Meet your Clan Leaders for 2021/22 - Find out who they are, their favourite things and a few words of wisdom. Yashh, Thomas and Analia Leader Favourite Things Advice Yashh Kotecha, 3rd Year Reading, mathematics, abstract art, Ed Sheeran, and arguably even watching the fire. He hates exams but loves studying. He wants to appreciate aesthetics in mathematics and theoretical physics. Coffee and Chai are equally lovely. Uni maths is going to be tough! My favourite (and I recommend you check him out) communicator 3B1B once said, "Abstractness is the price of generality" and this just feels like what we will be doing. Abstracting things to find "Truths" that apply to more things. This will be the most taxing, yet equally rewarding part of your journey. Not wanting to rant any more philosophical advice (more on that here https://yashhkotecha.wordpress.com/2021/04/15/test/), I'd suggest using multiple sources of learning (YT being a personal fav), visualisation and the cliche asking for help when you need it. Thomas Lai, 3rd Year I enjoy playing games, reading about Chinese history and having a nice dinner with friends You guys have more than enough time to finish up the work on hand, so just have fun and enjoy your time meeting new people. And in case you are starting to struggle academically please don't hesitate to find coursemates and friends to seek help, they make your life much easier. Analia Cabello Cano, 3rd Year I love musicals and music in general: acting, singing, dancing, playing piano/guitar. Ask for help!! Starting uni is always a big shock for most (based on my experience as well as on my friends'). Covid is not completely gone yet which means things are not back to normal yet - trust me as someone who started last year I can't wait to have an actual freshers week! Your PT is there if you need any advice when choosing your courses and MathsClans is also here to help you. Also, talk to your peers in your halls, they are going through the same so it will always help you to relate to someone who can sympathise. Andi, Ava and Wiktor Leader Favourite Things Advice Andi Dicu, 2nd Year Love cryptanalysis, chess, and a G&T. Can't emphasise enough how important it is to get out of your comfort zone (esp. within your first month here)!! Get involved with the weirdest society events (Freshers' Week is a great time to do this) and see which community clicks with you. Other than that, join your year's messaging platform(s) and don't stop talking -- everybody there's in the same boat as you. If none exist, make one yourself! I think the best time to find your future closest friends is before the social bubbles have formed, so my best advice is to get yourself involved from the get-go. Ava Lehane, 2nd Year Sports especially football & frisbee, baking chocolatey things and exploring places with friends! Anything in life is worth a shot (you miss all the chances you don’t take) so don’t be afraid to try new things! Go up Arthur’s Seat before the sun disappears for the Winter! Wiktor Kaluza, 2nd Year Love bouldering, diving, and hiking! Very passionate about cyber security, and applications of maths to computer science. Sitting in front of books and studying is only 30% of the University experience! Try out as many new things as possible, it’s a great way to have fun and make new friends. Qinqing and Kinga Leader Favourite Things Advice Qinqing Li, 2nd Year potato, couch, being a couch potato king. Well, enjoy the uni life, first year courses are not too intense. But still try and organise the revision in advance and don't leave the coursework two days before deadline (I know it sounds generic) but it's a pitfall some of us have made. Kinga Bagyó, 2nd Year Chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream, volleyball and the smell of freshly cut grass. Take a look at the list of societies, sport clubs and other opportunities Edinburgh has to offer. You'll most certainly find something you enjoy as well as meeting like-minded people :). Molly, Sophie and Ruairidh Leader Favourite Things Advice Molly Duffy, 4th Year Skiing, skincare and passionfruit martinis. Sometimes difficult maths questions can be really overwelming, and it is often a good idea to leave a question and come back to it with a fresh mindset. Never give up when a problem is really diffcult, it may be hard at first but you'll get there in the end. The lecturers and turtors are there to help, so don't be afraid to ask for help. Always do your courswork to the best of your ability. The time and effort you put into your assignments will really help when it comes to revising for your exams and will contribute to getting a better grade. Don't forget to have fun as well, university goes by very fast so enjoy every moment. It is about having a good study-life balance. Sophie Matthew, 4th Year Dog walking, Iced lattes and Autumn weather. Make sure to balance your social life with your studying and you will be just fine! Make use of the MathsBase facilities and don’t be afraid to ask questions as this will help you address any confusions you may have. Working in groups is a great way to learn and motivate yourself. You might even meet new friends. Ruairidh McVean, 4th Year Sushi, Coding and Board games. Don't be afraid to ask for help! Many concepts in the maths courses can initially seem intimidating, but can often be cleared up by communicating with both your fellow students and the course instructors. Piazza is an especially good resource for this! Vivian and Richa Leader Favourite Things Advice Vivian Ho, 4th Year Cheesecake, Summer and How I Met Your Mother. Find a society that suits you. It’s a great way to meet new people and make friends. Richa Ramduny, 4th Year I enjoy playing tennis, eating dark chocolate and my favourite book is "Start with Why" by Simon Sinek. Make sure you check in with yourself now and then. It is easy to feel lost, particularly when it comes to academics. Hence, ask yourself the following question: How are you doing today? If the answer is not, treat yourself. Make your well being a priority. Also, schedule a regular time to call loved ones. Jue and Carol Leader Favourite Things Advice Jue Gong, 3rd Year Badminton, Sunny weather and summer because of summer vacation and the game League of Legends. If you are year 1 student, enjoy the whole year - since it only has 6 courses in total :) If you are year 2, direct entry student, enjoy the whole year too - as it will be the most relaxing year too! Carol Qian, 3rd Year My favourite food is barbecue, I love listening to music and I like cloudy days. 1. Make sure to make a calendar for all deadlines, since there will be numerous deadlines for different courses each week. 2. Balance the time for studying and socialising, as they are both important. Jim, Rachel and Morgan Leader Favourite Things Advice Jim Troy, 4th Year I love cooking (eating mainly), rock climbing and hill walking! Uni is tough, but there are loads of opportunities so if you feel like doing something, do it! Also don't feel any pressure to do all the maths courses you can, the compulsory courses will give you all the maths skills you need so you can take whatever you'd like! Rachel Noach, 4th Year Plants, dancing and painting. Help each other out, revise together, explain stuff to one another. Maths is not the easiest degree, but doing it with others can make it a whole lot easier and a whole lot more interesting. Massimo, Runqiu and Jackie Leader Favourite Things Advice Massimo Wu, 2nd Year I am a foodie! I like gaming! I like studying, I am a nerd. You should definitely try to wear a kilt. Explore different courses for the first two years and check the requirements for future courses. Runqiu He, 2nd Year Spicy food, League of Legends and Badminton. Read more extracurricular books and explore new things. Jackie Zhong, 2nd Year Bubble tea, Brighton, Netflix, Reply 1988. Get ready for your amazing fresh year. And you can learn much more interesting things than you expect! Hannah, Sami and Abby Leader Favourite Things Advice Hannah Newson, 4th Year Climbing, mountain biking and walking the dogs. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself! It can take a while to get settled into Uni life so don’t worry if you’re feeling stressed or overwhelmed. Sami Cochrane, 4th Year I love to swim, bake and I love hummus! Get involved with as many things as possible! It's worth it in the long term and you'll make so many good friends. Abby Marshall, 4th Year Dogs, dance and mojitos. Don't be afraid to ask questions! Rishab and Jack Leader Favourite Things Advice Rishab Acharya, 2nd Year Cricket, Chess, Movies and having Philosophical discussions. Coming to university can definitely be daunting, especially as a freshman. You will be in constant need of some company to keep yourself engaged and to keep your mind off the feeling of homesickness. One of the best ways to do that is to attend your tutorials on a regular basis and befriend all the people in the tutorial, especially the ones related to your course because they are the ones who will be with you for the next 4 years. That doesn't mean restricting yourself to those people only. Keep exploring more opportunities to socialise and for once, try getting out of your comfort zone to find a new sense of comfort in different things. It will definitely be worth it! Be a very attentive listener and reader and as this will be an important skill to guide you through your 1st year. Do not hesitate to make mistakes, because you will get enough time to introspect on those mistakes and reflect upon them. Be sure not to repeat those mistakes. Try to maintain a healthy relationship between your social and academic lifestyle. Jack Fortune, 2nd Year Badminton, Star Wars and the history of World War 2. Study regularly and not just for tests as this should help your understanding and therefore you should be able keep up with the material more easily. Wu and Joanna Leader Favourite Things Advice Wu Tong, 2nd Year Traveling and photography and my favorite weather is when it is raining. The University of Edinburgh is a university of international background which means you will be exposed to all kinds of culture here and you are encouraged to be more open-minded when studying here. Joanna Tulloch, 2nd Year Grabbing a coffee, Gossip girl marathons and Gymnastics. Botond Leader Favourite Things Advice Botond Kovago-Laska, 2nd Year I love coffee (min 4 cups a day), sports climbing and listening to slow, depressing music like the band 'Cigarettes After Sex'. Get a bike. It will save you tons of time and bus ticket money in the long run. Emma, Huari and Emma Leader Favourite Things Advice Emma Puente O’Shea, 2nd Year Go out with my friends, watch a good film and playing a good game of tennis. Make an effort to meet as many new people as possible, it will make sure you definitely meet your people. Emma O’Dwyer, 2nd Year Reading, Sunny weather and tea. Try out as many new things as you can and don't be afraid to ask for help if you need it! Sophie, Eilidh and Mehul Leader Favourite Things Advice Sophie Bleau, 3rd Year Crumpets, Christmas and Custard creams. You'll be fine. I promise... Eilidh Millin, 3rd Year Love outdoorsy things, Pizza and Wine. Put yourself out there and be open to new things- it’s the best way to make lots of friends! Mehul Kishan, 3rd Year Coding, Netflix and Fifa. Never give up on maths. Beth and Xinyu Leader Favourite Things Advice Beth Flood, 3rd Year One of my favourite things is food, I enjoy cooking, baking and eating out, I'm currently trying to perfect making macarons. I love the cinema and am excited to go more often now more films are coming out. My best advice would be to set a time that you will finish working every day, it allows you to rest and leaves time for your interests. Xinyu Cheng, 3rd Year Sleeping, Drawing, Attack on Titan Participate in activities and don’t wait until the last week to watch recordings Ata and Giulia Leader Favourite Things Advice Ata Tuna, 3rd Year Music, Coffee and Cats. Learn what you love, use Pomodoro Technique and enjoy Edinburgh while you can. Giulia Cornero, 3rd Year I love Italian ice cream and pizza and I really enjoy swimming. I think the best advice I can give to new students is to never be afraid to ask for help. If you do not understand a topic covered in lectures or the solutions to an exercise first you should invest some time on it by yourself because learning Maths requires some effort like for most things. However, if no progress is made, it is very important to ask for clarification soon because Maths in particular builds on incremental concepts and a gap in your knowledge may increase if you do not fill it quickly. There are plenty of people that are happy to answer any of your questions so do not hesitate to ask for help. Angel and Siva Leader Favourite Things Advice Angel Ren, 3rd Year Cats, Cosmetics and Mcdonald's. Do your homework, it is very important, and past paper as well. Siva Savero, 3rd Year Watching movies (absolute film maniac), gaming (also a maniac), spending time with friends. Enjoy pre honours while you can and make sure you're happy with what you're studying. Lennard and Jenny Leader Favourite Things Advice Lennard Wibowo, 4th Year Silver white winter, snowflakes that stay on coats and hats on a snowy day, ending my working day at sunset. Knowing is not enough; apply! Willing is not enough; do! Jenny Benedict, 4th Year I love playing violin at the university orchestras, I am a fire spinner, and I love taking long walks with people I love. Don't stress too much! The things you are going to remember 10 years along the line are the friends and connections you make, and the experiences you have. Throw yourself into things and take advantage of the 300+ societies we have here! And don't ever be afraid to ask for help. Jie Xin and Ian Leader Favourite Things Advice Jie Xin Ng, 4th Year Music, Games and Art. Don’t be afraid to pursue what you love and always believe in yourself! Please reach out for help if you’re having a difficult time with anything, you are not alone. Febi and Huang Leader Favourite Things Advice Febi Jaimon, 4th Year Singing, Gin and Tonics, dragon rolls. Have fun in first and second year before grades start counting for your classification! Huang Peian, 4th Year Sunshine, Friends and Pizza. I wish you enjoy your studies and stay in Edinburgh. And if you are currently worrying about anything in the future, I can guarantee everything you are worrying about will be just fine. All you need to do right now is relax and get ready to make new friends. This article was published on 2025-02-26
