Course question

There's a course I'm interested in at City Uni London and while it states that attendance is two days per week for taught modules, it also states that "most modules consist of ten half day sessions." Can anyone translate the modules bit into US speech for me please? 

Also, for a course I'm looking into a Sheffield, it states that there's online course material and also study block attendance with lectures, etc. Four study blocks of two-three days are held throughout the year- not sure what that means. Translation please  !

Hi Karli,

In my course at King's college each class is called a "module" and for each of those there is a lecture and a tutorial, 1 hour each. I've had four classes/modules each semester. Not sure about the study block thing but fron what i've heard most programmes tend to follow the same general sxhedule as above. However, if you are looking to work or have a specific schedule far in advance you might be disappointed. I asked over and over what my schedule would be like-and I didn't find out until a week into the start of the course!

Thanks, I just assumed that module meant class anyways. I contacted the course departments via email over the weekend asking what attendance was like. They just linked me to the webpage of the course in question, which I had already read over. The thing is, I plan on commuting to uni by train (will be living at my boyfriend's house if this all goes through). As Sheffield and London are a bit far from where I'd be living, attendance requirement is important. If attendance is two days per week (as City London states) then it'll be fine. But if they're leaving stuff out and the attendance is actually 3-5 days per week, that could pose a problem...

Yeah I know what you mean-it's tough because even if they gave you the schedule for your first semester it could change when the next semester comes around. I got all excited because my first semester was only two days-and I was working three days a week. Then three days before my winter session was to begin they announced that we were going to three days a week instead!! Luckily my manager is really lenient so it wasn't a problem but in your case that would be awful!!

I live about an hour by train from campus and I have to say even that distance has been tough. There are always group projects, guest lectures, and just general time that I need to be on campus besides the days that I have class. City Uni is a great school so i'm sure you could make it work if you were determined but I remember asking them about scheduling as well and they told me it was a full time programme and I should be available every day. Bleh. Hope this helps.

Ugh, it makes me wish that I could just teleport to campus and not deal with all these transportation issues  Yeah, train is pretty much my only transport option at this point. Sure there are universities that are closer which would be much easier to get to, but of course they don't offer the course I'm going after (postgraduate study in speech and language therapy isn't that widely available in the UK).

Like Sheffield.. on the course webpage it states there's online course material and 4 study blocks of 2-3 days during the year. Whatever the heck a study block is, I'm still trying to figure out. But it also did state that attendance at study blocks is required, with the exception of those who have special circumstances. If that poses a transport issue, perhaps being an international student who lives an hour and 1/2 away would be considered a special circumstance.

I just asked my boyfriend and he said it sounds like what would be exam prep...hmmm I really don't know!

I guess you just have to figure out your priorities with regards to which uni you choose--would you rather be inconvenienced but get a well-recognized degree or have an easy commute and a maybe not so recognized degree (i'm just speculating here because I know City is a great school but I don't know about your programme i particular).

Just one other consideration is the fact that the further away you are--the harder it is to get somewhere when the trains aren't running for a strike or weather or whatever reason. Luckily I haven't had any issues so far but I know it is a cause for concern for many people!

I'm going more so for convenience and practicality. Both City and Sheffield are good schools for speech and language therapy. My boyfriend says that Sheffield is more difficult to get to because it involves changing trains, but it appears attendance requirement is less. London is much easier to get to, but it appears attendance requirement is more. It's going to take some thinking. But first I have to actually apply and get accepted! And thanks for the tip about the trains and distance. Study blocks do seem related to exam preparation and studying (er, revision  ).