FAQs
 |
Below we aim to answer all of those questions niggling questions that current and prospective members of DUGS have. We hope we cover your queries below, if not, please do not hesitate to contact us with any other concerns you may have! |
1) What is DUGS?
2) Who are we?
3) Why should I join DUGS?
4) Is joining the society worth the money?
5) How can I get involved in DUGS?
6) When is the Geography Ball and will it be good?
7) How many lectures do I have a week?
8) What happens in lectures?
9) How much work is there?
10) What is registration?
11) What are the field trips like?
12) How many books to I need to buy?
13) What do I do if I have a problem with academic work?
1) What is DUGS?
Durham University Geographical Society, affiliated to the DSU, is the student run geographical society of Durham University. The society aims to provide members with all the information they need about studying geography at Durham and careers after university whilst providing a wide variety of exclusive social and academic events throughout the year. It is one of the oldest and largest societies in Durham with most geography undergraduates being members along with many students from other departments.
2) Who are we?
We are a student society, made for students and run by students. This ensures that the society is effectively honed to fit the needs and wants of its many hundreds of members. The society is run by seven executive committee members who are elected into their positions in second term and any member can run for these positions. This means members can choose how involved they want to be with DUGS. Typical members attend a few events per year whilst others become more involved gaining positions such as President. Therefore the opportunities within the society are endless.
3) Why should I join DUGS?
Joining DUGS allows you to gain access to highly useful careers and academic advice as well as discounted access to all of the social events that DUGS hosts throughout the year including our largest event of the year, the Geography Ball. Members gain a platform to socialise with others on their degree course outside of lectures whilst encouraging integration between years and colleges.
4) Is joining the society worth the money?
At £15 per life, equivalent to £5 a year for those on the standard three year undergraduate course, DUGS is definitely worth the money and the high membership rate shows that the majority of Durham's geographers feel the benefits gained are worth the price. With membership you will find that you save money in the long run when going to the DUGS social and careers events than if you bought tickets throughout your university life as a non-member. Joining DUGS also unlocks access to essential advice in the form of careers and academic events such as the Dissertation and Module Seminars and talks from major graduate employers including Accenture and KPMG.
5) How can I get involved in DUGS?
The easiest way to get involved with DUGS and get a feel for what we are about is by turning up to our social and academic events. Come to our events such as the Fresher's Party and Geography Ball with your friends and get to know other members of the society who you may already know from your course. If you decide that you want to get more involved with DUGS you can run for a position on the Executive Committee at the AGM near the end of term 2 and if successful you will become involved in the running of the society!
6) When is the Geography Ball and will it be good?
Over the past few years the Geography Ball has been held towards the end of second term however the date has yet to be decided for 2011/12. You can find all the information you need about the ball under the Events tab and information for the forthcoming ball will be placed on the website as soon as decisions are made to keep DUGS members informed.
This year the Geography Ball is being subsidised by £500 thanks to sponsorship by KPMG so you can expect it to be one of the best social nights of the year and a huge improvement on recent, underfunded balls. Great entertainments and a three course meal at one of the best locations in the North East combined with the company of many of your DUGS friends from your and other years and colleges will make it a night to remember and a must for DUGS members, especially those wanting to play a big part in the future of the society.
7) How many lectures do I have a week?
This totally depends on the modules that you choose to take and in first year will generally be between 10 and 14 hrs per week. You will also need to spend time outside of lectures on field trips or doing set assignments and you are also are required to undertake sufficient individual reading to cover the course requirements.
8) What happens in lectures?
Lectures will normally be 1 hour in length in first year, 2 hours for physical geography. They will often take place in a large lecture theatre with tiered seating so that everyone can see the lecture slides projected onto the screen. You are expected to take notes from the lecture slides and from what the lecturer says whilst also supplementing the lecture material with notes of your own from personal reading after the lecture, if you want to achieve a 2:1 or greater. Often you will be able to download the lecture slides before the lecture, if this aids your learning. Remember that you need to understand and remember these notes when it comes to the exam period in May.
9) How much work is there?
As much or as little as you want. In first year all you need to do is pass with 40% and in second and third year you can work to your aims whether it be a pass, 2:1 or 1st class degree. In a standard year you will write around 8 essays and a field trip report along with extra reading around the subject. You will also have work set for tutorials however this is more often than not unassessed. In general, people will spend varying times on the same pieces of work and just because people seem to be doing much more work than you doesn't mean you are not doing enough or they will get much better marks. Do as much work for each assignment as you feel comfortable with and remember university isn't just about work.
10) What is registration?
This is when you tell the university which modules you want to do and officially enrol as a student. It involves choosing your modules online and getting these modules approved for by the appropriate departmental staff. All the information you need on how to choose your modules can be found in the Freshers Site on DUO. Ensure that when choosing modules from another department that you consider their module caps and corequisites and most importantly whether a module is tied to a particular degree course. Also ensure that your selected modules do not clash. This can be done through the Timetable Compatibility Checker found here. Telephone surgeries will take place from the 20th September to help with issues regarding module choices, details on these can be found on the DUO Freshers Site. Finally...make sure you complete your registration, including your module choices, before you turn up at Durham!!!
11) What are the field trips like?
Field trips, some of us love them, some of us loathe them, but by the end of them most people agree they were quite fun. Although the emphasis should be on the work and collecting accurate scientific or social data field trips are a great way to get to know others on your course, even for the most shy of students, and are the basis of many intra-subject friendships!
12) How many books to I need to buy?
As many or as few as you like. Some people love books and use them constantly, others get their information from other sources such as online journals. The main library and most college libraries will often stock the core literature for many of the modules, in which case you will not need to buy the books. However some people like to have their own copy and this can help in the cases of the most popular books which have often already been loaned out by the keenest of students. It is personal choice whether to buy books or not and for those who want books DUGS does its best to help and has set up a society Book Sale to help books be passed on down the years at reduced prices. The book sale can be found under the 'Academic Help' tab.
13) What do I do if I have a problem with academic work?
It depends on the situation. If you have a problem with a certain essay or project, contacting the lecturer will often prove fruitful, don't worry, most are very friendly, useful and approachable! You can also contact your different tutors or your academic advisor who should be able to help or point you in the right direction. If a coursework deadline is compromised by illness or any other mitigating factor you must contact the Learning and Teaching Administrator, Dr. Shirley Goodyer using an online form found here, who will consider an appropriate extension. The Undergraduate Guide on the Undergraduate Community DUO area is home to all the information you will need about problems with work throughout the year.
2) Who are we?
3) Why should I join DUGS?
4) Is joining the society worth the money?
5) How can I get involved in DUGS?
6) When is the Geography Ball and will it be good?
7) How many lectures do I have a week?
8) What happens in lectures?
9) How much work is there?
10) What is registration?
11) What are the field trips like?
12) How many books to I need to buy?
13) What do I do if I have a problem with academic work?
1) What is DUGS?
Durham University Geographical Society, affiliated to the DSU, is the student run geographical society of Durham University. The society aims to provide members with all the information they need about studying geography at Durham and careers after university whilst providing a wide variety of exclusive social and academic events throughout the year. It is one of the oldest and largest societies in Durham with most geography undergraduates being members along with many students from other departments.
2) Who are we?
We are a student society, made for students and run by students. This ensures that the society is effectively honed to fit the needs and wants of its many hundreds of members. The society is run by seven executive committee members who are elected into their positions in second term and any member can run for these positions. This means members can choose how involved they want to be with DUGS. Typical members attend a few events per year whilst others become more involved gaining positions such as President. Therefore the opportunities within the society are endless.
3) Why should I join DUGS?
Joining DUGS allows you to gain access to highly useful careers and academic advice as well as discounted access to all of the social events that DUGS hosts throughout the year including our largest event of the year, the Geography Ball. Members gain a platform to socialise with others on their degree course outside of lectures whilst encouraging integration between years and colleges.
4) Is joining the society worth the money?
At £15 per life, equivalent to £5 a year for those on the standard three year undergraduate course, DUGS is definitely worth the money and the high membership rate shows that the majority of Durham's geographers feel the benefits gained are worth the price. With membership you will find that you save money in the long run when going to the DUGS social and careers events than if you bought tickets throughout your university life as a non-member. Joining DUGS also unlocks access to essential advice in the form of careers and academic events such as the Dissertation and Module Seminars and talks from major graduate employers including Accenture and KPMG.
5) How can I get involved in DUGS?
The easiest way to get involved with DUGS and get a feel for what we are about is by turning up to our social and academic events. Come to our events such as the Fresher's Party and Geography Ball with your friends and get to know other members of the society who you may already know from your course. If you decide that you want to get more involved with DUGS you can run for a position on the Executive Committee at the AGM near the end of term 2 and if successful you will become involved in the running of the society!
6) When is the Geography Ball and will it be good?
Over the past few years the Geography Ball has been held towards the end of second term however the date has yet to be decided for 2011/12. You can find all the information you need about the ball under the Events tab and information for the forthcoming ball will be placed on the website as soon as decisions are made to keep DUGS members informed.
This year the Geography Ball is being subsidised by £500 thanks to sponsorship by KPMG so you can expect it to be one of the best social nights of the year and a huge improvement on recent, underfunded balls. Great entertainments and a three course meal at one of the best locations in the North East combined with the company of many of your DUGS friends from your and other years and colleges will make it a night to remember and a must for DUGS members, especially those wanting to play a big part in the future of the society.
7) How many lectures do I have a week?
This totally depends on the modules that you choose to take and in first year will generally be between 10 and 14 hrs per week. You will also need to spend time outside of lectures on field trips or doing set assignments and you are also are required to undertake sufficient individual reading to cover the course requirements.
8) What happens in lectures?
Lectures will normally be 1 hour in length in first year, 2 hours for physical geography. They will often take place in a large lecture theatre with tiered seating so that everyone can see the lecture slides projected onto the screen. You are expected to take notes from the lecture slides and from what the lecturer says whilst also supplementing the lecture material with notes of your own from personal reading after the lecture, if you want to achieve a 2:1 or greater. Often you will be able to download the lecture slides before the lecture, if this aids your learning. Remember that you need to understand and remember these notes when it comes to the exam period in May.
9) How much work is there?
As much or as little as you want. In first year all you need to do is pass with 40% and in second and third year you can work to your aims whether it be a pass, 2:1 or 1st class degree. In a standard year you will write around 8 essays and a field trip report along with extra reading around the subject. You will also have work set for tutorials however this is more often than not unassessed. In general, people will spend varying times on the same pieces of work and just because people seem to be doing much more work than you doesn't mean you are not doing enough or they will get much better marks. Do as much work for each assignment as you feel comfortable with and remember university isn't just about work.
10) What is registration?
This is when you tell the university which modules you want to do and officially enrol as a student. It involves choosing your modules online and getting these modules approved for by the appropriate departmental staff. All the information you need on how to choose your modules can be found in the Freshers Site on DUO. Ensure that when choosing modules from another department that you consider their module caps and corequisites and most importantly whether a module is tied to a particular degree course. Also ensure that your selected modules do not clash. This can be done through the Timetable Compatibility Checker found here. Telephone surgeries will take place from the 20th September to help with issues regarding module choices, details on these can be found on the DUO Freshers Site. Finally...make sure you complete your registration, including your module choices, before you turn up at Durham!!!
11) What are the field trips like?
Field trips, some of us love them, some of us loathe them, but by the end of them most people agree they were quite fun. Although the emphasis should be on the work and collecting accurate scientific or social data field trips are a great way to get to know others on your course, even for the most shy of students, and are the basis of many intra-subject friendships!
12) How many books to I need to buy?
As many or as few as you like. Some people love books and use them constantly, others get their information from other sources such as online journals. The main library and most college libraries will often stock the core literature for many of the modules, in which case you will not need to buy the books. However some people like to have their own copy and this can help in the cases of the most popular books which have often already been loaned out by the keenest of students. It is personal choice whether to buy books or not and for those who want books DUGS does its best to help and has set up a society Book Sale to help books be passed on down the years at reduced prices. The book sale can be found under the 'Academic Help' tab.
13) What do I do if I have a problem with academic work?
It depends on the situation. If you have a problem with a certain essay or project, contacting the lecturer will often prove fruitful, don't worry, most are very friendly, useful and approachable! You can also contact your different tutors or your academic advisor who should be able to help or point you in the right direction. If a coursework deadline is compromised by illness or any other mitigating factor you must contact the Learning and Teaching Administrator, Dr. Shirley Goodyer using an online form found here, who will consider an appropriate extension. The Undergraduate Guide on the Undergraduate Community DUO area is home to all the information you will need about problems with work throughout the year.
