It's strange to think that just about five weeks ago, I had just arrived on campus. First impressions have come and gone, and now I've already finished half of a semester at Dundee. With all that I've finished and accomplished here so far, I wanted to share some of the key differences and similarities I've noticed.
TIME
The biggest difference at the University of Dundee is timing in the semester. The first thing you notice when you get your schedule, is that you're only taking two classes at a time! The schedule looks a little something like this:
BLOCK C
January 20th - February 21st
5 weeks with students taking 2 modules (classes)
February 22nd - March 1st | Reading week. This is where I am now :)
BLOCK D
March 2nd - April 3rd
5 weeks with students taking 2 modules, or 1 module if you take an online Northeastern class during the semester, like me!
April 4th - April 26
Easter Vacation / Reading Weeks
FINALS
April 27th - May 29th
A whole month of finals! Your finals can be anywhere within this month.
Having only 2 classes for 5 weeks may seem not too bad. In fact, at first it just felt like a summer semester to me. I soon realized that it was a bit more fast-paced and that I needed to manage my time properly to stay on top of lectures, practice exercises, and assignments. It's also a bit strange that finals for both Block C and D are in April/May, so I have to prepare to study my Block C material again so it's fresh in my mind 2 months after I finish the modules!
STUDY SPACES
One similar thing to Northeastern is the places you can spend your time studying and doing work. Though the library is only open to 2:30am, and not 24 hours like Snell, it still gives you plenty of time to spend using campus desktops, printers, and study space. University of Dundee's library is built like Snell, where the ground floor and part of the first floor are for group study, the rest of the first floor is for quiet study, and the top floor is for silent study. The sections of the library are a bit maze-like, but everything is circular, so you usually end up where you need to be even if it takes a bit longer.
The library also has a help desk and IT support desk that close at 10pm, and a cafe that closes at 8pm on weekdays and 5pm on weekends, all on the ground floor.
Your apartment is another option for study spaces. The desks in Heathfield are very long, with a bulletin board and lots of shelving space. It's a great last-minute option if you don't mind studying in your room, and you can spread out your materials as much as you like.
Heathfield apartment kitchens/living areas also have a countertop with barstools, and couches with a coffee table for those who prefer to study outside their rooms.
Buildings like Dalhousie and Scrymgeour have additional open study spaces, and it is University policy that any classroom not being taught in can be used as a study space (including Dalhousie and Tower IT suites). There's also a lot of green space between buildings with benches and gardens, perfect places to spread out when it starts to get warm.
Plenty of options on campus, and this doesn't even include places nearby in the town!
ASSIGNMENTS
For the modules I've taken so far, Molecular Pharmacology and Bioinformatics Research Skills 1, there aren't many assignments to pad your grade. Molecular Pharmacology consisted of 2 assignments, and then I will take the final later on. Bioinformatics Research Skills 1 consisted of 1 in class CMA (computer marked assessment aka an online quiz) and 2 assignments, as well as the final later on. Everything is through myDundee, which is University of Dundee's blackboard interface.
Depending on the classes taken, there may be more or less assignments or CMAs to add to a final grade, but for my classes the final exam is worth a lot! Taking time to make sure assignments are up to standard, asking questions when direction isn't clear, and reviewing lecture material often for final exams have been my strategies so far.
GETTING BY
Overall, some weeks are more stressful than others. You may just end up with back to back lectures and workshops twice a week, or just a handful of two-hour lectures that wear you down. Some weeks may feel empty, but having multiple assignments due means you're still kept busy most days in a week. Keeping up and being ahead is great, but remembering to take a break is important too.
Make it fun and get a group of people to a local cafe for drinks and studying! Day trips and weekend adventures are short bus rides away, and going out for a bite and a pint with your new friends is never a bad idea. The fast pace of the modules makes time fly by, so remember to take the time for yourself too!
EXTRA
These are just some fun things I've noticed around campus that I wanted to mention:
Campus squirrels are a thing at Northeastern. Here at Dundee they have campus seagulls. They're everywhere, and they will steal your food.
The campus is pretty much on a hill. If you're going anywhere, you're likely to be climbing up part of a hill somewhere. Even going to Tesco for groceries requires 7 sets of stairs and then 3 more for the bridge over the train tracks. It's definitely a change from the flat city streets of Boston.
Things are different here, but I really love every different piece. Every time I notice something new it's something else that makes Dundee unique!