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University of Edinburgh in general
by helenc72 I graduated from Edinburgh in 2008 and I really enjoyed my time there. I studied Modern European Languages but I won't go into much detail about my course, as I want this review to be useful to anyone considering Edinburgh University, regardless of their subject. === Unique Aspects === First of all, ... degrees at Edinburgh last at least 4 years, so for many students this means they would spend an extra year at university in Edinburgh. This obviously has pros (you can go into more depth in your subject and enjoy the university experience for longer) and cons (mainly just the cost!). Another aspect of an Edinburgh course which is a bit different is that you have to take "outside subjects" in your first year. This means you have the chance to try something new without actually having to commit to studying it for your degree. You can then continue your outside subject if you want to (instead of your main subject or as a joint honours degree) so this gives you a lot of flexibility. It is ideal for students who are not ready to 100% commit to one subject but I know some people did find it annoying they that had to take an extra subject when they wanted to focus on the one they had chosen for their degree. I was not allowed to take the outside subject I wanted (a third language) and ended up taking philosophy. I quite liked having the outside subject just to add a bit of variety. === Campus === My course was based around George Square in the centre of the city, which is where most humanties students will spend most of their time. The main library is here and it is close to the students unions. Some of the buildings are attractive (such as McEwan Hall) but some are quite ugly tower blocks (e.g. David Hume Tower). There are also some classes in nice old terraced buildings to the side of the square. On the whole, I was glad to be based there as the location is so convenient. Some other subjects are elsewhere, such as the law school is further towards the Bridges (in very nice buildings), Kings Buildings for sciences are to the south and I never once set foot there! There are shuttle buses between Kings and George Square. === My Course === I was satisfied with my course (languages), especially the German Department which was amazing. It is a very small, friendly department with tutors who love their subject and many are experts on their particular research topics. The French Department also has very good tutors with real expertise, but it is not quite as friendly and personal as German simply because they have more students. Both languages have their own theatre groups which put on plays in the target language. European language courses at Edinburgh are very traditional and literature heavy, so I would only recommend it if the idea of ploughing through old novels and plays, often in slightly out-dated language, appeals! I was not given many options until my final year, as years 1 and 2 contain a lot of compulsory modules and year 3 is spent abroad. My degree result was based only on my final exams in 4th year and my disseration which I also wrote in 4th year, so it is good for people who are good under pressure but want the option to take it easy every now and again in the earlier years! It is not ideal for people who are scared of the pressure of having everything resting on a few final exams. However, this does not apply to all subjects by any means, so definitely check with the department you are interested in if you want to know how the course is assessed! I won't say any more about my course as it won't be relevant to most people thinking of going to Edinburgh. === Accommodation === For new first year students ariving at the university, the University of Edinburgh has a large catered hall of residence (Pollock Hall) on the South side of the city, close to Arthur's seat and Holyrood Park. It also has a large number of self-catered flats throughout the city and I chose to live in one of those as I did not want to be tied down to eating at certain times. I found the process of applying for accommodation very simple and I was allocated to my first choice residence. I was given all the information I needed when I accepted my university place. Pollock Halls is made up of a number of different blocks. Many of these are non-descript 1960s blocks. Chancellor's Court is a comparatively modern block, built in 2003, which was seen as the most luxurious part of Pollock due to being modern and all the rooms having en-suite bathrooms. While I was at Edinburgh, the old house Salisbury Green which was one of the original buildings on the Pollock site was still in use as student housing and in my opinion this was by far the nicest house at Pollock. Unfortunately for the students it is now used as a hotel. Pollock students eat in the JMC. Personally I never ate there, but the comments I heard about the food were generally not very favourable! The self-catered flats generally house 4-6 students, although some flats in Kincaid's Court contain 12 students! This block seemed to house a lot of exchange students including a lot of American students and European students on the Erasmus program. I went to quite a few house parties in this block and it did have a very sociable atmosphere, but I know some of the people living there did find it frustrating living with so many people due to problems with keeping it clean, so many people sharing kitchens and bathrooms etc. The self-catered flats do have cleaners who come around once a week. I was happy with my self-catered flat. I shared with three other girls, and the whole building housed 122 students. This meant it was easy to meet and make friends with plenty of people when moving in, and people were generally friendly and in and out of each other's flats. The rooms are quite large in most flats and they have open plan kitchen lounge areas. Most flats have washing machines in the basement but a few blocks (Darroch Court, possibly others now) have their own washing machines in the flat. Accommodation in Edinburgh is a bit more expensive than some other cities I considered, such as Manchester and Leeds. I can't remember what the prices were in my day and I am sure they have changed now, so I won't try to give any figures but I am sure they are available on the university website. === Social Side and Things To Do === The social side at Edinburgh is great. It is very varied and there is bound to be something for everyone. There are hundreds of societies and each year students have the opportunity to find out about the societies and teams on offer by going to the Societies Fair during freshers' week. This also gives them the opportunity to load up on freebies from some of the stalls! Societies range from sports, drinking, music, Student newspaper, artistic societies, political societies, LGBT, fund raising, societies for different subjects, theatre and probably almost anything else you can think of! Most societies cost about £3 to join and you can then attend and take part in all their activities for the year. There are three student union buildings - Teviot, Potterow and Pleasance. These are all very central and a short walk from each other. Teviot is in a lovely old building that looks a bit like a castle turret. It has more of a laid back, pubby atmosphere inside and also has a large hall for balls. Potterow is more of a clubby atmosphere. In my day the Big Cheese, a cheesy disco, was a classic for most students along with things such as 80s roller disco. In Potterow there is also a shop, coffee bar etc for day time activities. There are also meeting rooms which can be used for societies. Pleasance houses a theatre, bar, general meeting rooms for societies and also has the gym. I am sure anyone would be able to meet likeminded students and find fun ways to spend their time at Edinburgh University. Outside of events and activities organised by the university itself, the city offers so much. It is an amazing place to live. There are lots of really nice cafes, bars and pubs including plenty with a lot of atmosphere and personality, such as Chocolate Soup where you can get amazing hot chocolate or the Brass Monkey pub whose back room is like a huge bed to lie on and watch the films they regularly project on the wall in there. For those who like culture there is loads of art, history and buildings of interest all around the city. In the summer there is the Edinburgh Festival and in the winter Princes Street has the Winter Wonderland german market. Edinburgh has lots of green spaces, such as Princes St Gardens and the Meadows. There is the famous Arthur's Seat hill and you feel like you are really in the countryside when climbing it. You are also close to the beach at Portobello. It is ideal! === Careers and Future Prospects === These days many students are worried about whether going to university will be worth it for them as they will be paying back £9,000 per year in fees and in this economic climate there is no guarantee of a job at the end of it. So is going to Edinburgh a good investment? In my experience, an Edinburgh degree is a great thing to have on your CV. It is an old, traditional university and a lot of employers hold Edinburgh University in high regard. After graduating I worked abroad in Austria and people there knew of Edinburgh's good reputation. My law firm over there specifically wanted to recruit Edinburgh grads as they had had good experience of them in the past. Now I am back in the UK and wanted to get into a London law firm. I had no problem getting interviews for training contracts and I think my Edinburgh degree definitely played an important role as you often hear of HR sifting out applications from lower ranked universities and most people I met at interviews had gone to traditional universities like Edinburgh. Although Edinburgh sometimes moves up and down the league tables in the newspapers and is not always inside the top 10, it has always had a very solid reputation. It is a member of the Russell Group, which people seem to fixate on these days! The careers service at the university is probably similar to most universities. I have to admit I didn't pay much attention to it until my final year but I then found out they host careers fairs a few times a year which give students the opportunity to learn about their options and meet big employers such as some of the law firms, banks, accountancy firms, retail companies offering grad management schemes, organisations for international aid and development and more. There is an intranet page with loads of adverts for graduate jobs as well as part-time jobs to do while at uni. === Overall === I was very happy with my choice of Edinburgh. I loved living there and I still miss it! I feel that my Edinburgh degree has set me up well for the future and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone. Read the complete review |
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UCI University College London, University of London in general
by Nigh - Background - UCl has been around since 1836 when the University of London was founded, at the same time as Kings College - hence the fierce rivalry that has lasted ever since then. It was the first University to admit people from all ethnic and religious backgrounds, as well as the first to admit women. This is an ... inclusive atmosphere that they have tried to maintain over the years and its really apparent with the huge diversity of people who you can see around campus, from all over the world UCL has over 20,000 students across 10 Faculties: UCL Faculty of Arts and Humanities UCL Faculty of Brain Sciences UCL Faculty of the Built Environment (The Bartlett) UCL Faculty of Engineering Sciences UCL Faculty of Laws UCL Faculty of Life Sciences UCL Faculty of Mathematical and Physical Sciences UCL Faculty of Medical Sciences (incorporating the UCL Medical School) UCL Faculty of Population Health Sciences UCL Faculty of Social and Historical Sciences As well as the additional School of Slavonic and Eastern European Studies, which joined UCL in 1999. - Quality of Education - UCl is one of the most prestigious universities in the world, and the fact that it is part of the wider University of London means that you will also have access to more diverse resources, such as the Libraries at LSE and SOAS, as well as the Senate House University of London Library, which is a really nice place to work. On the Newest Times University League tables UCL is ranked: 17th in the world 5th in Europe 4th in the UK and, 7th in World for Clinical, Pre-clinical and Health 8th in World for Social Sciences 8th in World for Arts and Humanities 11th in World for Life Sciences 27th in World for Engineering and Technology 38th in World for Physical Sciences - Location and Perks - The fact that UCL is located in Bloomsbury is a massive bonus since this is area is teeming with loads of things to see and do. The welcome gallery is right around the corner and always has some really interesting exhibitions on. A nice cinema and shopping complex called the ???? is located close by near Russell Square and makes a nice break from the grind of work. The Charles dickens house is also within walking distance. Transport links from UCL are really good, you have Euston, Euston Square, Russell Square, Kings Cross, St Pancras and Warren Street all within very short walk away (Picadilly, Victoria, Northern, Hammersmith and City, Bakerloo and Circle lines on the underground, plus loads of busses) so you can get pretty much anywhere in London that you need to, really quickly! - Services - UCL offers an incredibly wide range of Bachelors, Masters and Higher Postgraduate qualifications including, PHD, MPHIL and MRES. There are 16 libraries on the UCL campus as well as the other located close by mentioned above. Around the UCL campus there are various Cafes, shops and bars so you are never too far from one. The Print room cafe offers hot and cold drinks and food, as well as becoming a bar selling alcoholic drinks later on. The bloomsbury theatre, owned and operated by UCL also has a useful little coffee shop, and is attached to the refectory which can be found downstairs and has a wide selection of hot food, as well as the UCL shop, where UCL clothing and magazines etc can be purchased. The UCL students Union (UCLU) provides many clubs and societies that can keep you occupied when work is too much - societies include: Bongo society Buddhist philosophy society Magic society and, Muay Thai The union also provides good help and support for the problems students may have, as well as a service that can help students to get part time work whilst they study. There is also a pretty large bar upstairs which can get pretty lively on certain nights of the week. The Huntley is the UCL medical school bar and also comprises a cafe, and a club downstairs. Its got great deals on drinks and is a bit less crazy than the UCLU bar which is full of freshers. You can also have access to the University of London Union bar which has great facilities and is good for watching the footie. Or even the Kings college union on the embankment which has a great view of the city and can be accessed by UCl students. - Overall - UCL is a great university with a great feel to it - plus it is located in one of the most exciting cities in the world, what more could you want? Read the complete review |
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University of Greenwich in general
by Spock I think that the lecturers at UOG are nurses who got tired of caring and thought "what else could i do?" so they turned to education. They are not in the least bit interested in students. You will find that you need lots of support throughout your training, as the schedule is a lot tougher than they make out at the open days. ... Obviously, I cannot speak for nursing training at other universities, but here is a list of what they do not tell you at UOG - the truth about nursing and studying at this university: 1. Placements are tough. Mentors are mean and hours are long. *You will be expected to make beds and be a health care assistant throughout your training. Never mind learning actual clinical skills. I am in my third year now and am terrified about qualifying because, I have not had the opportunity to practice my clinical skills while on placements. *If you have mentor problems - in my experience, these are usually excused by the placement area and / or university and you are usually "the one at fault". *I have also seen some deplorable nursing practice by some of my mentors, however having escalated it to the university, no action was taken. *You will have to work 3 12-hour shifts a week and one week of the month work 4 12-hour shifts. It is really tough as it takes about a day or so to recover, mentally and physically from a double shift. Not to mention that you also have to do at least 8 nights. Often, your placement days will be decided by the ward manager so you will not have autonomy over your own schedule. 2. Placement blocks are 3 months long and some placements are a waste of time * Placements are 12 weeks long are very difficult in addition to your studies UOG has a nasty habit of setting coursework deadlines and exams in the middle of placement blocks, despite student complaints. I am currently on placement and have 2 exams coming up. I am doing a shift on Monday, studying Tuesday and writing an exam on Wednesday. I then have to do 12 hours on Thursday and Friday to keep my hours up to date. The following week, i have an exam on the Wednesday, so I am going to revise on Monday and Tuesday, write the exam on Wednesday and work Thursday, Friday and Saturday to keep on top of my hours. * Some of the placements you are expected to attend are pointless - for example, you will need to spend approx. 80 hours in a residential home, which has nothing to do with nursing. They don't even have any trained nurses - only carers. *My main complaint about this university is that placement attendance is monitored and specified on your personal reference at the end of your training. Therefore if you find yourself in a position of needing to take time off to study for your exams or to complete your assignments - it is detrimental to your reference and I find this extremely unfair. *The university is also very unorganised and does not arrange placement timetables fairly. For example, some students get their study leave prior to the exams and others do not. This is despite student complaints. I have my 2 weeks of study leave after all my exams and assignments are completed in 5 weeks time. I guess I can catch up on sleep, but what I really need is the study time. I actually tried to move my placement so that I could have the study leave before my exams, but the university said that it was impossible as it would affect student placement numbers. 3.There is no-one to complain to and no support. Personal tutors at UOG are not very knowledgeable, supportive or understanding - in fact - its like taking to monkeys. Read the complete review |
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