OK, I mean nothing more from this post but to more or less highlight the problems that I have personally had with UCL in the year I have attended here as a MA student. I'm primarily wondering if anyone else has had these problems or considers them to be problems.
It should be stated that I am an American student and completed my Undergraduate degree in the United States and a mid-level PUBLIC university. I think that clearly effects what I might consider to be aggravating about a university.
1. The library and general state of campus facilities are generally quite poor. The library is constantly missing books according to the catalogue OR they are supposedly on the shelf but then no where to be found when you go there. The library cataloguing system is overly complex and makes it much harder to locate books than the system at my undergraduate university. the ability to get books from stores and on loan from other places is quite limited. The hours of the library are piss poor. Particularly since the summer is when all Masters students work on their dissertations. There have even been days when the Archaeology library was CLOSED because someone didn't show up for work....so they just closed the place...all day. And all the libraries are closed all day on the weekends. Overall...UCL is supposed to be a high level research university and I would have a much easier time doing research at some clown college State University in the United States.
2. Jackhammers and constant banging noises are not conducive to getting work done. The entire time I've been here the university has constantly had large works projects going on. Since the end of the last undergraduate term in June these projects have been heavily expanded. No matter where I go...the main library, archaeology library, my halls, even the main quad I can't sit for more than 10 minutes without hearing loud construction noises. they renovated lower floor kitches in Max Rayne House where I live and for some reason this consisted of jackhammering 8 hours a day for 2 weeks straight at like 100 decibels. I know they have to get this stuff done...but holy crap, its everywhere? Today I even got this email from someone at the institute of archaeology....
"Painters are in the Library at the moment painting the pipes for the
new heating system installed last week.
I have put up warning notices around the Library.
Please be careful what you touch and where you sit!"
Are you f-ing kidding me? And I should add that this is AFTER a friend of mine touched a wall in the ladies room and came away with paint on her...because they weren't putting up wet paint signs.
3. How hard is it to get a drink or a cup of coffee around here?? Why the hell does every place on campus close by like 3 pm? For god's sake its a university...people run on coffee and tea and caffiene infused drinks...why do they all close so early. Basically (again library included) why does everything shut down so early. Even the graduate common room closes at 6pm. I'm not asking to be on campus working at like 2am....but 8 or 9 pm would be great. (although my undergrad uni library and coffeeshop and study areas and other things were all open until 2am) Obviously at the present time..there is no point in keeping ANYTHING open past 7pm, when all the libraries shut down.
4. A Dissertation advisor should be available whilst you are writing your MA dissertation. Granted I haven't had this problem with my advisor...but I seem to be the exception to the rule. Nearly everyone I know has a dissertation advisor that is either out of the country or just doesn't return emails. Isn't the point of a dissertation ADVISOR that they maintain contact with you during the summer in the event you have questions???
Basically it just seems like UCL seems to care quite a bit about things like their image and getting paid but not too much about providing the student body with an environment that encourages good academic work. When I hand in my dissertation in a few weeks...everything I will have done will be DESPITE UCL, not because of UCL.
Basically I'm totally happy with the level of academic help and discussion I have received from all my professors here. They have been unbelievably great. However as far as the administration and the facilities...they leave quite a bit to be desired. I didn't really come here with many expectations...but I did at least expect more than what I've seen since I've been here....and I don't think my expectations are unreasonable. I just want good facilities that stay open later than the street lights coming on.
I'll be happy to have a UCL degree after this programme but if in the future I want to continue my education, which will inevitably be research based, I wouldn't return to UCL. Its just too hard to get any good research work done here.
No, and the 7pm closing is mainly only for summer.
Also note that during exam period in May/June the libraries have extended opening hours til the early hours of the morning.
No, and the 7pm closing is mainly only for summer.
Also note that during exam period in May/June the libraries have extended opening hours til the early hours of the morning.
well that won't really help me much as my exams are mainly during the summer (and my thesis) cos i'm doing a mres course.
OMG - closed during the weekends in the summer? how am i supposed to study? waaaah! not amused.
Loan the books out and use a desk at home/other library?
ALL of the libraries are closed during the weekends in the summer...
that really sucks. my current uni library opens from 8am to 1am every weekday and 8am to 10pm in the weekends.
uhm complaining about not being able to get a coffee? wat about the numerous student bars there are in the union and at ulu? ur in central london buddy, everything is reachable within 5 minutes anywhere.
my library is open till 22:30 during the week and during exam period 24/7. obvously this doesn't help ur problem, but if u need books, plan ahead n go somewhere else to study during the weekend.
considered going to one of the other libraries to study? british library or senate house?
ALL of the libraries are closed during the weekends in the summer...
that really sucks. my current uni library opens from 8am to 1am every weekday and 8am to 10pm in the weekends.
well i wouldnt expect libraries to be open until very late during the summer holidays. Its open 24 7 during the 3rd term when undergraduates have exams, which is pretty good. I'm sure you can loan the books out? Also, you complain about the banging and construction noises, yet also complain about the facilities. In order for new facilities to be built, this has to happen. Theyre upgrading the libraries this summer so its a bit unfortunate that you have left UCL before they have done so.
There have even been days when the Archaeology library was CLOSED because someone didn't show up for work....so they just closed the place...all day
Why the hell does every place on campus close by like 3 pm?
The library and general state of campus facilities are generally quite poor.
Welcome to Europe. Lucky you're doing an MA and not a longer course. I knew that your private universities crush the very best that we have to offer, but I didn't know it was your public ones as well!
Saturday during summer-Senate House is open from 9.45 til 17.30 if that helps at all! ULU is right down the road, and is apparently open on Saturday's-I'm unsure of the hours so you'd have to check, so you can buy tea/coffee, water, food. Tottenham Court road has many coffee shops-think Starbucks should thank my student loan for their takings.
One option to get work done is to work in the Cloisters. It's not entirely impossible as I spent a week doing that over Easter before the library had 24/7 opening hours. (That only started this year for the first time ever-complete life saver!) Granted college was noisy, and has been all year. The JBR is sometimes open and the guards don't always mind if you work in there, but you will occasionally get kicked out if builders want to do something in the stair area that connects to the lower refectory. I'm not sure of the opening hours of SSEES at the moment, but I could hardly hear any construction when I was in the SSEES library during term time, so that could be an option.
As a university of London student, you are entitled to get a reading ticket for other colleges as far as I know. So whilst you can't take books out unless you do a course at that institution, you can use their library to study in.
The books not being on the shelves are more sadly probably due to people not putting books back in their proper reading room, and leaving them in a different part of the library, leaving the shelvers to deal with it. I do feel your annoyance though, having for 7 weeks not seen a book on the shelf when the catalogue claimed it was there..I have a feeling someone hid it somewhere actually!
During term, Gordon's and the Bloomsbury cafe are usually open until around 7pm from what I remember, and Tottenham Court road or Euston are a 5 minute walk away, and there's a load of coffee shops. I guess because it's a city college, than a campus one that its shops don't stay open late.
ALL of the libraries are closed during the weekends in the summer...
that really sucks. my current uni library opens from 8am to 1am every weekday and 8am to 10pm in the weekends.
Cruciform library is open til 9pm throughout summer and til 6pm summer weekends.
Me too, cheese_fondue. The library is rid of any distractionst hat you get in your own room. Also, it sets the studious ambience really well.
just spent the last 4 months in the library: term paper, oral and written exam preparation, now finishing off a thesis there - it's perfect! no internet, no food, no tv, no fun books, no cleaning...
1 month of library to go and then i'm off to london! hopefully the first few weeks of postgrad won't be too strenous as i REALLY need a bit of a break
Welcome to the University College forum: where prospective and current students can discuss anything about UCL.
Useful Resources:
My Problems with UCL
what about weekend opening times? is it the same for all UCL libraries?
