University of Aberdeen Blog

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

Right, who is excited about second semester?! I hope you have screamed ‘ME!’ at the computer. Well, I am definitely looking forward to my new courses; there is nothing wrong with being a little bit of a geek! Apart from doing some university preparations I have also been helping new postgraduate students to settle in at the Hillhead Halls. It was great to be back in student halls once again, I have even managed to practice my French with new Erasmus students. Welcome to all new students, I hope you have settled in well and are enjoying yourselves already! As Ashley mentioned, there are many amazing events this week and we all should have a little bit of fun before the essay writing will begin again. Go party, sign up for as many societies and sports clubs as you can, I promise it’ll be fun!

Many of you, who have applied to University of Aberdeen, have been getting in touch with us to find out about your offers. We were happy to have received so many applications, however due to such a large amount of applications it is taking a while to get back to all of you. But the University will be sending out the bulk of their decisions in February, with the exception of Medicine and the BEd. Unfortunately, if you have not applied on time late applications will not be considered.

We also received many phone calls from parents with regards to Parents’ Evenings; the letter has all the details on how to sign-up for an evening and also online evenings, there is also additional information can be found on www.abdn.ac.uk/parents-evening. However the letter does not indicate whether or not an offer will be made to the student.

There is also additional information about Saltire Scholarship, the deadline for this year is 17^th June, and applications should include the reference and transcript. The scholarship is open to Canadian, Chinese, Indian and US nationals. Details of the scholarship can be found at: http://www.abdn.ac.uk/international/scholarships.php.

I hope you all will get the letters you are waiting for very soon. Good luck everyone! I’m off to order books for this semester J

So, for many students the horror of exams is finally coming to an end with only 3 days left. Fortunately for me I did not have any exams this year! Woop woop! My lecturers have however made up for that by giving us classes meaning I have been attempting to play with online maps a lot.

Starting tomorrow we have lots of postgraduate students arriving at the University to start classes in the next couple of week. If you are one of those students, welcome to Aberdeen and I am sure you shall see my smiley face around campus quite a lot over the next week. As well as working in the Townhouse, I am also going to be meeting students at the airport. I also have the joy of being the Re-freshers Week Coordinator for the Students’ Association. We have organised lots of amazing events for you to get used to Aberdeen and meet lots of new people. Keep an eye out for people in red t-shirts saying “University of Aberdeen” and green t-shirts saying “Refreshers Week”.

There are going to be lots of events that you can find in your “New Students Guide” and on the Students’ Association website – www.ausa.org.uk, these include campus tours, a “Re-freshers fling” to introduce many of you to Scottish Ceilidh dancing, movie nights, Sports Fayre, Societies Fayre, bus tour, treasure hunt, welcome talks, nights out and many other things too J I am not a new start and I’m getting really excited about it!

I better get back to writing my essay and sorting out all the volunteers for next week. If you need any help next week just speak to someone in either a red or a green t-shirt (I will have both) and we can answer your questions. See you all soon.

Well first of all let me wish you all a Happy New Year. This is my first day back at work since before Christmas and I must say I am finding it a little strange. However it is a more than welcome break from my revision. Exams began on the 17^th, which is when my first exam took place. My next exam isn’t for a week so in my head that leaves plenty of time to face my revision, although I do know that the day before I will be running around panicking like crazy. But I am looking forward to my exams being over. The day after my last exam I will be heading down to Glasgow to celebrate one of my friend’s ‘hen do’ which will be her last mad evening before we all head back to Glasgow to see her married later on in February.

I am really looking forward to both the ‘hen do’ and the wedding as it will give me a chance to catch up with friends that I haven’t really seen since they graduated last year. The week following my first trip to Glasgow also sees the start of the new semester. This means the start of classes again. This coming semester is a very exciting one for me as it my final one at the University. (Unless I decide to do post grad here as well, which is what I would ideally do if I can secure funding.) This semester also sees me having to write my dissertation.

My dissertation is on the Dissolution of Monasteries in Northern England during the Reformation. At the moment this is a vague thing, but we only have 2 weeks to finalise our titles and I must say that I am not looking forward to it. The days before the deadline I can see being fraught with last minute research I probably should have done over Christmas whilst I was actually in Northern England! As I am set to write about 10,000 words on the subject, I will have to do lots of research which is what will take the most time. My plan includes several research trips to places like York, Durham and Lancaster, which means I actually have an excuse to go and stay at home for a while (my parents live in Lancashire) and get spoiled and pampered.

But as for now, I should probably finish up my work and then get home and hit the books!

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

Hello everyone!

Okay, let me introduce myself. My name is Kristina and I am a third year student in the University of Aberdeen, studying French Language and International Relations. The interesting fact about me is that I am originally from Siberia (Yes, that’s right, Siberia!), but before you say it, no I am not use to this cold weather. But I do like snowy weather, it does remind me of home, also it means that we will have white Christmas this year!

Last year I spent my year abroad in one of the most beautiful cities in France, Lyon. It was amazing! I had time to travel and learn more about French culture and its history. It was truly a great experience. Although, I did miss my University, especially life on the campus where everything was nearby and all my friends were there. I was glad to be back at the University and very lucky to get a job as a student ambassador. The University’s Open Day and Freshers’ Week were a great way to meet a lot of interesting people.

Although it was great to be back in Aberdeen and I was very happy to begin my third year of University, I found myself slightly lost, because of the amount of work I had to complete by this Christmas. Temporarily my address changed to the Queen Mother Library! But I have managed to survive and achieve good marks. Now I can relax and enjoy my holidays in sunny Gran Canaria, thanks to my parents! I do hope all of you manage to get home in time for Christmas without any delays!

Enjoy your time by the warm fire in the company of your family and friends. Have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year! I am looking forward to meeting many of you at the University’s Applicant Days.

See you in 2011!

Kristina

Hey Everyone,

My name is Ashley and I am new to the townhouse team here at the University of Aberdeen so starting my very first blog J I suppose the first thing you would like to know is “who am I?” Well I am a Scottish student originally from Arbroath (it’s about an hour south of Aberdeen). I completed my undergraduate degree at the University of Aberdeen in the summer last year, in BSc (Hons) Geography and Geoscience (technically its geography and geology…yes, I like rocks). I am currently doing my postgraduate degree here as well in Environmental Science. I didn’t want to leave the University when I finished as it is such a friendly place and like its own little village within a city.

My course is quite difficult with lots of assessments to do but on the plus side I don’t get any exams in January. I think its kind of a reward for doing so many assessments throughout the year, which I prefer to exams anyway. The courses are a lot more interesting than I first thought they were and are also really varied, i’m doing microbiology courses…I haven’t done any form of biology since Standard Grades (and that was a few years ago) but the lectures are really good for helping when you don’t quite know what is going on. One of the really interesting things about my course was the number of international students in my class. My class is made up of approximately 20 students, only 3 of which are from the UK, the rest are from Nigeria, India and China, so there is a good cultural variation and everyone is from different backgrounds too.

At the moment the classes are all wrapping up for the Christmas holidays with all classes finishing tomorrow for a 3 week break. It is also looking very Christmassy around campus. The Christmas lights are up on Elphinstone and the Christmas tree is covered in lights. The snow also began again overnight so the roads were a little slippy for getting into University this morning but thankfully the gritters have been out clearing the road. It has been snowing quite heavily all day so I am not looking forward to brushing all the snow off my car when I head home this evening. I must admit though, I am really looking forward to playing in the snow like a little child when I go home this Christmas…there is a child in everyone wanting to play in snow J

As most of you probably know there was a webchat last night for prospective students. Do not worry if you missed it, there will be another one in early January to answer any questions you have. For those of you applying for undergraduate degrees through UCAS the deadline is the 15^th of January so make sure you get them in soon. I am currently applying for PhDs with their deadlines being the 13^th of January so I know how you all feel, making sure you put down the right information and that your personal statement looks amazing.

You will be hearing from me again in the New Year when all the festivities are over and I’ll be giving you information about anything exciting that happened over the holiday and if we all survived the snow.

Merry Christmas

Ashley

Upon awaking that day three weeks ago to find that it had snowed I was thrilled! I turn into a small child when it snows and want to play, building snowmen and having snowball fights! And this I did. For many days, however, the fun is over. The snow turned to 2 inches of solid ice on the pavements and walking anywhere became treacherous. But I can happily say that I awoke this morning to (mostly) thawed pavements and slightly safer walking conditions. It hasn’t just been the snow that’s been bothering me. It has also been absolutely freezing. The day I awoke and checked the temperature before leaving bed to find that it was -15° I almost cried. And then pressed snooze.

Yes winter is most definitely upon us and I use this as an opportunity to stay in my pyjamas and furry slippers and only leave my lovely warm bed if I really have to. When you throw in the fact that I have had a really bad cold this means that I have only once ventured into town to attempt any Christmas shopping. And that was yesterday. And I can honestly say, never again! I spent 2 hours in crowded, overheated shops before heading home and getting online. I managed to buy all of the needed Christmas presents within an hour, from my bed, and they will be delivered, already gift wrapped to my parents’ house ready for my arrival next week. That also means that I have more space in my suitcase for clothes!

It’s quite hard to believe that term ends on Friday as it’s seems like no time at all since term began. However all of my work has been done for each course and the final week seems to be a bit of a wind down whilst beginning to prepare for exams. One of the major decisions we have to make is whether or not to bring my books home with me for Christmas in order to revise, or simply wait until I get back to Aberdeen. I have in the past taken all of my notes and books home with me and not done a single piece of revision, however as this is my final year, I really should be a little more prepared as these grades will determine my class of degree. But I’ve still got a week before I have to decide if I want to sacrifice shoe space for books, and that week will no doubt be spent eating mince pies and drinking mulled wine.

But for now, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

I don’t know what it is about November, but it always seems to be the month where my calendar starts to fill up and I tend to be running frantically from building to building. It may sound a tad stressful, but once it all gets going it’s actually quite good fun.

The month started with the last of the Halloween parties and the monthly AUSA council meeting. I sit on the Societies Union Committee, which is responsible for promoting societies and their social events, sorting out the distribution of money to different societies and giving advice, support and training to any society which needs it.  The council meeting itself was quite good fun, especially as Soc Union managed to get a few policies approved so our President was quite happy.

This week has involved the odd late night spent working on an important section of my project. I tend to have meetings with both my supervisors every week and twice a month I have to update them with the progress I have made so far. This week it is the research questions aspect of my project, and so far they seem to be shaping up quite nicely, though I think I have a fair bit to do before I can let my supervisors see them.    

And finally the last important date in my diary is Scottish Mental Health Research Network conference down in Glasgow, where there will be a lot of talks linked to my project and hopefully will be a good opportunity to network. I’m actually a bit nervous as I have never been to a conference before, and have never had to spend an entire day wandering around in a suit, but I have a feeling that this is the sleep deprivation talking.  

So fellow readers, as you can see life has become quite busy, so this blog post will be my last as a student ambassador. I have had an amazing three years working for the department and meeting new students, and will miss typing away about the random things I have been up to. But like they say, when one door closes another opens, so let’s see what happens next J

Nooreen

In a frantic day, I am taking this rare chance to have a snack and update my blog. I must say, it really is a frantic time of year. During the October school holidays, we have lots of people coming to visit and so we do a lot of campus tours. If you wish to organise one, please visit: http://www.abdn.ac.uk/undergraduate/open-days.php it’s also a busy time of year academically. As well having to study for the courses I am doing this semester, we are also having to try and finalise our dissertation topics and begin all of our research. I decided to write on the Reformation and although I am having a little trouble trying to focus, I think that it will be on the Dissolution of Monasteries in Northern England. My sneaky inclusion of Northern England means that for any research trips, I will (hopefully) be able to stay at home. I am planning on going home during reading week to do some preliminary research and indulge in some home cooking…..not that I don’t enjoy cooking myself.

Due to the pressures of time, I have become an expert in making meals quickly, but when I have a little more time, I love to bake. Being involved in society fundraising is a fantastic opportunity to arrange bake-sales and other events that encourage indulgent baking time. The Catholic Society, of which I am former treasurer is set to hold it’s second bring a dish night of the term. The first was a great success with people making a whole range of national dishes – and there were lots of scrumptious puddings too! (I will be making much cake for this event!) We then went on to play board games which when combined with wine become much more fun! I really have never played a game of Articulate like it! Events like this really open you up to all of the different cultures at the University, not just with food, but also the different approaches to games. We currently have about 20% International students from around 120 different nationalities, and so if you are an International student considering attending Aberdeen, you can feel safe in the knowledge that you would not be the only one. More information for International Students can be found on our website at: http://www.abdn.ac.uk/international/index.php

But as for now, time really has caught up with me and I have to get back to my work, or my lecturers will be rather unimpressed with my lack of reading!