Durham General Chat: The rest got ate

Yeahhh, I remember how much you've enjoyed college fish in the past. The Friday fish is the only one I trust, since it's difficult to get wrong. The rest are a bit... fishy.

Chemistry department's evil :P. And in hindsight it's obvious from day 1 with Hughes' evil lecture. Actually maybe from day about -30 when they send you a load of summer work...

I did Biological Chem this year. As a biologist it seemed nice and fluffy until it got to the exam.

Good luck with labs! Only done organic myself and that was stressful enough. I think it's the atmosphere of the lab that makes it worse than it should be, with 100 odd students trying to do the same thing with demonstrators giving conflicting info and there being a shortage of equipment. Trust me, don't let them put you off working in a lab later in life, it's a completely different atmosphere.

Tell me about it, that was the most demoralising thing in a while. I had tutorials with him as well *shock horror from everyone*. Maybe it's just me but he's growing on me.

Is it just me or is that Biochem guy scaring me? What's his name...urm....I can't remember. He did MBL's cell signal bit last year. I was so scared of him, my problem class let us out late and he's like YOU'RE LATE, I was thinking, wow, thanks for the first impression x.x

Eh, I passed with a 2:2 this year and that's first year, oh well.
Well, Biological Chem would be next year anyway, I've got my spanish to worry about. No worries, it's going to be Spanish Sundays for me :P

I hope this year's not worse than first year's labs :P

Btw, awful pun Alex. :P


Oh, and, where do I find a bike? I can do with one.

Btw, awful pun Alex. :P

I'm back next Sunday for a compulsary 2 week Biology workshop thing. Back a bit early aren't you??

I'm actually quite looking forward to being back, getting bored and fed up at home. Though summer's gone far too quickly...guess that's what happens when you've been working for most of it *sigh*. I feel as if there's a load of stuff I need to do but can't think what...

Wow, this is dead again!

Who's in Durham now apart from me? Beginning to feel a little alone :P

Ouch, compulsory workshops.

Only back early cause I know I'd be fed up of home, it's the same day in day out, not doing much and be really hot.
It's the same for me, there's this unpacking, but I just can't be bothered :P

Eh, it's not so bad, means I get 75% of a module out of the way early (damn 25% exam, grrr) and a good excuse to come back early. Only annoying thing about it is having to find alternative accomodation for those few weeks given I'm going back into college, but luckily I know people living out so it should be fine! At least it's not in the couple of weeks after exams which apparently it will be from next year...

Really getting fed up of home myself, it's been 10 weeks and my mother is driving me mad. I was considering applying to Manchester for postgrad just so I could come back home for home comforts but I really don't think I could cope. And, well, I can't apply for PhDs anyway given the high chance of getting a 2:2 and I don't want to do a second masters ideally, so postgrad's out of the question. Apparently the group I'm joining for my project is affiliated to a company near Stockton so I'll probably apply there if my supervisors agree that there's not much point applying for PhDs.

Woah, that must be cool, not having to worry too much about the exam.

Getting a job is definitely good if you can't get a PhD, I guess if you get a job, they might even sponsor you for more education if you're lucky/it helps with your job. I'm just guessing, of course, but I don't see why not.

Yeah, I'm glad I only have that 25% exam (which was new for that module this year, grrrr) and one taught module...it's exams I fall down on generally even when I put a lot of effort in. Coursework I would say generally goes better, except some of my marks last year were a bit terrible :/. Hopefully I'll be able to get really into my project and get a first in it, the open book exams for research skills hopefully won't be too bad (but wouldn't put it past the chemistry department to make them damn evil) and the rest of biomolecular analysis (the workshop module) should be fine...so I guess there's a slight chance I *could* end up with a 2:1 overall, but it's unlikely. And even if I do get one in the end there's no way I'd be predicted one so there's no point applying for PhDs.

To be honest, in a way I blame the exams my year's had. There must be a reason why 6 of the 7 BScs that did 3 or more of the same modules as me (across both departments, not counting straight chemists/biologists) this year got 2:2s...I kinda wish I'd done the BSc, chosen nicer modules and then done a separate masters but hey ho, it's a bit late for regrets now! Seriously, look at the 2011 Ring Chem/Core 2 papers and compare it to previous years, same with this year's Advanced Organic...

What I'm worried about is what to do with postgrad. I'm international, so where would I get funding? My postgrad mates seemed to be like, oh no, no one's going to give you funding here, look out for things back home.
Anyone have any idea about it?

The Grumpy Old Graduate Society, GOGSoc, and the Postgraduate forum itself is the best place to ask. Also see Prospect's feature

http://www.prospects.ac.uk/features_funding_for_international_students.htm

(There will be others around on the Internet, as good or better, so just search around).

Do you want to do a taught or research course?

There are also charities and trusts who will offer (very small) amounts of funding to students from particular countries.

What's the difference between taught and research postgrads?

Hope nobody's been flooded out, in Durham or elsewhere! Anyone got any photos from this morning? Watching floods happen is oddly compelling I'm still at home though, no flooding here.