University question

[Doctor Ted]

Depends a hell of a lot of which type of degree you do. Always best to work out hours prior to embarking on the course re: contact hours with tutors and how much recommended independent study hours. Decent unis will provide you with this info when you write off for details before selecting them as choices as well as recommending initial reading lists [in this case I'm talking about courses such as english lit, sociology, social policy, criminology, politics etc]. Given my experience in the uni, you should be looking at [on average] at least 8 hours a week lecture / seminar time plus additional personal tutor contact time as well as the hours of being cool [joke!] in the library / your place doing your own stuff.

 

[_angel_]

I feel the same. I am at Bristol uni, supposedly an alternative to Oxbridge. It's ridiculous, I have one essay to hand in this term, and one essay "plan" (they obviously couldn't be bothered to read a whole essay).

I think people should be warned about how much teaching they actually get for their money.

Blinkin ding dongs! One essay? There was me thinking my two bit college course wasn't really all that great but comparitively I think we were worked pretty hard now! Of course this was over ten years ago. Be interesting to know what they're knocking out as a BA now!

 

[Fuzzy]

i did environmental science and i think in my first year i had about 15 - 20 hours a week. a mix of lectures and 3 hour practical sessions. it went down to about 10 hours a week in my second and third year though but that was mainly because i chose courses which didnt have any practicals attached to them.

 

[aqua]

Blimey! Is that all? I'd be complaining about what my tuition fees were for I think!!

its not school, you're expected to learn by yourself a lot at uni

sorry this kind of comment really fucks me off

 

[maes]

10 hours a week, 5 of seminars and 5 of lectures. I'm doing european studies - french, politics & history, mostly. Each lecture requires 3/4 hours of reading/study to prepare for it.

 

[nino_savatte]

If you are taking an arts degree, the chances are you will have more contact hours than other students on other courses (like Sociology for instance). In my case I had something like 25 hours or more a week....and you're there in July when everyone else has left for their summer hols in June.

 

[_angel_]

its not school, you're expected to learn by yourself a lot at uni

sorry this kind of comment really fucks me off

we did a bit more than one essay a term tho!


And yes we did a lot of reading plus the seminars. It just seems if people are being short changed.

 

[electrogirl]

its not school, you're expected to learn by yourself a lot at uni

sorry this kind of comment really fucks me off

Yeah but we're still paying £1000 a term to LEARN, that's why it is called higher EDUCATION, of corse people realise there will be lots of independent reading, but i'd also like to discuss it for more than 2 fucking hours a week.

 

[_angel_]

Yeah but we're still paying £1000 a term to LEARN, that's why it is called higher EDUCATION, of corse people realise there will be lots of independent reading, but i'd also like to discuss it for more than 2 fucking hours a week.

It has changed since I was there anyway. No way could they have got away with claiming 2 hours a week to be 'full time'.

I remember the last year at college the place trebled the numbers of freshers upon our year - but didn't increase any resources or teaching staff. We all wondered how they could claim to be providing the same level of teaching/ education. I guess they weren't!

 

[5T3R30TYP3]

i'm guessing most people's lectures are around an hour

AAAAA HA-HAAH, HAAAAA, HAAAA, HAAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAH!

if only! my lectures were often three hours of a lecturer reading notes off powerpoint notes projected onto a board.

he could have just given us the lecture notes for all that it was worth. lectures could then have been cut short to an hour of useful teaching. or perhaps a three hour period in which students could get up close and personal with the lecturer if you know what i mean


as for weekly hours, well it was 4 modules in total, and it was 3 hours of lectures/tutorial per module, plus up to three hours of practicals per module. so no more than 24 hours per week (i remember that it was definitely less hours than that though)