Original post by Razzamataz179First year, all you really have are lectures. For 2 of your modules, your time is spent between lectures and tutorial classes, where you go through questions on the last learnt topic. Other than that it's just a bunch of lectures, no labs in first year so couldn't comment on the facilities.
There aren't really ever gaps between lectures, unless you you have some after lunch in which case you have a one hour gap between 1pm and 2pm. You do 8 modules in the first year, in the first term you do 4 (Integrated Engineering, Design and Professional skills, Maths and Intro to Chemical Engineering). Note the first 3 of those modules are ones that ALL engineering disciplines do.
Don't bother reading, don't bother buying textbooks, it's not worth. I didn't do any studying outside of lectures, the only work I did was the courseworks that we were set, although I wouldn't advise having this work ethic, my run up to exam season was brutal because of it aha. You'll have plenty of time for societies and stuff don't worry, I didn't join any cause I'm a lazy git but trust me you'll be fine.
Apart from the 3 modules I mentioned earlier, thermodynamics (second term) is the only other module that you'll have with Biochemical Engineering students. If you're on MEng, you can specialise in Biochemical Engineering in your fourth year though.
There aren't study groups as such, but in your induction week you'll be assigned a second year tutor and be in a group with about 10 other people in your year. They'll meet with you every week for the first term, just to help you out with settling in and stuff. Mine was super useful so make use of them. They should also give you a dropbox link/USB of a bunch of first year tools, pdf textbooks (which is why I said don't buy any), coursework questions and answers, past papers and detailed answers etc, so that's useful.
I didn't take notes in my lectures, most lecturers upload their slides/notes so you can print them and bring them in advance. I suggest you do that, and then annotate as you go through them in the lecture.
My advice for first year would be that in the first term, make as many friends as you can because in all the modules there's a sign in sheet and if you have more friends you have more friends to sign you in if you can't be bothered to turn up. Also, in the first term put a LOT of work into Integrated Engineering and Design and Professional skills, they'll act as your 'booster modules' in case you mess up some of your others, and they're fairly simple to score highly in. Don't go to Maths lectures (there's no sign in sheet for it, luckily), learn it in your own time and do the coursework to the best of your ability (it'll help). Unless you want to, don't go to Introduction to Chemical Engineering (there is a sign in sheet for this though), it's easy enough to learn from the lecture slides, just make sure again to nail the coursework. Get all your partying out of your system in the first term, then in second term buckle down because the modules are a LOT harder, but just enjoy yourself really, the first year isn't worth much so don't stress!
Sorry for the late reply, TSR notifications are broken so I only saw this by accident scrolling through the thread