University of Birmingham
Birmingham
I'm a first year UOB student, ask me anything!
So, essentially, I'm trying to procrastinate from my revision and I'm bored!
As the title says, I'm a first year Ancient History student living on Pritchatts Park with 8 other people (2 Chemical Engineers, a Mathematician, a Medic, a Computer Scientist, an International Business student, an English student, and a joint honours English/Drama student).
For those of you who choose to live in Pritchatts, I'm also one of the Resident's Association (RA) members, which means I get to organise all of the fun events for your Freshers Week and generally appear in your kitchens when it's least expected
Any questions, whether big or small? Ask away!
As the title says, I'm a first year Ancient History student living on Pritchatts Park with 8 other people (2 Chemical Engineers, a Mathematician, a Medic, a Computer Scientist, an International Business student, an English student, and a joint honours English/Drama student).
For those of you who choose to live in Pritchatts, I'm also one of the Resident's Association (RA) members, which means I get to organise all of the fun events for your Freshers Week and generally appear in your kitchens when it's least expected
Any questions, whether big or small? Ask away!
Scroll to see replies
Hi. Possibly insuring (Economics BSc) with Birmingham!
Are there any business-oriented societies? Also, are there any societies where you can have an opportunity to try public speaking? Finally, what attracted you to Birmingham?
Are there any business-oriented societies? Also, are there any societies where you can have an opportunity to try public speaking? Finally, what attracted you to Birmingham?
University of Birmingham
Birmingham
Original post by Pro Crastination
Hi. Possibly insuring (Economics BSc) with Birmingham!
Are there any business-oriented societies? Also, are there any societies where you can have an opportunity to try public speaking? Finally, what attracted you to Birmingham?
Are there any business-oriented societies? Also, are there any societies where you can have an opportunity to try public speaking? Finally, what attracted you to Birmingham?
Hi!
There are plenty of societies associated with business, such as:
-Birmingham Enterprise and Entrepeneur Society
-Bright Futures
-Business Departmental Society
A lot of societies also do crossover events (i.e. Business and Law do a few crossover activity/debates), which means that there's plenty of opportunity to meet people and do different things. Bearing in mind as well that there are plenty of people who set up businesses from involvement in the societies/departments. The university actually has a specific bursary available to help with setting up different enterprises
As far as public speaking, we have a great Debating society, which frequently has some major debates going on with lots of guest speakers and academic attention! There's also a massive variety of political societies that do public speaking/events as well
Finally, I was attracted to Birmingham by the massive range of modules/opportunities that they have for my course/area of interest, and by just how beautiful the campus is! It's lovely and green, situated brilliantly between Harbourne and Selly Oak and with quick access to the city centre. I like that the campus is semi-rural/semi-urban, and that it's easy to get to where you want to go
As far as the uni itself goes, they are absolutely brilliant! Exceptional library, lots of computers and specialist software, really interesting and varied module choices that have a really wide breadth and depth to them, lecturers who are actually interested in teaching and making things as interactive as possible... I could go on forever! Thanks!
I managed to meet this Birmingham alumnus last year:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Acton_Smith
I think he set up his first project with a friend from the chess society, so I'll be sure to have a look at a wide range of societies if I go to Brum - better get learning chess :3. Pretty inspirational, though, hehe.
I managed to meet this Birmingham alumnus last year:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Acton_Smith
I think he set up his first project with a friend from the chess society, so I'll be sure to have a look at a wide range of societies if I go to Brum - better get learning chess :3. Pretty inspirational, though, hehe.
hows the night life in bham you enjoying it?
are teachers intimidating?
How much is the americano in costa coffee there ?
so many IMPORTANT questions haha
are teachers intimidating?
How much is the americano in costa coffee there ?
so many IMPORTANT questions haha
Original post by Pro Crastination
Thanks!
I managed to meet this Birmingham alumnus last year:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Acton_Smith
I think he set up his first project with a friend from the chess society, so I'll be sure to have a look at a wide range of societies if I go to Brum - better get learning chess :3. Pretty inspirational, though, hehe.
I managed to meet this Birmingham alumnus last year:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Acton_Smith
I think he set up his first project with a friend from the chess society, so I'll be sure to have a look at a wide range of societies if I go to Brum - better get learning chess :3. Pretty inspirational, though, hehe.
Haha, trust me, you'd have more than enough societies to choose from if you came! You have an interest in something? There's probably a society for it
If you want, have a browse through this:
http://www.guildofstudents.com/groups
Original post by Vashappeninkira
hows the night life in bham you enjoying it?
are teachers intimidating?
How much is the americano in costa coffee there ?
so many IMPORTANT questions haha
are teachers intimidating?
How much is the americano in costa coffee there ?
so many IMPORTANT questions haha
Nightlife is best bar none. If you want clubs, then Broad Street will be your favourite place ever. All the different districts (Jewelry Quarter, Irish Quarter, Gay Quarter etc) have loads of clubs as well, and entry to them is pretty cheap compared to some places. Otherwise, Selly Oak has some amazing pubs (The Goose, The Soak, Bristol Pear), Harbourne has a full pubcrawl challenge associated with sheer number of them you can find there. The Guild's not bad either
I know at least for my department, and for some of the modules that my flatmates talk about, that the teachers are anything BUT! They're there to help, sure, but they're really approachable and fun! My tutor for example wears GoT shirts instead of suits
I have no idea on an Americano, I'm a Hot Chocolate drinker
what's the gash like in birmingham?
Original post by martin jol
what's the gash like in birmingham?
Well, considering one of halls of residence is nicknamed Gashcroft...
Seriously though, I doubt it's any different from any other city university in the country.
Original post by Selda
Hi, what's about business management with year in industry? And business and American studies with year in industry? And foundation Programme? Are students pleased with these programmes?
In regards to business, my flatmate has said that the general quality and experience is brilliant. There's a lot of module choice and flexibility, and the lecturers in her view are really good. Considering as well that the Bham business courses have gone up in rankings recently, and there's some brilliant links with industry that come with being in one of the busiest financial/management areas outside of London.
In regards to years in industry, you'd be very well covered. The Careers Network at Bham is absolutely exceptional. There's some good industry links i.e. Jaguar Landrover, Enterprise, Cadbury etc., and I know they started a programme this year that you could get a mentor who actually works in your area to help give you guidance and advice.
I don't know anything about American Studies in particular, but the department (EDACS - English, Drama, American and Canadian Studies) is well organised, and the module choice you get is unbelievable. I've never heard anybody I know complain about doing something they don't like
Thanks for doing this thread. Few questions, what's the accommodation like in pritchatts park village, I've heard it's quite quiet. Also what's the food like on campus?
Original post by mari_lynne
Thanks for doing this thread. Few questions, what's the accommodation like in pritchatts park village, I've heard it's quite quiet. Also what's the food like on campus?
Well, Pritchatts Park is admittedly quieter than The Vale, but that's mainly just because there's considerably less people! Whilst there's less of a general hubbub, that doesn't necessarily mean that it's any quieter overall, or in terms of the activities and things you have open to you. It's also considerably closer to the university
I can only really speak for my accommodation and those that I've been in on Pritchatts, but they're generally really nice. Most of them have only very recently been upgraded/refurbished as well
For example, I live in The Spinney, which is a combination of flats and houses. The houses are massive; the kitchen in my house is probably one of the largest on campus in general with plenty of space for the 9 of us that live here, there's 3 bathrooms/showers which means that there's no fighting over who's using what and when, and the bedrooms are lovely. Two of my flatmates on the top floor have massive windows and window seats
Considering that the rent for me this year is £4,100 (And I think that the rent has been lowered for next year!) almost everybody I know on both Pritchatts and The Vale says that it's probably the best value for money of any accommodation.Food on campus, in general, is really nice. We have the usual coffee places (3 Costa Coffee shops and a Starbucks) and a couple of Spars (one in the University Centre and one in the Guild). If you go to the University Centre, you're spoilt for choice foodwise. There's a couple of bars, a buffet restaurant, a proper sit down restaurant, and then the Go! Central, which does Mexican food and good old comfort food. In the Guild you have Joe's Bar, which hands down does the best food on campus and for really cheap, like Pizza and Jacket Potatoes etc. If you're based on The Vale, then there's also the Hub, which is where those on Meal Plan will generally eat, but Meal Plan can now be used anywhere on campus! (Including Costa and Starbucks!)
I won't even go into some of the incredible food places/pubs that there are in Harbourne and Selly Oak! Trust me, you won't starve
What are you wearing on your feet right now?
Original post by Катя
What's the workload like? Too much / not enough / just right?
What's the atmosphere like? Is it easy to make friends?
How much contact time do you get? Are you satisfied with it?
What's the atmosphere like? Is it easy to make friends?
How much contact time do you get? Are you satisfied with it?
Workload is absolutely dependent on what course it is that you take. Some courses, like Medicine and Engineering, have a massive workload (think 9-5 everyday and then extra on top!), whilst others tend to be less.
On my course for example (Ancient History), I have a higher workload compared to what I would have been getting at other universities. 5 one hour lectures a week, 1 two hour project session a week, 1 PASS session a week (optional, but if your course does them, then I'd really recommend doing it!), 3 hours of seminars every other week, and then anywhere between 2-4 hours of one off seminars across the entire term. We get given full bibliographies attached to every lecture that they expect us to work through, a decent amount of prep work for each seminar, a metric ton of extra reading for my Literature module (i.e. all the Epics, poetry and associated commentaries that I do off of my own back to make it easier for the exams) and we're expected to write anywhere between 4-6 essays a term. I know that doesn't sound like a lot, but it's surprising how much it actually is once you start working through it! As far as how satisfied I am with it, I'm pretty happy with it. There's a good balance between what you get taught in classes/lectures and the time that you have to indulge in your own interests. You have fairly frequent meetings with your tutor to ensure you're doing okay, and all the lecturers have office hours that you can use and abuse to your hearts content
The atmosphere at the university is absolutely brilliant! Because it's a bit of a mix between being a fully fledged campus university and an urban university (i.e. you're slap bang in the middle of Selly Oak/Harbourne, and all the roads that link some of the buildings are public etc.) you get the best of both worlds. The campus is really green and relaxed, but at the same time you're not isolated from the real world. A lot of people say that Birmingham is much more laidback in its style than other Russell Group universities, but that's not at the expense of pushing you to do well. There's an amazing community spirit as well with lots of friendly rivalries, whether that's those on campus like Mason vs Maple Bank, or those in the wider area like Birmingham vs. UCB vs. Aston.
There's also always something going on, which makes it very easy to make friends! There's nearly 200 societies to choose from, so if you're interested in something, the odds are that there's at least a couple of other people who are as well. There's loads of sports teams and casual fitness clubs/classes which are good for socialising, and of course there's your halls as well! There are always events that are running which mean that you can meet people
Original post by rjones1994
What are you wearing on your feet right now?
Black and blue Sketchers. They make me feel like I'm being fit and healthy
Original post by Energy_Purple
Well, Pritchatts Park is admittedly quieter than The Vale, but that's mainly just because there's considerably less people! Whilst there's less of a general hubbub, that doesn't necessarily mean that it's any quieter overall, or in terms of the activities and things you have open to you. It's also considerably closer to the university
I can only really speak for my accommodation and those that I've been in on Pritchatts, but they're generally really nice. Most of them have only very recently been upgraded/refurbished as well
For example, I live in The Spinney, which is a combination of flats and houses. The houses are massive; the kitchen in my house is probably one of the largest on campus in general with plenty of space for the 9 of us that live here, there's 3 bathrooms/showers which means that there's no fighting over who's using what and when, and the bedrooms are lovely. Two of my flatmates on the top floor have massive windows and window seats Considering that the rent for me this year is £4,100 (And I think that the rent has been lowered for next year!) almost everybody I know on both Pritchatts and The Vale says that it's probably the best value for money of any accommodation.
Food on campus, in general, is really nice. We have the usual coffee places (3 Costa Coffee shops and a Starbucks) and a couple of Spars (one in the University Centre and one in the Guild). If you go to the University Centre, you're spoilt for choice foodwise. There's a couple of bars, a buffet restaurant, a proper sit down restaurant, and then the Go! Central, which does Mexican food and good old comfort food. In the Guild you have Joe's Bar, which hands down does the best food on campus and for really cheap, like Pizza and Jacket Potatoes etc. If you're based on The Vale, then there's also the Hub, which is where those on Meal Plan will generally eat, but Meal Plan can now be used anywhere on campus! (Including Costa and Starbucks!)
I won't even go into some of the incredible food places/pubs that there are in Harbourne and Selly Oak! Trust me, you won't starve
I can only really speak for my accommodation and those that I've been in on Pritchatts, but they're generally really nice. Most of them have only very recently been upgraded/refurbished as well
For example, I live in The Spinney, which is a combination of flats and houses. The houses are massive; the kitchen in my house is probably one of the largest on campus in general with plenty of space for the 9 of us that live here, there's 3 bathrooms/showers which means that there's no fighting over who's using what and when, and the bedrooms are lovely. Two of my flatmates on the top floor have massive windows and window seats
Considering that the rent for me this year is £4,100 (And I think that the rent has been lowered for next year!) almost everybody I know on both Pritchatts and The Vale says that it's probably the best value for money of any accommodation.Food on campus, in general, is really nice. We have the usual coffee places (3 Costa Coffee shops and a Starbucks) and a couple of Spars (one in the University Centre and one in the Guild). If you go to the University Centre, you're spoilt for choice foodwise. There's a couple of bars, a buffet restaurant, a proper sit down restaurant, and then the Go! Central, which does Mexican food and good old comfort food. In the Guild you have Joe's Bar, which hands down does the best food on campus and for really cheap, like Pizza and Jacket Potatoes etc. If you're based on The Vale, then there's also the Hub, which is where those on Meal Plan will generally eat, but Meal Plan can now be used anywhere on campus! (Including Costa and Starbucks!)
I won't even go into some of the incredible food places/pubs that there are in Harbourne and Selly Oak! Trust me, you won't starve
Aww thanks for the info, really helpful!
How is your friend who does English and Drama finding the course? Anything he/she moans about/praises?
Original post by brettgmason
How is your friend who does English and Drama finding the course? Anything he/she moans about/praises?
She thinks it's absolutely brilliant! Other than the one or two usual moans that most people have about courses in general, she's never complained about anything in general.
As far as good things, her top points:
-Good mixture of theory and practical
-Good guidance and assistance with essays
-Regular feedback
-Really good industry contacts (They had an exclusive talk from Mark Williams about one of the plays that they were studying because he happened to be starring in it at one of the local theatres)
-Really good community spirit within the course
-Everything fits together really well in terms of course content across both halves of the degree
Bad points:
-They're both taught on different campuses (English on the main campus, Drama at Selly Oak), which means that if you have a really busy day, you could be doing a lot of power walking between sites
-There's A LOT of reading. She said that sometimes you can go through an entire novel/set of plays in a space of a week, and then be doing something completely different the next week depending on what it is.
-There's also a lot of essays, but providing you manage your time really well, then you should have no problems with them.
Seriously though, she said that the course is definitely a good one to look at, and considering that the Drama course has really gained in prestige and status over the last few years, it's really worthwhile thinking about it
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