Tag: Lectures

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First Year Academic Experience…

Photograph of Harry… by Harry / from China / BSc Mathematics / 1st Year (UG)

I am Harry, and I was born in China while attending high school in the United States. I am a first-year undergraduate student studying mathematics at the University of Edinburgh. 

The first-year Mathematics curriculum in Edinburgh consists of three courses: Introduction to Linear Algebra in the first semester, and Calculus and its Applications, and Proof and Problem Solving in the second. I am with ease on Linear Algebra and Calculus, as their contents overlapped with Advanced Math and AP Calculus courses I took in high school, while Proof and Problem Solving was more challenging. Yet, being attentive in workshops and diligently finishing all homework helped me go through all courses comfortably, while still leaving me with ample leisure.   Continue reading “First Year Academic Experience…”

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Pure side of things…

A photograph of Taraneh… by Taraneh / from Tehran, Iran / MMath Mathematics / 3rd Year (UG)

It was the first lecture of Metric Spaces where the lecturer looked at class and said, “it seems you all are going to be pure mathematicians”. And his remark was right at least in my case. Third year is often the year students start thinking about the future if not sooner, whether you are on a four-year or a five-year journey, the course choices you make will determine what your future will look like. For me those choices were prompted by numbers.   Continue reading “Pure side of things…”

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Living on the tails: studying as a mature student…

Photograph of Azfarul… by Azfarul / from London, UK / MSc Statistics with Data Science / PG (2020-21)

“Are you sure you want to do this?”

In addition to “Sorry, I was on mute!”, this is what I heard most throughout 2020. After a decade of working, leaving behind a fascinating job during global uncertainty to pursue a Masters might have seemed like foolishness. Fast forward more than a year and – after what felt like drowning in hundreds of hours of coursework, endlessly playing and re-playing recorded lectures, dealing with the eerie silence of virtually-conducted examinations, and three intense months of industrially-liaised project work – I still find it difficult to believe how this time flew as it did.

Continue reading “Living on the tails: studying as a mature student…”

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Expectation(Uni Life) ≠ Reality…

Photograph of Morgan… by Morgan / from Fraserburgh / MMath Mathematics / 3rd year (UG)

Hi, I’m Morgan and I’m a 3rd year Maths student at the University of Edinburgh. So far, I’ve really enjoyed my time at university; however we all know no tale is without its adversities. It’s perhaps a little cliché to say that “the transition from school to university is so difficult!” but that saying wouldn’t be repeated so frequently if it weren’t true (although my statistics lecturer may tell me that I’m a victim of observation bias…)

Continue reading “Expectation(Uni Life) ≠ Reality…”

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A Day in the Life of an MSc Student (during Covid-19)…

Mike sat at his desk holding up a glass… by Mike / from Greece / MSc Statistics with Data Science / PG (2020-21)

Hello there!

My name is Mike, I am from the lovely country of Greece and currently am an MSc Statistics with Data Science student at The University of Edinburgh. In this post I will try to describe what my typical, more relaxed, work days as a PGT student look like.

Continue reading “A Day in the Life of an MSc Student (during Covid-19)…”

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A Year of Hybrid Learning…

A photograph of Anna… by Anna / from Larbert / BSc Mathematics / 1st Year (UG)

I think every new first year student is a bit uncertain about what university learning will actually be like. And thanks to the pandemic and the arrival of hybrid learning, it’s even harder than usual to imagine how your academic life will look. Because of this, I wanted to sum up what online and hybrid learning has been like for me as a first year maths student, and share some tips for how to get the most out of it.

Continue reading “A Year of Hybrid Learning…”

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Reflecting on my MSc…

Picture of Belen on the upper level of Victoria Street, with the road and row of coloured shop fronts below… by Belen / from Ecuador / MSc Operational Research with Data Science / PG (2019-20)

Coming from a background of Logistics and Transportation engineering and work experience in the transportation industry, I was looking for a MSc programme that could be tailored to my interests in optimization and data analytics. I found the MSc in Operational Research with Data Science at the University of Edinburgh, which was the perfect option for me since it offers a diverse pool of courses that balances perfectly both theory and application.

Continue reading “Reflecting on my MSc…”

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Ten Things I Learnt from my MSc…

… by Kevin / from Hong Kong / MSc Computational Applied Mathematics / PG (2018-19)

My name is Kevin, I had completed an undergraduate degree in maths at Warwick before pursuing a Masters in Computational Applied Mathematics at Edinburgh (2018-19). Now I’m doing a PhD in Medical Informatics at the Usher Institute in Edinburgh.

Here are the 10 things I learnt during my MSc programme. Continue reading “Ten Things I Learnt from my MSc…”

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Things to do in Self-Isolation…

… by Rachel / from Isle of Arran / BSc Mathematics / 1st Year (UG)

A lot of things have changed these past weeks and we’ve had to adjust to working from home and doing all our classes online. (For those of you struggling to work in your rooms I personally find I am more productive working in the hallway than on my bed). However, the harder adjustment is figuring out how to stay entertained and connected with our friends so I thought I would share some of the things my flatmates and I have been doing to make our days a little more interesting. Continue reading “Things to do in Self-Isolation…”

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A Day in the Life as a First Year…

… by Ellen / from Rye / BSc Mathematics / 1st Year (UG)

I’m Ellen, a first year mathematics undergraduate at Edinburgh University. Today I thought I would talk about a day in my life.

7am: Wake up. I live at Darroch Court which is 2 minutes away from the Pleasance Gym, meaning I can get my training in early and still have rest of the day free. I’m a member of the Hares and Hounds (the running club) and I couldn’t recommend joining enough. I have made such good friends from both the training and regular socials, and also think it’s great how they cater for all abilities.

Continue reading “A Day in the Life as a First Year…”

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What Contact Hours at University are Really Like…

… by Fionnuala / from London / BSc Mathematics / 1st Year (UG)

I can remember, not that long ago, how nervous I was to start University. I was excited for the new adventure, meeting new friends and trying new things but it was slightly daunting not knowing what the teaching would be like. I understood that it would be completely different to school as that’s what everyone tells you but exactly how- I had no idea. Continue reading “What Contact Hours at University are Really Like…”

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Balancing Student Life and Studies…

… by Jaden / from CA, United States / BSc Mathematics / 1st Year (UG)

You just got back from football practice. Maybe you’ve been playing for a year or almost your entire life. Nonetheless, you love it and that’s what’s important. Regardless of what passions you have, or if you want to discover new ones, it’s natural to have worries about balancing life with studying. In fact, it’s natural to have a bit (or a lot) of anxiety about University in general! However, despite the anxiety you may have, it’s important to know that there’s time for both in University if you play your cards right. Continue reading “Balancing Student Life and Studies…”

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Staying on Top of Studies…

… by Alex / from Aberdeen / BSc Artificial Intelligence and Mathematics / 1st Year (UG)

Hello! I’m Alex and I’m a 1st year undergraduate student at the University of Edinburgh, studying (and loving) Artificial Intelligence and Mathematics. One of my biggest initial worries about going to university was whether or not my admittedly lacking organisational skills would allow me to manage the workload in the much more independent university lifestyle. However, since beginning my studies in Edinburgh, I have found that there are numerous facets of the typical day to day routine that encourage rather than just allow me and others to keep a grip on our studies. Continue reading “Staying on Top of Studies…”

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Daily Life of a Mathematics Student (In Pictures)…

… by Matthew / from Consett / MMath Mathematics [2nd Year Entry] / 4th Year (UG)

 

8am: I make an exceptionally uninteresting breakfast, but something to keep me going until lunch. It’s about now that I water my plants if they need it.


9am: I arrive at King’s Buildings. My preferred method of getting to KB is by bicycle but sometimes if the weather is nice, I prefer to walk every now and again. Continue reading “Daily Life of a Mathematics Student (In Pictures)…”

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Life as a New Postgraduate Student…

… by Anvita / from Allahabad, India / MSc Computational Applied Mathematics / PG (2018-19)

My name is Anvita and I am one of the new postgraduate blog writers for this academic year. I am doing a Masters in Computational Applied Mathematics. I did my undergraduate in engineering, more particularly Mechanical Engineering. I enjoyed the computational and mathematical aspects of it the most and that is why I opted to change my career path and go into more mathematical options. Continue reading “Life as a New Postgraduate Student…”

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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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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…”