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1st Year at uni... course is too easy and in general not happy... change uni?

jayward_2013

Hi everyone.

Basically i am a 1st year student at uni (i wont mention the name of the uni, as i don't want to put anyone off... unless you want to know :P) and i am finding my course really easy atm... i mean i covered more difficult stuff at A-level.

I am doing Computer Science and at my uni i feel the tutor's are not very helpful at all, i mean specifically for the programming module, however as i have covered the programming material being covered in the 1st year already at A level (and i have GREAT teachers at A-level) that means that i don't really need help from the tutors at all.

Many things are frustrating me atm, e.g. no care taken in the coursework specifications, e.g. not properly explaining a topic or what's required, spelling errors, (that may sound a bit mental as in i have nothing better to do but like spelling a topic so that it means something else... ok dw if you don't understand what i mean lol). (are alot of tutor's like this in general at uni?)

It also seems that alot of the work in my modules, i mean lecture notes, etc have just literally been copy and pasted from a book... which makes me think ok im paying the tutors £9k to teach me stuff i could read from a book, i mean literally nearly using the same words, etc. (is this the same with all uni's?)

I understand the 1st year is normally to get everyone up to the same level but i find it's really easy most of the time (i don't want to sound like a know it all but that's my honest opinion atm).

In terms of the social side of uni, that really isn't present atm, i mean i enjoy sports, music and just generally socialising but as my uni has multiple campus', the locations of the sports are about 30 mins to 1 hour away, i mean not only that but some of them are a pain to get to. I am living at home atm, as i took the approach to try to save money, however im not sure if i should have stayed at uni. I actually received uni offers, however i rejected all of them (possibly a stupid thing to do but it's what i thought was best at the time) as all of the uni's were minimum 3 hours away from home. I think i may like staying at uni if it's not too far away from home, i.e. not 3-6 hours away, even though you could still go back home for any reason but it would be a bit more of a day trip/weekend visit. I'm not the most outgoing or confident person but im sure i could improve upon that, meaning i can speak to people fine about different things, etc.

Sorry to keep writing and with all the paragraphs but what i am asking is people's opinion's on what i should do to resolve this... may i add i am really unhappy atm at uni (i guess you would have figured that anyway). I have considered going to year 2 classes just to see the standard and/or to see if i enjoy what's being taught. I have also considered trying to transferring to another uni after year 1... so if anyone knows about if year 1 --> year 2 is easier compared to trying to get into a uni from A-level --> 1st year, please let me know. Lastly, some reasons for not going ahead with trying to transfer uni's earlier are the year 2 modules look interesting at my current uni and it seems alot of hassle changing uni's and i think it may be worse in some ways which i may not be able to cope with... or something.

Thanks people and i apologise again for the copious amounts of writing and rambling on....... :smile:

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 1

Shadow-X

carry on with ur current uni

Reply 2

ElChapo

This is very different to my first year at university so far. Where do you go?

Posted from TSR Mobile

What uni?

I go to Westminster uni. I also had offer's through clearing from Brighton and some others. Does anyone go to Brighton uni... it looked pretty decent and i heard they are good in AI.

What uni's do you go to?

Reply 5

New- Emperor

Dude if you are not happy change oh and move on to hall aa it's cheaper in the long run and a lot more fun enjoy

Reply 6

jayward_2013

Original post by New- Emperor

Dude if you are not happy change oh and move on to hall aa it's cheaper in the long run and a lot more fun enjoy

Yea it does seem like a no brainer tbh... i mean to change if something isn't right or if im not happy with it but im not sure how easy it is to change uni but i suppose that depends on the uni to some extent.

Thanks for the reply.

Reply 7

Zyekanz

I changed universities. (well, have an offer for a new university to go into the first year again on September). Changing from Photographic Journalism to just plain Photography.

HATE my current university, pretty much every single aspect to it.

change

How much extra work are you doing on your own? If you are only doing the minimum then I'm not surprised you are bored. And are you getting top grades for all assignment? If not, why not?

Start reading all the academic journals in your subject area (do you even know where these are kept in the library/where they available online? find out), read all the recent MPhil or PhD thesis written in your subject area (in your Uni library to borrow) - and undergrad dissertations/project work if you can get hold of them. Follow up all references and citations and/or any other bits you don't currently understand. There will also be recordings of lectures etc available for you to watch/listen to - from your own Uni and at others (google relevant keywords and 'lecture' and 'ac.uk'). Once you have done all this, you won't feel like you have nothing to do or that you aren't achieving anything.

Have you spoken to either your Personal Tutor or your Head of Dept about your concerns? If not, do so. Unless students speak up, nothing will be noticed and nothing will change.

Remember - changing Unis can sound like a great bit of defiance and is a great way to flounce out of a Uni you are peed off with. You, however, have to live with the consequences. That includes moving to a new city, starting the year on a new course that is already one year in with previous coursework you haven't done and a social group that is well established, friendships made etc? Moving to a new course/Uni may not be actually quite as instantly successful as you might imagine.

Look at the Orange Sticky thread entitled TRANSFERS at the top of this Board - lots of advice and warnings.