University of Aberdeen Blog

Hey everyone! So that is one month of 2012 gone, what did you think? Easy, hard stressful, relaxing, warm or cold? I am always told by my family to start the year the way you hope to finish it. So hopefully that will mean that I keep starting for my football team, I will have fewer exams then my friends and have a longer time off than them.

I should probably introduce myself I am Duncan Vickers, I have been studying the Bachelors of Divinity at Aberdeen for the last three years ( I did not choose it because of my last name) and have recently started working at the Town House in Old Aberdeen. This week has been pretty busy with all the applications coming into the University and us trying to respond to all of them. But it is all worth it and I cannot wait to see all the new faces on campus at the applicant days which are happening over the next couple of months.  Science and Engineering are kicking off our applicant days this year on the 29^th February (http://www.abdn.ac.uk/applicantday/) . Then the Arts and Social Sciences follow up closely behind on the 7^th March (http://www.abdn.ac.uk/arts-socsci-applicant-day/) . This is an excellent way to see the University and meet lecturers in your degree choices and listen to talks on your own degree discipline by the lecturers themselves. Not to mention the nice and friendly student ambassadors that will be there all day to help you find your way around campus and give you a tour of the campus going all the way from the Aberdeen Sports Village to the brand new Library.

Anyway that’s me finished work and I am now off to start my reading for this year’s classes. Should be good. Hope you have a good week and hopefully see you at the applicant day.

Duncan

Hi everyone! How are you all getting on? Probably waiting with excitement to hear back from all universities that you have applied for? Well… if you have made a decision to study in Aberdeen you should keep on reading!

In February we will be holding an Applicant Day for Sciences and Engineering (www.abdn.ac.uk/applicantday/) and in March for and Arts and Social Sciences (www.abdn.ac.uk/arts-socsci-applicant-day/). It’s a great opportunity to meet academic staff, talk to current students, have a tour of the campus, and see all the great facilities we have, including the Sports Village and our amazing new library. If you have received an offer from us, go and register your place online, you’ll have great time! I promise J

There is also something on offer for your parents! We are holding Parents’ Information Evenings in Aberdeen, Glasgow, Inverness, Edinburgh, Belfast, Newcastle and London. During each event parents can ask any questions they may have, meet members of Aberdeen staff and generally learn more about Higher Education. For more information about the event and bookings please visit your website: www.abdn.ac.uk/sras/for-parents/parents-evening/

I hope to see many of you in February and March! Right…. I’m going back to writing my dissertation!

Kristina

I guess it is always difficult to start these things off! Anyway, I’m Shaun, and I’ve just started helping out at the Old Town House. I came to Aberdeen two years ago to pursue my degree in Ecology. I’m going into my third year this September.

I moved to Aberdeen in the summer. As I was living with my partner, I opted not to stay in student accommodation and I figured I’d get settled before term started. I first joined the university through the Associate Student Scheme, run by Ali Clark (the one you see running around and looking stressed at the Open Day!). This let me get a feel for the university, its computer systems and library (as well as taking advantage of my student discount!) a little earlier. It wasn’t a head start really, but it was great to have slightly less of the stress and running around that I might have found during Fresher’s week. If you are going to be around Aberdeen before term starts (around Juneish), I strongly recommend the Associate Student Scheme – if only for the Top Man discount – so you should send Ali an email next year(a.clark@abdn.ac.uk). Oh, and say Shaun sent you!

We are quite busy just now – the Open Day is coming up in a few weeks and we need to get prepared. If you are looking to come to the university, nothing beats seeing it busy and bustling as you do on the Open Day, so you should come along! If you live far away, you can stay in our halls of residence the evening before. The Open Day is always busy, but good fun to work at. I’ll be there giving a student life talk, and no doubt showing some of you around the campus too. If you need to get any information on the open day you can find it here (www.abdn.ac.uk/openday).

I hope to see many of you there =]

Shaun

Doesn’t seem to be that long since I’ve joined the Town House team, but I’ve just realised I’m already an oldie here! It was of course sad to say goodbye to Claire and shortly to Ashley, but also very exciting about welcoming our new student ambassador J Hi Kayleigh! I hope you all are following Kayleigh’s fact of the day, I certainly will (embarrassed to say but I didn’t know the difference between a graduand and a graduate). I am looking forward to her next blog.

Well, I’m actually just about to start my final year, so very soon I will be a graduate myself; well I really hope I will! Summer has been quite busy, so I haven’t started my dissertation just yet. I am quite excited about my project, especially because I will be able to research and type up my brilliant ideas in our pretty amazing new library. If you haven’t heard about this iconic building you should check out our website: www.abdn.ac.uk/newlibrary so all of you who are joining us this year get excited J it will be open this September.

I will be taking a short break in August (I will only be gone for a week), but I will be back in time for our busiest day….Open Day!  EXCITED!!!

Ciao J

Over the past few months you will have noticed that both David and Claire have left the Townhouse for pastures new. Unfortunately it is also my time to leave the Townhouse, however I will not be going far (at least for a couple of months). I am moving to work with the Student Association in the lead up to Freshers’ Week 2011. I am helping with the set up of Freshers’ Week making sure there is plenty for the new students to do and getting together about 100 volunteer students to make sure the new students don’t get lost in the city. If you are coming to the University this September you will have a lot to look forward to, just keep an eye out for students in bright yellow t-shirts (Student Volunteers) and bright red t-shirts (Student Ambassadors) when you’re around campus. They have been here for years so know the campus and city very well. I’ve done both of these for 4 years now so if you get a chance join in second year I highly recommend getting involved. J UK students will also be receiving a Freshers’ Pack a few weeks before Freshers’ Week detailing everything that is going on and lots of information so you will be all ready for when you get here. International students can get them when you arrive but keep an eye on the AUSA website www.ausa.org.uk and the New Students Website http://www.abdn.ac.uk/newstudents/ for information on what is happening.

I will also be finishing my thesis within the next few weeks meaning that the will be my MSc completed and out of the way. I am struggling to realise that I have now been at the University for 5 years and have 2 degrees!  I am still not 100% sure what I am planning to do once I have completed Freshers’ Week (it’s only 9 weeks away! Eeeek!) The job hunt is on but I will be back at University in a few years to do another degree! J

My parting gift of wisdom is to make the most of your time at University and get involved in as much as you can! I know how much I have changed since I first stepped onto campus 5 years ago. I went from being very quiet and shy to being able to give talks and presentations to around 500 people at Open Days with no qualms! I am still helping with the Open Day this year so hope to see many of you there! Check out www.abdn.ac.uk/openday for more details.

All the best for the future!

Ashley

After the past few days of rain the sun is finally back J the skies are blue and everyone is back in t-shirts rather than waterproof jackets. Here’s hoping the weather stays like this for the summer. However, the sun is causing some problems for those students with exams coming up over the next few weeks with the choice of sunbathing or studying in the library being a very difficult choice for some. Others are however making the most of the sunshine with tutorial classes being held out on grass in front of Elphinstone Hall. I am lucky enough to not have exams (the joy of an Environmental Science Masters) but I do have a lot of essays to write and I have to start on my summer thesis so I almost wish I did have exams (almost!).

In the Townhouse we are still really busy with lots of prospectus requests so it looks like the 5^th years are making a nice early start on decisions for what they want to study in September 2012. It seems like a long time away but it will come around quick enough. It only seems like a few months ago that I was going round different universities making my choices for where I wanted to study when it was actually over 5 years ago! For all those students looking at starting university and thinking where they want to go we have an Open Day on the 30^th August 2011 http://www.abdn.ac.uk/openday/ If you can make it along to the Open Day it is definitely worth while and its before the UCAS deadlines so is a big help when making decisions. At the Open Day you can get a tour of the campus to see the different buildings that you will classes in, see the places where you can chill out and see the new library which will be almost ready for opening. You can see a virtual tour of the new library at http://www.abdn.ac.uk/newlibrary/ (Aberdeen is not as flat as it looks in the video). There are also lots of presentations to go to on the day whether you’re interested in finding out about Student Life, Studying Abroad, speaking to lecturers to find out what interests you and speaking to current students to see what their experience of the University is.

Just remember to book before you come to the University of Aberdeen, that way we can send you information on what time different things are happening, you can do that here http://www.abdn.ac.uk/openday/booking-form/

Good Luck to all those away to sit exams in the next few months.

Ashley

Well the past few weeks have been rather busy for me partially academically and partially socially. But before I could really get into my work for this semester, we still had the exam results to get for last semester. Happily I did rather well in my exams, much better than I was expecting, but it’s the feeling of relief after the anxious weeks of waiting that feels much better. After that was over, I had to settle into the courses for this semester, one of which we had to write an essay per week for the first 3 weeks! We had to read various books and then analyse their approach to History. I have to say, I don’t think I will enjoy this course anywhere near as the others I have taken in the past.

As well as the above course, I have to write my dissertation this term. I now have a set title, a bibliography and extended outline showing my argument. These are the first steps in the process and next is to actually start reading the books on my bibliography. I expect to use about 30 or so different books and journals and then I have my primary sources on top of that so I really should get reading!

On a more personal note, last weekend saw the first of my friends to get married. The bride was my first friend in Aberdeen after we were placed in the same flat in Halls, and she got engaged in that very first semester. But the wedding was also something of a reunion as I got to catch up with all of the friends who graduated last year, including others from our Halls. It just goes to show how well the Accommodation office placed us in first year, that 4 out of the original 6 from that flat in Hector Boece are still great friends after 4 ½ years!

But back in Aberdeen, this past week we held our BSc Applicant day which enabled all of the students who had applied for BSc degrees to come and have a look around and learn more about the courses they had applied for. It was (apart from the weather) a great success and I hope next weeks MA applicant day goes as well. If you have applied for the MA programme and would like to attend the applicant day on March 2^nd, you are still able to register at: http://www.abdn.ac.uk/maapplicantday/ereg/

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

This summer has been quite different from how I would usually spend my holidays. Most years I have either been working to earn a few extra pennies or had a work experience placement. So when it came to planning what I would this year, I thought that considering I had just finished degree, I deserve a bit of ‘me’ time; maybe do a bit of travelling and spend time with the family. So far I have to say that I may have spent more time in airports or railway stations than I have with my family, but I am not complaining.

The first stop was a visit to my parents, which involved spending 12 hours on a plane. It usually takes a lot longer but because I can get direct flights to Heathrow the journey is a lot easier, plus there is always a brief stop over in Dubai which means a lot of money gets spent at the Duty Free . The next stop was my best friends’ wedding, and yes I do mean more than one friend, as two of them were getting married to each other and I got to be a bridesmaid. The wedding was in Cleish, just a couple of hours away from Aberdeen. It was a beautiful day, and there were a few moments where I did get a little misty eyed seeing my friends so happy together. The next destination after the wedding was Scarborough, a small seaside town in the North Yorkshire, and it also happens to be the place I was born. It takes a couple of hours by train, but again the journey is made easier by the fact the one of the more direct trains departs from Aberdeen.  After spending few days enjoying my grandmother’s amazing cooking, it was back to Aberdeen for few days to bid farewell to some of my friends who were leaving the city after graduation. I have known most of friends here for nearly four years, starting from when I was a wee first year student, so saying goodbye was really hard, but I have already made plans to see all of them before I start my new course (even though it would mean more travelling). I wasn’t left feeling sad for too long as I had to pack my bags to go down to London for a few days to help my aunt get ready for her wedding. At this point I have to admit I was rather fed up of planes, but the flight from Aberdeen to Heathrow only takes an hour so it wasn’t all too bad. And now dear readers, I am writing this blog from my lovely flat in Aberdeen, where I will be for a few more days before I go back down to London for another wedding!

While I am dreading packing up a suitcase for the umpteenth time this summer, living in Aberdeen has made all my little trips a lot smoother with the presence of an airport, railway and bus station. But fingers crossed this will hopefully be the last journey for a while, so I get to relax at home, maybe make a start on some of my research and of course, work at the open day. Remember you can still book a place by visiting www.abdn.ac.uk/openday

So dear readers I am away to make a packing to do list and hunt for my suitcase. Best of luck to everyone getting their A-level results this week, and looking forward to seeing some of you at the Open day.

Nooreen

We are well into summer now and I have been working my way through my backlog of leisure reading.  I have finally finished Les liaisons dangereuses, which was definitely worth the wait.  I cannot decide on what to read next, I am torn between War and Peace (third and final attempt) or Dan Brown the Lost Symbol.  No doubt Dan Brown will win, I fancy some light reading before the heavy duty academic reading begins again.  My core text year is the wonderfully written but very long Art Through The Ages. The sad thing is I am really excited to get going again.  At first I loved the freedom of the summer break, relaxing and working but without the cares of looming deadlines.  Now, I am desperate for them.  History of Art is a change of discipline for me and I am excited at the prospect.  I have started to read around the subject, in order to get a feel for the periods or artists that interest me the most. 

The University is a busy place at the moment, well for the staff anyway!  Everyone is preparing for the new students from mid September and then of course the infamous August Open Day.  The Open Day will on the 31^st August and we hope for a glorious day.  There will be a full schedule of events including campus tours, academic talks and general information on entering University.  If you have not booked your place please visit www.abdn.ac.uk/openday.  You will also be able to download the schedule of activities, so that you can plan your day.  There will also be a party for prospective students on the evening of the 30^th August.  This will be a great chance for you to let your hair down and meet some current students and ask any questions that I am sure you will have.

For those readers that will be starting with us in September, I am sure that you are both excited and apprehensive. Do not be, as everyone will be in the same boat as you.  Everyone will want to make new friends, and before you know it you will be on the train/bus/plane home and wondering where the term went.  We have organised numerous events and induction events.  The New Students website is an excellent resource for finding out everything you need to know.  It details everything from e-registration to Freshers’ Events.  You can find it at http://www.abdn.ac.uk/newstudents/.  Remember that yours truly and many other Student Ambassadors will be on hand from Welcome Weekend and throughout Freshers’ Week should you need any help/advice/chat.  We are to be easily found sporting our sexy bright red t-shirts!

Signing off for now and I hope to see many of you soon.

Daliah