Sojourn Into The Fountain of Knowledge

[Formalhaut]

Now, I don't want to make a big song and dance over this, but...


I've been accepted into my university of choice!


Starting from mid-September, you'll be looking at your brand new Sociology and Criminology student! Indeed I'm going to to the University of Winchester, in case you're interested in stalking me for the next three years.



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http://www.visitwinchester.co.uk/imageresizer/?image=%2Fdmsimgs%2Fqueens%2Broad%2B-%2Boutside%5B1%5D_147421919.JPG&action=ProductMain

http://www.hampshirechronicle.co.uk/resources/images/2490954.jpg?type=articleLandscape


For the last few weeks at home, I'll be sorting out all sorts of things. Checking accommodation is being sorted, making sure finance is going well, etc.

Naturally, what results did I get in my A-Levels to get into the place?

BTEC Forensic Science - Distinction* (Effectively A*)
A-Level Sociology - A
A-Level English Literature - C
AS Biology - B

To break it down even further, to get accepted into my course, I required between 320 - 360 UCAS tariff points. Essentially each grade gives me points on a sliding scale. An A* is worth the most with 140, and then that goes down in increments of 20, so A is 120, B is 100, C is 80 and so on and so forth. AS points are worth less because they are only a year, but a B is worth 50 points.

So yeah, I needed 320 - 360 points, and, in case you haven't already tallied it up, I scored a very respectable 390. I actually got above the higher limit of their band. This is, naturally, very good.

So... :cheer:WOOOOOOOO!

[Flying Mullet]

:happybday

[Shorty]

Formy, that is so great! Congratulations!

Topics for other folks: Talk about getting accepted into Uni and offer general Uni advice for Formy!

[Formalhaut]

Topics for other folks: Talk about getting accepted into Uni and offer general Uni advice for Formy!

I actually forgot my "obligatory thread topic". :p Yeah, that'll do nicely.

[Jinx]

Congrats, bro! Welcome do the adult woooorld. Well, sort of.

[Parker]

make mistakes your first year. Maybe experiment with drinking (i know you don't drink but now is the time to try it at least). first year is essentially about fucking up and learning how to do uni. with your academic ability you will do fine, so concentrate on the social side. make friends and stuff, your uni may not offer halls after first year, and you're going to want to know good people you want to live with afterwards.

Finally, pay attention to your course. is it what you want to do? Is it something you're passionate about? You may find your mind changes a few months in. this happened to me. I was doing something I only mildly enjoyed, so I swapped courses. Now I do something completely different, which I absolutely love. Changing your course is something that might happen, and it is very easy and pain-free. Do not under any circumstances stay with a course you dislike.

[Denmark]

don't be a shut-in. academics is like at MOST 30% of a good experience.

so yeah basically what parker said.

[Shauna]

Parker gives some sound advice. I didn't piss around nearly enough in first year and I regret it deeply. Didn't have enough fun in first year. Made up for it in later years, for better or worse. xD

[Agent Proto]

That's great Formy! Congrats on getting accepted!

As for me... I don't really like talking about this, because I've never been accepted into university, I went to Community College for several years, then life went a completely different direction for me, so I pretty much stopped going. And now I feel like such a huge failure in life because of my lack of further college education. :(

[Formalhaut]

That's great Formy! Congrats on getting accepted!

As for me... I don't really like talking about this, because I've never been accepted into university, I went to Community College for several years, then life went a completely different direction for me, so I pretty much stopped going. And now I feel like such a huge failure in life because of my lack of further college education. :(

You don't need a college education to get ahead in life Proto. It depends on the person! Some people don't need a college or university education to get to where they want in life. Don't let it drag you down at all!

[Freya]

DETECTIVE FORMY! SOLVING CRIMES AND KICKIN BAD GUYS IN THE JUNK!

Good job on getting in. I now expect you to become a detective ;) GOOD LUCK!

[Jinx]

Just keep in mind: if you do party a lot and do stupid trout, don't neglect your studies. Work hard THEN play hard. I did some really stupid trout involving drugs my freshman year and had to retake classes. I did stupid trout (not involving drugs, but just being pretty irresponsible) my sophomore year and had to drop out of college and now I'm about 8k in debt I really could've avoided.

So, by all means, have fun and live it up. But don't forget the reason why you're at uni in the first place.

[Formalhaut]

You've got no worries I think with me Sam. :)

[Jinx]

Yeah, I didn't think so. But someone had to be the mom. :p

[Formalhaut]

Yeah, I didn't think so. But someone had to be the mom. :p

GOD YOU'RE SO UNFAIR MOM, I'M AN ADULT NOW *Slams door*

[Jinx]

YOU GET BACK DOWN HERE SO I CAN GIVE YOU A SPANKING, MISTER

[qwertysaur]

Talk to your professors and go to them if you need help. You will never know when you need a letter of recommendation or some help networking after you graduate.

[Formalhaut]

Talk to your professors and go to them if you need help. You will never know when you need a letter of recommendation or some help networking after you graduate.

Finding a decent job afterwards is one thing I'll definitely be asking around my professors and such for advice. :)

[Night Fury]

The one piece of advice I can give you that hasn't already been given (at least I don't think so)

GET A JOB.

Having a job throughout uni is a lifesaver. Even if you're only working one Saturday a week, it's extra income. Student loans really don't stretch all that far. Also, it's extra socialisation. Especially if like me, you don't really hang out with your coursemates. Most importantly it's something you can add to your CV when you finish Uni, it looks good to have balanced a job while studying.

[Formalhaut]

The one piece of advice I can give you that hasn't already been given (at least I don't think so)

GET A JOB.

Having a job throughout uni is a lifesaver. Even if you're only working one Saturday a week, it's extra income. Student loans really don't stretch all that far. Also, it's extra socialisation. Especially if like me, you don't really hang out with your coursemates. Most importantly it's something you can add to your CV when you finish Uni, it looks good to have balanced a job while studying.

I definitely agree. I don't want to rely on my loans and grants at all that much, if I can avoid it. I'll definitely be looking for a job when I get there.

[Jinx]

Plus you'll have more money to go out and party and do stuff! :D

Even if you have a meal and living plan, it's always really nice to have SOME savings put away just in case of an emergency. Hopefully nothing bad happens to you, and I doubt it would. But if you had to get home or something, or needed to buy something last minute, money is helpful. :)

[Formalhaut]

I've got like a check-list now of everything I need to do and organise between now and when I enrol on the 17th. I move in on the 15th September :D

[Jinx]

Oh, and one more thing: make sure you find yourself a red-headed best friend, and another best friend who is a girl and is really, really smart.

[Quindiana Jones]

I managed to leave uni with no debts or overdrafts other than the obvious chunky uni loan. Definitely echoing the sentiment of "GET A JOB, YOU BUM", because it really is the best thing ever. More social opportunities which benefits one greatly, more money, and you get to use some of the bundles of free time you're gonna have.

[Psychotic]

Finally, pay attention to your course. is it what you want to do? Is it something you're passionate about? You may find your mind changes a few months in. this happened to me. I was doing something I only mildly enjoyed, so I swapped courses. Now I do something completely different, which I absolutely love. Changing your course is something that might happen, and it is very easy and pain-free. Do not under any circumstances stay with a course you dislike.110% agree with this. Unlike Parker I stuck with a course I loathed for three years and didn't do nearly as well as I should've done because I was long past the point of caring. It is one of the bigger regrets of my life, I think.

Congratulations and I hope you have an amazing time!

[Araciel]

Enjoy ramen.

[Faris]

Aside from what everyone else has said regarding the course you're in and having a job, I highly HIGHLY recommend taking any opportunity to do field work or meet people who are currently in the field that you hope to be in. It is probably the best way to get your toes wet, get workplace experience, and even find a job.

Congrats Formy :love:

[Jiro]

Don't be afraid to ask questions. Get ready to enjoy introducing yourself. Start your assignments early. Make use of a diary or calendar, or at least know when things are due and how much time you have to allocate to every aspect of life. Play video games. Make some friends, they'll stand you in good stead for the future.

And most importantly: go to class, but only if you're learning. There have been classes where I was better off skipping them and doing my own independent study because the staff were not teaching the content well. If there are no requirements to attend, then don't, and just use your text books and whatever online content there is.

[Scotty_ffgamer]

Know your teacher's (or university's) policy when it comes to skipping class, though. I feel like it doesn't matter most places, but my college had a policy that if you missed 3 or 4 classes in a row, you were automatically dropped from the class. I also had professors that would dock you a letter grade for every class you missed after 2 or 3 classes. Of course, I went to a pretty small university where a class of 10 wasn't all that uncommon, so attendance was kind of important. I never skipped class, though. Even if the professor was awful (which was actually rare for me), I almost always had pretty good friends in the class. Connecting with people in class definitely makes it more enjoyable, and in a small university like I went to, those classmates became my support group because some of them I was in almost every class with from freshman to senior year.

I would also say that if you get a job, make sure it's not actually a very high priority for you. Studies come first, and also (at least with my campus) it can lead to you missing out on a lot of socializing opportunities on campus. I was able to get a job on campus, which was great, but that's only because it was a job that I could actually spend time doing homework while working. My last 2 years of school would have been impossible for me to keep my grades up had I had a real job.

Edit: Oh! I'd also say that if you can swing it financially and such, you should take at least one class outside of your requirements that you just think would be a lot of fun. I was a Secondary Education-English major, and the first year of taking all the stupid general ed. requirements was made much more awesome by me taking Astronomy.

[Old Manus]

Join the Ultimate Frisbee team. Report back and tell me just what the hell that shit is all about.

[Formalhaut]

Edit: Oh! I'd also say that if you can swing it financially and such, you should take at least one class outside of your requirements that you just think would be a lot of fun. I was a Secondary Education-English major, and the first year of taking all the stupid general ed. requirements was made much more awesome by me taking Astronomy.

Funny you should say that, but my university is running an optional course surrounding Religion, ethics and politics. It's not being officially 'marked' at all, but it adds points to something called a 'Winchester Portfolio'. It gives me points, which then goes on my C.V and basically is just generally helpful. I think it's a free class, so I might look into it.

[Flaming Ice]

If a teacher says "don't write this down" write it down, the teacher is lying and should not be trusted when a statement like this comes up.:eep:



I've only been in college but the thing I hate about some of the tests is they pick some of the most minuscule things to ask you.....

One question I got on an exam before


"what type of restaurant does chef Beachelor hate

A. fine dining
b family style
c buffet......" (not written exactly like that but still)


As you can tell this was the most important thing I learned in that class.

[Old Manus]

It's not being officially 'marked' at all, but it adds points to something called a 'Winchester Portfolio'. It gives me points, which then goes on my C.V and basically is just generally helpful.I would take this with a dump truck full of salt.

[Scotty_ffgamer]

If a teacher says "don't write this down" write it down, the teacher is lying and should not be trusted when a statement like this comes up.:eep:



I've only been in college but the thing I hate about some of the tests is they pick some of the most minuscule things to ask you.....

As an English-Education major, I actually very rarely had tests. I almost feel like I missed out on the experience, haha. In some of my general education classes and such, I did frequently have tests that asked the stupidest stuff like what you mentioned, though.

I did like to take notes just because it helped keep me awake in class,and that's how I retain information. One of my Education professors would actually say probably ever ten minutes "don't write this down", and he would emphasize it more if he saw someone writing. His excuse was because he was going to email his power points or whatever after class to everyone. It was pretty annoying.

[Spuuky]

I had the opposite "problem." I hate taking notes and don't find it valuable, so I never wrote anything down. Some professors would get kind of annoyed with me when I was clearly not taking notes on anything they were saying. But they usually forgave me when I demonstrated competence on their tests or essays or whatever.

[Scotty_ffgamer]

Except for his class in particular (which was extremely early in the morning for me), I only took short notes every now and then when something was brought up that would actually be useful for me. Usually that was assignment due dates, but sometimes it would be books I would want to look into, particularly good quotes, or just bits of information regarding teaching that I hadn't thought of before. That class I did take extensive notes as a means to keep awake though... and that eventually changed into me writing stories and poetry in class instead once I realized the information was practically useless.

For my general education classes I did take extensive notes, though. That is just because for some reason when I write notes, it helps me visualize the information later for the tests we had to take. On almost any question, I could actually visualize exactly where the information was located in my notebook and where it was on the page. I could essentially "read" through my notes in my head, and this generally lead me to the answer.

[Jiro]

I am horrible at notes. I absorbed enough information through osmosis, so I ended up asleep in a lot of lectures.

Don't do that.

[yukina]

Pretty late but congratulations, Formy! I better be careful and not let slip about my murder sprees then :))

Hmm, uni advice, huh? Go crazy (good crazy, not the get-drunk-and-wake-up-in-police-station crazy haha) during first year. Studies are important but living is important too :).

Regarding note-taking, it depends a lot on your learning style. I took extensive notes mostly so that I wouldn't fall asleep and because some professors don't really give handouts. I had a classmate who almost never took notes and he's still part of the top of the class.