1st or social life - hey, why not both?
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Original post by im so academic
I was talking in the sense that there's always that one candidate who is far better than the rest.
I was talking in the sense that there's always that one candidate who is far better than the rest.
That does not mean that the candidate will get a first only that he is more likely. Just like if you remove this top candidate, the next candidate who does far better than the rest is also more likely to get a first than the rest of his class.
Summary: don't be idealistic, while it is ideal to have social life and good grades there might be degrees/universities for which the choice is exclusive.
Original post by Juichiro
That does not mean that the candidate will get a first only that he is more likely. Just like if you remove this top candidate, the next candidate who does far better than the rest is also more likely to get a first than the rest of his class.
Summary: don't be idealistic, while it is ideal to have social life and good grades there might be degrees/universities for which the choice is exclusive.
Summary: don't be idealistic, while it is ideal to have social life and good grades there might be degrees/universities for which the choice is exclusive.
There really should be a list of which degrees where you have to make the choice e.g. I doubt all of the courses at Imperial insist on no social life for a 1st.
Original post by im so academic
There really should be a list of which degrees where you have to make the choice e.g. I doubt all of the courses at Imperial insist on no social life for a 1st.
They don't necessarily have to, Emily. It's enough assuming that if/when the time comes, you will know what will be your choice.
Original post by im so academic
So how can you explain the anomaly of Durham Law?
I don't know if it's an anomaly or just conjecture based on a few people commenting on a forum saying a particular course is far more difficult than it probably is and giving it some kind of mythical status.
Statistically, Durham appears to be quite generous with firsts compared to, say, LSE. Between 2011 and 2013, between 12% and 18% have left Durham law with a first, I've known several to do so and they all had social lives.
Original post by nickprice
This thread is slightly worrying for a soon to be Warwick law fresher. Is there a sort of exam/essay technique that needs to be learnt on top of all the content, or do you have to be plain clever to achieve a first? I was hoping to be involved in mooting, law clinic etc and get a first, but I'm not sure now. What mark is a first, 70, 75 or 80?
PM me.
Original post by im so academic
For many years on this forum and still up to this day I keep browsing through threads that perpetuate this idea that instead of getting a first and spending all of your time in the library, it is better to get a 2:1 and have a social life as degree classification isn't everything.
I think that's a valid point of view, but there is just one problem: why not have a 1st AND a social life? Why is that never offered as an option?
I intend to have both.
I think that's a valid point of view, but there is just one problem: why not have a 1st AND a social life? Why is that never offered as an option?
I intend to have both.
I do not have a social life.
I doubt I will ever have one.
Original post by matt2k8
I know a lot of people who got firsts and also had a good social life (including myself).
> Warwick
> Maths
> Highest % of firsts awarded
...
Original post by tehforum
> Warwick
> Maths
> Highest % of firsts awarded
...
> Maths
> Highest % of firsts awarded
...
I wasn't just talking about people on my own course, and the reason why Maths at Warwick has such a high first rate is the fact it's a self-selecting group rather than the course being easy if that's what you are trying to say. I'd confidently say with most degrees if you manage your time well you can have a decent social life as well as reach your maximum potential in your degree.
(edited 9 years ago)
Original post by im so academic
There really should be a list of which degrees where you have to make the choice e.g. I doubt all of the courses at Imperial insist on no social life for a 1st.
Bit off topic, but I guess you failed to get into Oxbridge? How do you feel about that, given your obsession with it? What are you studying at Durham?
Students on here love to scare-monger.
Everybody is apprehensive going to university, but you'll have the time of your life meeting friends for life and studying interesting fields. Everybody manages to get through it - and you will too. Concentrate on your studies, but enjoy yourself too, because once you leave university and enter the field of work it becomes increasingly hard to stay in contact with friends and have a social life that doesn't involve early nights and Netflix.
Everybody is apprehensive going to university, but you'll have the time of your life meeting friends for life and studying interesting fields. Everybody manages to get through it - and you will too. Concentrate on your studies, but enjoy yourself too, because once you leave university and enter the field of work it becomes increasingly hard to stay in contact with friends and have a social life that doesn't involve early nights and Netflix.
I do a lot of sport, am president of a club, like spending time relaxing on my own, sleep a lot and also like to have a bit of a social life (by which I mean going out like once per week, which I realise is a lot less than some people. But hey, I'm paying £9k/year for this and I don't even like going out that much). I'm currently on track for a strong first in what my tutor says is "the hardest subject" (it's probably not actually the hardest - whatever that means - but it seems fairly intense to me and the material is tough), but all it takes is a big slip up at some point and poof.
I have a whiteboard in my room that always has a to-do list on it, and sometimes I'll get to the point where I'm crossing multiple things off the list not because I've done then but because I've just had to accept that I'm not going to be able to find time to do them. Organisation is key, but I think not being a perfectionist helps in that it means I am able to say "okay I've got 48 hours to do two pieces of coursework and four assignments, the assignments aren't assessed so perhaps I'd better just look over them rather than actually try and complete them all".
I'm by no means at the toughest or best uni for my subject though, and I imagine I could have it a lot worse. But whenever someone says something like "it comes naturally to you" or "you must be really talented at x" or "I have to work really hard to do y", my usual response is to want to tell them to **** off. Looking at some of the literature, the effect of natural/genetic talent on success really pales in comparison to the effect of hard work and practice; people need to stop bitching that they're "just not good at a, b or c" and start working harder at a, b and c.
Anyway, my advice to people would just be to really start organising yourself. Get a calendar and start using to-do lists. Depending on your social life, workload etc. it may not magically boost you straight up to a first, but I'm pretty sure it will increase your productivity and academic achievement to some degree.
I have a whiteboard in my room that always has a to-do list on it, and sometimes I'll get to the point where I'm crossing multiple things off the list not because I've done then but because I've just had to accept that I'm not going to be able to find time to do them. Organisation is key, but I think not being a perfectionist helps in that it means I am able to say "okay I've got 48 hours to do two pieces of coursework and four assignments, the assignments aren't assessed so perhaps I'd better just look over them rather than actually try and complete them all".
I'm by no means at the toughest or best uni for my subject though, and I imagine I could have it a lot worse. But whenever someone says something like "it comes naturally to you" or "you must be really talented at x" or "I have to work really hard to do y", my usual response is to want to tell them to **** off. Looking at some of the literature, the effect of natural/genetic talent on success really pales in comparison to the effect of hard work and practice; people need to stop bitching that they're "just not good at a, b or c" and start working harder at a, b and c.
Anyway, my advice to people would just be to really start organising yourself. Get a calendar and start using to-do lists. Depending on your social life, workload etc. it may not magically boost you straight up to a first, but I'm pretty sure it will increase your productivity and academic achievement to some degree.
Original post by tehforum
PM me.
Can I PM you too?
Pretty much have the same query as NickPrice
Original post by im so academic
For many years on this forum and still up to this day I keep browsing through threads that perpetuate this idea that instead of getting a first and spending all of your time in the library, it is better to get a 2:1 and have a social life as degree classification isn't everything.
I think that's a valid point of view, but there is just one problem: why not have a 1st AND a social life? Why is that never offered as an option?
I intend to have both.
I think that's a valid point of view, but there is just one problem: why not have a 1st AND a social life? Why is that never offered as an option?
I intend to have both.
Most people aren't that smart AND that cool
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