

DarloRich

Veteran Member
Joined
12 Oct 2010
Messages
29,182
Location
Fenny Stratford
Just relax, take it easy and enjoy it.

The work isn't that hard as long as you understand what is being tested, where (and how) to find the information required and how to present that information in a logical, mature fashion.

As set out above learning how to learn, research and think for yourself and developing the self discipline required to do this when you really need to and it REALLY matters is a key skill.
 

ralphchadkirk

Established Member
Joined
20 Oct 2008
Messages
5,753
Location
Essex
Make time, especially in your first year, to meet people. You make friends for life at that stage, and I know a few people who ended up marrying partners they met in halls in their first week!

Work hard, but make sure you don't become a slave to your work (that happens when you're writing your dissertation!). Learn how to research, argue and think.
 
Last edited:

43074

Established Member
Joined
10 Oct 2012
Messages
2,003
1) You will either love freshers week or despise it with a passion. University is a time to try new things, but don't be pressured to do stuff you don't want. You will make friends in all sorts of things, it doesn't have to be with the annoying drinking crowd.

2) There is a club which will do exactly what you want. No matter how insane your tastes.
...
5) Everywhere has free pizza.

I've just started at University; fresher's week was last week and I have to say I wasn't all too keen to be honest, too much emphasis on drinking/partying with loud music etc etc which isn't really my favourite way of socialising. My flatmates are great though, and I'm getting to know my course mates - a few of us (all into transport etc) went out on a West Yorkshire Day Rover on Saturday to get to know each other better, and group activities and tutorials are helping there too. I've also joined a couple of societies to help on the social side... I'm a bit of an introvert but have been getting involved nonetheless.

The free food (I've sampled cakes, doughnuts, pizza etc) is definitely a plus as well!
 

CC 72100

Established Member
Joined
23 Jan 2012
Messages
3,777
Can't believe it was almost 4 years ago - real world time for me as some of my friends refuse to leave uni and are doing a Masters.

I've just started at University; fresher's week was last week and I have to say I wasn't all too keen to be honest, too much emphasis on drinking/partying with loud music etc etc which isn't really my favourite way of socialising.!

Freshers week isn't the be and end all - the hype means that it is doubly-difficult for somebody to enjoy that environment if it really doesn't come naturally for them, as not only are they not enjoying it, they're not enjoying something that everybody has told them is the best week of their life.

There's plenty of other ways to socialise away from the clubs.
 

yorkie

Forum Staff
Staff Member
Administrator
Joined
6 Jun 2005
Messages
67,439
Location
Yorkshire
5) Everywhere has free pizza.
That reminds me... a word of advice: do not accept free toasties. You could be brainwashed! (and I'm not joking! It happened to a forum member here... none of us have seen him since!)
 

Domh245

Established Member
Joined
6 Apr 2013
Messages
8,426
Location
nowhere
I have just finished freshers week at University of Nottingham, lectures are ramping up, and I can agree with a few of the posts made already.
There is a lot of free pizza (and various other foods) around during freshers week. There was a party per night in the city centre, organised by the SU at the various nightclubs, but not being one for that kind of socialising, I mainly stayed in and met the people in the rest of my halls, oddly enough, they also weren't keen on clubbing, so there was a least some common ground! Try to get on with flatmates, I've been quite lucky with mine, because they are all pretty good, and we do help each other out a fair bit. Oh, and don't forget to join societies, they're also pretty good for meeting like-minded people (I couldn't find a Railsoc at Nottingham, is there such a thing? ;))

Unfortunately, being a Mech Eng student, I will almost certainly end up using what I learn, and to make matters worse, attendance is monitored, and does affect grades!
 

WestCoast

Established Member
Joined
19 Jun 2010
Messages
5,574
Location
Glasgow
Funnily enough I've just returned to my original university to complete my BSc. I first arrived four years ago, did first year, then had to take a year out due to a health problem. Did second year, then I went abroad to study and work in third year.

Make time, especially in your first year, to meet people. You make friends for life at that stage, and I know a few people who ended up marrying partners they met in halls in their first week!

Definitely, but I would also reassure freshers that it doesn't matter if you don't click with your flatmates/people living nearby. I remember liking clubbing to a certain extent during the first few months, but found that it quickly became boring (and very unhealthy) three or four times a week.

Do go out and join some clubs/societies, but actually the best friends I made were those on my course who I would see during the day. My course was quite heavy with seminars (Business Management / Modern Languages) so I got chatting to loads of people that way.
 
Last edited:

yorkie

Forum Staff
Staff Member
Administrator
Joined
6 Jun 2005
Messages
67,439
Location
Yorkshire
At some universities, religious people offer free toasties if you agree to talk about religious stuff, and they then try to brainwash you. I don't want to say any more than that though!

Anyway, another word of advice: get some work experience or voluntary work under your belt. It's great if you get a good degree but employers need to see that you have some experience.
 

WestCoast

Established Member
Joined
19 Jun 2010
Messages
5,574
Location
Glasgow
At some universities, religious people offer free toasties if you agree to talk about religious stuff, and they then try to brainwash you. I don't want to say any more than that

There were a couple of religious guys amongst my second year housemates and I do remember them preparing a lot of food to be given away at events like the freshers fair. They also handed bottles of water to people coming out of the local student union club night, possibly with messages on them.
 

LowLevel

Established Member
Joined
26 Oct 2013
Messages
7,546
I enjoyed uni. I spent my loan on rail rovers, beer and cheap pizza. I discovered a penchant for both genders and disturbed my housemates by failing to smuggle out other lads in the morning. I went to no lectures after the first month and sat the final exams, which I failed, so the student loans company couldn't take the money straight back as I'd technically completed the year.

I should probably say at the time I was very fed up of my abject failure, couldn't swallow my pride and get out so did nothing about it. However on the other hand I pay back north of £160 each month as a result (it's nearly done) and given the thousands of pounds a year in tax I pay while taking nothing back it probably cost me far more than it did on paper, as well as the shame of telling my parents etc. I'm sure the state is currently in profit by quite a margin and I wouldn't advise wasting a year of your life.

(For the avoidance of doubt I still earn over 30 grand a year and don't look back for a minute).

My real message is do what's right for you!
 

TheNewNo2

Member
Joined
31 Mar 2015
Messages
1,008
Location
Canary Wharf
I have just finished freshers week at University of Nottingham, lectures are ramping up, and I can agree with a few of the posts made already.
There is a lot of free pizza (and various other foods) around during freshers week. There was a party per night in the city centre, organised by the SU at the various nightclubs, but not being one for that kind of socialising, I mainly stayed in and met the people in the rest of my halls, oddly enough, they also weren't keen on clubbing, so there was a least some common ground! Try to get on with flatmates, I've been quite lucky with mine, because they are all pretty good, and we do help each other out a fair bit. Oh, and don't forget to join societies, they're also pretty good for meeting like-minded people (I couldn't find a Railsoc at Nottingham, is there such a thing? ;))

Unfortunately, being a Mech Eng student, I will almost certainly end up using what I learn, and to make matters worse, attendance is monitored, and does affect grades!

I spent 8yrs at Notts, loved most of it. What hall are you in? I was Nightingale and then Melton (the one no one knows exists) as a postgraduate.

Oh, and remember you have a university email account - I knew a guy who didn't discover his for months, and spent the first semester wondering why he never saw his tutor.
 
Last edited:

DynamicSpirit

Established Member
Joined
12 Apr 2012
Messages
8,027
Location
SE London
At some universities, religious people offer free toasties if you agree to talk about religious stuff, and they then try to brainwash you. I don't want to say any more than that though!

Doubtless these people will try to convince you of the merits of their beliefs (as would members of almost any political or campaigning group). But by itself that hardly merits the use of the term 'brainwash'.
 

Iskra

Established Member
Joined
11 Jun 2014
Messages
7,787
Location
West Riding
Just got out of all that saying I'll never go back, and now I'm thinking of doing a masters.

I thought that, then I went back and did a Masters from a top business school. I hated it as I was both the only English person on my course and in my accommodation. Nothing against foreign people as individuals, but they all stuck to their own nationality-based cliques, so socially it was like pulling-teeth at times, and defeated the point of them studying abroad. It also cost me an absolute fortune, that looking back I could have used so much better. So, be careful is my advice.

just spend as much time as possible drinking and trying to sleep with people. Enjoy yourself!

The work is easy, you don't have to turn up half the time and you will have the most money you will ever have in your life to waste on nothing of importance. Just have fun. Unless you are the most incredibly dense person in the world a degree will happen after 3 years.

Agree with this. Most disposable income you will likely ever have, especially if you have a part-time job and work the summers.
 

Crossover

Established Member
Joined
4 Jun 2009
Messages
9,247
Location
Yorkshire
Yes, good luck to all those heading to uni over the coming weeks - can't quite believe it is now 4 years since I graduated!

It really depends what sort of degree you're on and how smart you are. Also where you are - at Nottingham, the first year doesn't count towards your degree, you just have to pass it. Maths and such subjects with "right" answers also lend themselves to being eminently skippable - take this from someone with a PhD in the subject. However you should certainly go to lectures, but don't be too worried if you miss a few.

I have a few suggestions for freshers, and returners:

1) You will either love freshers week or despise it with a passion. University is a time to try new things, but don't be pressured to do stuff you don't want. You will make friends in all sorts of things, it doesn't have to be with the annoying drinking crowd.

2) There is a club which will do exactly what you want. No matter how insane your tastes.

3) Get involved in student politics, or organisations of some kind. I was the president of my (postgrad) hall of residence, and served on several SU committees relating to elections and bye-laws. There are places as representatives for courses, for clubs, for minorities... You can get to fight for what you care about, plus it looks good on your CV.

4) University is not about what you learn, it's about learning how to think. Unless you do medicine or something similar, it's fairly unlikely you'll ever use what you learn. But what you do use are the methods of thinking.

5) Everywhere has free pizza.

6) Have fun.

Can't fault any of that - but just to pick up on the first point, contrary to popular belief, uni doesn't have to be a means of getting drunk every night and there will be people who feel likewise. I went to the SU a handful of times in Freshers Week, just to get a feel for it and to get to see and meet people. Invariably though, I ended up meeting people in my halls that preferred to stay in and play games, watch films etc and in the end I think I went to the SU only a handful of times (and mostly to support friends who had some involvement in a gig or such) - either way I had a great time (even though I was apprehensive of the whole thing during the first semester) and look back on my time fondly

That said, there may be the odd negatives here and there...I mean, it was essentially during my time at uni that I became interested in railways (it being my form of transport to get home on a weekend) and ultimately became a member here so, ya know ;););)
 

Tetchytyke

Veteran Member
Joined
12 Sep 2013
Messages
13,305
Location
Isle of Man
Students who fail their course pay the loans back in exactly the same way students who pass their course do. And if they drop out with only one year's funding to repay, they're a lot more likely to repay the full amount, plus interest, than students who complete their course, because of the way loan repayments are calculated.
 

Simon11

Established Member
Joined
7 Nov 2010
Messages
1,335
The work is easy, you don't have to turn up half the time and you will have the most money you will ever have in your life to waste on nothing of importance. Just have fun. Unless you are the most incredibly dense person in the world a degree will happen after 3 years.

I disagree that university should be a moment to just spend everything.

I used it as an opportunity to build up my savings, as I had plenty of free time to work part time (was doing around 30 hrs per week) and it was all tax free. Coming out of university, you then have a pot of money which can go forward purchase a place of your own.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Top