Understanding Your Way Around University in Birmingham

Understanding Your Way Around University in Birmingham

Let us start by saying welcome to a whole new world, where careers are shaped, bonds made and memories built; some that last forever. Our starting point will be to affirm your choice of joining the ‘student city’ of Birmingham and let you know why studying at a university in Birmingham is the best choice for you.

The overall standard of education in Birmingham is very high. It is known for having some of the highest-ranking universities in the QS World Rankings, Times Higher Education Ranking, and Academic Ranking of World Universities. Below we have listed some of the information you will need to understand your University and your course a bit better.

What Are the Term Times for Universities?

The majority, if not all, of UK universities, usually split the academic year into three terms across two semesters. Semester one runs from the start of the new academic year in September and ends before Christmas, while Semester two tends to start in January, running until the start of the summer break, which is normally in June.

For most universities in Birmingham, term one will start in the Autumn at the beginning of the new academic year, and finish in the middle of December after which you will have a winter break. Term two, or spring term, starts in January and ends in late March. And lastly, term three, the summer term, starts in April and ends in June.

Just like other universities across the UK, universities in Birmingham also tend to have reading weeks part-way through a term to give you time to catch up on your course reading and projects. 

What Is Studying at A Birmingham University Like?

The most common type of undergraduate qualification studied at any major UK university is a Bachelor's degree. This can usually take up to three years of full-time study to complete, but there are exceptions, in courses such as Medicine and Dentistry.

During each academic year (Stage), you are required to complete several different modules as well as completing a dissertation in your final year. At the start of each stage or academic year, you will get a timetable showing your modules and the classes for those modules. These classes can include lectures, seminars, workshops, or tutorials.

What Do University Assessments Look Like?

While at the university, each module that you study has a credit weighting. The majority of modules are worth 20 credits each, however, if you complete a dissertation as part of your third year this is usually worth 40 credits.

As a full-time student in an undergraduate degree program (Bachelor), you must complete 120 credits in each academic year of study. For a full honors degree (MA), you need 360 credits throughout your three-year degree.

Although each course is different, prepare to be assessed on what you have learned in each of the modules. These won’t be abrupt and you will be notified ahead of time about when the assessments are coming up, which should usually give you ample time to plan well and revise. Your work is marked and there are moderating processes in place to make sure marking is fair and consistent.

University assessments can be in the form of coursework, examinations, group work, essays, reports, presentations, dissertations, etc. 

How Does the University Grading System Work?

Generally, your final university degree will depend on the results from your assessed work, and the results from each module in an academic year combined. At most universities, the mark you get at the end of your first year (Stage One) doesn’t count towards your final degree. 

This allows new students to have the time to understand the way their course works, perfect their academic skills, and to enable them to get in the right mindset to study at a degree level. Your final degree is based on Stages Two and Three of the 'Honors Stages' of your degree program. Your overall marks from these two stages are combined to give a final score that leads to your degree classification. The majority of students tend to step up their energies and efforts to be able to excel at the highest level.

What Other Activities Can You Do at University?

If you are someone who gets drained from ‘over studying’, why not consider trying other activities alongside your studies. Many universities have sporting events, social events, clubs, and summer programs that will pique your interest. Make the most of these by meeting new people and above all, enjoy the experience.

“Since Birmingham is a student city, if you feel like socializing then you’ll always be able to meet new people. The most common situation was to go out for dinner and then a couple of drinks in the bar, and the locals are always happy to start up a conversation. There’s always something to do and the music events here are fantastic.” – Student.

Student Accommodation with Unihousing

Unihousing is a student accommodation provider near the University of Birmingham, operating since 1984. All of our accommodation in Selly Oak is owned by us, so we can respond quickly to any requests using our qualified team of tradesmen. Our property office is located on Bristol Road, only a short walk away from all of our accommodation. This means we can deal directly with our tenants.

Unhousing was selected as the Number 1 Student Letting Agent in Birmingham by the UK's biggest fresher community, Unifresher.

Contact Unihousing today to find out more!