Author: School of Mathematics

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A Day in the Life…

… by Tally / from Scarborough / MMath Mathematics [2nd Year Entry] / 2nd Year (UG)

Hi! My name is Tally and I am a second year maths student here at the university. One thing I was unsure about when coming to university was if I’d be able to juggle my studies and my free time. Turns out, it wasn’t as hard as I thought. To demonstrate that I thought I’d outline what a day in my life could look like to give an example of what a student actually does. Continue reading “A Day in the Life…”

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Year 4 opportunities…

… by Alden / from Bath / BSc Mathematics [2nd Year Entry] / 4th Year (UG)

By the time most people have reached fourth year they have a firm idea of what they do and do not like. Conveniently, in fourth year you are given full autonomy of your module choices. There are such a wide range of choice you will be able to fully choose modules from whatever area you enjoy and are best at. A consequence of the larger range of modules, is that you will be in smaller classes allowing you the chance to interact more with the lecturer and maybe get more out of each class. This again presents a fantastic opportunity if you are curious about further research as it is easier to build relationships with these lecturers. Continue reading “Year 4 opportunities…”

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Uni, Careers and the Great Unknown…

… by Mark / from London / MA Philosophy and Mathematics / 3rd Year (UG)

I’m a 3rd year undergraduate student studying Philosophy and Mathematics. Applying to university without being absolutely sure of what you want to study or what you want to do afterwards can be quite intimidating. When I applied to Edinburgh, I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do. I didn’t know what I wanted to do after university and I didn’t really know what I wanted to do at university! I had no idea if Maths was for me, but that was exactly why I came to Edinburgh. Continue reading “Uni, Careers and the Great Unknown…”

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Moving to Study in Edinburgh: 5 Reasons…

… by Lauryn / from Ndola, Zambia / BSc Mathematics / 1st Year (UG)

So, Edinburgh is a long way from home… I had to take 3 planes and all that thinking time can be an opportunity for doubt to rear its ugly head. Going to a different continent and losing the steadfast direct support of your family is a really big deal. The university experience is a massive step into your future and your choice of university is one of many consequential decisions. As teenagers, we often feel too unprepared to make such a big choice and with numerous factors like ranking, where our friends are going, how far we’ll be from home, what’s the weather like, what degree options are available and every other little detail, it can be a literal assault on our mortal minds. I remember applying to universities in South Africa, Canada and the UK while still considering studying in the US. And each of the schools I considered were absolutely amazing! I dreamt about the kinds of experiences I would have at each and every one of them. Now, I live out this Scottish adventure and I really wouldn’t change it for anything. I thought I’d share my 5 reasons for choosing to leave my home and study abroad.

Continue reading “Moving to Study in Edinburgh: 5 Reasons…”

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Why I’m doing an MSc…

… by Lydia / from Birmingham / MSc Operational Research / PG (2017-18)

Hey everyone! My name’s Lydia and I am one of your new postgraduate blog writers. My friend Jack will also be writing posts where we are going to discuss postgraduate study and everything that comes with it. Below is a lovely picture of the two of us celebrating having a little break during Innovative Learning Week…

So first of all… Why am I doing an MSc? Am I crazy? Probably. Continue reading “Why I’m doing an MSc…”

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An International Perspective on University Life…

… by Tanya / from Bangalore, India / MA Economics and Mathematics / 2nd Year (UG)

Being an international student can be a daunting experience. While most European or British students know what they’re getting into before coming to university, international students do not have this privilege.  As an Indian student, I couldn’t visit the University because it just wasn’t financially feasible. All my perception of the University- the city, the teaching, the buildings and everything was built on what I saw on Google, University ranking pages and most importantly, the Student Room. Despite having an image built into my mind, I was scared to walk into university. Somehow, along with the excitement, the idea of moving to foreign land with a culture extremely different from mine and being all alone was extremely scary. What if I hated the city or the university even worse, the course? What if everyone was unfriendly? At school, I had known everyone for the last nine years and now I wasn’t just moving to an unknown city but an unknown country. But as it is for international students, we have to blindly walk into it. And I did as well.

Continue reading “An International Perspective on University Life…”

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How To Save £9000 in 4 Easy Steps!: The Way of The Direct Entry Mathematician…

… by Owen / from Norwich / MMath Mathematics [2nd Year Entry] / 2nd Year (UG)

1) What even is Direct Entry?

If you’re not Scottish, you might not be familiar with the Scottish education system (I certainly wasn’t), where degrees usually last a year longer than those at English universities (4 years for a Bachelor’s degree, 5 for a Masters, etc). In Scotland, the first two years are more open which means you can take courses (modules) from outside your main degree subject to try out, and it gives a lot of flexibility to decide what you want to do. Because of this, some programmes offer “direct entry” or “accelerated” programmes, which basically means you go straight into Year 2 and do all the compulsory courses from Years 1 and 2 in one year. This is what I decided to do for my maths degree. Continue reading “How To Save £9000 in 4 Easy Steps!: The Way of The Direct Entry Mathematician…”

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Looking After Yourself at University…

… by Benedicty / from Romford /
BSc Mathematics / 1st Year (UG)

I’ve always pictured myself as an independent person, and never thought I’d have much of an issue transitioning from staying at home with my family, to living self-reliantly at university. This is because my mum never babied me much whilst I was at home: I occasionally helped her cook, I cleaned the house without help and I had a job, so felt like I could budget my own money. However, this self-reliance at home didn’t mean I would have self-reliance once I set off in the world on my own. This is due to my major character flaw – I am extremely lazy. Continue reading “Looking After Yourself at University…”

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How to balance uni and work, and still have a social life!…

… by Jordana / from Newry / BSc Mathematics / 3rd Year (UG)

To work or not to work? Whether or not to take on a part-time job whilst at uni is a big decision for a lot of students. Especially in first year, it can be daunting. You suddenly have to deal with a new way of learning, you’ve (potentially) just moved to an entirely new city, and weirdly enough your mum hasn’t appeared at your student halls every night to make you a nice home cooked meal. Adding the commitment of employment to all of that can be a lot to handle. So that’s why I’m here, to give you some of my own thoughts and experiences on working while you’re at uni.  Continue reading “How to balance uni and work, and still have a social life!…”

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Is 2nd Year Entry for me?…

… by Freddie / from York / BSc Mathematics and Physics [2nd Year Entry] / 3rd Year (UG)

You’ve done the work, got the grades, and eventually settled on a university choice. Well done you for choosing Edinburgh! (You did, right?).

Then, if you’re like me, you’ll only later notice the option to enter through the second year of the course – wait, that’s a thing?
Yes, it’s a thing! And I’ll let you in on my experience of it. Continue reading “Is 2nd Year Entry for me?…”

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The Local Student Experience: Not so far from home!..

… by Tom / from Edinburgh / BSc Mathematics / 2nd Year (UG)

‘Uuugh, why would you want to do that?’ This was definitely the most common response I got from people when I told them I was off to study Mathematics at Edinburgh. We all know that maths doesn’t have the best reputation. However, I will say that I have always been a fan of the subject.  Throughout my time at secondary school, I really enjoyed most of my time in maths lessons and, as a result, I’ve ended up here – at Edinburgh – still trying to ‘find x’. Continue reading “The Local Student Experience: Not so far from home!..”