The Things You Are HAPPY About Thread.

[Langers]

What did you study at Uni, Ian? I admit the workload of third year is difficult, and you tend to have endless nightmares about your dissertation (in fact, near the deadline of mine I woke up in the middle of the night regularly). Oh, and you don't really have a social life for 7-8 months! I did boring A-levels - English Literature, ICT and French.

I did History of Art at Manchester - a subject that has been invaluable in my life.... :icon_lol:

I actually wanted to get into gallery/museum management at one point but after 3 years of that, it's probably the last thing I'd want to do now. Still - I don't regret it at all because moving away helped me so much. I'm far more confident than I would have been if I hadn't have moved away - the social side of university was just as important as the degree I got, probably more so.

 

[Hamlet]

I'll have to check later, off to get my results now!

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I still stand by the fact that A-levels are the hardest thing you'll ever do too. I even found my third year of University easier - more stressful, but easier.

Academically I agree. Just simply because you have no time to focus properly on one area, you've got to spread yourself extremely thinly over a number of areas. I reckon I'd have got an A in History if I'd just been taking that exam but it was just too much to concentrate on properly with my other exams, especially knowing that it was those that were going to be more important going forward. So in the run of things I was happy enough with a B there because I knew I hadn't put the required yards in purely due to time constraints, and I got As in the subjects I needed to (plus General Studies, which is or at least was essentially being an argumentative bastard in a series of essays, naturally this was not a subject where I needed much practice or studying).

Congrats Hamlet, well done.

 

[machin05]

Congrats Hamlet. Have a cigar.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

I took general studies as a bit of an afterthought but the A in that turned out to be a lifesaver or I would have missed the degree I wanted.

 

[Wolvensam]

Academically I agree. Just simply because you have no time to focus properly on one area, you've got to spread yourself extremely thinly over a number of areas. I reckon I'd have got an A in History if I'd just been taking that exam but it was just too much to concentrate on properly with my other exams, especially knowing that it was those that were going to be more important going forward. So in the run of things I was happy enough with a B there because I knew I hadn't put the required yards in purely due to time constraints, and I got As in the subjects I needed to (plus General Studies, which is or at least was essentially being an argumentative bastard in a series of essays, naturally this was not a subject where I needed much practice or studying).

Congrats Hamlet, well done.

I think that must be what it is. I mean, you have modules in your University degree that can cover a variety of subjects but it all links together and you can use something you've learnt in one module on another whereas, in my case, I couldn't really use something from my ICT A-level in my English exam; however, my French A-level helped a lot with my understanding and grasp of grammar so at least I did something useful.

I wish I had picked History, though. I pretty much had my heart set on an English-History joint degree but my school was in a "partnership" with others in North East Wolverhampton and the History A-level was elsewhere - at the time my school was scary enough, so I sure as hell wasn't going to go to another. I somewhat regret it now. I think I'm the only one on this planet who hasn't done a General Studies A-level too, our "compulsory" A-level was going to be Philosophy/R.E due to my school being Catholic, but they ditched the idea after about three months as it went down like a lead balloon.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I liked History a lot. If my school had refused to play ball with German - initially they weren't going to let me study it at A-Level as only three of us wanted to take it, and they said they didn't have the resources to justify such a small class size - I probably would have gone down an English/History A-Level route and possibly degree from thereon. As it was they let me do it and so I kept French on along with History and German.

My regret is not binning off French when I left school, shouldn't have bothered taking it at uni. After my very first semester I took the minimum required units in French every term/year to satisfy the joint degree and put no effort into that side of things. Haven't used it in any meaningful sense since I graduated a decade ago and have no plans to do so any time soon.

Re: General Studies - because they had to mess the timetable around due to our tiny German class, I actually only ever had two months' worth of lessons on what was meant to be a two year course! But as I say, with that you can either do it or not. If you can write, form a cogent argument and take an interest in current affairs then you can't really get it wrong.

 

[Wolvensam]

I can't even begin to imagine how hard a modern foreign language is at University, A-level exposed me enough with my E in French. I always thought being bilingual was a true sign of intelligence - you've either got it, or you haven't.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I always thought being bilingual was a true sign of intelligence - you've either got it, or you haven't.

You'd think so, but I can do it, so...

 

[Parkins left foot]

As someone who failed at A level (though did obtain various higher level professional qualifications later on) that is a seriously good result Hamlet - well done.

Hopefully they will give you choices in what Uni/course you decide on.

 

[Wolvensam]

You'd think so, but I can do it, so...

Haha. Honestly, the Dutch, German and Spanish students on my course - and there were plenty - were the ones who walked away with the first class degrees, and I do think them having the intelligence to be bilingual helped. Mind you, I assume in mainland Europe you're probably taught English from an early age (as well as having English advertisements etc.) whereas here, for such a culturally diverse country, we are horribly ignorant.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

When I lived in Germany I was teaching English to kids as young as six. Horribly neglected in this country, sadly. Although it does help me from a selfish point of view as not many people can do what I do, which kind of means me being a massive spaz isn't quite the problem that it should be.

 

[Tyrannosaurus Dan]

I still stand by the fact that A-levels are the hardest thing you'll ever do too. I even found my third year of University easier - more stressful, but easier.

I'd agree with that. I found A Levels much harder and a hell of a lot more work.

Mind you, I did a History degree which involved spending 3 x 3 hour lectures/seminars a week in Uni and the rest of the time was supposed to be devoted to 'reading'.*

*Most of my 'reading' time was spent in the Student Union and unfortunately I kept leaving my books in my room. How forgetful of me. Those were the days.

 

[Wolvensam]

My English degree wasn't much different, Dan. Four modules a semester and ten hours of lectures/seminars in total - or in my final year I only did three modules a semester due to my dissertation. I, too, was supposed to spend my spare time reading - that didn't happen, of course.

 

[Tyrannosaurus Dan]

I also only ever had one exam - the rest was coursework. The History department didn't belive in exams so kindly let us have a copy of the exam paper in advance which certainly made it easier!

 

[Wolvensam]

Did you get the questions before the exam and were allowed to bring in a "crib sheet" of notes? We were only ever allowed one size of A4 and until then I didn't know just how small I could write!

 

[Tyrannosaurus Dan]

Did you get the questions before the exam and were allowed to bring in a "crib sheet" of notes? We were only ever allowed one size of A4 and until then I didn't know just how small I could write!

Haha yeah. It kinda makes the exam a bit easier!

 

[b3h]

Hamlet make the right choice mate. All or nothing. Don't piss it away, smash it, or leave it.

 

[YoungWolf]

Well done Hamlet, that's outstanding! I know my mates found doing A-levels very tough. I've know I've got my place at Uni for a while, since I did a BTEC Sport course. I got Triple distinction and all I needed to get into Southampton Solent is Merits I think. I've deferred anyway.

 

[Newbridge Wolf]

Well done Hamlet - thats some achievement.