Tag: Making friends

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Mathematicians make good sports: sporting opportunities at Edinburgh…

Photo of Emma… by Emma / from NJ, USA / BSc Mathematics and Statistics / 4th Year (UG)

If you are a keen sportsman or sportswoman, simply enjoy a casual game of sport or have never played a sport before but are interested in trying, the Sports Union at Edinburgh University will most likely have something for you. I have had quite a positive experience playing sports here at Edinburgh, and I hope to share some benefits and insights of some of the sporting opportunities I have taken part in.   Continue reading “Mathematicians make good sports: sporting opportunities at Edinburgh…”

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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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If I Could Talk to my First Year Self…

… by Rory / from Peebles / MMath Mathematics / 5th Year (UG)

I am about to enter my 5th and final year of an MMath degree, with the start of the semester only a couple of weeks away. I thought it might be interesting to cast my mind back to this time four years ago and examine how my approach and preparations for the semester have changed over the years. Hopefully this will be a useful reference for those just starting out and on a personal level I am curious to see what I’ve done differently and why. Continue reading “If I Could Talk to my First Year Self…”

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The Perfect Decision…

A photograph of Manab… by Manab / from Odisha, India / BSc Computer Science and Mathematics / 2nd Year (UG)

I remember around 4 years ago, I was going through a rough patch with my mathematics- so much so that I wanted to drop it. Complex numbers, functions and relations, trigonometry, you know how it goes. I was travelling to my hometown from where I was studying at that moment, with my cousin who used to study computer science at university at that time, and I expressed my concerns. I asked him about functions, how I didn’t feel comfortable with it and how it didn’t feel tangible. He immediately bought a notebook and a pen from the railway station while we were waiting for the train, and went on to explain to me functions, calculus, graphs and what not from the very basics.

Throughout the journey, I was enjoying calculus, which was supposed to be taught to me formally at school, a year later from the date. I reached home, and I decided I wouldn’t drop mathematics, and it was one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life. I still have that notebook.

Continue reading “The Perfect Decision…”

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University Ski Trip…

… by Arran / from Glasgow / BSc Mathematics / 3rd Year (UG)

Obviously we can’t travel at the moment due to Covid-19, which has made me think back on some of my recent trips. Under normal circumstances, Edinburgh University has lots of opportunities to get involved with things outside of just studying your course. I am going to tell you about one of many fantastic opportunities that you can get involved with.

Continue reading “University Ski Trip…”

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Why I chose to study Maths at The University of Edinburgh…

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

Choosing which university to apply to, firm or insure on UCAS can be a very daunting experience. I can remember submitting my application, which I had spent ages preparing, to then realise there would be harder decisions to make once I had received answers from my five options.

Choosing a university is a very personal decision. What one of your best friends at school might love when choosing somewhere just might not do it for you. There may be something small, but which will be really important for you during your time there so my main piece of advice is to make sure you don’t base your decision off somebody else’s. The two biggest factors which affected my decision were; the degree programme itself and the city which I would be living in.

Continue reading “Why I chose to study Maths at The University of Edinburgh…”

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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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The Flat Hunt…

… by Benedicty / from Romford /
BSc Computer Science and Mathematics / 3rd Year (UG)

What I did right, the mistakes I made and what you can learn from it.

Finding a flat in first and second year was pretty much a piece of cake. Barely any work was put in and I always seemed to manage to find a flat that I liked.

Third year was where the trouble began, as I found myself in quite an awkward and unusual position. After complications with my year abroad, I had to find somewhere and someone to live with over the summer, before I went back up to Edinburgh for Year 3. Here are some things I learnt whilst attempting to secure my third-year home: Continue reading “The Flat Hunt…”

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Employ.ed on Campus Internship…

A photo of Rebecca, author of the blog… by Rebecca / from Lincoln / BSc Mathematics [2nd Year Entry] / 3rd Year (UG)

If a lecturer can see that only 5% of the students on their course read their assessment feedback, then should staff bother to write it for every student?

Or, if a lecturer can see that one of their lecture recordings has had far more views than the others, might they want to find out why that is? Was the content of the lecture too difficult?

Answering these kinds of questions was the purpose of the internship I did last summer. The University provides around 60 summer internships based at the university, exclusively for Edinburgh students, called Employ.ed on Campus internships. My internship was one of these; I worked in the School of Health in Social Science as a Learning Analytics Intern. Continue reading “Employ.ed on Campus Internship…”

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MathSoc: How to Get Involved…

… by Loana / from Hermannsburg, Germany / BSc Mathematics / 3rd Year (UG)

Hello everybody, today I’d like to talk about MathSoc and what it has to offer.

Who would’ve thought that Maths people can be sporty! As of this year, MathSoc has seven teams registered within the intramural leagues (meaning that the league is organised by the university): two men’s football, one women’s football, one women’s netball, one mixed hockey and two mixed basketball teams. The intramural option is a less competitive way to play sport compared to the main university clubs, and there’s no experience needed. I’m part of the women’s football team and am the only one who’s ever played competitive games when I was still in school. But this is not a must have, as we are the team with the greatest turn out every week. Continue reading “MathSoc: How to Get Involved…”

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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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Finding Your Friends at University…

… by Susanne / from Amsterdam / BSc Computer Science and Mathematics / 3rd Year (UG)

Let me first introduce myself; my name is Susanne and I am currently a third-year Computer Science and Maths student at the University. I was born in Germany but have spent all of my youth in Amsterdam, so no, I unfortunately do not speak German. Growing up I never saw myself leaving the comfort of that rainy cold country until I started to look into the options for universities. The thought of not only moving out of my parent’s house but also moving to a completely new country where I knew no one frightened me but also excited me, as it gave me the opportunity to study at such a wonderful university in such a vibrant and cultured city. Continue reading “Finding Your Friends at University…”