Thinking about University?
Academics
Most of the tutors and lecturers you will encounter at university are inspiring people who are passionate about their subject. In order to become a professor they have spent an average of nine years studying and researching, and they are experts in their field. Academics and tutors are one of the most important resources for a student at university.
Accommodation
Universities usually have accommodation for students either on campus or within a short commute of the main teaching and social spaces. These Halls of Residence vary greatly from one university to the next. In general, each student gets her or his own room but may have to share a bathroom, kitchen and common room with other students who live in the same halls. Students from all different backgrounds and studying all different subjects usually live together. Sometimes universities have the option of single-sex accommodation, or accommodation for students with children.
Administration
Universities are vast organisations requiring a huge amount of management and administration to keep things running smoothly. Everything from hiring world class academics, to providing scholarships and bursaries to mature students, all requires a team of people working throughout the year.
Most universities in the UK are headed by a vice-chancellor, who is the chief executive of the university and in overall charge of both the academic and administrative arms of the institution. Below the vice-chancellor, or VC as they are often known, is usually a number of senior administrative and academic staff, each responsible for large areas of the universities operations.
Amenities
As universities typically have hundreds of staff and students, all living and working within close proximity of each other, most will have an extensive range of shops and services on campus.
Campus
Universities usually occupy many buildings – the halls of residence, the library, academic buildings and a host of others. All of these buildings are part of the campus. A university campus is a self-contained community – with places to live, places to eat, and shops, as well as the academic buildings that house the lecture halls and laboratories.
You’re going to spend at least three years of your life living at (or near) your university’s campus. What the campus feels like, and what it has available, are very important to keep in mind when you are deciding on a university.
Clubs and Societies
There is more to university than just books and learning and you should make sure you get the right balance of study and extra-curricular activities!
Universities have lots of clubs and societies for students to join that are usually run by students, and open to all students within the institution. Student societies cover everything from academic interests or political causes, to games and sports of all varieties.
Community
Every university has a different personality. The best way of getting a feel for a university is to visit it on an open day and to speak to existing students- they are likely to give you an honest opinion about the people and environment that you may be looking at living and working in!
Faculties
Universities are divided up into Faculties, which are individual academic organisations, similar to schools, within the university. (This is why some universities call them ‘Schools’ instead of ‘Faculties.’)
A Faculty is divided up into Departments for each subject. All of the students and staff of Psychology are part of the Psychology Department, everyone studying Chemistry will be a part of the Chemistry Department and both the Psychology and the Chemistry Department may be a part of the Faculty of Science.
Lectures
At university, the most traditional way of teaching students – and still one of the most common – is for a lecturer to address a large group of students in a lecture. Lectures range in size from a dozen students to a hundred or more.
The lecturer communicates a great deal of information in each lecture. Students are expected to listen carefully and take notes. However, even though the lecturer does most of the talking, there is often an opportunity for students to ask questions. Alternatively, students are usually allowed to arrange a time to meet with the lecturer individually to ask questions they may have from the lecture.
Library
Every university has a large library. As a student you will spend many hours there – not just looking for books and articles, but likely studying, using modern IT facilities and exploring new modes of learning. Modern university libraries are social and intellectual hubs and a great place to get down to some quiet work, or meet with classmates on a joint project.
Location
There are over 150 Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) all across the UK, with a huge range of different courses on offer. The location of the university can be a big factor in deciding where to study and it is something that you should really give some thought to. However, always make sure you consider all the options – just because a university is close, doesn’t necessarily mean it will be right for you. Many students see moving away from home as being a key element of the university experience, so it is really worthwhile thinking about what you expect from your university experience, and how the location of the university could play a part in that.
Research
Alongside the teaching that goes on at all universities across the country, there is also a vast amount of research taking place. Research forms the backbone of most universities’ work and informs all of the teaching and learning that takes place at all levels of study. Tutors and lecturers are almost always actively engaged in research of some kind, and this research will inform the teaching that you will receive. A legal tutor may be researching constitutional law or a biologist studying stem cells and mitosis – either way, you will be learning from their research on a day-to-day basis when it informs key elements of your course.
Seminars
Seminars are much similar in nature to what you may be used to in your current studies. They are small classes of usually around 10 – 15 people where you will look in depth at the topics on the course. Often, a lecture will introduce a particular area of a module and then you will attend seminars which expand upon the general themes and dig deeper into that particular subject area.
Students' Union
The Students’ Union (SU) represents the needs of all students (undergraduate and postgraduate) within the University. It is run entirely by students and is essentially the student government. The Union has a president and other officers who are voted into office by an annual student vote.
Usually almost every student at the university is a member of the Students’ Union - they can then vote on the President of the Union and the other members of the Students’ government. These people make decisions about what the Students’ Union does.
Study
The rhythm of work is different at university than it is in your previous education. Although you will still have reading to do, essays to write and exams to revise for, you probably won’t have assignments due every day, or even every week. You may just have one big assignment due at the end of the term. This means that you have to be very self-motivated, and do a good deal of reading and studying on your own.
Support
Going to university is an exciting experience, but it does come with some challenges. However, universities offer extensive support to students to ensure that they are able to have a productive and enjoyable time at university and able to handle various challenges.
Your degree
It’s not very often that people really consider what a degree actually is. Some see it as simply a period of time within which you study a particular topic whilst others see it as a far more impressive accolade. In reality, a degree is the award you will receive at the end of your studies that signifies your breadth of understanding and intellectual ability within a particular field.
Not all degrees are the same. You get a different degree depending on what you study and for how long. Most people who go to university go for three years and earn a degree called a Bachelor’s Degree. You get a different kind of Bachelor’s Degree depending on what subject you studied – for example, you get a Bachelor of Arts (a ‘BA’) if you’ve studied a subject like theatre or literature, and you get a Bachelor of Science (a ‘BS’) if you study chemistry or computing.
