Life in Britain

Before I start apologies for the terrible header image, I’ll get a better one sorted when I’m not working full time and have some free time to trawl the internet for lovely high res images that show off the full beauty of the city.

 Right, now to continue with my little pieces for foreign students. Last time I covered specifically some misconceptions about life at uni here in Glasgow but when you enter student life at Glasgow Uni you also become part of the rich tapestry of life here in Britain. So I thought best to cover Britain as a whole. Firstlt (as you will no doubt be aware) you will be studying in Scotland, which is the northern country of Great Britain. Just south of us is England and at the west of England you have the oft forgotten country of Wales. We also have Northern Ireland just across the ocean from us as part of the United Kingdom. Despite being seperate countries we have a very unique situation and you will find yourself travelling between countries freely and extensively if you want to take advantage of all the facilities offered by all the nations. Being based in Glasgow you’d find yourself able to travel anywhere within Britain via various transport links. Glasgow Central Station has trains leaving  for everywhere from Inverness to London and Glasgow Airport also caters to most UK airports. You will need your passport when using flight but for other travel you can pass through borders without stopping. As a result you will find the University to have many students from all over Britain giving a very unique feel to campus.

 Being in such easy access to other cities opens up a whole world of possibilities, with day trips possible to most places and even the chance to go to concerts in other cities. Sport events are also open to you, but be warned that Brits do love football and getting tickets for games can be pricey and tough to get hold of! You’ll also have access to British wide television aswell as regional programming so you can get a feel for what it’s like to be British as well as Glasweigen during your stay.

 There are a few myths about Britain though that I have to clear up.  The Scots do not despise the English and refuse to speak to them and the English don’t despise the Scots and the Welsh don’t despise the English (I think that’s everything). All three countries are friendly and everything else is just banter between us (except when it comes to sports )

 Secondly all three countries are very modern and our cities are amongst the most cutting edge you will find. Glasgow, Edinburgh, London, Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff, Liverpool all offer modern and varied facilities. In Glasgow alone we have quite a few museums and three world class stadia so we cater for all tastes as do the other cities!

Finally not all young British people are yobs, not all old British people are stuck in their ways and our society is not a Victorian esque drama with delapidated cities and crime rife in the streets. Britain is a mix of three modern and friendly nations, studying in Glasgow would give you fantastic access to all three.

Glasgow: A Quick Fire Tour

So many students are heading to our uni from China now and with the massive cultural differences between our two countries I thought I’d spend a few entries talking about the various misconceptions and truths about living in Glasgow as a student and what Glasgow is like as a city.

Firstly younger university life in particular has a delicate balance between three things for the student at a Scottish university; Drinking, working and debt. Drunk students is something that seems to have been a problem for Chinese students coming in looking but alas there is a big drinking culture, and something that very much comes with the territory of being in one of the notable night life cities of Britain. However don’t believe the news! If you do you’ll think every last student is a binge drinker who will be falling over in the street, throwing up and getting into fights before collapsing into a hangover coma until the next night out. Nights out are the release of choice, however it is very much considered to be what you do once your other commitments are over and even then the atmosphere in the more welcoming venues (such as the QMU!) means that the stereotypical drunken student is actually no more than slightly tipsy and will be remarkably friendly. It’s all about learning about life, and you will see as you progress through uni that your fellow students will start to limit their druknen escapades a bit and start to have a more balanced social life. To summarise, yes we drink. Does it affect our work, no. Are we yob binge drinkers, no. Does it make us less friendly, no. It’s one of the things that you just have to accept if coming to Glasgow Uni to study, as a nation Britain likes it’s nights out with a few drinks.

I’ll do the next topic later, which shall be a one blog tour of British culture and what we are like (somewhere my old Sociology tutor is crying at the notion of condensing a culture into one blog) and as always I’ll keep you updated on life as an undergrad.

Speaking of which I have been getting sorted for the new university session! SAAS are now paying the bursary monthly (thank your chosen deity) and I’m taking out the loan again. I read somewhere the average UK student walks out with debt of 18-20k…I can jolly well see why at this rate. To counteract this my short term job with Clearing starts next week, which I’m excited to be starting. Having done the whole phoning up clearing malarky it’ll be nice to be on the side of the phone which calms you down and gets you in.

Anyways, until next time. Byes.

Summer…where? When?

What glorious weather! My word, I am tanned and actually finding it too hot now. Has hell erupted in Glasgow forcing us into magma styles of heat? Well no, in reality it’s raining and quite dull in our city…at least I have revision to get me through.  Yes I annoyingly failed Science Fundamentals meaning I have a resit. Aggravating but does let me chit chat a teensy bit about the resit procedure as this is all new to me aswell!

Well for startes the exam results came out and along with them came an email directing me to the registry if I had failed (which I had). Then I filled out a simple form and I was in a resit, easy!v Joyously they didn’t cost a penny to do this year (I do not know if this will be in next year aswell though) and I got a lovely confirmation email out immediately. That was all fine, however I discovered the main thrust behind why you don’t resit exams. My summer has been largely lost, I am studying again when I needed a break and all the work I thought was gone is now back in my lap. Also in exams you can only attain a D, even if you 100% it. For a perfectionist like me this is not good.

Elsewhere I have work! In the uni! And it may affect any of you prospective students! I’ll be working in clearing this year, which I’m utterly chuffed with. Clearing essentially is how the uni dispenses any spare spaces they have to students who just missed their grades or who didn’t apply, having gone through I know how well they deal with people so am hoping I can do as good a job. I’m ALSO now an e-mentor, which you might be interested in should you come to Glasgow uni. When you start up go to the network homepage and sign up,  you will then be assigned either me or another e-mentor and we’ll be here to answer any questions you have as first year goes on. Again, hoping to make a difference here.

Looking out my window the heavens are still open, ah well. Speak soon.

Library Etiquette

Okay, my final exam is tomorrow so I decided to spend the day on campus studying. The morning was spent in the Psychology Annex and Stella Labs working hard and after lunch and seeing my girlfriend into her Philosophy exam I dashed to the library. I had to get a book out for my sister and I had an errand to run at the Psychology offices so I thought why not just grab a computer here instead of trecking back to Stella with my sore back and heavy bag of books. No computers, which I have no issue with….however the lack of etiquette and general sense regarding the computers was simply baffling. So any prospective students take heed of these wise words.

Do not leave your belongings, intentionally or unintentionally.

The library is massive, impossible to have security all over it so leaving belongings is VERY risky. We are reminded often not to, and rightfully so as there are nefarious characters everywhere and an unattended bag is just so appealing to them. So the new practise sweeping through library is extremely worrying. A student has to go to a lecture/lab/tutorial/lunch and doesn’t want to give up their computer. They save their data, leave it on the desktop and leave their belongings to “mark” their spot. Please for the love of god don’t do this, for obvious reasons.

Loud conversations is the library, no no.

We are all in the same boat, all needing to study. So please don’t chat loudly, level 3 allows quiet chat but elsewhere is REALLY distracting. 

Peripherals are your friend, don’t leave them.

 I speak from experience here. It’s natural to want to work on your essay in different places, so memory sticks will rapidly become your saviour. I had done 1300 on my Geography essay due in on the Monday and went into the library on the Friday to finish it. I wrapped it up and left all chuffed, going to print it off in the house and have a relaxed weekend in Glasgow’s finer nightlife spots. I however had been a moron and my memory stick was left plugged into the computer, only through the grace of god that the computer shutting off at the end of the day didn’t damage the memory and that noone took it. Thank god the library is open on Saturdays! So don’t do what I did,  you might not be as lucky.

 So there we have it, my survival guide to our superb library. Aside from that the exams are going reasonably well, Geography was tough but manageable…Science Fundamentals is more borderline but we shall see. Psychology tomorrow which I’m studying for now, I’m quietly confident. The hardest part as always is the essay but I think I have a B in me somewhere touch wood. The atmosphere on campus is one of hurry, everyone has places to be and the relaxed mood of freshers week seems but a distant memory now. So much has happened, it’s true Uni changes you and in almost all cases I’ve seen it’s been the positive.

Adieu.

Not with a bang but with a whimper

And lo the uni year is coming to a close, a very slow…VERY slow close. My exams start on the eighth but it’s never seemed further away with endless studying clogging my days and a permenant stress headache etched across my brow. One thing you can say about school and it’s the end of the year is packed with awards ceremonies, trips, exams and NABS all due at once it is over befor eyou get the chance to blink.  This term has been a strange one though with little to do for we people in the Psychology discipline.

I’ve had no work due in since my essays before the easter break.  No essays , presentations, labs…nada…zilch. Joyous you may think but trying to keep direction when you have no pressing work concerns. You get so used to having work due in to drive you, with no drive until April-ish for exams the whole end to the year kinda fizzles out. Even tutorials and lectures get more sporradic and there isn’t that definite “last day” feel, a tad disappointing.

Elsewhere I’ve been figuring out how I’m gonan live without SAAS over summer (a job awaits me) and also doing a bit of work for the network outwith the blog, keeping me sane. That’s it, seems that March-May is study time for students, and it’s very…very tiring.

Peace out.

Sunshine, lollypops and lab reports

Don’t you just love it when Glasgow decides to prove all the critics wrong and deliver glorious weather. This has come out the blue but the sunshine is most welcome and campus really shines in this kind of heat (even the Boyd Orr looks nice in this weather). The atmosphere is that of unbridled joy and you would never guess that everyone would have exams in a little under a month. I guess that’s what days like these do though, troubles are forgotten and the world seems that bit calmer.

To add to this blissful feeling I got my Psychology lab report back and got a B. VERY happy as my last effort got a D and was riddled with problems. At least I am learning something despite the almighty struggle to get into lectures. I missed out on getting my Geography essay back yesterday as both circles of the underground was closed, always lovely when that happens but I’m sure one of the tutorials will involve handing them out. That’s what happened last time. Tutorials restart next week for me, but to be honest it’s just a footnote as studying is getting into full speed as these exams are soon. Will be nice to get it done and have that amazing 3-4 month summer that we students get. Now just to find a job to keep me going through it…

Also a heads up for any current students who haven’t received their loan, my loan and a few of my friends were delayed as they were accidentally blocked by the SLC, however a quick phone up unblocks it so give them a ring.

Tarah.

Cool thing on home blog

Hey guys and gals. Sorry for the silence but Easter holiday is just studying, sleeping and a lack of money for every students. Just wanted a quick post to say nip over to the Student Network home blog on the right panel and they have set up a brand new map of campus which you can add to which shows useful places about Campus. I’ll be adding aswell and this could be a very useful resource for new people at the uni.
Tarah

Light…tunnel…oh wait….not yet.

It was tough, it took time but I finally got through two essays, one test and a presentation. With only a workshop left to do I could see light at the end of the epic tunnel that is the second term. Could I finally be stress free for Easter…of course not! Exam timetables went up so now the countdown to the exams can officially begin. I’m in luck though, with my exams falling on the 8th, 9th and 11th of May. Most hate exams close together but as I hate the waiting it means I’ll be done quickly. AND it means the summer starts 11th May and doesn’t finish until October. God bless Uni holidays.

Elswhere I need a job, money is just too tight and although next year SAAS are changing things (money every month, yeehaa)  I still need a wee bit extra. I’ve applied for a few jobs thanks to the src (I’ll be adding a link to the right) and I’ll be helping out at the applicants open day. It’s weird though, working at uni is so second nature to some people but I’ve tried to resist it for study reasons. “That one night I spend working could be the night that pushes me to an A” I tell myself, in reality I spend the evening eating marshmallows and playing Viva Pinata. So a life of work awaits, I’ll keep you all informed.

Anyways, my workshop on Thursday involves a test so I’m back to studying. If you are at applicants open day then say hi, I’ll be there somewhere.

Result!

After what feels like months of waiting I gleefully got my exam results out. Two B grades and a C. Which I’m VERY pleased with, now to make an appointment to see my advisor and get essays in. The exam wait was rough, so I’d like to pass some pointers on to any prospective students reading.

<li> If any department says an exam result will be out on Monday check it on Friday. EVERY student I talked to got theirs in before the weekend in this case.

<li> Don’t do what other students did and bug their tutor for results. Marks are only handed to the registry when the exam board meet so be patient.

<li> Key times that results came out were 11-12, 2-3, 4-5. They come from the registry so think about when they are open before sitting worrying unnecessarily.

<li> Sitting refreshing your webpage for results will only drive you insane.

<li> As long as you studied hard and answered the questions you will have passed, be confident. You are here for a reason, because you are the best people available and you have the ability.

I talked earlier about the shortness of the second half of the uni year however my earlier enthusiasm has waned after I discovered the big problem revolving around it. You see, there is less time in term however the amount of work in the same. So in a two week period I have two presentations, three tests, two labs and two essays due in. Work overload! Then a blissful three week break for Easter then exam time once more. The good thing is after the exam results I’m on cloud nine and very confident, I wouldn’t like to have a confidence problem and have this constant stream of work.

Best go and get going on the constant stream of work. If anyone sees someone buried in books on level 5 of the library then say hi, I’ll no doubt grab you and try to get you to help.

Peace

Global wha?

It’s official, the scientists got it wrong. Global warming is a myth as Britain has decided early to mid February is the time for snow snow snow. None for Glasgow though, we have lovely sunny days and temperatures that would make Arctic explorers think twice about leaving the cosy confines of base camp.

Today my illnesses failed to keep me from finally getting the Psychology lab done. For those not in the know the first lab of each semester is taught and has a written report for you to do with it. It’s worth a wee bit more than the normal drop in labs so it’s pretty much essential that you do it. I really enjoyed it, Social Psychology is kinda my thing so it was a joy to see the whole experiment dealing with it. Now to do the lab report and hope for a better grade than last time (I got a D but amazing feedback so I should do better…SHOULD). In other news I’ve been hit by an affliction currently sweeping through Britain. Not Bird Flu…it’s apathy as uni students across the land struggle to get back into the swing of things after the break. You see, there are two real make or break periods for students at college or uni. The first is November because frankly it’s depressing, lasts and age and you are usually skint so no nights out as well. If you survive that without dropping out you then have the post exam downer to contend with. Essentially you hand in a staggering amount of work ranging from reports to essays to presentations to homework and you then have exams and then after that it’s back to square one as lectures begin again and you have to start the whole process once more. I’m in the middle of that and lectures are difficult to go into and sit through, all I can do is persevere and I have been assured it passes but…it’s very difficult.

 Oh well, at least next week should take my mind off of things. We have the return of European footy (best of luck to Celtic and Rangers) and a very special day coming up. As you may or may not know I’ve mentioned my girlfriend several times in the blogs. Well lovely Steff and I have the joys of Valentines day! It’s what I love about being in Glasgow, this day just get’s moved up to another level. What to do?! The Grovsner has a movie and a meal but frankly neither of us like the films that are on! No doubt we’ll end up somewhere to drink, as I usually end up shouting when we’re out “THIS IS GLASGOW, THERE MUST BE SOMEWHERE TO GO!!!!!!!!!”.

Also my lab report is due in and my essays SHALL begin once more! Oh and of course it’s seven more days of refreshing websurf to check if the results are in. If they come in before I post again then best of luck to everyone.

Ciao

John