The Official Durham Fresher's Thread 2014

That's annoying! It's probably just to big (it's like 70 pages long :O) Try on your computer maybe?? Oh and the PDF file is on the JCR website if my link isn't working


Posted from TSR Mobile

Did you get that pack in the post the other day with the to-do list!? We don't find out who we're sharing with until we get there but we need to fill out a questionnaire they link us too in that pack to match us with people similar to us

You get a lot more freedom. At the end of first year you also have a bridge project which is basically a group project to try and solve a problem with lots of freedom and little interaction from a professor, its great. Progressively through the years you get less help and become more independent.

Really? What about watching something on your phone/tablet? I am dreadfully bad at practicals, I hated the ISA's at A-Level, I'm hoping they'll be better at Uni, but I'm scared I'll still be awful :L Haha, yeah, most people find astro to be the most interesting. I found it so hard to choose between theoretical and astro

I have got a U in ISA practicals before, and I found them okay. The worst thing about them is that you do need to put an almost disproportionate amount of effort into them in order to get good marks out, but its very hard to do badly in them. Also, theoretical is way more interesting than astro imo

Great if it works....

I too had a U in one of my mock ISA's. What's the the book like we have to keep on everything we do in lab, is that hard to maintain? I read first year doesn't count, but I still want to get a good mark, how much work do you feel is needed during first year? Obviously it varies, but do you have a ball park figure please?

First year 'doesn't count' in terms of actual degree mark, but if you slack off you will be royally screwed when it comes to second year, and bear in mind you have to pass your exams. I say this only because alot of people fall into the trap of becoming complacent. Anyway vis a vis labs, typically you need perhaps 3 hours to prepare for each lab each week if you want to do a good job, sometimes more. Then in addition to the actual labs themselves, you will sometimes have to write up experiments in the form of a lab report. There are about 4 lab reports to do in the first year, they take longer and are each no longer than two pages in length. The lab notebook is where you record results, experimental plans, comments on the physics e.c.t. you fill most of the lab book in while doing the experiment, though you may need to do some prep before the lab.

I won't have access to my computer until next week. I'll try the website!

Posted from TSR Mobile

Yeah, I want to do well in first year and get a good foundation. I'm trying to work out how many societies I'll have time to join without scrimping on work. Do you get told what the experiment will be before lab begins? Do you know when if it's possible to replace some experiments with programming, I think I remember reading this some where?

Yeh you get told the experiment at least a week in advance, sometimes you will know up to 3 weeks in advance (though no one really plans more than one experiment), in that week you do preparatory work. I don't think you can pick and choose, and you might well have to do programming anyway. It'l be python incidentally.

Yeh you get told the experiment at least a week in advance, sometimes you will know up to 3 weeks in advance (though no one really plans more than one experiment), in that week you do preparatory work. I don't think you can pick and choose, and you might well have to do programming anyway. It'l be python incidentally.

That's what I was hoping, I've been programming in PHP since about age 12 which is pretty similar to Python. I'm really excited to go now, did you enjoy the your first year?

Ah ok. Here's a link to the website page in case you can't find it!

Well, I didn't actually do the module in my first year, because I also studied chemistry (chemistry labs were not fun at all). Anyway, I think the physics is more interesting in the 2nd year modules if I'm honest, foundation of physics 1 is more about building on A level knowledge. Don't interpret that as being a walkover though, the mechanics is a lot harder than you are probably used to (unless you did M3/M4 in maths). I think its quite a lot of work, but can be very rewarding.

Hmm, I have a month to learn Python. Challenge accepted!

Posted from TSR Mobile

No I didn't do M3/M4, I did only did M1 and M2. I also didn't do A2 Further Maths as my college didn't offer it so I've only done FP1. How many hours did you put into physics in your first year?

The thing is it changes so much from year to year. Back when I did it, we had compulsory 'mastering physics' that counted towards the module, and that ate up a lot of time. I believe they still do that, but it is optional, reduced and doesn't count, invariably that will mean the average person will do less work than we had to do. But if you do the optional work, it will put you in very good stead during the exams - all too often people are shocked at how difficult they are because they have done no work.

What is 'mastering physics'? I don't think I've seen this on the module list. I just saw 2 physics, 2 maths and then an optional one. Also, the maths workbook they send out, is this for personal use to gauge where we are or do we hand that in? Did you get to look at past papers before you sat your exams or were they completely new?

No, mastering physics is a form of assessment. If you look under the module description there may well be a reference to this abomination software. And yeh as for the modules, you will see the 2 physics, 2 maths and the optional module. You need six modules in total, but foundations 1 is a double module.

Are you doing hard or easy maths? One is called SMA/SMB the other is probability/calculus and linear algebra. I think in either case its just for personal use.

You get to see past exams, there are about 5 years worth in the library tab on duo. But solutions/mark schemes are a different matter...