Current Edinburgh Students Chat Thread

Hi guys, two stupid questions from a first year noob stressing out for nonsense

I'll have my first exam in Pleasance sports hall, is this hard to find? I haven't yet been around there. Is it that sport and exercise centre -building? Also, are we expected to show up before the time mentioned in exam timetable since I assume there's some instructions going on?

Thanks!

Just having some first year panic. I'm just wondering what happens if I fail my exams? If I say fail 2/3 modules this exam season - does it mean I won't progress to second year or will I have a chance to resit them in summer? I am fairly certain this won't happen! Just wondering out of interest/stop my stupid panic. Thanks.

Anyone know a good place to get laptops fixed near central e.g. Nicholson street?
My keyboard is starting to go wrong...

Anyone know a good place to get laptops fixed near central e.g. Nicholson street?
My keyboard is starting to go wrong...

Hey guys

I am in my first year of English lit and History here, and am getting really worried about the uni's newspaper reputation for feedback/academic. My experience so far is that we've had little preparation for essays (we were meant to know what we were doing, go out and do it), and my experience with tutors is that they do give help when emailed, but sometimes it's very much "what do you think you should do?" rather than "the advice I can give you".

I hope this doesn't sound like whining as I'm explaining my experience in order to see how it may compare to others'.

The problem I have is that I don't really know how it is at other universities, but surely the fact that Edinburgh is at the bottom says something?

My thought is that it may just be that the general feeling of support isn't there as it is in other universities, with the fact that Edinburgh is very research-led. I hope this is the case.

It is something which really panics me, as I haven't got a lot of confidence in myself and after my first essay got a poor mark, I felt a little alone, but as I said, this may just be the same elsewhere.

Sometimes I feel like dropping out incase support gets worse, but this is extreme so I'd love some advice from others. Does anyone have any advice or condolence?

Thank you! Have a merry Christmas xx

Hi there.
I am a third year student at the Business School (major Business Studies).
Can I defer a year next year? I cant find the information about deferring a year during undergraduate, only deferred entry.

I want to go to another country, say US, to travel/ volunteer/ work...
Do you think it is easy for me to have my next year deferred?

Oh and btw, I am an international student. My UK's Visa ends in 2014, when I am supposed to finish my 4th year. So if next year I go to the US I will have to have my UK visa extended when I come back to EDinburgh to start my 4th year after a gap year.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

ANy more detailed info would definitely help

Many universities now have "academic writing" classes for new undergraduates to help them cope and adjust to the level of work required at undergrad.

after my first essay got a poor mark

Hey guys

I am in my first year of English lit and History here, and am getting really worried about the uni's newspaper reputation for feedback/academic. My experience so far is that we've had little preparation for essays (we were meant to know what we were doing, go out and do it), and my experience with tutors is that they do give help when emailed, but sometimes it's very much "what do you think you should do?" rather than "the advice I can give you".

I hope this doesn't sound like whining as I'm explaining my experience in order to see how it may compare to others'.

The problem I have is that I don't really know how it is at other universities, but surely the fact that Edinburgh is at the bottom says something?

My thought is that it may just be that the general feeling of support isn't there as it is in other universities, with the fact that Edinburgh is very research-led. I hope this is the case.

It is something which really panics me, as I haven't got a lot of confidence in myself and after my first essay got a poor mark, I felt a little alone, but as I said, this may just be the same elsewhere.

Sometimes I feel like dropping out incase support gets worse, but this is extreme so I'd love some advice from others. Does anyone have any advice or condolence?

Thank you! Have a merry Christmas xx

Hey,

What mark did you get, out of interest?

How has the support you've had in English lit compared to your other subjects? How have you felt there? And how have others in your English lit tutorials found the transition to university?

I got 49, and on my second essay I got 63. The problem isn't the marks, it is what I feel lies behind them. I did try to talk to my tutor who asked a lot of what I thought was wrong, and nodded his head to what I told him, which was that my problem was in the planning stages of essays (at A-level, my exams were never past a high B because in the quick planning time my arguments were never coherent enough or had a clear line of argument running throughout.

That probably sounds very convoluted, but basically writing my third I didn't feel as though I particularly had learned anything from the one in which I got 63, and I'm not sure my tutor helped me get there - it was through a lot of panic and perhaps even luck that I wrote my argument clearly.
Plus, the 63 was on a short play and short story, not a full blown novel that would have perhaps required more skill to get an argument out of.

I'm sorry for rambling on - like I said, I'm not all that confident and the feedback thing at Edinburgh is what is panicking me the most. Perhaps if that wasn't there I would feel a little better. A few people post news articles on Facebook saying "this is what proves we have wasted £9k a year" which isn't very nice to see either. :/

I haven't really asked people in my tutorial. The three people I do talk to were all in the 70s from the beginning and just say how easy they have found it, so obviously, like Static said, that makes it hard to see other people having issues like me.

Do you have any advice for beginning to prepare for the exam next term? I'm sorry to ask but your previous post cheered me up, and should my tutor fail to give me solid advice even if I push him, a past student's would be invaluable.

Thanks again

I got 49, and on my second essay I got 63. The problem isn't the marks, it is what I feel lies behind them. I did try to talk to my tutor who asked a lot of what I thought was wrong, and nodded his head to what I told him, which was that my problem was in the planning stages of essays (at A-level, my exams were never past a high B because in the quick planning time my arguments were never coherent enough or had a clear line of argument running throughout.

That probably sounds very convoluted, but basically writing my third I didn't feel as though I particularly had learned anything from the one in which I got 63, and I'm not sure my tutor helped me get there - it was through a lot of panic and perhaps even luck that I wrote my argument clearly.
Plus, the 63 was on a short play and short story, not a full blown novel that would have perhaps required more skill to get an argument out of.

I'm sorry for rambling on - like I said, I'm not all that confident and the feedback thing at Edinburgh is what is panicking me the most. Perhaps if that wasn't there I would feel a little better. A few people post news articles on Facebook saying "this is what proves we have wasted £9k a year" which isn't very nice to see either. :/

I haven't really asked people in my tutorial. The three people I do talk to were all in the 70s from the beginning and just say how easy they have found it, so obviously, like Static said, that makes it hard to see other people having issues like me.

Do you have any advice for beginning to prepare for the exam next term? I'm sorry to ask but your previous post cheered me up, and should my tutor fail to give me solid advice even if I push him, a past student's would be invaluable.

Thanks again

As for exam preparation; do what suits you best. You must have done well in school to get into this university. So if you can replicate how you studied for your A Levels then it will help. A big point is to give yourself plenty of time. Remember that your exams will be after the Easter holidays, so you have them to revise in.

Personally, I found a revision timetable to be useful. Setting myself a manageable amount of work each day and sticking to it helped me work through each course.