Induction

I had my induction today.  There are two groups for my course (computing): group 1 meets on MTW and my group, group 2, meets on WThF so I'll have 4 day weekends.  There are 18 people in each group and I am the only girl in mine. I wandered around the "freshers fayre" and refused bibles, plastic bags, reusable bags, pens, pads of paper, sweeties, sweeties, and more sweeties, gym offers (this one was extra bizarre as the school has a gym that students can use free of charge) and - having made the full circuit - another offer of bibles. I used to work in a bookstore and the bible (in its many editions) was the most commonly stolen book. I will never understand why anyone feels the need to steal a bible when so many people want to give you one for free.  One of my classmates was b*tching about the bible people then added that he's an atheist. "Thank God," my professor replied. Thankfully the guy switched to the MTW class 'cause he was really annoying, completely lacking an inner monologue.  I'm pretty guilty of that myself but I'd like to think that I wouldn't feel compelled to announce "I have to work on Fridays!" every time the teacher refered to our WThF schedule -after- the teacher said he'd try to switch me to the other course during the break. As Hermione would say, "Honestly!"

All in all, it was the usual "hurry up and wait" or any orientation. I have a shiny new student ID card in which my head appears to hover in the void as I managed to wear a blouse in almost exactly the same shade of blue as the back-drop.

All in all, it was the usual "hurry up and wait" or any orientation. I have a shiny new student ID card in which my head appears to hover in the void as I managed to wear a blouse in almost exactly the same shade of blue as the back-drop. 

Cute!  We want photos of your 'first day of school'...did you plait your hair? 

Why can't I have a clear cut awesome schedule like that!!

I seriously don't want to even try to figure out this schedule....  are all British schedules really written like this??

http://dstimelord01.leeds.ac.uk/reporting/Individual?objectclass=Activity+group&idtype=name&identifier=MA-ADESN-FT%20Year%201&t=SWSCUST+Activity+groups+Individual&days=1-7&weeks=1-52&period=1-30&template=SWSCUST+ActGroup+Individual

Why can't I have a clear cut awesome schedule like that!!

I seriously don't want to even try to figure out this schedule....  are all British schedules really written like this??

http://dstimelord01.leeds.ac.uk/reporting/Individual?objectclass=Activity+group&idtype=name&identifier=MA-ADESN-FT%20Year%201&t=SWSCUST+Activity+groups+Individual&days=1-7&weeks=1-52&period=1-30&template=SWSCUST+ActGroup+Individual

1. No they're not, did you assume that ever university in the US was exactly the same as wherever you did your undergraduate degree?
2. I don't understand what you don't understand, it's  not complicated really, just read it carefully and it becomes clearer.

Each week of the term has a number, if the number appears in "weeks" you have that lecture that week. Looks like you have an 11 week semester, a 2 week break then a 10 week semester.

So for example :

Monday - 10-12 consumer behaviour (for the first 11 weeks), you then get a 2 week break and it switches to Media policy at 12-2 for the next 10 weeks.

Tuesday - 9-11 Marketing communications (for the first 11 weeks), then in the next term it switches to Advertising at 3-5

Hope that helps!

            

Ahhh induction. The most pointless day ever. I always wanted to skip that sort of thing.

My timetable looked complicated as well, but you get used to it. Even the UK students were scratching their heads for a while over it. Somehow we all made it to our classes... most of the time. 

My induction last year was coffee and biscuits in the morning, a one hour meeting with our course convener, lunch, a one hour briefing on how to use the library, wander about, have dinner, and then loads of wine and cakes.  Loooooved being a postgrad in a small department. 

Almost wish I was starting again this year...although I could do without another dissertation for a while!

Good luck guys! 

1. No they're not, did you assume that ever university in the US was exactly the same as wherever you did your undergraduate degree?
2. I don't understand what you don't understand, it's  not complicated really, just read it carefully and it becomes clearer.

Actually having personally attended at one time or the other 5 different universities in America, they all do have very similar schedules.  And most schools you would have the same M-F schedule every week.  I've never been to any school where I would have to check the schedule as the semester went by to see if class schedules may have changed. I've never seen a schedule written like the one I posted, in America, so it seems legitimate to ask if it's a common format in England.

I get that I will figure it out, but I have had several people look at it, and it is not that simple.  Especially when compared to having MWF classes and TTh classes that are the same every week.  Also having to remember what week of the semester you are in to know when you classes are is not the most straightforward.

Actually having personally attended at one time or the other 5 different universities in America, they all do have very similar schedules.  And most schools you would have the same M-F schedule every week.

I'm sure your schedule will make a lot more sense once you actually start classes and you may find that the weeks are more similar than they look at first. When I first started my masters degree, the example schedule they gave me looked very confusing and busy (we had four 6-week quarters over 2 semesters), but it turned out that it was actually really straightforward and not at all busy in reality (half of the classes marked on the schedule didn't even apply to me as I wasn't actually taking them) .

I Also having to remember what week of the semester you are in to know when you classes are is not the most straightforward.

Knowing the weeks of the semester isn't too difficult once you get used to it - the majority of people at the university will speak in terms of week numbers anyway, so it will probably become second nature to you eventually. Your professors will probably say things like 'Your essay is due in at the end of week 7' or 'Your exam preparation will be in week 10' and social events are likely to be advertised as 'Ball tickets will be on sale in week 4' or 'Come to the student union on Monday of week 8 for X event'.

I'm not in the UK yet but have recently noticed the week thing.  I don't like it hehe, makes my course seem so short that way.

Almost wish I was starting again this year...although I could do without another dissertation for a while!

Good luck guys! 

I agree with you on that!

One of my classmates was b*tching about the bible people then added that he's an atheist. "Thank God," my professor replied.

This cracks me up!

Ahhh induction. The most pointless day ever. I always wanted to skip that sort of thing.

My timetable looked complicated as well, but you get used to it. Even the UK students were scratching their heads for a while over it. Somehow we all made it to our classes... most of the time. 

So it's weird/excessive that my program has a 9 day induction schedule before classes actually start, and they actually include a project presentation (albeit on yourself)...

Good luck to all of you starting uni! 

So it's weird/excessive that my program has a 9 day induction schedule before classes actually start, and they actually include a project presentation (albeit on yourself)...

I wouldn't say that's excessive as every course seems to have different induction methods. It seems a lot to me, but it might make sense for your degree. My course induction was three days long, and we actually started a week before the rest of the university. So we had a course induction followed by the entire university induction (we were able to skip out on the latter, though, since we were postgrads). Our three day induction consisted of a day introducing the course and getting to know everyone, a day for industry field research with an assigned group, and a day presenting our findings followed by short lectures on the current industry developments and a reception.

I make it sound more formal than it actually is... as I'm getting an MA in book publishing, the "field research" was visiting lots of bookshops in central London. Our induction days were filled with coffee, tea and biscuits and then finished with booze.
Typical publishing. 

Cute!  We want photos of your 'first day of school'...did you plait your hair? 

Nope, wore it down. Here's a pic of me from a bar later that evening: http://twitpic.com/2ljizc

are all British schedules really written like this??

Holy Moly, that's needlessly complex! Mine for the whole year looks like this: http://twitpic.com/2ljjen

This cracks me up!

I laughed


Thanks for all of the well-wishes guys!