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Aston University - Student Guide
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These university guides by written by our members offer individual experiences of day to day life. See the main university guide for information on facilities, opening hours, locations, policies etc.
The University
Overall Opinions
You can use this section to offer your overall opinions on the university. What one main thing would you like to highlight to future applicants?
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Campus - Buildings and Enviroment
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Campus - Nightlife
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Societies
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Teaching and Courses
Teaching
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Course Opinions
Username: hannah_dru
Date: 06/06/11
Course: Translation Studies: German
Comment: I would rate this course as pretty good and would recommend it to anyone who is considering translation as a career. In year one you start with the basics and learn about translation theory- Why translation is needed, what it's history is, who the most important scholars are and what their most important contributions have been. In year two you start to translate basic texts, learn more about translation theory (in particular computerised tools which can aid a translator). By the final year you are ready to apply your knowledge to a range of texts, including more technical and complicated texts.
The year abroad is a great opportunity to make use of your German and/or translation skills. You can either study at a partner university, complete a work placement (which is what I did, excellent for employment prospects) or be an English teaching assistant. Preparation for the year abroad begins in the second year and you are aided and supported by the LSS placement team. During the year abroad yourself you're asked to complete a project to ensure that your written language skills are still made use of.
The German side of the course is extremely modern and varied- There are of course language and grammar modules but also history, culture, film and linguistics. You write a German research dissertation during the final year which, although it sounds daunting, is a great opportunity to research a topic that you're interested in.
Unfortunately I had no electives (modules I was able to select myself) over the 4 years of this course which was a shame. This may change in the future though as the course has already started to change since I've been here.
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Facilities and Services
Library and Study Facilities
Username: hannah_dru
Date: 06/06/11
Comment: The ground floor of the library has recently been refurbished in 2010 and has a modern look and feel. Although the library can get very packed at peak times of the year I've found it pretty easy to get a computer when needed and there are plenty of printers available. Printing is very easy to do and black and white A3 and A4 is not very costly. Avoid colour printing if you can though! The library is also open 24/6 during exam periods which is something that should definitely be taken advantage of, particularly in final year! I have been ok for books up until the final year where it has been more difficult to obtain a copy of core textbooks needed for the entire 4 years of Translation Studies: German or when specialist books have been needed. This was made quite a lot less frustrating by the university interlibrary loan system, where you can request a copy of a book from another library to be sent to Aston for you to borrow. You can also extend the loan if no-one else needs the book. The Sconul system is also useful as it means you can visit other partner libraries and read/photocopy parts of their books, although you can't take them out.
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IT Facilities
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Shops and Food
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Sporting
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Medical/Welfare Facilities
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Other
Are there any other facilities offered? Are specific facilities offered for religious activity - such as prayer rooms or chapels? Facilities for disabled students? If you have experience of these things, share them here.
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Accommodation
What are/were your halls like?
Username: hannah_dru
Date: 06/06/11
Comment: I lived in Lakeside in the first and final years of my time at Aston. Depending on what side of the building you're on in Lakeside, some rooms can be slighly smaller in terms of the desk size but there is still plenty of storage space. Items which come with the rooms (such as the mattress, desk chair) have been replaced. The rumour that Lakeside isn't as social as the standard accommodation isn't true at all- It's what you make of it! Lakeside has it's own launderette in the basement of A block which is fairly secure and open at convenient times. Unfortunately there's no common room for Lakeside but the kitchens are big enough to have lots of people over (I think we had about 30 people in our kitchen one time in first year). I would rate Lakeside just as good as the New Build.
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Non-University Accommodation
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The City of Birmingham
Shops, Buildings and Environment
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Nightlife/Recreation
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Local Transport
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Latest Discussions
| Latest relevant discussions | Last post/replies |
|---|---|
| Who is going to study Bsc Business and Mathematics at Aston :) |  4 Hours Ago Replies: 3 |
| Aston University Official Representative |  1 Day Ago Replies: 221 |
| Aston University Societies and Clubs |  3 Days Ago Replies: 1 |
| Aston applicants/offer holders 2013! |  3 Days Ago Replies: 397 |
| Business computing and IT | 5 Days Ago Replies: 12 |
| Anyone know when final year results are released? | 5 Days Ago Replies: 0 |
| Accommodation 2013 | 6 Days Ago Replies: 19 |
| Aston v Birmingham for law? |  4 Weeks Ago Replies: 1 |
| Go to Aston University forum Post new thread | |
