University of Bath
Bath
Bath Students: What did you wish you knew as a fresher.
What did you wish you'd known, socially, academically, geographically, everything. Feed me as much useful information as you can.
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If you are interested in going to all freshers events on campus then buy the wrist band, it's over priced, but it beats waiting in the non wristband queue all night. Although freshers week really isn't as good as people make out, this applies to all unis.
Don't bother siging up and paying for multiple societies during freshers until you know you are able to fit them all around your studies. Choose one then see how it goes.
Fuzzy ducks and score are not the best night out in the city, and £5 a ticket is not reasonable.
Tutorials are very useful and bath go out their way to give as much contact time between students and lecturers, so make use of them.
Don't listen to people that say "oh you only need 40% in first years so don't worry about studying". It's true you only need 40% to pass, but you still need to study to get that 40%. First year retakes are a ****ing pain in the ass.
Start looking for private student housing early, you'd be surprised how much is gone by the end of the christmas holidays, so if you want a decent cheap place, start looking early.
The uni numbering/building and classroom system is quite confusing at first. So here it is in a nutshell, when you are facing the main enterance of the library, everything to the right of the library are the east buildings, everything to the left are the west buildings. Every building on the library side of the parade are numbered with odd numbers. Everything on the opposite side are numbered evenly. The library and all the main entrances of the uni are on level 2 (level 1 is where the mole people live).
So say you are looking for 8 west 2.10, 8 west would be to the left of the library on the opposite side, meaning you need to walk past the parade bar, then 4 west, 6 west until you reach 8 west building. When you get there you are looking for room 2.10, the 2 represents level 2, and the .10 represents the room number on that level i.e. room .10 on level 2.
I know this is still confusing as ****, but seriously I cannot think of a better way to explain the stupid numbering system.
And last but not least 50p chocolate is a gift sent by lord zeus himself, and it comes with a free telegraph to wipe your backside with.
Don't bother siging up and paying for multiple societies during freshers until you know you are able to fit them all around your studies. Choose one then see how it goes.
Fuzzy ducks and score are not the best night out in the city, and £5 a ticket is not reasonable.
Tutorials are very useful and bath go out their way to give as much contact time between students and lecturers, so make use of them.
Don't listen to people that say "oh you only need 40% in first years so don't worry about studying". It's true you only need 40% to pass, but you still need to study to get that 40%. First year retakes are a ****ing pain in the ass.
Start looking for private student housing early, you'd be surprised how much is gone by the end of the christmas holidays, so if you want a decent cheap place, start looking early.
The uni numbering/building and classroom system is quite confusing at first. So here it is in a nutshell, when you are facing the main enterance of the library, everything to the right of the library are the east buildings, everything to the left are the west buildings. Every building on the library side of the parade are numbered with odd numbers. Everything on the opposite side are numbered evenly. The library and all the main entrances of the uni are on level 2 (level 1 is where the mole people live).
So say you are looking for 8 west 2.10, 8 west would be to the left of the library on the opposite side, meaning you need to walk past the parade bar, then 4 west, 6 west until you reach 8 west building. When you get there you are looking for room 2.10, the 2 represents level 2, and the .10 represents the room number on that level i.e. room .10 on level 2.
I know this is still confusing as ****, but seriously I cannot think of a better way to explain the stupid numbering system.
And last but not least 50p chocolate is a gift sent by lord zeus himself, and it comes with a free telegraph to wipe your backside with.
University of Bath
Bath
Original post by jumblehunter
What did you wish you'd known, socially, academically, geographically, everything. Feed me as much useful information as you can.
Hey Jumblehunter,
My name is Chris; I have finished my 1st year reading physics at the University of Bath.
I think it is really important to get involved in as much as you can at University so I joined several clubs/activities the University had to offer in the first few weeks. What I was not aware of before coming to University is that a lot of these clubs require entry fees so if you are interested in getting involved it would be a good idea to put aside a bit of money for it. Here is a link to the University of Bath’s student page so you can get an idea of the clubs you can join in a few weeks! http://www.bathstudent.com/
I also wish I had known about the benefits of being a student and having a student card. As Bath is affiliated to the NUS (National Union of Students) the students here get discounts and deals on all sorts of things. For example, if you buy a meal at McDonalds and show your student card you get a free burger or McFlurry! The NUS also provide the NUS extra card which can be purchased for £12 but provides you huge discounts on even more stuff, e.g. 50% off Spotify premium. Check out the NUS website for other benefits you get as a student: http://www.nus.org.uk/
I also wish I had known about the support services that the University offers. There are offices all over the place with staff happy to help you with any problems/difficulties you may have. Whether it is financial, academic, social & psychological, work related, health related etc., there will be someone who can help you. Again, check out the bath student website for details.
Those are a few of the things I can think of off the top of my head. If there is anything else I think of I will let you know! In the meantime, if you have any other queries, don’t hesitate to ask.
I wish you a great Freshers' year!
Chris
(edited 10 years ago)
Original post by jumblehunter
What did you wish you'd known, socially, academically, geographically, everything. Feed me as much useful information as you can.
Hi Jumblehunter!
Academically, organisation is key. It is helpful to read over your lecture notes after each lecture, start revising early for exams, complete assignments early to allow plenty of time to edit and re edit, read around your subject area, and don’t be afraid to ask for help from seminar teachers, lecturers or personal tutors.
In terms of your social life, just be yourself. Everyone will be in the same position as you so it’s easy to make friends. There are clubs and societies for everyone, from a curry appreciation society to a sci-fi fantasy club, so join what interests you. Here’s a link to the Societies Roundup 2012-13: http://issuu.com/bathsumarketing/docs/socs_roundup_2012_13/1?e=7242806/2403666
Geographically I wouldn’t worry about not knowing your way around Bath or the campus; you will get to know the area pretty quickly, especially if you are living on campus. There is a frequent ten minute bus into town, and during fresher’s week you will be offered a tour of the city of Bath.
Finally, don't panic! There are numerous support services available for all students.
Feel free to quote me for any other questions you have today!
Best wishes for Freshers' year!
Sadia
2nd year Social Sciences student
Original post by BAD AT MATHS
If you are interested in going to all freshers events on campus then buy the wrist band, it's over priced, but it beats waiting in the non wristband queue all night. Although freshers week really isn't as good as people make out, this applies to all unis.
Don't bother siging up and paying for multiple societies during freshers until you know you are able to fit them all around your studies. Choose one then see how it goes.
Fuzzy ducks and score are not the best night out in the city, and £5 a ticket is not reasonable.
Tutorials are very useful and bath go out their way to give as much contact time between students and lecturers, so make use of them.
Don't listen to people that say "oh you only need 40% in first years so don't worry about studying". It's true you only need 40% to pass, but you still need to study to get that 40%. First year retakes are a ****ing pain in the ass.
Start looking for private student housing early, you'd be surprised how much is gone by the end of the christmas holidays, so if you want a decent cheap place, start looking early.
The uni numbering/building and classroom system is quite confusing at first. So here it is in a nutshell, when you are facing the main enterance of the library, everything to the right of the library are the east buildings, everything to the left are the west buildings. Every building on the library side of the parade are numbered with odd numbers. Everything on the opposite side are numbered evenly. The library and all the main entrances of the uni are on level 2 (level 1 is where the mole people live).
So say you are looking for 8 west 2.10, 8 west would be to the left of the library on the opposite side, meaning you need to walk past the parade bar, then 4 west, 6 west until you reach 8 west building. When you get there you are looking for room 2.10, the 2 represents level 2, and the .10 represents the room number on that level i.e. room .10 on level 2.
I know this is still confusing as ****, but seriously I cannot think of a better way to explain the stupid numbering system.
And last but not least 50p chocolate is a gift sent by lord zeus himself, and it comes with a free telegraph to wipe your backside with.
Don't bother siging up and paying for multiple societies during freshers until you know you are able to fit them all around your studies. Choose one then see how it goes.
Fuzzy ducks and score are not the best night out in the city, and £5 a ticket is not reasonable.
Tutorials are very useful and bath go out their way to give as much contact time between students and lecturers, so make use of them.
Don't listen to people that say "oh you only need 40% in first years so don't worry about studying". It's true you only need 40% to pass, but you still need to study to get that 40%. First year retakes are a ****ing pain in the ass.
Start looking for private student housing early, you'd be surprised how much is gone by the end of the christmas holidays, so if you want a decent cheap place, start looking early.
The uni numbering/building and classroom system is quite confusing at first. So here it is in a nutshell, when you are facing the main enterance of the library, everything to the right of the library are the east buildings, everything to the left are the west buildings. Every building on the library side of the parade are numbered with odd numbers. Everything on the opposite side are numbered evenly. The library and all the main entrances of the uni are on level 2 (level 1 is where the mole people live).
So say you are looking for 8 west 2.10, 8 west would be to the left of the library on the opposite side, meaning you need to walk past the parade bar, then 4 west, 6 west until you reach 8 west building. When you get there you are looking for room 2.10, the 2 represents level 2, and the .10 represents the room number on that level i.e. room .10 on level 2.
I know this is still confusing as ****, but seriously I cannot think of a better way to explain the stupid numbering system.
And last but not least 50p chocolate is a gift sent by lord zeus himself, and it comes with a free telegraph to wipe your backside with.
How much are the wrist bands?
Surely when looking at private student accommodation, most people decide to find a flat with their friends so isn't December really early to decide easily since friendship groups may not have settled yet?
Original post by eggfriedrice
How much are the wrist bands?
Surely when looking at private student accommodation, most people decide to find a flat with their friends so isn't December really early to decide easily since friendship groups may not have settled yet?
Surely when looking at private student accommodation, most people decide to find a flat with their friends so isn't December really early to decide easily since friendship groups may not have settled yet?
The bands are about £50.
Yes most people do rent flats and houses with friends, but many people will have decided who to rent with by christmas or just after. Also many people will rent with the people they are living in halls with, so you know what to expect. You need to remember that freshers aren't the only people looking for flats and many returners will be looking to change private accommodation for various reasons.
After the christmas holidays there's a week called the rush or run or something like that (can't remember) where many houses will go up for veiwing and basically it's first come first serve which ends up leaving many students with limited options because the good ones get snapped up quickly. Personally me and the people I'm renting with found a cheap house within walking distance to uni that we liked during the christmas holidays, booked a viewing for the day we came back and put a deposit on it that day. Our mates on the other hand left it till the property viewing week thing and ended up not getting any of the houses they had an eye on meaning they had to rent a flat they really didn't want to get.
(edited 10 years ago)
Original post by looouise
What's the wifi like (esp in Chemistry dept?) Thinking about a chromebook so that I can leave my (heavy) laptop in my room. But chromebooks need wifi I think.
Most classrooms have decent wifi.
There's wifi all over campus, even down near the lake (eduroam - it's the same network used by many educational institutes - I got a signal randomly when walking down a street in Berlin last week!). There's also ethernet ports in all the accommodation on campus for a faster connection.
A chromebook might be a good idea, if you only need it for taking notes in lectures and are happy to do all that in the cloud using google apps. Personally as a CS student I think I'd be frustrated by the limitations of a netbook, hence I really want to get a Macbook Air for next term - you're right, lugging a heavy laptop around campus isn't fun, especially when you live off campus. Most departments have computer labs where you can go to do coursework if you need special software, plus there are lots of machines in the 24hr library, which also have most of the specialist software. (And places to work on your own laptop). I only use a laptop for taking notes in some lectures, maths lectures are all about copying off the board into a physical notebook. Dunno what chemistry lectures are like.
I wouldn't panic too much about finding a place and flatmates before christmas. The university 'accredited' listings go up on a website you can access with a uni login sometime in Feb/March time I think, and the non-accredited ones go up a few weeks later. I was able to find a house with a bit of time and effort both years through that website, and didn't experience the mad scramble some people describe. However, that might have been because we got a house in Combe Down both times, rather than the popular studenty area in town. I think it's more important working out who you would like to live with, because if you really don't get on then it doesn't matter how nice the house is, it will still be a very unpleasant year.
A chromebook might be a good idea, if you only need it for taking notes in lectures and are happy to do all that in the cloud using google apps. Personally as a CS student I think I'd be frustrated by the limitations of a netbook, hence I really want to get a Macbook Air for next term - you're right, lugging a heavy laptop around campus isn't fun, especially when you live off campus. Most departments have computer labs where you can go to do coursework if you need special software, plus there are lots of machines in the 24hr library, which also have most of the specialist software. (And places to work on your own laptop). I only use a laptop for taking notes in some lectures, maths lectures are all about copying off the board into a physical notebook. Dunno what chemistry lectures are like.
I wouldn't panic too much about finding a place and flatmates before christmas. The university 'accredited' listings go up on a website you can access with a uni login sometime in Feb/March time I think, and the non-accredited ones go up a few weeks later. I was able to find a house with a bit of time and effort both years through that website, and didn't experience the mad scramble some people describe. However, that might have been because we got a house in Combe Down both times, rather than the popular studenty area in town. I think it's more important working out who you would like to live with, because if you really don't get on then it doesn't matter how nice the house is, it will still be a very unpleasant year.
Original post by BAD AT MATHS
The uni numbering/building and classroom system is quite confusing at first. So here it is in a nutshell, when you are facing the main enterance of the library, everything to the right of the library are the east buildings, everything to the left are the west buildings. Every building on the library side of the parade are numbered with odd numbers. Everything on the opposite side are numbered evenly. The library and all the main entrances of the uni are on level 2 (level 1 is where the mole people live).
So say you are looking for 8 west 2.10, 8 west would be to the left of the library on the opposite side, meaning you need to walk past the parade bar, then 4 west, 6 west until you reach 8 west building. When you get there you are looking for room 2.10, the 2 represents level 2, and the .10 represents the room number on that level i.e. room .10 on level 2.
I know this is still confusing as ****, but seriously I cannot think of a better way to explain the stupid numbering system.
So say you are looking for 8 west 2.10, 8 west would be to the left of the library on the opposite side, meaning you need to walk past the parade bar, then 4 west, 6 west until you reach 8 west building. When you get there you are looking for room 2.10, the 2 represents level 2, and the .10 represents the room number on that level i.e. room .10 on level 2.
I know this is still confusing as ****, but seriously I cannot think of a better way to explain the stupid numbering system.
One of the best explanations I've ever heard, including mine
There's a blanket wifi spread across campus, (with a few blind spots, but barely any). Speeds are incredibly fast, you can buy ethernet cables dirt cheap in the library too.
Make sure you get to uni on the Saturday of moving-in-week, that way you can run around meeting people. If you arrive on Sunday then you're trying to remember 20+ names whilst everyone already kinda knows people by name
Fresher amnesia is common, no-one can remember anyone's names because there's so many, don't be embarrassed to ask for a reminder
Go to the fresher's fair with a rucksack and get multiple goodie bags
- there's also free dominoes pizza.Try and organise something like a barbecue with loads of people in the surrounding halls, there'll be fresher crew around during fresher's week as well who'll be checking in on you during the day and organising pre-drinking and chaperoning you to the week's events. Just be as proactive as possible to meet people and be sociable (unless you hate that sort of stuff).
Sports societies organise free taster sessions, which are great to try something new with your friends and learn some new sports!
There's a great chinese buffet restaurant in town, just by the odeon if you fancy a pig-out
If you fancy a non-strenuous adventure you can follow the canal north out of town, some really nice views across the valley. You can walk down Widcombe Hill from university to Widcombe Baptist Church, and then just follow the canal up out of town. I'd save it until after fresher's week though, or you'll be wasting valuable socialising time!
(edited 10 years ago)
The only place I went with a complete WiFi blind spot was 8W 1.1 lecture theatre - and there are a few with no phone signal whatsoever 
Something I picked up on quite quickly but others seemed not to realise is that you can buy a 20 journey bus ticket for the blue buses for £16 (sometimes £15 when there are offers on) which means you can go into town and back for £1.60 - and for me the biggest bonus of that was that I didn't need to worry about having the right change for my bus ticket.
Something I picked up on quite quickly but others seemed not to realise is that you can buy a 20 journey bus ticket for the blue buses for £16 (sometimes £15 when there are offers on) which means you can go into town and back for £1.60 - and for me the biggest bonus of that was that I didn't need to worry about having the right change for my bus ticket.
Original post by looouise
What's the wifi like (esp in Chemistry dept?) Thinking about a chromebook so that I can leave my (heavy) laptop in my room. But chromebooks need wifi I think.
Are you a Chemistry fresher too?
Original post by slurm
Does anybody know when we're likely to hear what accommodation we get ?
?Hi slurm,
We are in the process of allocating accommodation to all those who have applied and will contact everyone by the 9 September at the latest to confirm allocations.
Further infromation on the allocation process is available within our accommodation webpages.
Thanks,
Steve
Original post by University Of Bath
Hi slurm,
We are in the process of allocating accommodation to all those who have applied and will contact everyone by the 9 September at the latest to confirm allocations.
Further infromation on the allocation process is available within our accommodation webpages.
Thanks,
Steve
We are in the process of allocating accommodation to all those who have applied and will contact everyone by the 9 September at the latest to confirm allocations.
Further infromation on the allocation process is available within our accommodation webpages.
Thanks,
Steve
I put Bath as my Firm, did not manage to get the grades, but was still accepted by the University on results day. When should I expect to find out my accommodation? It seems as though loads of people already know theirs, so I'm worried I've missed something. Do I have to re-apply for accommodation? Thanks
(edited 10 years ago)
Original post by Jessss
I put Bath as my Firm, did not manage to get the grades, but was still accepted by the University on results day. When should I expect to find out my accommodation? It seems as though loads of people already know theirs, so I'm worried I've missed something. Do I have to re-apply for accommodation? Thanks
That happened to me last year - I got my accommodation on I think the 5th of September. Just be patient
Original post by RibenaRockstar
That happened to me last year - I got my accommodation on I think the 5th of September. Just be patient
Oh okay that's good to know
Did you still get the accommodation you wanted, or one similar to it?Original post by Jessss
Oh okay that's good to know Did you still get the accommodation you wanted, or one similar to it?
Did you still get the accommodation you wanted, or one similar to it?I did, but I had applied for Norwood which isn't thaaaat popular I don't think
Original post by RibenaRockstar
I did, but I had applied for Norwood which isn't thaaaat popular I don't think
I've just got Norwood. Based on your experience how was Norwood? And did you have any problems sharing the bathroom?
Original post by eggfriedrice
I've just got Norwood. Based on your experience how was Norwood? And did you have any problems sharing the bathroom?
No problems whatsoever, except for running out of loo roll a few times (it's provided as part of the coeaning service, but I'd keep a few rolls in your room just in case)
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