UoM General Chat

[uoiea]

Oh sweet, Foundations of Animal Health doesn't require a physics subject anymore.

[MelonBar]

how should i respond to my graduation invitation... it's either attend or defer (honours) for me but I don't even know if I'm doing hons next year? how will it affect my graduating if I "Attend" but get into Hons next year? Hmm

[ChickenCh0wM1en]

how should i respond to my graduation invitation... it's either attend or defer (honours) for me but I don't even know if I'm doing hons next year? how will it affect my graduating if I "Attend" but get into Hons next year? Hmm

Hey dude, should probably sort out honors by the end of this week (23rd) to respond to your Graduation invitation.

[mahler004]

how should i respond to my graduation invitation... it's either attend or defer (honours) for me but I don't even know if I'm doing hons next year? how will it affect my graduating if I "Attend" but get into Hons next year? Hmm

You can graduate and do Honours (and graduate again next year, if you want.) Nobody really seems to care.

[vox nihili]

Hey dude, should probably sort out honors by the end of this week (23rd) to respond to your Graduation invitation.

Plenty of people have only just started contacting supervisors about Honours now though, so don't freak out anyone reading that and thinking "oh shit"

[Stick]

One more week of undergrad left! Its amazing how much fucks you give in the last semester of 3rd year (which is absolutely none at all tbh).

I should be doing work for my oral presentation and finishing off my Techniques notebook but here I am doing anything non work-related...

Meanwhile I'm here banging my head against the desk over this darned physiology report. >_<

[ChickenCh0wM1en]

Plenty of people have only just started contacting supervisors about Honours now though, so don't freak out anyone reading that and thinking "oh shit"

Yeh that's true, I didn't even think about contacting them because applications are due 13th nov? :O

But are we alowed to say "Attending" for graduation and then potentially pull out if we choose to take Honours?

[vox nihili]

Yeh that's true, I didn't even think about contacting them because applications are due 13th nov? :O

But are we alowed to say "Attending" for graduation and then potentially pull out if we choose to take Honours?

I may have written that post because I was stressing a little because I haven't contacted anyone yet #procrastinationwins

I'm not really sure, I'll look into it.

[Shenz0r]

I may have written that post because I was stressing a little because I haven't contacted anyone yet #procrastinationwins

I'm not really sure, I'll look into it.

I haven't contacted anybody either, haha. The virology projects at the Doherty and some of the immuno ones at WEHI sound pretty interesting to me. I'll get onto that...sometime...

That's the way it should be marked! IRRC, my friend at RMIT said that they had a system which they had to log onto to submit their work and used to communicate so that if any issues should arise, those who did their part would not be dragged down. Do you know if UoM has such a system? I think it would solve a lot of problems.

I have a feeling those internationals who use ghost writers didn't get into UoM through their academics. It's really unfair to those who actually work

Nope, UoM doesn't have that system I think. But like for some assignments don't you get a sheet that asks you how much effort other team members put in?

[mahler004]

If you're interested in applying for Honours I'd get onto it pretty soon - it's not like you've left it too late but plenty of supervisors will just pick the first students that contact them.

Yeh that's true, I didn't even think about contacting them because applications are due 13th nov? :O

But are we alowed to say "Attending" for graduation and then potentially pull out if we choose to take Honours?

It doesn't matter if you say 'attending,' attend the ceremony, and do Honours, and then attend at the end of Honours.

[pi]

If you're interested in applying for Honours I'd get onto it pretty soon - it's not like you've left it too late but plenty of supervisors will just pick the first students that contact them.

To add to that, not sure how it is with other unis or degrees, but it can sometimes take surprisingly long to find a project and supervisor (and I hear having a good supervisor > having a good project) that clicks with you. This is even more-so if there are a few people into areas that you are into and supervisors are unwilling to take on multiple students. The last thing you want to do is leave it close to the exam period and letting everything build up.

[simpak]

Some will choose the first students that come, but others will wait it out/choose nobody at all if they don't find the 'right' student for their lab and project.
I don't think I know of anyone offering a project in my dept. that is fully decided on who they want yet for next year (edit: but I don't know everyone, haha).
It's not too late but yeah, you do need to get onto it ASAP.

[Kalopsic]

Nope, UoM doesn't have that system I think. But like for some assignments don't you get a sheet that asks you how much effort other team members put in?

I've just done my first group assignment two weeks ago. I've heard rumors that if you rank members down for their effort, your marks get lowered for whatever reason. Are you able to confirm this? I still think that system works better

[mahler004]

To add to that, not sure how it is with other unis or degrees, but it can sometimes take surprisingly long to find a project and supervisor (and I hear having a good supervisor > having a good project) that clicks with you. This is even more-so if there are a few people into areas that you are into and supervisors are unwilling to take on multiple students. The last thing you want to do is leave it close to the exam period and letting everything build up.

Completely agree on both points.

Plenty of potential Honours students are far too focused on the actual content of the project. Projects change year to year (plenty of supervisors don't update the blurb in the booklet) and will change through the year. Realistically, a lot of the techniques you'll use will be sufficiently general - for lots of projects you'll spend the first few months 'reagent-generating' anyway (i.e. making protein, constructs, generating cell lines). You should obviously be interested by your project, but it's one consideration among many.

Choosing a good supervisor is really, really important. Don't make the mistake that a good lecturer = a good supervisor (although you can often get a good impression of someone's general demeanour based on how they lecture). And yeah, most supervisors won't take any more then two students tops. Also keep in mind that in many labs - particularly larger labs, the person you'll be talking to day-to-day probably won't be your supervisor, it will be a postdoc or senior PhD student.

Keep in mind that there's projects available in external institutions - you aren't limited by the department you do your major in.

Choose a supervisor and a general area of research.

Some will choose the first students that come, but others will wait it out/choose nobody at all if they don't find the 'right' student for their lab and project.
I don't think I know of anyone offering a project in my dept. that is fully decided on who they want yet for next year (edit: but I don't know everyone, haha).
It's not too late but yeah, you do need to get onto it ASAP.

Yeah - it depends on the supervisor. It's not that they'll take whoever comes, but if they find a student or two that they're happy with, they might not talk to any more.

It seems to differ department to department too.

[vox nihili]

Thanks everyone

The information on Honours is usually pretty vague so it's really valuable to hear what you all think!