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Course review
Review by: Abi N
University: Aston University Birmingham
Course: French and German
Year of study: 2nd
Level of Study: Undergraduate
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The course in general
How many contact hours do you have in the average week?
15
Ideally, what 3/4 subjects would you recommend doing in order to be in the best position for your course?
German and French.
Why did you decide to study your degree programme?
My passion is languages so I definitely wanted to study them at Uni and would love to have a career which involves them. I chose Aston because it has a great reputation for languages and the classes are small so it is easier to learn.
Explain the things you wish you'd known about your degree before you applied:
I wish I had known how much history was involved in the degree and that the lessons would contain no English.
Describing your average day
Explain how your day is made up. For example, do you have labs/seminars/tutorials/lectures?
My average day would consist of a couple of hours of lectures, I only had one full day in University and I also had one day off a week. Most of my classes were taught as lectures and it ranged from classes of 5 people to 30 people. I also had 1-2 seminars a week, which are smaller classes of people talking about a lecture I had previously in the week these were usually about 10 people.
How much extra work/reading are you required to do out of lectures?
Compared to my friends who do different courses there was a lot of work to do outside of lectures, especially essays and portfolios and presentations.
The best and worst parts of the course
What do you like best about your degree programme?
The teachers are so friendly and helpful. I took two gap years before I came to uni so I was a bit out of touch with my languages, they have helped me so much and they are so approachable. The smaller classes make it easier to learn and we also have language labs to practice listening and the Cadbury room which is a room especially for language students, it is brand new so they have nice comfy sofas and the room is full of books and daily newspapers from France and Germany, there is also a printer and wireless access.
What do you like least about your degree programme?
I would say the amount of work, sometimes when my friends were partying I was struggling to reach deadlines. You definitely have to make sure you stay on top of everything but I must say I can see so much improvement in my languages so the work is paying off.
Academics and course content
What do you think of your university's academics and facilities?
The library is full of useful books for all my modules, I haven't had to buy a single book because all of the recommended reading lists are in the library and there are enough copies for the class. The Cadbury room is a great place to get work done becuase it is quieter than the library and has specific things I need. The language labs are great for getting listening work done too.
Explain how you expected your course to be and how it compares to how it actually is. Give an outline of the content of the course.
The modules I took in my first year were:
Berlin- 2 hour lectures each week about the capital city Berlin, Assesed by a presentation and an essay.
German media- 1 hour lecture a week about news and media in Germany. Assesed by a presentation and essay.
German History - lots of lectures and seminar, learn about german history,2 exams, 1 presentation and an essay
French History- lectures in english for this one =) 1 exam
Past and Present- a linguisitcs lecture: 1 presentaiton and exam
German Film= watch a german film every week and write an essay. 1 exam
German and French language modules- similar to what u have in school and college, grammar lessons, reading writing and listening tasks.
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University review
Review by: Abi N
University: Aston University Birmingham
Course: French and German
Year of study: 2nd
Level of Study: Undergraduate
Visit the Aston University Birmingham forum and see what people are discussing right now!
Click here to go back
Describing your university
Sum up your university in one paragraph:
Aston University will be the best decision of your life, you are guaranteed to make friends for life. The teachers are fantastic and we have great facilities to help make your academic life easier. Aston has a great reputation as one of the top 20 universities in the Uk. The social scene is great because we are in the heart of the city, everything you could ever need is here. We have a pond and grass sitting area too to get away from the hustle and bustle and its great for bbqs in the summer. =)
What is the academic life like at your university?
Everybody is here for a reason and that is to get a good degree and everyone wants to do well in life. There is a great social side to uni but everybody here knows the importance of knuckling down too. The library is always full of people working and is often open 24 hours around exams. The main building stays open so people can use computer rooms and group study rooms. We have a learning development centre where there are trained members of staff to help with essays and presentations..
Describe your Freshers' Week - was it as you expected, better or worse? Why?
Fresher's week was one of the best weeks of my life, eevryone is buzzing and up for a good time. There are activities in the day its not all about the drinking, we went bowling and to Cadburys World to get lots of free chocolate =)... There is a theme every year, ours was 118 so we had to dress as something you would call 118 118 for, was very fun. Most people stay on campus on Fresher's week and there is a different theme every night from beach parties to school discos. The drinks are cheap and I guarantee you will make lots of friends. There are second years around to help you find your way and to answer any questions. At the end of the week there is a Freshers fair where you can get lots of freebies from pizza to shampoo and sign up for societies and sports clubs, there are so many societies it is hard to choose..
What is the best and worst thing about your university?
Best thing about Aston is the atmosphere. Everybody is friendly and helpful. We have a great students guild where there is a pub and every two weeks there are events where people can dress up in fancy dress. There are 2 pubs within walking distance too. The University is so close to the city centre so it is convenient to do shopping. The worst thing would have to be the accommodation, however new accommodation is being built and although the rooms were horrible I met a lot of new friends.
Sport and extra curricular
What are the sport and other activities on offer like at your university?
We have a gym near to campus which is very good and there is a pool there too. There are many different sports societies you can join rugby, football, netball, frisbee, squash, volleyball, dancing and many more.
The social scene
What is the social scene (and/or nightlife) like at your university? Is it particularly alcohol orientated?
There are many different cultures at Aston Uni, I have friends who do not drink and still have a great social life. There are lots of trips run for bowling and people like to chill out as well as going clubbing. Obviously a lot of students do drink and take advantage of the cheap drinks but a lot of students have a good time without alcohol too.
What do you think of the city your university is based in or near (as a city)?
Birmingham is the second biggest city in the UK so there is always something going on and it is very student friendly. There is the Bullring for starters all the shops you could ever want under one roof, then you have Broad Street a row of clubs and bars which all have student nights cheap entry and cheap drinks. There is a theatre called the REP who give free tickets on Fridays to students for some shows. There are 2 big cinemas on Broad Street. A place called Star City where there is bowling restaurants cinema etc. Aston Villa ground and Birmingham City ground are near by too. There is so much happening in Birmingham it is a great lively city.
Accommodation
Do you live in a halls of residence or a student house (or college)? What would you suggest is best in your opinion?
Although the student accomodation on campus isn't the nicest of quality, I would 100% recommend living on campus in your first year. You will make so many new friends and it is so close to university, less than a minute walk!!!
If you are in a hall or college, is it catered or self catered? Which is better for the first year in your opinion and why?
I was self catered but I know a friend who was catered. I would say self catered is better because he found it inconvenient because he had to eat at certain times. Cooking is a part of having your independence and i think it si cheaper too and you can cook the food that you like. If you have nice flat mates you can cook together too.
Approximately, what is the average cost of accommodation per week in your first year for catered and non-catered halls/colleges?
About £70pw self catered. £110pw self catered en suite.
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