Introductory meeting for Year 1 Geological Science and Environmental Geology students

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Introductory meeting for Year 1 Geological
Science and Environmental Geology students

• Rob Chapman (Programme Manager EG)
• Nigel Mountney (Programme Manager GS)

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Role of the Programme Manager

• Responsibility for what is in the programme
• Responsibility for reviewing the programme and
  implementing change
• Ensuring the programme meets University and
  external regulations
• Actively seeking feedback from you (the students)
  at the beginning and end of academic years
• Provision of guidance to individual students

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How is University different from School?

• Multidisciplinary subjects
• Apply understanding between courses
• Some modules in Year 1 are preparatory for Year 2
  
• You cannot re-sit exams that you have already
  passed to get a better mark
• The responsibility for your learning lies with
  you!

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The distinctive qualities of Year 1

• Background information

Year
120 credits level 3
3 2 1
120 credits level 2
120 credits level 1
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The First Year 120 credits
Core courses, 80 credits
Optional/elective courses, 40 credits
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The core courses

• SOEE 1150 Fundamentals of Geophysics, 10
  credits, Semester 1
• SOEE 1470 Introduction to Computing and Data
  Analysis, 10 credits, Semesters 1 2
• SOEE 1490 Understanding the Earth 1, 20 credits,
  Semester 1
• SOEE 1500 Understanding the Earth 2, 20 credits,
  Semester 2
• SOEE 1510 Practical Geology, 20 credits,
  Semesters 1 2
• Includes field trips to Pembroke (Easter) and
  the small group tutorials
• The Northern Scotland or Lake District field trip
  (Early summer) is part of the Level 2 syllabus

EG is the same except SOEE 1150 Fundamentals of
Geophysics, 10 credits, Semester 1
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Choosing Your Options
GS have 40 credits of non-core courses to
choose EG have 50 credits of non-core courses
to choose BUT some non-core courses are
compulsory if you do not have certain A Levels
Chemistry If you do not have A-Level Chemistry
you must do SOEE 1550 (Chemistry for
Geoscientists) If you have A-Level Chemistry
you might consider taking SOEE 1141 in Semester 2
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Maths
If you only have Maths to GCSE level you are
required to take SOEE 1480. (some others of you
may also be asked to take this module)
If you have AS or A-Level Maths you might wish to
take SOEE 1300 as an option.

• Why take extra maths?
• It gives you more flexibility with options
  choices in later years
• There is a Maths route through the degree options
  which would allow you to take a Geophysics
  masters course

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Choosing Your Options 2
Each of these Maths and Chemistry courses is
worth 10 credits, so the number of spare credits
left to choose depends on how many Maths or
Chemistry course you need/want to do.
There are several optional modules offered by
Earth Sciences
There are a large number of other modules
available elsewhere in the University (elective
modules)
You cannot take more than 20 credits of electives
from other departments.
You have to record your choices online
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Choosing Your Options 3
Earth Science options (all 10 credits)
SOEE 1034 Natural Hazards, Semester 1 SOEE 1120
Vertebrate Evolution, Semester 2
Both courses are very popular
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SOEE 1210 The Geological Origins and Occurrences
of Gold in the British Isles

• Semester 2
• Includes a weekend field trip to Scotland
• Cost 40
• Limit of 24 students first come, first served

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Payment for the gold course

• Either now
• Or at the Faculty Finance office 33 Hyde Terrace
  
• The deadline for payment is October 24th
• If you havent paid by then, you will have to
  change modules, and after this date the
  University charges you 50 to do this.

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Choosing Your Options 4

• If you have A-Level Maths and want to keep open
• Geophysics options in Year 2 you can take SOEE
  1310 in
• Year 1 and SOEE 2430 in Year 2

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Choosing Your Options 5
Choosing electives from other departments
Make sure your choice is compatible with your
core timetable
Make sure you understand what is involved in the
course
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Tutorials and Tutors

• There are two types of tutors

Personal Tutor Everybody has one!! Same person
for all your time at University Pastoral Care
Academic Tutors Small group teaching Change
from year to year
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Academic Tutorial Groups

• You have been assigned to a tutorial group with a
  particular staff member.
• There are 5 meetings per semester
• You will be notified of meeting time by e-mail
  CHECK YOUR E-MAILS
• DO NOT MISS THE TUTORIAL MEETINGS!

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Personal tutors

• You will be invited to meet your personal tutor
  for a one-to-one chat once every semester, and
  twice in your first semester in Year 1. Your
  attendance is recorded.
• The purpose of this system is
• You have a person to see for any issues that you
  may want to discuss. These may be personal, or
  academic. However, if you would rather discuss
  any personal issues with another member of staff,
  ask Julie Philpott.
• A member of staff gets to know you well and can
  write informative, accurate references, when
  required.

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Registration

• If you have not done this already, do so before
  the Freshers Fair

Freshers Fair
Tuesday 23rd and Wednesday 24th in the Great Hall
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Timetables

• Available on the web
• Some courses have complicated timetables with
  different activities
• On the timetable
• LEC lecture attend this session
• PRAC practical you will be in one of a number
  of possible timetable slots for these activities
• Check week numbers. Not all courses are the same
  every week
• You will need to add tutorial group sessions to
  your personal timetable
• You need to look at your personal timetable, not
  the programme timetable

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Courses with multiple sessions

• SOEE 1470 Computing, Geoff Lloyd, (4 times p/w)
• SOEE 1490 Structural Geology (3 times p/w)
• SOEE 1490 Geological Materials (3 times p/w)
• SOEE 1550 Chemistry practicals, in wks 4,9
• You only do ONE of each of these in each week
• You have been allocated to a particular session
• You CANNOT swap between sessions

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Reading your timetable
1 2 3 4 5
SOEE 1470 Computing
SOEE 1490 Geological Materials
SOEE 1490 Structural Geology
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Recap on timetables

• For modules with multiple slots
• Computing
• Structural Geology Practical
• Geological Materials Practical
• Chemistry Practical
• You will be allocated a particular session. YOU
  CANNOT SWAP!
• Use your Personal timetable, not the programme
  timetable
• Dont forget to add tutorial sessions to your
  timetable
• EXTRA SESSION ON TIMETABLES AT 12 NOON TODAY
• OPTIONAL BUT GO TO IT!

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Who do you approach for advice?
First instance the relevant administrator Geolog
ical Sciences, Environmental Geology and
Geophysical Sciences Luisa Nanovo
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Assessment
Various forms of assessment are used during the
Programme
Coursework Assessed written work
including scientific essays, field
reports, series of short answer questions,
MCQs Group work scientific posters
Exams
There are penalties for late submission 5 per
day
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Plagiarism
Copying from Other students Directly from
books From web pages
There are SEVERE penalties see student
handbook DONT DO IT!
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Progression
You need to pass 100 credits to progress to Year
2, including ALL your Pass for Progression
modules. What happens if you fail a PFP
module? You have to re-sit in the summer.
1. This makes a complete mess of your summer
holiday.
2. If you fail a second time you cannot progress
immediately to Year 2.
Note Two PFP modules are examined at the end of
Semester 1, so dont get out caught out by
having a permanent party in Semester 1, thinking
that you have Semester 2 to catch up.
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Attendance
Lecturers will record your attendance, so we will
know if you are not coming in to the
University. Poor attendance results in
1. Poor academic performance
2. A compulsory meeting with the Head of School
3. Letters to your parents/guardians
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Academic support with essay writing

• You will not write any art-style essays in core
  geological
• Programmes, though you might in some of your
  elective
• Option modules, if you take any outside the
  School.
• If you want help with essay writing
• Paul Sayer is available for friendly and
  confidential advice,
• by appointment, for two days per week from
  September
• onwards. Paul Sayer is based in room B08 in the
• Geography East Building.  E-mail
  p.sayer_at_leeds.ac.uk 

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What to do in difficult circumstances
First instance the Student Support
Administrator Julie Philpott
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Keeping in contact
For various reasons we need to know how to find
you. PLEASE TELL US
Your mobile phone number
You need to check if we are trying to contact you
Check your pigeon hole in the School
Check your University e-mail regularly
Inform us of any change of address
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How you can make this School better
Constructive criticism is welcomed
Use student evaluation forms
Consider standing for the staff-student
committee
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Supporting Documentation
You should have

• The Undergraduate Student Handbook
• Programme Handbook

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You have to take on-board a lot of new
information right now Confused? Dont stay that
way, ASK