SECTION 8: Trans:It (Science)

trans:it science

UNIT 2: THE INDEPENDENT SCIENCE STUDENT

1. Individual Responsibility

The importance of taking individual responsibility for your own learning is an issue that recurs in most studies of first year undergraduate experiences. Yorke and Longden (2008), for example, suggested that some students dropped-out of higher education because they were unable to cope with the change from a structured and supportive school or college, to a situation in HE where they were given much more unsupervised independence. It is important, therefore, to be prepared emotionally for your first year in higher education. ‘Carla’ writes of her first year experiences:

It's completely different to school, because when I was in sixth form, you go there, you're usually living with your parents and you have your hours of study. You come home, you might have some homework and you have your study to do at home, but you're still in your home environment. It's all very structured for you; you're told exactly what to do, the deadlines are very precise, it's all very cut and dried what you have to do and it's just a question of doing it.

Then you first come to university, you're dropped off, you're left there with all your stuff and your room in Halls, in boxes. Your parents drive off, you're left there; you find your timetable. You have to meet new people, find where you're supposed to go, have all the inductions and introductions. Then you're there on your own. There's nobody that's going to tell you what to do. You have to find the information, it's your responsibility to put yourself in the right place and you have to just get on with it really. (Carla: 1st year undergraduate).

Carla’s story is just one of many you will find on the studentstorieswebsite.

2. Comparisons with College or School Experiences

Zeegers et al (2008) summarised the differences between higher education and pre-higher education at secondary school for new science undergraduates. The points about secondary school can also relate to a large extent to students studying at further education colleges.

Higher Education

Secondary School

3. Factors for Success

What are the emotional factors for success in higher education?

Zeegers et al (2008) asked 132 first year and 92 third year science students to rank emotional factors for success.

The third year students were looking back over their studies, whilst the first year respondents were anticipating the challenges ahead.

• Which factors do you think were ranked 1- 4 by the third and first students respectively?
• Was the ranking the same for both groups, or different?

Write what you think the ranking for both groups were in the grid below.

Exercise 1: Student factors for success

Student factors for success

Third year students (N:92)

First year students (N: 132)

Your tutor will discuss the answers to this question with you. Alternatively, you can check the answers yourself in the online or printed tutor guidance notes for this Section and Unit.

4. Your First Year

In Unit 1, part 3, of this workbook, we summarised a survey on the overall levels of satisfaction among first year undergraduates. Although the level of satisfaction generally was high, it is important to recognise that there is no ‘standard’ student experience. Every student will have his or her own story to tell; all students will report poor experiences, alongside the things that went well.

Here is an account of the first year experiences of one successful chemistry undergraduate, ‘Alice’, who wrote this account for her own institution (University of Southampton, 2012). Although time-tabling, the length of terms or semesters, and the way courses are organised, varies between institutions, the pattern of study described here would be recognisable to many science students.

As you read it, try and identify what factors were particularly important ones for helping Alice succeed.

Alice’s Story

I have just finished my first year studying chemistry as an undergraduate and have thoroughly enjoyed it. Although it was a little strange at first, I soon settled into my weekly routine of lectures and lab work. I will try and explain some of the key features of my first year.

Timetable

The academic year is split into two semesters each 12 weeks long; Semester 1 runs from October to February, and Semester 2 from February to June. There is a different timetable for each semester. Students take exams at the end of each semester which test your knowledge of the material taught. During each semester there are holidays; Christmas which is 3 weeks long and Easter which is four weeks, both of which provide a good period to relax (and revise!). I had roughly 17-19 contact hours each week, including lectures, workshops, laboratory sessions and module lectures.

This may be more than other subjects within the University but it actually helps you in the transition to University and I think it is essential in helping you gain a good understanding of the subject. I had two 9 o’clock starts each week and some days didn’t finish until 5 pm. However, I was lucky enough to get the whole of Tuesday off each week which was useful for writing up lab reports! Everyone has Wednesday afternoon free each week for sports or social activities.

Don’t be put off by the number of hours on your timetable; it’s really not that bad when you get started. It provides structure to your week, and if you think about it we get the best value for our money!

Lectures

Chemistry in the first year is split into three disciplines Organic, Inorganic and Physical. For each I had two 45 minute lectures a week. Both semesters had two different lecturers for each strand, which were always academics in the department. All the lecturers have different styles and techniques of teaching, but they were all friendly and happy to help with any questions either during the lecture or after by email. Many gave out hand- outs to assist with note taking as well as putting up useful resources such as animation and question with answers on Blackboard (the web based interactive learning environment which is extensively used).

To get the most out of the lectures I found it useful to use all the resources available, including the three text books that are provided for you. The text books were particularly useful when I wasn’t fully clear on something after the lecture – they offered a different way of explaining it which often helped.

Throughout both semesters there were “in class” tests which took a range of formats. Most consisted of a multiple choice test, which was either completed under examination conditions in a lecture or done via Blackboard outside of lecture time. Feedback was provided almost straight away. I found the tests a useful way of seeing where to focus my revision. The lectures in semester one are aimed to get everyone up to the same level initially, so if you have already covered some of the material at A level, bear with it, as it is a good form of revision and you have probably forgotten a lot over the summer.

Tip: Make sure you use all the resources available such as questions provided by the lecturers and remember to consolidate your notes after the lecture to ensure that you understand what was taught. Attend all lectures as you don’t want to get behind.

Labs

Practicals are a major part of chemistry and enable you to get hands–on experience of some of the topics covered in your lectures. During my first year I had labs every Monday from 1 o’clock till 6’oclock. Before the labs I also had an hour lecture from 10 till 11’o’clock, which gave a background understanding of the techniques and chemistry that would be used in the lab session in the afternoon.

For the first semester within the lab everyone did the same practical, whereas in the second semester we were split into small groups and worked round a series of practicals on a rotation. The labs are split into the three disciplines, as with the lectures and take place in one of two labs alternating weekly. In the lab with you there will be a lab manager and several demonstrators (usually postgraduate from the department) who will all be there if you need help.

Before each lab you will have to complete a pre-lab multiple choice test, which consists of 10-15 questions about different aspects of that particular lab, such as safety or calculation. In the lab you will have to keep a record of the procedure undertaken and any observations you make. Some labs require you to complete an interim report before leaving, which is usually a couple of question about what you have done. Following the lab you have a week to write up your lab report and answer some questions on the chemistry, which is before your next lab. Although labs are timetabled to finish at 6 o’clock, I often finished before this, depending on how quickly I worked.

The first year of labs teaches you many techniques that you may not have come across in your previous studies so it is important not to rush, as this may cause things to go wrong. Also don’t worry if your reaction isn’t exactly the same as the person’s next to you - even if you have a purple compound and they have a blue one - yours could still be right so don’t panic.

Workshops

Within your weekly time- table you will be allocated a two-hour workshop. During these you work through a worksheet with the help of fellow students, lecturers and demonstrators. I found these sessions useful as they enable you to apply the chemistry you have learnt, they also give you the chance to ask questions if you are unclear about anything. Both lecturers and demonstrators were always happy to sit down and clarify things if needed. The workshops were particularly useful closer to the exam period, as they allow you to do practice questions. Answers to the workshops went up on Blackboard after each session.

The Chemistry Department also offer a maths workshop for 2 hours each week which consists of a worksheet that is worked through during the session. These are compulsory for anyone with a B or below in maths at A-level. However, I would advise everyone to attend as they focused on maths specific to chemistry. They also help refresh stuff that again might have been forgotten over summer. Throughout the year we received 3 maths assignments, which put the maths from the workshop into practice. These were handed in and counted towards the final module mark.

Tip: If you’re stuck don’t be afraid to ask the people around you because the likelihood is they are probably stuck too and you will be able to work through it together.

Tutorials

We didn’t have many of these but the ones we did have were very useful. They are similar to workshops but only last an hour. You are given the worksheet to complete beforehand. Then during the session you work through the problems together on the board. At first this may be a daunting prospect, but it allows you to get instant feedback from the lecturer running the session. They were also a good opportunity to practice exam style questions.

Modules

Your degree program will be made up of a series of different modules - some that you will have to take and other you can choose to take. The year is made up of 120 credit points which you obtain from doing the different modules. Each module will be worth a certain amount of credit points.

In year one I had 8 modules in total; 6 modules were core to chemistry and 2 were optional ones. In semester one I did a biology module and in semester two I chose an environmental- chemistry module. You will be able to choose what you want to, so for example if you like maths you will be able to do a module in maths. If you have chosen to do a degree that is chemistry with something else you will have less choice in the modules you are able to opt for as you will have to choose a module in your ‘with’ subject.

Tip: When choosing modules pick something you enjoy doing. Also it may be worth looking at how the module is assessed, for example if you don’t fare well in exams it may be better to pick a module that has more coursework.

Exams and assessments

You will be assessed in a variety of different ways, including exams, in-class tests, problem sheets and essays. Many of the core chemistry modules are examined at the end of the semester. In the first year it is essential to build up good habits in terms of revision as these will be useful in later years when the exams actually count towards your degree. The second and third years will build upon what you learn in your first year - bad knowledge and understanding in the first year will only hinder you in the future so it is vital to prepare properly. I found it useful to revise by going back over lecture notes, using Blackboard, using my text books and also working through past workshops in small groups. My environmental chemistry module required me to write an essay, I advise getting essays done as soon as you can and not leaving them to the last minute if possible.

Personal Tutors

You will be assigned a member of the academic staff as your personal tutor at the start of the year. You will usually have a meeting with them in which they will answer any questions you may have and also give you information about the upcoming year. It is important to have a good relationship with your personal tutor - they are there to support you and offer you advice. If you ever get stuck or need help, your personal tutor is always a good person to go to first as they will almost certainly be able to help you.

Tip: Make sure you make the effort to meet and keep in touch with your tutor during the year as you may find yourself needing support from them in the future. They also write references for you, so they need to know who you are!

Social Life

As well as coming to University to learn and gain a degree you can also have a great social life. It is essential to have a good balance between social activities and work. The first few weeks you will mainly stick with the people that you live with but eventually you will start making friends within your chemistry year. The University has a wide variety of clubs, societies and teams to offer and you should take advantage of this. During Freshers’ week there is an event called the “bun fight” and this is basically where all the societies have a stall and you can sign up to the mailing lists of the ones that take your fancy.

Tip: I would definitely recommend joining a team or society as it a great way of socialising and meeting new people. Even if you’ve never done it before, sign up and you may be surprised.

(University of Southampton, 2012).

______

Exercise

What do you think were the main factors for making Alice’s first year a success? Pick out at three things and summarise these in the grid below.

1

2

3

Your tutor will discuss your responses to this exercise with you. There are no right or wrong answers to this; you may well have picked out things different to others around you. However, you can check out our responses to it via the online tutor guidance notes for this Section and Unit.

5. Practical Work

Alice’s account, in section 4 of this Unit, of her first year at university, included detail of practical work in laboratories. There are four sets of skills that can be developed from practical work, as shown below. Although these refer to Chemistry, the skills will apply to most other sciences.