Joint honours course? Consider your options carefully. (University of Wales in general)

Member Name: HelenW

Product:	University of Wales in general
Date:	10/01/08 (41 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Not many

Disadvantages: clashes, lack of information, no one to co ordinate courses

Consider your options very carefully before taking a JOINT HONOURS course at Bangor. Especially external combinations i.e. with the two subjects being in different schools. I have found that there is a complete lack of organisation with joint honours courses because there is no joint honours co ordinator. Although there is a central database that schedules lectures so that they don't clash, the same can not be said for seminars and workshops. I have had lectures in one subject which have clashed with a seminar in another. This has meant I have to pick and choose what to go to. This is not good if you want to attend the lecture in one subject about the upcoming exam; and you also want to attend the seminar about the coursework due soon. Similarly, neither school appears to know what goes on in the other school regarding the other subject. I was told by subject X that I needed to write my dissertation for subject Y and in subject Y I was told I should be writing it with subject X, cue several meetings with department heads etc and a module change to incorporate a dissertation. In this situation you need understanding lecturers who are willing to put on extra seminars to compensate for having to miss because of clashes etc. However, I have found the social science department to be exemplary in this matter.

Summary: External joint honours courses (different schools) are extremely un organised