This thread is closed

Missing lectures/seminars?

For humanities the first year doesn't really exist. I know girls who, in all seriousness, were probably drunk/hungover more than they were sober over the course of the whole year, and they eased to 2:2s in the first and second year. I got a mid 2:2 in Law in my first year and University as an academic concept hadn't even occured to me. I went to see Dirty Pretty Things the night before one exam, got pissed, the last train from Middlesbrough to Durham was cancelled and I had to get a bus back which didn't get in till about 3am, for a 9am exam. I was late for one exam because I was playing Pro Evo. One exam I'd only went to two lectures in all year. Last year I did some revision and I got 59/a high 2:2, but completely ****ed one exam up by wrongly assuming there were only three questions to answer (so only revising three topics) when there were four. So I'll just step it up a gear and *fingers crossed* should coast to a 2:1. But the thing is, with humanities, especially law (arrogantly assuming law is more difficult than other humanities) you could work your arse off, and be really intelligent, but still not get a first. So, my logic is, do pretty much nothing, or as little as you can to get a 2:1. You can gauge this in your first year. All of my friends are humanities people and some did loads of work, and some did practically none at all. They all got 2:1s. Granted, the ones who did loads got high 2:1s, and the ones who did little got low 2:1s, but does it really matter?

For sciences, you're pretty much ****ed on the 'doing as little work as possible' side. But on the plus side, if you do work hard and put the effort in a first is very much attainable.

Moral of the story is: test yourself out on your first year. Anyone at Durham is at least marginally intelligent (though once you're here you may begin to question that), so you can ratio out your first year score to effort, and work out how much more/less you can do in your second and third years to get whatever grade. General rule = humanities easier to pass, harder to bitchslap. Sciences harder to pass, easier to bend over.

Reply 21

jazznaz

1

I was under the impression that if I were to miss a lecture, I'd have a tough time to catch up, and to miss a few in succession would be disastrous. I don't intend to miss any lectures (he says...), because I'm paying a hell of a lot of money for my degree, and I'd rather like a first if possible... :p:

Reply 22

pikaboo

13

goldenbarnes, normally I'd tsk tsk your attitude towards uni work, but that last post actually speaks the truth! 6 people got firsts in Anthropology this year (out of over 60) and they were the mad keen ones with loads of money who could afford to go and do research projects abroad and butter up the professors and stuff. The vast majority of us got 2:1's, including a lot of naturally clever people and some who weren't so good at their subject (me!) and basically anyone who got below a 2:1 deserved it. I reckon in the humanities and social sciences, the difference between a low 2:1 and a high 2:1 is much more than that degree class suggests. Maybe there's should be 3 divisions in that class :p:

Man that was a ramble. Lets just say that the amount of work you have to do to get certain marks pisses me off. The system is so silly, but you'll soon realise that and find shortcuts to that magical 2:1.

Reply 23

elphiej

In the theology department they say at the beginning of the year that they'll take a register at every lecture and they expect you to be there, this is true and they do but I have one or two friends who didn't go to most of them. Seminars are a bit harder to get away with not going to. In theology you only have 6 hours a week so if you don't go to most you're being a bit daft and it makes it a heck of a lot easier to pass exams, you take in more than you expect by sleeping on a desk than sleeping in your bed!!!!
However, I know other departments don't give a monkeys how many you do/don't go to!

Reply 24

bravenewcentury

I honestly don't see why anyone would not go to lectures unless they were genuinely ill or had some other decent excuse. What the **** are you doing at university if you don't want to learn? Go and get a sodding job! £20,000 of debt is one bloody expensive three-year piss up, you might as well have some actual intellectual development to show for it.

Also, someone asked earlier if you can take holidays in term time- you can, but you have to get permission from your department and notify your college well in advance.

Reply 25

DigitalS

I was wondering what I would be studying in International Foundation? I didnt have the necessary requirements to study a degree as i dont have GCSEs or A-Levels, i do have an US High School Diploma but thats it. I'll be doing the International Foundation and I was wondering what kind of workload i'll have and how a foundation course differs from a degree course. What happens after the first year of the foundation course? do I have to reapply at another university or can i continue studying at durham for a degree?

Reply 26

Hopping Mad Kangaroo

15

bravenewcentury

I honestly don't see why anyone would not go to lectures unless they were genuinely ill or had some other decent excuse. What the **** are you doing at university if you don't want to learn? Go and get a sodding job! £20,000 of debt is one bloody expensive three-year piss up, you might as well have some actual intellectual development to show for it.

Also, someone asked earlier if you can take holidays in term time- you can, but you have to get permission from your department and notify your college well in advance.
It depends how good the lectures were I suppose, and whether or not you could just learn it more easily by talking to your peers or consulting the book. I take it some of the lecturers will be inevitably dire? If you get grants then the amount of debt is a lot less that £20,000, in fact if you take out the whole loan then you have a nice house deposit when you leave.

On the holidays question, how long in advance do the college expect notification?

Reply 27

arkbar

12

Hang on, what's the point in me going to a 1st year lecture which is teaching me how to use MS Excel? Or a whole term on introductory statistics when probably around half the students (myself not included) already have Maths A-level?
Pointless lectures are best avoided, but skiving for the sake of skiving is a bit dim.

Reply 28

loggins

17

My resolution for next year is to attend all lectures! I did fine without attending them all last year, but if I'm going for that 1st then I'm going to have to get my ass into gear :p:

!

Reply 29

jasperstory

9

Very few first years receive firsts!

Why?

I've discussed this with my father, a lecturer. Many markers, and teachers, think that awarding firsts to first years will give them the impression that University is easy going, and that they don't need to work partiularly hard in the second and third years.

Me? I got a 2:1 or there-abouts despite not doing a whole lot of work. I intend, however, this year, to do a great deal more and get a 1st.

I'll probably fail in this regard, but I'm prepared to wait and see. :smile:

Reply 30

arkbar

12

I got a first in seoncd year, why aren't you worshipping me?
Oh, oh right.
Damn.

Reply 31

Hopping Mad Kangaroo

15

jasperstory

Very few first years receive firsts!

Why?

I've discussed this with my father, a lecturer. Many markers, and teachers, think that awarding firsts to first years will give them the impression that University is easy going, and that they don't need to work partiularly hard in the second and third years.

Me? I got a 2:1 or there-abouts despite not doing a whole lot of work. I intend, however, this year, to do a great deal more and get a 1st.

I'll probably fail in this regard, but I'm prepared to wait and see. :smile:

Surely it would be better to catch them out in their second year as opposed to their first?

Reply 32

frizzy_locks

OP

2

I absolutley hate the idea of seminars/tutorials where they just ask you questions outright and you have to answer!

what if you genuinely dont know the answer?? or don't want to be asked questions? im too shy!

Reply 33

jasperstory

9

Surely it would be better to catch them out in their second year as opposed to their first?

Well, they still want the proportion of First-Class degrees to be around the usual.

To be honest, my father is actually not a big fan both of these sort of tactics, and the fact that essays/exams are never marked (or very very rarely) over 85 and so on. So it's not seen as a rational pursuit of the markers - it's more based on tradition and other factors.

For example, I would argue that awarding First Year students Firsts and high-marks will inspire them to continue on the work.

Whatever the case, don't worry too much if you didn't get a First in your First Year; I'd expect if you really put in the work this year, you'll be more fairly awarded.

Reply 34

Rooftopcowboy

12

depends on your course, on the business/businessfinance/accounting courses at stockton, they never take a register for lecture, so you can attend when you want

and you can miss 3 seminars a term without being called to a dicisipline thing. They do make you go to a meeting if you miss over 3 though, but the first meeting is just a warning.

continue missing stuff and you get put on keeping of term, which doesnt look fun, as you have to get a form signed at every lecture..so look stupid stood at the front waiting for the lecturer at the end of a lecture.

Reply 35

pikaboo

13

frizzy_locks

I absolutley hate the idea of seminars/tutorials where they just ask you questions outright and you have to answer!

what if you genuinely dont know the answer?? or don't want to be asked questions? im too shy!

Don't worry. The questions set are very easy to answer if you've done the preparation work. Failing that, you could just blag your way through and the worst that will happen is silence and then a monologue answer from the tutor. You have to get used to discussing stuff in groups at uni - it's good preparation for the world of work, or so they say!

Reply 36

socialist cook

8

It depends on the lecturer within the department too, I missed one seminar last year and my lecturer got me confused with a guy called Jeff who was at my college and due to give a presentation that day. So I got a letter for a) missing my seminar and b) missing my presentation when in fact I'd only been guilty of the former!

Missing lectures/seminars?

Related discussions

Trending

Latest