Swannys Bar

[robotwars]

wow, in interesting debate on the normally useless swanny thread.... sorry shane youve lost it now!!!

My degree was a sandwich degree, and took me to Nissan to work in Bedford as a designer. myself and 3 friends all went for the same position, however when i left the intereview, i knew i already had it from how well it went... The reason, because i showed them i not only know the theory, i know the practical too, as i had had lots of experience with cars from my apprenticeship as a mechanic.
My friends had done a levels, maths, science etc... but never picked up a spanner in their lives!!

When i started RR, i actually took a year out after my sandwich placement against all advice....robots were at a cruicial point in my mind where there was an opening, and i made that decision.... i was determined, and did go back the followiing year, to finish my degree which was hard as all my friends had then graduated and i had to start over again and make new ones !!

I got a 2:1, i never would have got a 1st, i didnt put the effort in.

My only regret slightly was my first year where i took it too seriously, and should have partied more.... it was a pass or fail year and didnt count towards my degree mark but still i wanted to do well.

Uni changed my life, the same as stu has said, i went to uni never been away from home, never drank beer, nothing, and was shy. but boy did that change, and i made the most of it.

I wish i could do it all over again, but to think back comparing how i was then, to how i am now... i mean next saturday im heading to singapore all alone to go and teach 120 students for 5 days how to build robots etc.... back then id have laughed... or even cryed at the thought of it. Its all about confidence in yourself and uni gave me that !!!

John

[stu]

I would have never drove all around the UK on my own living in hotels over summer going to Haven Parks ON MY OWN and doing robot stuff with Haven Fun stars and LOTS of kids if it wasnt for confidence building at Uni. I attualy partied more in my First year than i have this year.. but when we do go out this year, they are big nights.

Though all my years counted as i went a different route for my degree so all my marks counted, not like average degress your first year dont matter.

Aww i say this year - i only got 2 weeks left of Uni now. awwwwwww.

Was going to say same as John , this topic has changed into something a bit more meaning full than normal in Team Bud thread. lol.

Depending on the degree/subject depends on what is needed. When it comes to mechanics, design/ art/media even business then yeah exspeience is a big part.

Well ive managed to convince 3 mates of mine to do Uni than not go, as i was convinced to do Uni and glad i did. Its not just education!

Mr Stu

[john]

had ict exam today

the one what is meant to be on the harder topics i found alot easier then the one on easier topics lol

think ill prob have to retake the easier topic one some of the questions i just didnt av a clue lol need that A

[fwsorg]

I dont really take the classification of the degree as too much of an absolute indicator of ability, and of course not all 3rds were created equal.

There was a guy two years above me studying engineering who got an ordinary (a pass, but less than a third) and was invited not to come back by my college. He then was taken by Imperial to do Mech Eng and and came top of the year. Obviously an ordinary here does not map to a 1st at Imperial, so what was the difference? Well the volume and difficulty of work was reduced a bit, but sufficiently that it made the difference between the fairly binary options of either sinking or swimming, and whereas he sunk here, he very much swam there.

So based on this one data point, it would seem that your attitude to dealing with the fact that you cant possibly be on top of all the material given to you is perhaps orthogonal to your innate academic ability, and where you are in this coping space (in the mathematical sense) makes a bigger difference than than if you just project down to the ability axis.

Also, its not all geeks who get firsts. In one of the projects Im working on at the moment my partner came top of his year, and hes frustratingly, sickeningly normal. His first does not mean hes a geek, but it does mean he can do whatever he wants, pretty much wherever he wants to do it. Firsts open doors.

[Mouldy]

I dont think you need to go to uni to find indipendance.. and i know engineering students who look confused when you put a spanner in there hand..

Whys swannys thread got so interlectual? Dont seem right lol

woo goin to see pendulum tonight

[swanaldo]

it does make for good read tho

[john]

ye gives me somethin good to read as well lol

keep it goin

well which uni is best for night life and business n ict related courses?

liverpool, leeds, manc, sheffield? i wonna go up north - dnt rly wonna go midlands as i aint payin £3500+ for a room when my bedroom is like 30 miles away n north is better then south

[stu]

I dont think you need to go to uni to find indipendance

I dont think anyone has said that you have to go to Uni to get it, but people who have said Uni does NOT help you with confidence/indipendance and life skills is far from true. Thats all.

Ive herd bad things about some of those Unis john.

John why not go to a Midlands Uni just so its easy to get to and from. Maybe better if your just a train or car ride away from home for your old mates/football/Robot stuff?

Mr Stu

[john]

2 close tho I think midlands r but depends on grades

i dont rly think theres a point in spending all that money on a room when i could come home everyday? but like i want a room in the dorms as then u get the experience n all the rubbish what comes with it - depending on my grades tho if i do well enough i might apply for aston business school but just gotta get the grades 1st lol

but would still see my mates in holidays n that n robots whenever - footy ill prob just try get into the uni team, most my mates r going to go to uni n most r looking at leeds , manchester and liverpool - the majority of the current yr 13s r going to these 3 unis as well - dnt no y think there just a popular choice for this area - and ye iv heard about bad news like there are a lot of burglaries n that - I don€™t think we will start to apply for them for a good few months and id guess my school will have a few assemblys etc about different unis

bout an hour an half for my house to manchester but i wouldnt be driving anyway when im at uni as thats just another bill lol theres coaches to birmingham though for i think like £15 so its not that expensive to get home but then thats like a 3 hour coach lol

i want to go but i also want to have an apprenticeship now just so i can get money n av a job but when most of my m8s go uni ill be gutted lol

[joey_picus]

My head hurts thinking about all this...