What you learned the hard way first year

Oh yes this is also true. I almost always do very well on coursework and it takes a lot of pressure off the exams.

In several of my exams I only needed 12%, 14% and 21% in the exams to pass the module....though of course I wanted to get higher than pass.

I definitely wanted to get higher than a pass this year but last year a couple of my weaker modules were just a case of, let's pass the module. Luckily my coursework was pretty good in those modules, and I still passed the exams with 40% and 45% in each exam respectively... All of my final grades for the modules last year were over 50% anyway, which is the main thing.

Another example this year: doing well in the Electromagnetics coursework. Hence, my relatively lower grade in the exam (40%?, will find out on 6/30/15) will be compensated by my higher coursework grade, so I'll still pass (hopefully with 50% or more).

there's no longer a well-defined syllabus listing all the stuff you need to know - so it is really important to do extra reading as well as attending all lectures/ supervisions/ labs. Also, there are no set answers to exam questions and no markschemes - making revision really difficult. University is no longer about learning to pass an exam (as it is at a level), but instead a much vaguer assessment of your abilities.

Also, no resits and constantly assessed practicals means that you can't afford to slip up at all - if you fail, you're out. It's so important to keep on top of the work throughout the year, i started drifting behind in the first term and it took solid studying for the whole christmas vacation to catch up.

What uni do you go to? I havent heard of any unis outside of cambridge that dont give any solutions or makschemes to pastpapers. Harsh imo

What uni do you go to? I havent heard of any unis outside of cambridge that dont give any solutions or makschemes to pastpapers. Harsh imo

I'm at Aberdeen and we don't get exam paper solutions. The occasional course coordinator will give "indicative solutions" which is basically one random past paper with a couple of bullet points about what the question is asking and therefore what should be covered to pass, but that's it. It is incredibly frustrating for my maths based modules because those are the ones that solutions would come in most useful for and those are the ones that we don't get anything for.

I thought this was pretty common, Nottingham (Uni of) are the same, at least in the Theology dptmt.

Didn't realise this! Pretty harsh there is such a disparity between different unis and courses.

Correct

How many essays would you say need to be written a week, and how many books need to be read?

Didn't realise this! Pretty harsh there is such a disparity between different unis and courses.

Depends where you're going. The course I'm on (and leaving) asks for basically nothing, maybe 6 essays a term, two of which are 800 words, more an exercise than an essay. The course I've applied to (which admittedly is joint honours English and a modern language) is closer to 15 a term, plus language exercises. For me that's better because I don't want to be allowed to do nothing for weeks and then have essays sprung on me with little motivation to prepare anything beforehand. In English writing essays spread roughly evenly throughout the year is the best way of consolidating what you've learnt, making sure you have secondary sources that are actually useful come exam time. So basically: Embrace the essay! Let the hate/knowledge flow through you!

A harsh lesson I've seen others learn - the uni can throw you off your course for "lack of engagement", not just for failing exams. They can do it at any time during your first year and they aren't obliged to let you finish the year.

"Lack of engagement" includes things like not going to lectures/tutorials/seminars or repeatedly not turning work in on time. You can be thrown out before you've even taken any exams. If your uni monitors lecture attendance, they can use it as evidence.

quickquestion:is psychology a good degree to do in your opinion? also when did you guys start attending open days. Im in year 12 atm...also my mum seems to think i cant be trusted to study outside of london as "i play games too much and im not independent" which i kind of find hard to understand since i pretty much never ask her to do anything for me and i rarely ask for her help the only thing ill admit to is that sometimes i do play games for too long(but at uni i figure i wont bring any games consoles along) and that i cant cook(working on this aspect though)

i want to do psychology at uni what work experience/volunteering do you recommend.I've already done mentoring at 6th form and I've also chaperphoned at my sunday school for a year.

"Lack of engagement" includes things like not going to lectures/tutorials/seminars or repeatedly not turning work in on time. You can be thrown out before you've even taken any exams. If your uni monitors lecture attendance, they can use it as evidence.

How do universities monitor attendance at lectures and seminars and things? Do you sign in before or something?

(I don't think I'd miss many lectures at uni; just wondering.)