University of Glasgow blether thread

Yes. I do Earth Science as well, which is actually split into 2 separate modules.

How was Swansea? Since you need a B I'm assuming you went there instead of Arran. I remember it all so well, cringing whilst clicking to see the grade just in case I never got a B. *sigh*

You're not a geographer, are you? What subject you doing?



I would have said something to them. They were probably annoying everyone surrounding them. I ended up having a, er, "disagreement" with someone in the short loan section once. They had logged off but left all their stuff by the computer so I logged on and started to use it. They came back and weren't happy! Idiot.

I tend to do better in exams than assessed essays. I think my problem is that I overthink essays, but in exams I don't need to worry about any of that and just get the points down. I still think it's rubbish that an A5 is about 80% and that's what we need for a first.

Swansea was awesome. Some hilarious stories as always, and no I didn't go to Arran.
I hate Websurf. I can't imagine what I'll be like this summer waiting for my grade. I'm already nervous and I haven't even sat the exam.

Yeah, I told a guy to shut up pretty forcefully once- but he had complex issues (long story short I don't think he was entirely with it- a mature student no less) but shouting at a librarian in the Adam Smith wasn't on. These two were just silly first years- they'll learn. Its one of my pet hates- i'd have a little timer with a red light attached to each desk- if you're not sitting at the desk, you press the button and start the timer, after one hour, a red light comes on- and the desk is now fair game to use. That'd stop people setting up shop in the morning then returning at 3pm to do an hours work then go home. Ingenious, methinks.

As for the marking scheme, its not actually all that harsh. Glasgow has traditionally been low in the number of top marks given, but its not actually the case that the 83% or so needed for an A5 is harder to get than unis which need 70- they just mark to a scheme, i.e. 'independent thought' warranting an A, means the same thing, just with a different number attached. Difference is, it may be 70% for an A at Durham but while an A1 is possible at Glasgow, many unis that mark 70+ will never give out 100%, even 90s are incredibly rare. Their 'top' band is 86+, so it all really means the same thing at the end of the day. I agree though, you really have to work your ass off for a first, I can see why less than one in eight people here get one.

You'll probably enjoy Mallorca better, the better lecturers go there! Hayden, Chris, and no Routledge. Mallorca is a bit less intense than Swansea too, no need to get stressed over presentations every night.

Yeah doing presentations every night really took its toll on us all. Especially all the questions from the lecturers afterwards. Derek was there - what a legend he turned out to be. Don't really like Routledge, Stella or Susan.
What do they do in Majorca? I assume there's no questionnaires Asking people in Swansea about their identity was brutal, like pulling teeth most of the time.

As for the marking scheme, its not actually all that harsh. Glasgow has traditionally been low in the number of top marks given, but its not actually the case that the 83% or so needed for an A5 is harder to get than unis which need 70- they just mark to a scheme, i.e. 'independent thought' warranting an A, means the same thing, just with a different number attached. Difference is, it may be 70% for an A at Durham but while an A1 is possible at Glasgow, many unis that mark 70+ will never give out 100%, even 90s are incredibly rare. Their 'top' band is 86+, so it all really means the same thing at the end of the day. I agree though, you really have to work your ass off for a first, I can see why less than one in eight people here get one.

This is going to sound like a completely ridiculous and obvious answer but: I take it you need to get an A to get a First? I think that's what I heard but nonetheless I'm curious as to what it takes. I doubt I will get it but I'd like to give it a try.

Even if someone could give me some links that would be brilliant. I've searched for what I think could turn up some juicy reads but nothing jumps off the screen at me.

Heres what I do at the library:

I go in about 9am, get a booth (hopefully) and start studying. Leave some stuff at a desk and go get lunch about 12 get back about 1.30. Study till 5pm. Then head home.

I don't like hoarding desk space, I used to take everything with me when i went for lunch. But the fact is that I wont get any space when i come back because the lazy noon-arrivers take it, study for 10 mins and **** off until 6.

What do you guys think?

I rarely use the library anyway, just to print stuff off mostly. I work much better in the flat.

Heres what I do at the library:

I go in about 9am, get a booth (hopefully) and start studying. Leave some stuff at a desk and go get lunch about 12 get back about 1.30. Study till 5pm. Then head home.

I don't like hoarding desk space, I used to take everything with me when i went for lunch. But the fact is that I wont get any space when i come back because the lazy noon-arrivers take it, study for 10 mins and **** off until 6.

What do you guys think?

two points. on first year exams, while they seem a big deal and very important at the time, its pretty much impossible to fail them,by that i mean get a grade so low that you need to repeat the year.

as for computers in the library i continue to be suprised by how few people go to the other buildings if all they need is a computer.Its a big campus you know, the library is always packed with few computers to spare after ten in the morning,yet the computing labs in a dozen other buildings always seem relatively deserted.

You are right there. Boyd Orr computers are always empty.

I've been at Glasgow for 2 years and I've never been higher than the ground floor in the Boyd Orr. Are there general use computer rooms in there? Which floor?