University of Aberdeen Blog

It is unfortunate that the University of Aberdeen is currently on its Easter break, because most students are missing out on the rather nice weather we are having at the moment. As always during holidays the campus is rather calm and quiet. So is my house as both of my housemates are out of the country right now. One of them is on an internship at the Naval History and Heritage Command in Washington, DC. I did the same internship six years ago as part of my undergraduate degree in History and Politics. It only lasts three weeks, but it is great fun and gives History students a chance to explore Washington, DC while gaining some valuable work experience. It is one of many such opportunities that all students at the University of Aberdeen have as part of their studies here. If any prospective History students are reading this, you can find more information about the Washington placement here http://www.abdn.ac.uk/history/ugrad/washington.shtml

The Easter break lasts for one more week and then the campus will explode with activity again. The first week back is always very busy as AUSA (Aberdeen University Students’ Association – www.ausa.org.uk) is holding its annual elections, giving students a chance to choose who will represent them and who will fight for their rights. A lot of my friends are heavily involved in AUSA, but thankfully they are all standing for different positions so I do not have to choose between them. Being involved in AUSA is not only good fun, but it also looks very good on a CV later on. Last September AUSA moved into its brand new headquarters, allowing them to provide even better services for students.

As you can see there are many ways for students to gain valuable work experience at the University of Aberdeen. If students need some help looking for interesting placements and internships, or if they need advice on how to apply for jobs and such, then they can always turn to our excellent Careers Service (http://www.abdn.ac.uk/careers/).

Speaking of jobs and such, this will in all likelihood be my last ever entry for this blog, as my time as a student ambassador is coming to an end very soon. I have greatly enjoyed my almost six years on the job and will miss it very much. Thankfully, my new job is also at the University of Aberdeen so I do not have to say a final farewell to my work colleagues. I hope you, the readers, have found my blog entries both informative and entertaining and, of course, I hope that you will have as good a time being a student at the University of Aberdeen as I have.

Be well in all things,

David         

Regular readers of this blog are no doubt aware that I am thoroughly enjoying my time as a student at the University of Aberdeen. In the past I have written about the many friends that I have made and the many societies that I have joined over the years. However, there is one aspect of being a student that I have not really mentioned before, but that is nonetheless an important part of the student experience at the University of Aberdeen. As you will no doubt have guessed from the title of this blog entry, I am talking about the sense of belonging and the sense of community that go hand in hand with being a student here.

It is not the easiest concept to put into concrete terms. It is probably best described as the fact that irrespective of what you are studying or where you are from you feel that the University of Aberdeen is Your University and that you are part of a wider community. This feeling can manifest itself in many different forms. For instance earlier this month our boat club successfully won ‘Survival of the Fittest’, the 16^th annual boat race between the University of Aberdeen and Robert Gordon University. While I do not personally have any interest in boat racing and have never been to a single boat race in my life, I was nonetheless pleased that ‘We’ won the race (and just for the record, this was ‘Our’ 14^th victory J For more info visit http://www.abdn.ac.uk/news/details-9979.php).

This sense of community is not just limited to the students, but it also includes all members of staff, from the friendly cleaners making sure your halls of residence are clean and tidy, all the way to our new Principal and Vice-Chancellor. Last Monday, Professor Ian Diamond took some time out of his busy schedule for a special Q&A session with students organised by our Students’ Association. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend myself, but I have been told that the event was well received and that Professor Ian Diamond enjoyed it so much that there will be more of these Q&A sessions in the future.

Until the next time, be well in all things

David

The University of Aberdeen has two special events coming up that will be of great interest to everyone who has applied to start their studies in September 2011. The Applicant Days give prospective students a chance to talk to academics, visit various departments, have a look around campus, meet with current students, and generally find out all there is to know about the University of Aberdeen firsthand. It is a great way of getting a feel for the place and learning more about what university life is all about.

The first of these days, the Science and Engineering Applicant Day (http://www.abdn.ac.uk/applicantday) is on Wednesday, 23^rd February 2011.

The second of these days, the MA Applicant Day (http://www.abdn.ac.uk/maapplicantday) is on Wednesday, 2^nd March 2011.

I would highly recommend booking a place for one of the Applicant Days (you can do so by clicking on the links above) and I look forward to welcoming you to Aberdeen in the near future.

Until the next time, be well in all things

David

It gives me great pleasure to wish all of you a Happy New Year on behalf of everyone at the University of Aberdeen. I hope you all had as good a start to 2011 as I did. I started the New Year by celebrating my very first Hogmanay. I know it is hard to believe, but despite having lived and studied in Aberdeen for almost a decade, I have never before celebrated New Year’s Eve in Scotland. I started the evening off by having a raclette (which is not a very traditional Hogmanay dish) with a few friends, before some more people joined us afterwards to help usher in the New Year with good company and a toast or two. All in all, it was a very fun evening and a good start to the New Year.

Of course, for most of you reading this the fact that it is now January means one important thing - the UCAS (www.ucas.com) deadline is fast approaching! The deadline is 11:59pm on Friday, 15th January 2011 for all those wishing to start their studies in September 2011. Now, more than ever before, it is important that you do not miss the UCAS deadline. Last year the University of Aberdeen saw a massive rise in the number of applications and was unable to accept late applications (we were also one of the universities that did not go into Clearing). We are expecting an equally high number of applications for entry in September 2011, so if you wish to study at the University of Aberdeen make sure you submit your application before the deadline. For more information on the deadline visit http://www.ucas.com/news/december/15jan

I wish you all the best of luck with your applications and for 2011 in general, whether you are taking A-Levels, Highers, or a gap year. If all goes well, you might be able to celebrate your first Hogmanay sooner than you think

Until the next time, be well in all things

David

Normally, as a student ambassador I give campus tours to prospective students, answer phone calls, reply to email enquiries, and send out prospectuses. It is a very enjoyable part-time student job to have, but some aspects of it can become a bit tedious now and then. However, the tedium is balanced by the fact that I get to meet some pretty interesting people. One such meeting happened earlier this month; when I was asked to give a campus tour to a former alumnus of the University who was a student here back in the late 1950’s. The people accompanying him on the campus tour were the descendants of another alumnus from back in the early 1920’s. It was fascinating to show them around campus and to find out from them just how much the University has changed and grown over the past decades.

Then on Saturday, 13^th November, I took part in a completely different walk down memory lane. One of my work colleagues organised a ghost tour around King’s College campus for our work department and I, along with some friends and fellow student ambassadors, got to play the part of some of the ghosts. I do not want to give away too much, but I was a “loupin’ monk” looking for Bishop Elphinstone, the founder of our University. We had about thirty people on the walk and it was a huge success. The weather played along nicely, and the campus is really beautiful after dark, when all the ancient buildings are nicely illuminated. It really helped bring the ghost stories alive. While it is not a regular event (yet), I am hoping that I will get another chance to reprise the role before leaving Aberdeen.

Until the next time, be well in all things.

David

As you are no doubt aware yesterday was Halloween, which means that the streets of Aberdeen were overrun with ghouls, vampires, Lady Gagas, and many other assorted monsters. Having such a large student population, the scariest day of the year is always a fun time around here. There are always many events on, catering to everyone’s tastes and moods. This year I decided to take things slow and not head out into town. I spent the evening in with some good friends, pizza, and music. This was a wise decision, as I had work today and a meeting with my supervisor. Nonetheless, I am feeling rather tired which is apparently due to my body adjusting to the clocks changing. Or so I have been told. Anyways, that is about all I have time for today. Once I am fully awake again, I will write more. Until the next time, be well in all things.

David

Last week was my ninth Freshers’ Week as a student at the University of Aberdeen and as far as Freshers’ Weeks go it was pretty quiet and relaxing. I did not really attend any of the myriad events aimed at new students, not because they are not fun, but more because of “been there, done that”. I spent most of the week catching up with friends returning from their summer breaks and getting everything sorted for my last year at university. I did bump into some people I gave campus tours to, which is always good fun, and I did sign up to a number of societies. The highlight of the week for me was the weekend, which included a good friend’s birthday party, a visit from two of my sisters, and the first official meeting of one of my societies.

As befits everyone’s post Freshers’ Week mood, the new term is starting on a grey and chilly Monday morning. For me the week ahead will consist mostly of gym trips, research, work, and introductory meetings of a number of societies I signed up, as well as catching up with some friends I have not had the chance to see yet. Speaking of going to the gym, I think I will keep this blog entry short and head over to the Aberdeen Sports Village now to get my body into shape for the week ahead. Until the next time, be well in all things

David

I am writing this blog entry while sitting in Schiphol (Amsterdam’s airport) waiting for my connecting flight to Luxembourg. I have not been home in about eight months, so I am very much looking forward to catching up with family and friends. I am also looking forward to some much needed rest and relaxation as the last few weeks, and especially the last few days have been very busy. As avid readers of this blog will know the University of Aberdeen held its annual Open Day on Tuesday, 31st August. With well over 6,000 visitors it is the busiest day in the University’s calendar, which for myself and my fellow student ambassadors meant all hands on deck. For some of us student ambassadors the Open Day kicked off the day before, with the pre-Open Day Stay-over, which allowed some 300 prospective students and parents to travel up the day before and experience a night in our halls of residence. It included a party with a pop quiz and karaoke for the prospective students and a wine and cheese reception for the parents. Student ambassadors and academics were on hand to mingle and answer questions about the University.

The Open Day itself was a huge success this year. We had more visitors than ever before and the weather played along nicely. I managed to actually get a sun tan thanks to my role as campus tour manager, which involved me standing outside and coordinating the dozens of campus tours that allowed visitors to get a real feel for the campus and the University while being shown around by a current student. After that I was busy doing three talks in quick succession, telling visitors about student life and our students’ association. My last duty of the day was doing one of the last campus tours in the afternoon. This was a bit of a bitter sweet experience for me. As you probably know I love doing campus tours, but this was the last campus tour I will ever do on an Open Day as a student ambassador due to me graduating next year. On the plus side, it was filmed in its entirety so I have a nice souvenir of it. At the end of the Open Day my feet and knees were aching, my throat was sore, and my head was pounding, but I nonetheless had a great time and really enjoyed my last Open Day. I know that I will definitely miss the energy and buzz and working with my fellow student ambassadors. As a reward for everyone’s hard work we got treated to a buffet and a few drinks in the pub afterwards.

If you are interested in studying at the University of Aberdeen I highly recommend attending our next Open Day. It is the best way of getting a feel for the place, as well as receiving first hand information from members of staff, students, and academics about the many great facilities and programs that the University of Aberdeen has to offer. If you could not make this year’s Open Day or if you just cannot wait till next year, we do have an open door policy, offering visits Monday to Friday all year long. For more information simply email sras@abdn.ac.uk

Anyway, I better get going as they have just announced that boarding has opened for my flight home. I will be in Luxembourg for a full two weeks and I intend to make the most of them, so you will not hear from me until I am back in Aberdeen. Until the next time, be well in all things.

David

My sister Evelyne graduated last week with a BSc in Environmental Science. To mark the occasion my parents came over from Luxembourg and spent a week travelling around Scotland with Evelyne and her boyfriend. Due to my work schedule and my PhD I could not accompany them on any of their day trips, but I was treated to some delicious meals while they were here. I also missed the graduation ceremony proper, but I have graduated twice from the University of Aberdeen already, so I am fairly familiar with the pomp and circumstance of it all. Some people prefer to graduate in absentia, but I personally feel that attending the ceremony and dressing up in the gown and fancy clothes is the best way to celebrate successfully finishing a degree. Of course, just because you are a graduate now does not mean that all ties with the university are cut. Quite the contrary, you join an ever increasing number of alumni with ties and connections all over the world. This allows you to keep up to date about what is happening at the University of Aberdeen and to stay in touch with your former colleagues and friends.

Of course, the fact that graduation week has come and gone means that the University will soon gear up to welcome the new students that start their degree in September 2010. Some of which are already on campus as part of the Associate Student Scheme that allows unconditional firm students to join the university community a few months early and make use of all of our state of the art facilities, such as the Aberdeen Sports Village. Which means that by the time Freshers’ Week rolls around they will already be old hats at student life. Those that cannot take part in the Associate Student Scheme, but would still like to get an advance look at the university can always visit us during our upcoming Open Day on Tuesday, 31st August 2010. There is even the chance to stay over in our halls of residence the night before and get the full student experience. For more information and in order to book a place, simply visit www.abdn.ac.uk/openday

Until the next time, be well in all things.

David

As avid readers of the SRAS blog know, I am not the only member of my family that is a student at the University of Aberdeen. One of my cousins is doing an undergraduate degree in Psychology and Sociology and one of my sisters is doing an undergraduate degree in Environmental Sciences. Or, rather I should say was doing an undergraduate degree in Environmental Sciences. She finished her last 4^th year exam two weeks ago and has recently been told that she has received a 2:1. The whole family is, of course, very proud of her and my parents will be visiting Aberdeen at the beginning of July for her graduation ceremony. Which is good, because I do not think I will see my parents till Christmas otherwise, as I am very busy with my PhD right now. My sister enjoyed her time at the University of Aberdeen and it was good fun having her around, but she will now unfortunately leave to pursue postgraduate studies in Edinburgh. This gives me just one more reason to visit Edinburgh, so I am not complaining too much. And my cousin will be in Aberdeen for another two years, so I will still have some family around.

If you want to find out why my family loves studying at the University of Aberdeen, why not come and visit us on our annual Open Day on Tuesday, 31^st August 2010. For more information visit www.abdn.ac.uk/openday

I should probably get back to my studies, to keep the momentum going and to finish the chapter I am currently working on, so I can take some days off to help my sister celebrate her graduation in July. Until the next time, be well in all things

David