HWUMC

My work (www.hgu.mrc.ac.uk) is off for a long weekend on 17th May, and lucky me, I'm in Berlin then at a Biology Conference (Its the project I've been working on, not just a jolly - suggestions for sight-seeing in Berlin please?).

Did you really mean the weekend of 17th May not 22nd for the long weekend away? And besides, how's that going to work in the middle of exams?

I guess if the w/e 22nd May is at the end of the last week of the year, you can go away for as long as you can take the buses away for then?

Ho hum, back to work - oh to be a student again with infinitely long holidays (I worked out that with the new semesters they actually result in an academic year that is less than half a real year! Yes, I was bored when I was off for those 3 months).

Finally, sorry I can't make it to the Burns supper tonight - too many domestic chores to catch up on.

Cheers
Mike W

Where did you see 17th? It's up at the 22nd on the website (and in my diary too!)

Andy wrote:Where did you see 17th? It's up at the 22nd on the website (and in my diary too!)

Sorry, that's my point. I think the long weekend is around w/e of 17th, NOT 22nd.

On the other hand, who cares if 22nd is the very last w/e of term - you can go away for as long as funds allow, I guess?


(I'd probably be able to make the w/e of 22nd, but not 17th as I'm in Berlin - lucky me)
(My other point being the fact that having a 3-days in the last week of the year, when exams are on, is surely very odd?)

Ho hum

mwicks1968 wrote:...oh to be a student again with infinitely long holidays (I worked out that with the new semesters they actually result in an academic year that is less than half a real year!...).

Here we have a three-terms-of-four-months-each academic year (yep, no summer holidays, only two weeks Christmas, two weeks Easter and that's all), and while everyone is relaxing at the beach, we're working like slaves, and we'd definitely kill any smartie who came whining about studying for less than half a real year; so don't complain.

Ouch. How packed is the timetable, if the terms are spread out over that much of the year?

Oh, yeah, that's another point: you think you have too many classes and that some days you can't breathe? Here we have SIX mandatory hours straight per day, from 8:30 to 14:30, five days per week, and no optional classes. As for timetables, here you have just a glimpse: tomorrow Tuesday I have two hours Law, two hours Simultaneous Interpreting and two hours Petrochemistry Translation. Want more? Wednesday is an hour of Petrochemistry Interpreting (simultaneous), two hours Portuguese, one hour French and two hours Legal Translation. Still with me? Thursdays two hours Petrochemistry Interpreting, one hour Law, one hour Simultaneous Interpreting and two hours Petrochemistry Translation. Fridays and Mondays are more or less the same. Therefore, rejoice at being in HW, and next time you think the burden is too heavy, remember me and carry on.

Ricardo wrote:Here we have a three-terms-of-four-months-each academic year

Where's that then? Sound like a much more sensible use of time to me! How long does it take to get a degree then?

(Apparently the University of Buckingham - the only private Uni in the UK - compresses its year, so it only takes 2 years to get an Honours degree. the way to go IMO)

Suddenly I'm very glad I'm studying in Scotland! I think Friday, and possibly Tuesday, are the only ones even close to competing with that. Friday has: drop off a longbow or rucksack (depending on whether I'm going away for the weekend) before lectures start in LT4, two hours of computer lab, two hours of chemistry tutorials, one hour for lunch, one hour of maths lecture, one of organic chemistry, one of physical chemistry (gets to 17:15), 45 minutes break during which to reclaim kit from behind LT4 and get kit from the gear shed, then either getting on the minibus for the weekend or three hours of archery, which is usually followed by going to the Royal Oak to sing along to folk music. Tuesday has chemistry lectures 10:15, 11:15, 15:15, and 16:15, a maths tutorial 12:15, squash at 18:00, then choir from 19:00 to about 21:00, followed by frantically trying to get tutorials and lab write-ups done for the morning.
Sorry to everyone else, feel free to tell us we're making you depressed with all this talk of work.
Ricardo, you were up at 03:00 when you had classes from 08:30 the next day? Hopefully that's just a distortion due to time differences!

Mike: well, as far as I know it's just my school which does that here in Mexico; the rest of the universities and colleges are more or less the same HW system of an hour class, three hours nothing to do, another two hours class and you're done for the day. It's indeed a more sensible use of time, cause in this way, a major that would take us 5 years and a half by the semesters program, we complete it in 3 years and four months (and fortunately I'm beginning now that last year); thus we're out in the market while our peers and friends are still struggling, studying and paying humongously expensive fees. And what do you mean with that "the only private uni of the UK"? Isn't HW, Edinburgh Uni and many others private?

Alex: remember that I have a six hours difference with you people, so when you see that I posted at your 3:00 AM, in reality it was just my 9:00 PM. And yes, be glad you're studying in Scotland. I was glad I was able to: this term I spent there were like vacations for me.

how can you be on the internet at 9am when you're in a mandatory class from 8.30am???

Ricardo wrote:... And what do you mean with that "the only private uni of the UK"? Isn't HW, Edinburgh Uni and many others private?

No, all Universities in the UK are owned by the government (apart from Buckingham, that is, which is not - haven't a clue who owns them), and are directly funded by the UK, or Scottish Government, in the case of HWU etc.


FYI What has happened recently is that non-Scottish Universities (I don't know about Northern Ireland) have been allowed to charge tuition fees to increase their revenue, whereas Scottish Uni's are not allowed to do this. So Scottish Uni's are "free", but "English" Uni's are not, but they are all owned by the state. There is some debate as to what this difference will mean in the long run - will the "English" Uni's be able to pay more for the best academics, and hence provide "better" tuition, and therefore leave the scottish Uni's at a disadvantage? (As a result will the degrees awarded by Scottish Uni's be seen as inferior in the long run?)

Let's not get into the debate as to whether Uni's should or should not be free, or whether such a large proportion (50% I believe now) of the (UK) population should actually be going to Uni in the first place, and would be better advised to do something more vocational (For example, why are all our plumbers from Poland now?). Personally, I believe fewer people should be going to Uni, and that this minority should not be subsidised by the majority, seeing as the resulting earnings of graduates are significantly higher as a result.

This is all just my personal opinion, and I'm sure others will disagree - its an interesting debate nonetheless.

if scottish unis are free, what the hell are my tuition fees all about??

Andy wrote:if scottish unis are free, what the hell are my tuition fees all about??

Are you English or Scottish then?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/6747811.stm

It's actually English/Scotish students who pay/don't pay rather than universities charging (as it's i believe the local authorities which already pay for a chunk of university costs which make up the difference). With the Russel Group (are Edinburgh Uni part of this?) now looking at charging significantly higher fees it will be interesting to see who bears this higher cost. I personal think less people should be at university but this is difficult to achieve while attempting to allow equal access to students from all backgrounds. I'd also like to see university education for free (with grants re-introduced!) payed for by a slightly higer income tax for graduates - which I would back date to include all students who recieved a free university education (however long ago).

For what it's worth my undergraduate course was pretty intense Not sure it was worth it though!