The Official University of Essex Applicants Thread 2018 Entry

Original post by VerAl1504

Holly hell, I've applied for English Language and Linguistics too! Essex is my insurance choice though I think I'll end up there as I'm very close to not getting the grade needed for my firm choice...
I'm hoping to apply to South Court and Houses as there are ensuite rooms there but since Essex is not my firm choice I won't be able to apply for an accomodation yet (Which I find quite silly reavlly, so fingers crossed there will still be rooms available when I can apply)

Niceeee another Eng Lang and Linguistics buddy! Yep, the ensuite rooms were a major attraction for me to South Courts and Houses. Hopefully there will be rooms left! Where have you put as your firm choice? I also applied to Lancaster, Sheffield, UEA and Reading, but decided I liked Essex best (even though it has the lowest entry requirements lol) 😂 :smile:

Reply 182

VerAl1504

Original post by gemmalou2304

Niceeee another Eng Lang and Linguistics buddy! Yep, the ensuite rooms were a major attraction for me to South Courts and Houses. Hopefully there will be rooms left! Where have you put as your firm choice? I also applied to Lancaster, Sheffield, UEA and Reading, but decided I liked Essex best (even though it has the lowest entry requirements lol) 😂 :smile:

My firm choice is York though they want a 16 and I am one matk short with a 15 which is almost impossible for me to get now! I've also applied to Aberdeen, Dundee, and Kent though Aberdeen and Dundee rejected me and I rejected Kent as they hasld the same condition as York. Nice to finally meet another Eng Lang and Linguistics student, I thought I was alone 😂

Reply 183

Original post by VerAl1504

My firm choice is York though they want a 16 and I am one matk short with a 15 which is almost impossible for me to get now! I've also applied to Aberdeen, Dundee, and Kent though Aberdeen and Dundee rejected me and I rejected Kent as they hasld the same condition as York. Nice to finally meet another Eng Lang and Linguistics student, I thought I was alone 😂

Ah ok, I hope you do manage to get the mark you need for York (although it would be great if you came to Essex haha) What qualification is that for just out of interest? I only really know how A levels work! Yep, it is great to meet another Eng Lang and Linguistics student, I thought I was alone too - I'm the only one at my sixth form planning to study it 😂

Reply 184

VerAl1504

Original post by gemmalou2304

Ah ok, I hope you do manage to get the mark you need for York (although it would be great if you came to Essex haha) What qualification is that for just out of interest? I only really know how A levels work! Yep, it is great to meet another Eng Lang and Linguistics student, I thought I was alone too - I'm the only one at my sixth form planning to study it 😂

In Luxembourg, where I am from, we have many kinds of qualifications. The one I am doing is called " Diplôme d'acces aux études supérieur", which is French for "Diploma granting access to higher education". It's a qualification enabling people who have a qualification that doesn't enable one to attend uni to acquire one. It's graded from 0 - 20 with 18 being around AAA, 16 AAB etc.
It's rare to see someone who's also interested in the course, nobody I know plans to study it so it's awesome to finally meet someone who does!

Reply 185

Original post by VerAl1504

In Luxembourg, where I am from, we have many kinds of qualifications. The one I am doing is called " Diplôme d'acces aux études supérieur", which is French for "Diploma granting access to higher education". It's a qualification enabling people who have a qualification that doesn't enable one to attend uni to acquire one. It's graded from 0 - 20 with 18 being around AAA, 16 AAB etc.
It's rare to see someone who's also interested in the course, nobody I know plans to study it so it's awesome to finally meet someone who does!

Ah ok, that's interesting! I'm guessing you can speak French then! I'm doing French for one of my A levels and am hoping to continue it through Essex's "Languages for All" programme :smile:

Yeh it's awesome! It'll be great to meet you if you do end up coming to Essex! :smile:

Reply 186

Gloryzin

7

Hey guys 👋🏼
Does anyone know when we will hear back for our accommodation?

(edited 5 years ago)

Reply 187

YeFool

south courts masterrace

Reply 188

OP

Original post by gemmalou2304

Ooh thank you! What's the atmosphere like in South Courts? How long is the walk to the centre of campus? Have you enjoyed living there? If you know anything about the Houses, how does it compare to living there? :smile:

You have nothing to thank me for :hugs:

I apologise for the delay; I was writing my long history essay :afraid:

The walk from South Courts to the centre of the campus is very short! :yep:

In a best case scenario, it takes around five to seven minutes (or if you are quick, three). Even if you walk really slowly, you will get there in less than ten minutes anyway. In fact, going from the South Courts to the North Training Centre (which is near the North Towers, so in literally the opposite side of the campus) only takes me between nine and twelve minutes at most, and I am a slow walker! :laugh:

I did enjoy living there, mostly :biggrin:

The South Courts are awesome. I lived in Harwich (the circle with like 23 houses; basically the centre and main part of the South Courts). The rooms are really big and look good :yes:

The bathroom is quite nice too! :h:

The kitchen is alright as well, though it is nowhere near as much of a social space as the kitchens in the Towers :laugh:

(Which is not a bad thing if you want to study, to be sincere :giggle:

) One of my friends said the South Courts are like their own village, which is not that far off, to be honest :lol:

It is mostly quiet around there... unless you are unlucky enough to get a guy who keeps playing music, a guy whose TV is always on maximum volume, and a girl whose friends scream her name outside the house at night :grumble:

I was unfortunately the unlucky one in this case, but such cases are rare, so do not let them put you off :h:

And if it happens, call the RA (Resident Assistant) on them and report them :colone:

In case the concept of RA is unfamiliar to you (I knew nothing about it before I arrived, so I thought this bit of information might help): the RA is this second, third or fourth year student who lives in university accommodation, and who helps solve problems if needed. If you get an accommodation place at Essex, you will have a meeting with the RA and everyone in your flat in order to draw up and sign a contract, and to specify any things you will not tolerate (e.g. no loud music after 8 PM, no music a month prior to the exams, no 'inappropriate' actions in the kitchen, no loud 'inappropriate' sounds, stuff like that). This will happen in Freshers' Week.

Mark my words: take the occasion of the contract to impose several rules in your household before you end up getting annoyed because one of your flatmates plays terrible loud music all the time since he is a famous DJ or something (yes, this actually freaking happened to me, do not ask how). Your RA's image and contact details will be stapled on one of the walls in the kitchen anyway, so you know who to contact in case there is a problem in the flat, such as the hob not working (which happened to me this year). :smile:

I do not know much about the Houses, sorry! :sad:

The Houses seem nice from what I have seen and heard, though. No one I have ever met has ever said anything bad about them. Just that they are typically quiet and lovely. I know a few people who live there and they are all wonderful people :yep:

Most people seem to want the Towers rather than the Courts or Houses, to be honest, so I expect plenty of South Courts rooms to be available. I get it, the South Courts are more expensive, but I would not trade my bathroom for anything :cry2:

Original post by VerAl1504

fingers crossed there will still be rooms available when I can apply

Essex was my Clearing choice and I applied after the guaranteed accommodation deadline, yet I still got a room in the South Courts. Worry not, there should be a room for you, hopefully! :bigsmile:

And it is worth noting that students leave accommodation throughout the year sometimes, so you might get an offer for the South Courts at any point between October and April too, if you are lucky :h:

Original post by YeFool

south courts masterrace

You know it :five:

(edited 5 years ago)

Reply 189

Original post by Michiyo

You know it :five:

Original post by Michiyo

You know it :five:

Thanks for the long and detailed (and rather entertaining!) answer - it was definitely worth the wait! South Courts sounds lovely and I defo feel the same way about the bathroom - it's worth the extra money. I was a little familar with the concept of an RA, but it was useful to hear it explained further - defo sounds like a good idea! Don't get me wrong, I love having a laugh and messing round a bit, but I also love my peace and quiet for study and relaxing (and I value my sleep haha!). What are the other study places like round campus? I like to have a quiet place to really get stuck into my work! And this might seem like a really random question but... is there anywhere on campus to store musical instruments? I play the cello and as you can imagine, its rather big and likely to take up a lot of space if I store it in my room haha 😂 And, one more question (last one, I promise!) - do you happen to know if there is a Facebook group for Essex applicants this year? I know some unis tend to do them :smile:

Reply 190

OP

Original post by gemmalou2304

Thanks for the long and detailed (and rather entertaining!) answer - it was definitely worth the wait! South Courts sounds lovely and I defo feel the same way about the bathroom - it's worth the extra money. I was a little familar with the concept of an RA, but it was useful to hear it explained further - defo sounds like a good idea! Don't get me wrong, I love having a laugh and messing round a bit, but I also love my peace and quiet for study and relaxing (and I value my sleep haha!). What are the other study places like round campus? I like to have a quiet place to really get stuck into my work! And this might seem like a really random question but... is there anywhere on campus to store musical instruments? I play the cello and as you can imagine, its rather big and likely to take up a lot of space if I store it in my room haha 😂 And, one more question (last one, I promise!) - do you happen to know if there is a Facebook group for Essex applicants this year? I know some unis tend to do them :smile:

Aww, thank you a lot! :blush:

I can share a few interesting stories from my first year at Essex, if you wish :biggrin:

The South Courts are the best! :yep:

Ignoring the cost, it is probably the accommodation with the best balance between tranquility, studying, and a social life, in my opinion. They are far enough from the campus to avoid the busy Squares 3 and 4 (the main squares), not too far or deserted for a social life, not too crowded for studying, and close enough to the campus for you to get to your lectures and seminars on time, even if you leave right when the lecture or seminar begins. :love:

(At Essex, you have the first 15 minutes of the lesson to tap in your student card in order to record your attendance. I have even left at like 10:10 AM and made it on time for my 10 AM lecture before the tap in time expires. Even so, I recommend leaving at least ten minutes before those 15 minutes are up. :innocent:

)

I know, right? The extra money paid for the bathroom basically saved me whenever I needed to go to the bathroom really quickly while working on my assignments the night before they are due :laugh:

Same here

I like to have fun, but if I have a test the next day, I better not have to deal with my flatmates throwing a party at 3 AM (yes, I had to break a party in another flatmate's room and yell at them to keep quiet once :rant:

). By the end of week 3, my famous DJ of a flatmate had already been reported by another flatmate and like two other people for playing loud music, I think :rofl:

(Seriously, if someone went to Harwich and heard music coming from somewhere, following it would have led them to my house :erm:

) I did not think specifying anything in the contract was necessary, but I really wish I had done so now, just so my lovely music-loving flatmate and my party-throwing flatmate would have been a little bit more considerate :h:

There are a lot of study places on campus! :gah:

The most popular study place is the library, which has five floors and a reading room, though it is almost always packed. The library closes at 10 PM unless it is 'exam period' (the summer term). It is full of awesome books! You should have a look at the literature section, which is mostly on floors 1 and 5. I borrowed so many amazing classic novels from there that I cannot count :heart:

The second most popular place is the Learning Hub, which is near the library and in the same building as the reception. It has learning pods. Every single place with learning pods is great for group work, e.g. for presentations. If the Learning Hub is full, go up to the second floor, since there is one more study space there.

There are also 15 IT Labs, which are mostly empty (especially O, N, and R; I did not even know they existed before I looked them up!), and you can check if they are available and how many computers are available online, though there is also a panel in Square 3 or 4, on which you can see if the IT labs are available.

The Limehouse, too, is a really quiet place to study, because no one goes there unless they have German or something. It has keyboards and pods with some panels on which the computer screen is reflected. Good for presentations and if you have to listen to anything (this goes for the IT Labs too, though).

Zest (formerly known as the Orangery) has such pods as well, and you can grab some cake or snacks to eat while you work! :grin:

(I had a cake with mint and chocolate when working on a presentation there in November. It was delicious. :awesome:

) Zest is the closest study space to The Store and The Extra Store (Essex is very creative with store names, you see :proud:

), but none of the stores are far from the study spaces, so you are free to get some snacks and drinks before a study session. :yes:

Finally, there is the departmental common room. Each department has a common room. Despite its name, a lot of people do not even know where their departmental common room is! :rofl:

The reason for this is that the common room is only used for department parties. However, you can make tea (at least in the Department of Government common room :tea:

), and given that no one ever goes to the common room, it is a very quiet place to study. :smile:

On a side note, if you wish, feel free to use literally any teaching room on campus as long as you are ready to leave it if a class has a seminar there. Once, I used my German class in the North Training Centre as a meeting and discussion space for my German roleplay team since I had no better ideas for a quiet study space at that moment. :lol:

...That is a good question :shock:

I apologise, but I have never heard of such a thing :cry:

I know there is a piano room, if that helps. Either way, the rooms in the South Courts might be big enough, even for a cello. I will ask around and see what I can find, though! :dumbells:

Essex has a Freshers' group on Facebook each year :h:

I do not know if there is any applicant group for this year already, so you will have to look that one up, sorry :frown:

Feel free to bombard me with 209171579+ questions! :bigsmile:

I do not mind at all :nah:

I am already a student at Essex, after all, so I might as well give information and advice to the prospective freshers of this year :ahee:

Fun fact: Did you know? At Essex, each department has a different colour for the lanyard that the student card is on! :teeth:

(edited 5 years ago)

Reply 191

obeagler

3

Original post by Gloryzin

Hey guys 👋🏼
Does anyone know when we will hear back for our accommodation?

i wish i did :frown:

im getting so impatient!! The application said they start allocating rooms from the beginning of march but nobody seems to have heard anything yet

hopefully we will hear soon!!

Reply 192

Original post by Michiyo

Aww, thank you a lot! :blush:

I can share a few interesting stories from my first year at Essex, if you wish :biggrin:

The South Courts are the best! :yep:

Ignoring the cost, it is probably the accommodation with the best balance between tranquility, studying, and a social life, in my opinion. They are far enough from the campus to avoid the busy Squares 3 and 4 (the main squares), not too far or deserted for a social life, not too crowded for studying, and close enough to the campus for you to get to your lectures and seminars on time, even if you leave right when the lecture or seminar begins. :love:

(At Essex, you have the first 15 minutes of the lesson to tap in your student card in order to record your attendance. I have even left at like 10:10 AM and made it on time for my 10 AM lecture before the tap in time expires. Even so, I recommend leaving at least ten minutes before those 15 minutes are up. :innocent:

)

I know, right? The extra money paid for the bathroom basically saved me whenever I needed to go to the bathroom really quickly while working on my assignments the night before they are due :laugh:

Same here

I like to have fun, but if I have a test the next day, I better not have to deal with my flatmates throwing a party at 3 AM (yes, I had to break a party in another flatmate's room and yell at them to keep quiet once :rant:

). By the end of week 3, my famous DJ of a flatmate had already been reported by another flatmate and like two other people for playing loud music, I think :rofl:

(Seriously, if someone went to Harwich and heard music coming from somewhere, following it would have led them to my house :erm:

) I did not think specifying anything in the contract was necessary, but I really wish I had done so now, just so my lovely music-loving flatmate and my party-throwing flatmate would have been a little bit more considerate :h:

There are a lot of study places on campus! :gah:

The most popular study place is the library, which has five floors and a reading room, though it is almost always packed. The library closes at 10 PM unless it is 'exam period' (the summer term). It is full of awesome books! You should have a look at the literature section, which is mostly on floors 1 and 5. I borrowed so many amazing classic novels from there that I cannot count :heart:

The second most popular place is the Learning Hub, which is near the library and in the same building as the reception. It has learning pods. Every single place with learning pods is great for group work, e.g. for presentations. If the Learning Hub is full, go up to the second floor, since there is one more study space there.

There are also 15 IT Labs, which are mostly empty (especially O, N, and R; I did not even know they existed before I looked them up!), and you can [url="https://www1.essex.ac.uk/it/labs/usage/"]check if they are available and how many computers are available online

, though there is also a panel in Square 3 or 4, on which you can see if the IT labs are available.

The Limehouse, too, is a really quiet place to study, because no one goes there unless they have German or something. It has keyboards and pods with some panels on which the computer screen is reflected. Good for presentations and if you have to listen to anything (this goes for the IT Labs too, though).

Zest (formerly known as the Orangery) has such pods as well, and you can grab some cake or snacks to eat while you work! :grin:

(I had a cake with mint and chocolate when working on a presentation there in November. It was delicious. :awesome:

) Zest is the closest study space to The Store and The Extra Store (Essex is very creative with store names, you see :proud:

), but none of the stores are far from the study spaces, so you are free to get some snacks and drinks before a study session. :yes:

Finally, there is the departmental common room. Each department has a common room. Despite its name, a lot of people do not even know where their departmental common room is! :rofl:

The reason for this is that the common room is only used for department parties. However, you can make tea (at least in the Department of Government common room :tea:

), and given that no one ever goes to the common room, it is a very quiet place to study. :smile:

On a side note, if you wish, feel free to use literally any teaching room on campus as long as you are ready to leave it if a class has a seminar there. Once, I used my German class in the North Training Centre as a meeting and discussion space for my German roleplay team since I had no better ideas for a quiet study space at that moment. :lol:

...That is a good question :shock:

I apologise, but I have never heard of such a thing :cry:

I know there is a piano room, if that helps. Either way, the rooms in the South Courts might be big enough, even for a cello. I will ask around and see what I can find, though! :dumbells:

Essex has a Freshers' group on Facebook each year :h:

I do not know if there is any applicant group for this year already, so you will have to look that one up, sorry :frown:

Feel free to bombard me with 209171579+ questions! :bigsmile:

I do not mind at all :nah:

I am already a student at Essex, after all, so I might as well give information and advice to the prospective freshers of this year :ahee:

Fun fact: Did you know? At Essex, each department has a different colour for the lanyard that the student card is on! :teeth:

[/QUOTE

Thanks again for all the information and stories - I do love to hear about stuff like this first hand. I know what you mean about enjoying telling stuff to prospective newcomers - I'm exactly the same when I tour new students round my sixth form! 😁 Sorry for the delay in replying - I had a very stressful French speaking exam yesterday! Ah all the study places sound brilliant, and it sounds like there are some nice and quiet nooks and crannies around campus just waiting to be discovered! Zest sounds especially nice - cake does make revision 100% more fun! As for the cello - hopefully it will fit in my room if there isn't anywhere else :smile:

Ooh the lanyards sound cool - do you know what colour mine would be? (English Language and Linguistics) Just out if interest, what degree do you study? :smile:

Reply 193

OP

Original post by gemmalou2304

Thanks again for all the information and stories - I do love to hear about stuff like this first hand. I know what you mean about enjoying telling stuff to prospective newcomers - I'm exactly the same when I tour new students round my sixth form! 😁 Sorry for the delay in replying - I had a very stressful French speaking exam yesterday! Ah all the study places sound brilliant, and it sounds like there are some nice and quiet nooks and crannies around campus just waiting to be discovered! Zest sounds especially nice - cake does make revision 100% more fun! As for the cello - hopefully it will fit in my room if there isn't anywhere else :smile:

Ooh the lanyards sound cool - do you know what colour mine would be? (English Language and Linguistics) Just out if interest, what degree do you study? :smile:

You are more than welcome! :lovehug:

Do you happen to be a student ambassador? I was a student ambassador in college too :five:

Do not worry, it is fine :hugs:

Exams come first, after all :yes:

That is exactly the way it is! :yep:

Most people just stick to the library and Learning Hub, and sometimes to Zest or an IT Lab, but there are so many other study places that I cannot fathom how they are as empty as they are :lolwut:

Indeed

Zest might get a bit loud at times as it is a cooperative area, but if you are there at like 7 PM with only like three others around, I highly doubt it would be loud :laugh:

I study International Relations :h:

I just took a German module and a history module this year because I had 60 credits' worth of optional modules which could be from my department or other departments, so I went for it :lol:

I am currently trying to talk my way into replacing an optional module with German this year, which is apparently possible, even if I have no outside modules for the year :innocent:

I do!

English Language and Linguistics is in the Department of Language and Linguistics, which has purple lanyards :jive:

The Department of Government's (my) lanyard is also purple, but the Department of Language and Linguistics has a darker shade of purple than the Department of Government :smile:

At first sight, they look the same, but when you actually look at them, you can see the colour difference :biggrin:

(I have no idea why this happened, but I am just going to blame the International Relations and Modern Languages course, which has a Language and Linguistics rather than Government lanyard, because the lanyard colour's purpose is for people who might be on the same course to find each other, and those on that course might not have been able to find people studying the International Relations part of their degree as easily had the lanyards been very different.) I do not know if they are keeping the department-coloured lanyards this year, but I really hope they do because they are beautiful :love:

The old ones were black and ugly :sad:

I do not know if the lanyard colours will change this year or not, though I see no reason why they would :dontknow:

Reply 194

sini_s22

7

I have got a quick question. I really want a good social life, so which accommodation would be better south courts or meadows? I am trying to choose between the two. Could you tell me what is better in the social aspect mainly but also the pros and cons of the accommodations.

Reply 195

Original post by Michiyo

You are more than welcome! :lovehug:

Do you happen to be a student ambassador? I was a student ambassador in college too :five:

Do not worry, it is fine :hugs:

Exams come first, after all :yes:

That is exactly the way it is! :yep:

Most people just stick to the library and Learning Hub, and sometimes to Zest or an IT Lab, but there are so many other study places that I cannot fathom how they are as empty as they are :lolwut:

Indeed

Zest might get a bit loud at times as it is a cooperative area, but if you are there at like 7 PM with only like three others around, I highly doubt it would be loud :laugh:

I study International Relations :h:

I just took a German module and a history module this year because I had 60 credits' worth of optional modules which could be from my department or other departments, so I went for it :lol:

I am currently trying to talk my way into replacing an optional module with German this year, which is apparently possible, even if I have no outside modules for the year :innocent:

I do!

English Language and Linguistics is in the Department of Language and Linguistics, which has purple lanyards :jive:

The Department of Government's (my) lanyard is also purple, but the Department of Language and Linguistics has a darker shade of purple than the Department of Government :smile:

At first sight, they look the same, but when you actually look at them, you can see the colour difference :biggrin:

(I have no idea why this happened, but I am just going to blame the International Relations and Modern Languages course, which has a Language and Linguistics rather than Government lanyard, because the lanyard colour's purpose is for people who might be on the same course to find each other, and those on that course might not have been able to find people studying the International Relations part of their degree as easily had the lanyards been very different.) I do not know if they are keeping the department-coloured lanyards this year, but I really hope they do because they are beautiful :love:

The old ones were black and ugly :sad:

I do not know if the lanyard colours will change this year or not, though I see no reason why they would :dontknow:

I'm actually Deputy Head Girl, so I've done a few tours, open days and speeches over the past year :smile:

It's been good fun!

Ooh the German model sounds interesting- do you happen to know anything about the Languages for All programme at all? I'm hoping to continue to study French through it :smile:

Purple lanyards sound nice! :biggrin:

Reply 196

Fialka

3

Course: Multimedia Journalism
Predicted grades: AABB

Hi! I'm an international student from the Czech republic coming to the UK to study Multimedia Journalism at Essex (if i get good grades from my exam, which is quite similar to A levels). For my accomodation I chose the Towers. I would just like to know - is there anyone who is going to study Journalism, Media or a similar course? :smile:

And could some current student/somebody who went to open days tell me what are the Towers like? :smile:

Reply 197

OP

Sorry to be extremely late! :sad:

My exams are taking over my life :afraid:

Original post by sini_s22

I have got a quick question. I really want a good social life, so which accommodation would be better south courts or meadows? I am trying to choose between the two. Could you tell me what is better in the social aspect mainly but also the pros and cons of the accommodations.

Hmm. Both of these are decent for a social life, but I am inclined to say the South Courts purely because it is on campus, which makes it easier for you and your friends to get to. The Meadows are close, but I would not drink much if I knew that I had to walk all the way to The Meadows at night :erm:

However, it seems The Meadows have more people in each flat, which might work to your advantage.

Pros of the South Courts:
- On campus, so it is close to the bar, shops, lecture halls, classrooms, and so forth
- En-suite bathrooms
- Cleaner comes in to clean the kitchen and hallways (a.k.a. the mutual spaces) every day from Monday to Friday
- Often quiet (especially if you are not in Harwich)
- Has a launderette
- Not that many people per flat

Cons of the South Courts:
- Expensive

Pros of The Meadows:
- En-suite bathrooms
- Cleaner comes in to clean the mutual spaces (I do not know how often, though)
- Cheaper than the South Courts
- Quiet (from what I have seen)
- Social pavilion with a common room, grab and go café, and launderette

Cons of The Meadows:
- Off-campus
- 12 people per flat

Original post by gemmalou2304

I'm actually Deputy Head Girl, so I've done a few tours, open days and speeches over the past year :smile:

It's been good fun!

Ooh the German model sounds interesting- do you happen to know anything about the Languages for All programme at all? I'm hoping to continue to study French through it :smile:

Purple lanyards sound nice! :biggrin:

Awesome

That sounds like you might enjoy the Public Speaking Society :biggrin:

I do!

I studied Japanese through Languages for All :grin:

For two hours a week (from 6 PM to 8 PM on Monday or Tuesday, usually; it was on Monday for me), you would study the basics of a language and start to familiarise yourself with basic grammar and vocabulary. For languages which do not use the Latin alphabet like Japanese or Arabic, the first lessons will be focused on learning those characters in the first place. The content you will learn contains things such as greetings, introduction, personal information (age, nationality, etc), numbers, the days of the week, food, shopping, ordering at a restaurant, asking about a schedule or describing your own, and how to send things at the post office. This is not an exhaustive list, though.

The Languages for All programme is very practical. By the end of it, students will not be able to pass a proficiency test, but they will be able to handle their own in terms of shopping and other such things for a short stay in a country that speaks the language they study. It is also a very good basis and a wonderful source of motivation, :love:

In my case, I could never bring myself to actually study Japanese properly, but after taking it through Languages for All, I have got into the habit of self-studying it, which made me learn almost all the Kanji required for the JLPT N5 (A1 proficiency test in Japanese) by myself in a short time. While that is far from impressive, it is a good start, and thanks to Languages for All, I am now comfortable and determined enough to continue Japanese through courses and/or self-teaching. :jive:

For French, I would recommend picking it as a module instead. The Languages for All programme only offers very basic knowledge, so with a GCSE or an A-level in French (which I assume you have, since you said 'continuing' ), you are too advanced to study French through Languages for All :frown:

I checked your course and you have an optional Linguistics module in your second and third year. That might be the best time to pick French modules :smile:

Even if you do not take French through Languages for All, I would definitely recommend studying another language through it. It is free for one year and really cheap for a second and third year, after all :yep:

Original post by Fialka

And could some current student/somebody who went to open days tell me what are the Towers like? :smile:

Current student here! :hi:

I do not know a lot about the Towers, but I passed by them every single day, so I might still be able to provide some information :h:

But first of all, which Towers are you referring to? The North or South Towers? :holmes:

Reply 198

Fialka

3

Original post by Michiyo

Sorry to be extremely late! :sad:

My exams are taking over my life :afraid:

Hmm. Both of these are decent for a social life, but I am inclined to say the South Courts purely because it is on campus, which makes it easier for you and your friends to get to. The Meadows are close, but I would not drink much if I knew that I had to walk all the way to The Meadows at night :erm:

However, it seems The Meadows have more people in each flat, which might work to your advantage.

Pros of the South Courts:
- On campus, so it is close to the bar, shops, lecture halls, classrooms, and so forth
- En-suite bathrooms
- Cleaner comes in to clean the kitchen and hallways (a.k.a. the mutual spaces) every day from Monday to Friday
- Often quiet (especially if you are not in Harwich)
- Has a launderette
- Not that many people per flat

Cons of the South Courts:
- Expensive

Pros of The Meadows:
- En-suite bathrooms
- Cleaner comes in to clean the mutual spaces (I do not know how often, though)
- Cheaper than the South Courts
- Quiet (from what I have seen)
- Social pavilion with a common room, grab and go café, and launderette

Cons of The Meadows:
- Off-campus
- 12 people per flat

Awesome :awesome:

That sounds like you might enjoy the Public Speaking Society :biggrin:

I do!

I studied Japanese through Languages for All :grin:

For two hours a week (from 6 PM to 8 PM on Monday or Tuesday, usually; it was on Monday for me), you would study the basics of a language and start to familiarise yourself with basic grammar and vocabulary. For languages which do not use the Latin alphabet like Japanese or Arabic, the first lessons will be focused on learning those characters in the first place. The content you will learn contains things such as greetings, introduction, personal information (age, nationality, etc), numbers, the days of the week, food, shopping, ordering at a restaurant, asking about a schedule or describing your own, and how to send things at the post office. This is not an exhaustive list, though.

The Languages for All programme is very practical. By the end of it, students will not be able to pass a proficiency test, but they will be able to handle their own in terms of shopping and other such things for a short stay in a country that speaks the language they study. It is also a very good basis and a wonderful source of motivation, :love:

In my case, I could never bring myself to actually study Japanese properly, but after taking it through Languages for All, I have got into the habit of self-studying it, which made me learn almost all the Kanji required for the JLPT N5 (A1 proficiency test in Japanese) by myself in a short time. While that is far from impressive, it is a good start, and thanks to Languages for All, I am now comfortable and determined enough to continue Japanese through courses and/or self-teaching. :jive:

For French, I would recommend picking it as a module instead. The Languages for All programme only offers very basic knowledge, so with a GCSE or an A-level in French (which I assume you have, since you said 'continuing' ), you are too advanced to study French through Languages for All :frown:

I checked your course and you have an optional Linguistics module in your second and third year. That might be the best time to pick French modules :smile:

Even if you do not take French through Languages for All, I would definitely recommend studying another language through it. It is free for one year and really cheap for a second and third year, after all :yep:

Current student here! :hi:

I do not know a lot about the Towers, but I passed by them every single day, so I might still be able to provide some information :h:

But first of all, which Towers are you referring to? The North or South Towers? :holmes:

The South towers :smile:

I lot of people say negative things about them (they feel very claustrophobic, there´s constant noise ect.) so I would like to know if it´s actually so bad :smile:

(edited 5 years ago)

Reply 199

YeFool