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University: Durham University
Program: BSc Anthropology
Year of Study: Year 2
Institution: Program:
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
Campus Facilities: Academic Environment:
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
Social Life: Career Planning Opportunities:
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
Overall Experience:
1 2 3 4 5
Contrast Between Workload hours in University vs High School:
I did less work in university than in high school
Same number of hours
1-3 more hours of work in university
4-6 more hours of work in university
7-9 more hours of work in university
10+ more hours of work in university
What made you choose your institution over others?
Its reputation and history. Also, a strong course outline compared to other universities that meant I didn't have to specialise in social or biological too early on.
What did you wish you knew before choosing your specific program?
How disjointed the lectures seem. Each lecturer appears to create their own programme with minimal coordination within the department. Because it is a subject rarely taught below degree, much of its content is very new and I was surprised by the bits I enjoyed and which I didn't. Don't worry if you end up drifting in different directions!
What was your best experience at university?
The college I went to. It's nice to have such a homely environment, which makes the transition to university a lot easier. It's also a great place to make friends; the social spaces like the JCR and bar are so close to your room you can have a nice time without even leaving the grounds.
What was your worst university experience?
The course took a long time to pick up pace. There were many introductory lectures, and the Social Anth ones all pretty much rehashed the same things. This was a shame because for a while I wasn't taken with my course. However, I held out for a few weeks and it picked up a bit. More than anything, I got to know which bits I like and dislike, which is useful because you specialise in year 2.
What is the hardest part about your program and what were the steps that you took to overcome any difficulties?
You're provided little guidance on how to write essays, which is quite daunting as one of the first ones you do counts towards final mark for year 1. If you have worries, you can talk to your assigned year tutor. However, I knew people who did this and the response was normally telling them not to worry because the marking is fairly lenient anyway.
What was your favourite module/course and why?
Health Illness and Society. In first term, it focused on the social aspects of health and medicine, covering topics including health systems, end of life care, euthanasia and medical interventions. I particularly liked how it challenged my own assumptions about health services: many of their features are specific to our culture, and not an objective science in every regard. In second term, we looked at evolutionary medicine which stresses how evolution is often overlooked in modern medicine, not because it is irrelevant but because of the disciplines history. You learn a lot about the mismatches between the conditions humans live in now and the ones they evolved for. This contributes to a lot of our most prevalent problems, from cancer, to allergies to back pain. All in all, it is good to get both the social and scientific understanding of health, and, in my opinion, one is useless without the other. Because of this module, I've switched from BA Anth to BSc Anth (Health and Human Sciences).
What tips and advice would you give to first year students?
Do the reading! We have very little contact time with our professors; I found this year I learnt more from reading than I did from the lecture slides. It's also a good habit to get into for later years.
