Stay or go?

[Confused]

I'm a first year art history student and although I enjoyed my first semester here, mainly because of the general partying and being in a new town etc, I'm not particularly enjoying the course at all. I don't enjoy my lectures and find it actually difficult to take anything away from them...I feel like I've learnt literally nothing since I got here. So I've come to the realisation that I'm at university to gain an education and degree and therefore surely if i'm gaining nothing from it here, no matter how much I like the town etc, I should probably leave/transfer and try a course at another university where I can do just one subject that I enjoy. I generally don't like the way the course is taught here and I am quite far from home (London) meaning that my parents are paying alot of money to help me be here, hoping I will get a good education when really I'm not achieving anything. Has anyone else felt like this at St Andrews? And does anyone know how you go about a transfer to a London university? Thank you so much!

[ONeill]

Well you need to look at all of your options.

You aren't enjoying the course you are on. Is it really because of the way it is taught or because of the content of the course? It is not unnormal for someone to come here and be 100% sure they want to be on a course only to change their mind after a couple of months and move onto something completely different by 2nd year. Myself, I did Comp Sci in first year, before doing Maths.

I don't think you'll find that the teaching style varies too much no matter where you go. I have no experience of what they are doing over in Art History but in Maths it was a case of pay attention and copy from the blackboard and then spend time on your own learning it.

I can understand if you feel you are learning nothing. It can be very easy to sit and listen to someone talking and not write down the facts you need to be writing down. Lectures can quite easily pass you by. I generally find that comes with courses which gives handouts of notes and then use slideshow presentations or overheads to quickly go through lectures without asking students to write everything down. If the topic is of great interest to you then that method of teaching works but if it isn't or the lecturer is dull then you may find you aren't paying attention at all.

Stay or go? That's down to you. But consider that the grass isn't necessarily going to be greener elsewhere.

[hr]

http://standrews.facebook.com/profile.php?id=37108339

"Hypnosis. You know, I'm not a big fan of that bark-like-a-chicken, cluck-like-a-dog stuff."

[Starla]

Quoting ONeill from 09:31, 14th Feb 2008
Myself, I did Comp Sci in first year, before doing Maths.

Pah that's nothing, I did English. Then Physics. Then English. Then Physics for two years, before finally settling on my degree and going back to English.

So don't be afraid to change, even drastically.

Jez

[hr]

"We all live in our Fantasy and only endure our Reality..." - R.A.Wilson

[sweet]

There's a lot of stuff to consider. I did an art history degree, I got my 2:1 but to be honest unless you've either got contacts or are very, very dedicated and proactive and want to do a postgrad course as well it can be hard to find employment in the field. As far as course teaching is concerned, I personally feel the first two years, just going through the western canon, is old fashioned at best. If I were serious about art history I would study in a London uni such as UCL if I could, far more resources on your doorstep, and probably a less conservative teaching staff in general. But if I could go back to where you are now, I'd change to architecture, photography or fine art - I'd still have a pile of debt, but more means to work my way out of it than a generic grad job and I wouldn't feel like my 4 years and 20k could've been better spent elsewhere. Don't get me wrong, I loved St Andrews, and a lot of people can make it work, but you need to think about the future. If you don't like it now you probably won't like it more later - seriously reconsider how you want to earn your money now, degrees are expensive don't spend money on one you won't enjoy and can't directly use is my advice. Even take a year out rather than make the wrong decision. Obviously this is all imho the decision is completely personal, it's just what I wish I'd done in hindsight.

[Craig]

You could always try and switch courses while here. Unless you are dead set on Art History, of course.

[HarryP]

Ultimately it is you that must make the decision.

The course could improve and you may find that you like the modules available to you in 2nd/3rd/4th year.... or it might not and you could end up spending 4 years of your life here, not enjoying yourself and therefore not doing as well as you should be.

Have a serious think about the different options, talk to people doing Art History in the years above you, talk to SSS and make your decision. If you are still unsure, carry on until May and then decide over the summer, as this then leaves your options open a bit more.

It would also be an idea to investigate the entry requirments to transfer - I think the normal UCAS deadline has closed (?), but I don't have a clue about transfering!

Good Luck!

[Raindog]

Drop out man. Get a job and In four years you will be in a better position. Fact. An arts degree is worth fuck all.

[Pudding Queen]

If it helps, the Art History course does get better. Have a look at the honours course catalogue and see if anything there interests you before making your final decision.

[Power Metal Dom]

I went from Comp Sci to Philosophy.

You can definately change. Keep your options open and remember you're at the 4th best university IN BRITAIN!

[hr]

Like flames on fuel...upon metal I drool

[Power Metal Dom]

actually that might be 5th

[hr]

Like flames on fuel...upon metal I drool

[Craig]

Clearly a bad 4 minutes for St. Andrews. Someone fuck up a test?

[Confused]

Quoting Craig from 11:23, 15th Feb 2008
Clearly a bad 4 minutes for St. Andrews. Someone fuck up a test?

Actually in all my tests/exam I've got firsts...so you are clearly wrong, not to mention a cynic.

[Craig]

Actually, I was commenting on the above two posts, where St Andrews appeared to fall a place in the rankings in between Power_Metal's two posts, a space of four minutes. It was an admittedly poor attempt at humour. Which you failed to notice.

So you are the one that's wrong. I'm not one to give a shit about what some random got in his exams.

[munchingfoo]

Clearly the exams weren't in perception

[hr]

[s]Warning : The sinner is a plateau, with moral high ground manifesting itself as an optical illusion in the the bearers mind.[/s]

[Confused]

Quoting Craig from 18:26, 15th Feb 2008
Actually, I was commenting on the above two posts, where St Andrews appeared to fall a place in the rankings in between Power_Metal's two posts, a space of four minutes. It was an admittedly poor attempt at humour. Which you failed to notice.

So you are the one that's wrong. I'm not one to give a shit about what some random got in his exams.

Yes your humour is appalling and quite frankly why are you posting on this thread if you don't 'give a shit' about a random and their exams...surely you don't give a shit about the person staying or going? fool.

[munchingfoo]

That is not a not a logical conclusion...fool.

[hr]

[s]Warning : The sinner is a plateau, with moral high ground manifesting itself as an optical illusion in the the bearers mind.[/s]

[Craig]

Fine, Confused. I suggest you go, as you are a humourless prick and St Andrews would benefit from your departure.

[faith]

I am also a first year doing art history as my degree. At the moment I am finding my other two subjects more interesting.
I am sure that it will get better towards honours, but if not, I could probably switch to do one of my other subjects as my main degree. It depends whether you are finding your other subjects just as uninspiring and if you think you could end up doing a degree in either of them.

[Mehmsy]

Why not change degrees instead of changing university? Try your hand at something else -- take a few modules from other departments and see how those go. Frankly, the idea of doing a degree in Art History bores me to tears, but I am sure that there are equally many people who feel the same way about my degree. Just try something different out and see if it clicks!

[hr]

http://standrews.facebook.com/profile.php?id=37106593

[flossy]

Same as everyone else - keep doing the mandatory modules and do the electives in different depts like history, soc anth etc (ones which may help deepen your understanding of context etc for your art history and therefore look good on transfer paper if worst comes to worst). You may end up liking them better in any case!

It makes sense to talk to student support and try to finish this year with as high grades as you can so that any other uni would be glad to transfer you in.

Also, do you have friends in later years of the course? They could tell you whether it gets more interesting.

[hr]

If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the substrate.