As many of you start to apply to universities, our student ambassadors and speakers answer your questions about student life.
- What is a typical day at university like for a student? i.e. do you have classes at the same time each day or will it vary?
Rehemat Bhatia: At university, I had around 6-8 hours of lectures per day (except Wednesday, this was a half day for sports). I think in total i had ~30-35 hours per week. It was more similar to school, and thus the transition in terms of timetabling between school and university wasn’t too hard. The lectures were split into a 1 hour lecture (with a break in the middle), followed by a practical (either hands-on e.g. microscope/hand specimens or written exercise). Most of the time, I would stay to do my homework in my department because I found it easier to work there (I hated the main campus library because it was always crowded/noisy), but others in my year would work from their rooms.
- Is there anything you’d recommend doing over the summer to prepare for university?
Rehemat Bhatia: don’t leave packing til a few weeks before! I did this and majorly regret it. Other than that, just relax and enjoy your summer 🙂
Kizzy: try asking family members for help with university supplies, I managed to get all my kitchen appliances because a family friend was moving house and had spares.
- What is the level of work at university compared with secondary school?
Clare: they don’t compare in the same way.. There is not lots of work in your first years, but it will be less structured than school so very much down to you.
Sally: University learning is very independent and self-driven, and it is something which you learn throughout university. Advice: do not be afraid of trying anything, or asking questions. Engage in your learning, and shape your learning to what you find most interesting – you will have more control than at school, so make the most of it!
- Are there many different modules in the geoscience courses?
Clare: Yes… lots!
- Is there lots of fieldwork and lab work on your course?
Kizzy: With the degree in Applied Geology/Geology at the University of Plymouth they believe in what’s learnt in the lecture is reinforced either in the field or in the lab. Lab work typically follows the lectures that week and fieldwork often occurs twice a year, with trips to Spain, Cornwall, Wales, France, America, Sicily, Cyprus…
Anna Bird: All accredited degrees have similar amounts of field and lab work. There is a useful table on this website (https://stage.geolsoc.org.uk/Education-and-Careers/Universities/Degree-Accreditation/Aims-and-Requirements-for-Accreditation#Time) which shows the amount of time geoscience programmes need to spend on specific skills in order to be accredited. Field locations and module specifics will vary between different programmes so looking at websites and going to open days is really helpful for getting the details.
- Does going away for field trips during university cost lots of extra money?
Kizzy, University of Plymouth, Applied Geology, Final year: The compulsory trips tend to cover the majority of the price, some covering food costs but some may not. Something to save for is the dissertation, at Plymouth it’s typically a month away and they compensate a large amount however you need to save for the rest (unless you’d prefer to do lab work instead). I went to Cyprus for a month and in total it cost just over £1000 and Plymouth contributed around £500.
Anna Bird, University of Hull: all core taught fieldwork costs are covered by the department. However, similar to what others have said something to save for is your independent mapping project. The amount this costs depends where you go and what sort of accommodation you choose to live in. An extra point here is that field equipment can cost extra. At Hull you are provided with all the pens, notebooks, compasses, etc. you need for 1st year to get you started but you may also need to get waterproofs, boots and personal items. Lots of these things can be obtained cheaply from shops like Go Outdoor, Sports Direct, online or second hand.
Sarah Boulton: At Plymouth we also provide you with essentials for fieldwork, similar to Hull,
Hannah Mathers, University of Glasgow. 4 year courses (e.g. Environmental Geoscience/Geology at Glasgow) allow you lots of time to get the most out of your university experience. 1st year acts as a transition letting you get used to the structure, systems and expectations of university. You also have the opportunity to study 2 other subjects alongside your degree subject in 1st year at Glasgow so it keeps your options open and lets you explore different topics. There’s also time to work out what you want to get out of your degree and to explore lots of clubs and societies. A good proportion of our students go on a year abroad for their 3rd year so they’ve had 2 years to get used to uni, have a great time experiencing a different country and gaining unique CV material and then return to Glasgow for their last, most important year.
- Is it helpful to have a part time job at university to make sure your finances are okay?
Anna Bird: This is completely up to you. I enjoyed having a job at uni, it gave me an opportunity to meet a whole bunch of different people and some extra cash which for me was very useful! But this is a personal choice.
- What societies would you recommend joining?
Rehemat Bhatia: Any that you think you’ll enjoy! There will be so many available and I’m sure they will all be great! I joined a variety of societies at university whilst I was an undergrad (I did the MSci Geoscience degree at Royal Holloway): orchestra (did 3 in my first year, and 2 in my second year), ski/snowboard society (first 3 years) and the department geology society (years 1-4). I cut orchestra and ski/snowboard society in my 3rd and 4th years because my grades had dropped in 2nd year, so decided it was best to take a break. If you’re able to, join the Geological Society of London as a Candidate Fellow – it’s £40 for the duration of your undergrad degree (same price for 3 or 4 years) so is definitely a lot cheaper than it will be after you graduate, and lets you attend their lectures for free, as well as use their library and get cheaper rates to any of their conferences. If you’re into mining (or think you might want to jump into this sector), Women in Mining is a great group to join – it’s free and offers lots of cool mentoring opportunities and student events too.
- Why did you choose to study geoscience?
Caroline Buttler – I had not planned to go to university but ending up taking geology as an A level subject. After two years I realised I found the subject fascinating and wanted to go on and study it further. I think it is important that you enjoy and are hopefully passionate about the subject you choose to study at university.
Annie Winson: Going into my A-level years at school, I was pretty sure that I wanted to go to university to study medicine but I gradually realised that I wasn’t as interested in my Biology and Chemistry classes as I was in Geology. I was really lucky that I had a fantastic Geology teacher at school and what I began to understand was that if I were a Geologist I wouldn’t need to choose one scientific discipline, instead I would be able to use lots of different methods to answer questions. After some field trips I also discovered I was really engaged when I had the opportunity to be outside, seeing these processes in real life, rather than in text books. Geosciences was an obvious degree choice from there!
- What made you choose your course and university? Was it a hard decision?
Annie Winson: Yes, it was a hard decision. The first time I looked up Geology courses I was overwhelmed by all of the choices. I started by making a list of things I knew I did want from my university experience. For example, I was very interested in volcanology and seismology, so I looked for degree schemes with an emphasis on those topics. I also knew that there was a lot of recruitment from Geoscience degrees into the oil industry and that they were good employers so on open days I asked about departments’ track record in graduates getting those types of jobs. As far as the location of the university, I knew I wanted to study somewhere that was in or near a large city (I had been living in a very quiet town before going to university and wanted a change) and I knew that I wanted to do an MSci and have the opportunity to study abroad. With these criteria I gradually narrowed down my choices and went to open days – even then though it did feel strange to make the final decision and I’m sure I did go with my gut reaction to how I felt when I was visiting the departments.
- What is the hardest thing about your degree?
Rehemat Bhatia: During the 4th year of my MSci degree everyone has a research dissertation, where you work on a project with a supervisor. Everyone has different projects. One thing I struggled with a lot was realising that everyones projects were different in terms of timescales and we utilised different skillsets – I had to remember not to compare how I was doing to others. Me and 2 other friends had geochemistry based projects which focused on different topics. One worked on air samples, one worked on dating rocks and I worked on microfossil chemistry. We all had lab-work (using different machines) which had sample preparation and data processing. When we would talk sometimes, I felt like I was behind because I wasn’t at the same stage as them. However, I slowly started to realise that all the stages of lab-work took different amounts of time, and that’s why our timescales differed. Whilst sample prep was quick for some, data processing was longer for others (or vice versa. So whilst it felt that I was behind sometimes in the data stages, it was just that others had longer sample prep time and quicker data processing time. Our interpretation start time was all different because of this. I really had to remember that I couldn’t compare myself to others and that I wasn’t really “behind” in comparison, it’s just that we all worked on very different things and that I was doing okay. Keeping that thought pattern in my PhD (and having mentors remind me too!) was also necessary, otherwise I just didn’t think I was doing well enough. Definitely find yourself a support system during the research time in your final year, and if you do a PhD – I would have been so lost without mine!
- What is the best thing you’ve experienced during university?
Sally: For me, the best thing(s – plural) I experienced at university were being part of a sports club (as I am big into sports, and this was a majority of my time – training, playing and my core friendship group) and the field trips which I was able to do with my course (Geography). But there are so many best things about university, in general – gaining life experience, making new friends, and having more control on your studies and your time!
Girls Into Geoscience 