ABOUT This document provides information for students starting in 2022/2023. The information is relevant to your whole degree. Updated information and more details on programmes can be found online at: teaching.maths.ed.ac.uk. Every effort has been made to ensure the contents of this handbook are accurate at the time of publication. However, changes to the procedures, curricula, and syllabuses described may be made due to unforeseen circumstances. If you require this document or any internal University of Edinburgh online resources mentioned in this document in an alternative format, please email studentsupport@maths.ed.ac.uk Date of publication: August 2022 CONTACT School of Mathematics James Clerk Maxwell Building Peter Guthrie Tait Road The King’s Buildings Edinburgh EH9 3FD studentsupport@maths.ed.ac.uk teaching.maths.ed.ac.uk Twitter: @uoemaths facebook.com/EdinburghUniMaths Instagram: @uoe_mathematics INTRODUCTION I want to congratulate you. It is competitive to get a place here, and in doing so you have already achieved a lot. The School hosts a vibrant community of mathematical scientists in Edinburgh, including around 800 undergraduates, 400 postgraduates and over 100 academic staff. You are now going to be a central part of it, and I hope that together we can create an experience you’ll cherish for the rest of your life. It is a golden age for studying our subject: it is not only that mathematics and statistics are challenging and rewarding in themselves; nor is it that they are at the heart of a global culture as the language we use to understand the natural world; it is also that many of the most exciting developments in world - social media and the internet, security, energy, finance - are being understood through a host of new mathematics. It is all around us! I hope you have success with your studies and you enjoy your time at the University. Edinburgh is one of the world’s most beautiful cities, offering diverse and wonderful experiences, and I am sure that you will enjoy it thoroughly in the next years. Be a bold explorer! Bernd Schroers, Head of School Key Contacts Stuart King, Director of Teaching s.king@ed.ac.uk 0131 651 7032 Nikolaos Bournaveas, Year 1 and 2 Co-Ordinator n.bournaveas@ed.ac.uk 0131 650 5063 Alice Heatley, Teaching Organisation Manager alice.heatley@ed.ac.uk 0131 650 5043 Emily Harlo, Student Adviser eharlo@ed.ac.uk 0131 650 8577 Niamh McCrossan, Student Adviser n.mccrossan@ed.ac.uk 0131 650 8576 Grace Wilson, Student Support for Year 2 Direct Entry Students grace.wilson@ed.ac.uk 0131 650 5355 PAGE 2 Key Dates 2022/2023 - https://www.ed.ac.uk/semester-dates Week 0 12th – 16th September 2022 Welcome Week Week 1 – 11 19th September - 2nd December 2022 Semester 1 Teaching Weeks Week 12 5th – 9th December Exam Revision Week Week 13 12th – 16th December Exam Week Week 14 19th December Exams Continued Week 14 -16 20th December – 8th January Winter Vacation Week 17 9th January Semester 2 Begins Week 18 – 36 16th January- 26th May Semester 2 Teaching Weeks Week 30 – 31 10th -21st April Spring Vacation Week 32 24th – 28th April Exam Revision Week Week 33 – 36 1st – 26th May Exam Weeks Week 36 26th May Summer Vacation Begins Welcome Week As a new student, there are welcome activities arranged for you to attend during Welcome Week. As a continuing student, activities during Welcome Week are arranged from Thursday. We understand not all students will be with us in Edinburgh from the beginning of Welcome Week, so the School will be running repeat sessions for some events as well as providing recordings for students to watch at a later time. Arriving in Edinburgh You should aim to be in Edinburgh to start your studies by the start of semester.If you are unable to travel to Edinburgh in September you need to contact the school to discuss your options. We are able to allow students to arrive late and start their studies online only in exceptional circumstances. The School requires special permission from other parts of the University though, and these arrangements may impact which courses you can take. We will be open and ready to teach at the start of the new academic year on 19th September 2022. Attendance You are expected to attend all of your classes to the best of your ability, whether that be classes occurring on campus or online. We collect attendance to check that you are engaging fully with your studies and provide support promptly in case of any problems. Additionally, if you are an international student on a Tier 4 visa, UKVI require us to monitor your attendance regularly. More details on attendance for international students can be found on the International Students page. Absence If you are absent for less than a week there is no need to inform the School unless you need an extension for a coursework deadline. If that is the case, please contact the course secretary or course organiser. If you are absent for more than a week for medical, personal, or other reasons, please contact your Student Adviser. Public Holidays The University observes four Scottish public holidays: 25-26 December and 1-2 January. All other public holidays are considered to be normal teaching days when they fall within teaching and exam periods. Exams You are expected to be available throughout the examination periods for exams or any other course commitments. You should not arrange travel before you know the dates of your exams and other commitments during these periods. Exam timetables are published around six weeks before the start of the exam period. SECTION 2 PROGRAMMES AND COURSES: Degree Programmes Each degree programme comprises a selection of courses. Some are core courses, which means you must pass them in order to satisfy the requirements for that degree programme. You will also have some level of flexibility in choosing optional courses. Some of our degree programmes have a very broad choice of course options, especially in later years. Each programme has a degree programme table (DPT) which specifies which core courses you have to take and which optional courses are available to you. The degree programmes offered by the School of Mathematics are: Single Honours Degrees Combined Honours Degrees BSc (Hons) Applied Mathematics BSc Mathematics and Biology MMath (Hons) Applied Mathematics BSc (Hons) Mathematics and Business BSc (Hons) Mathematics BSc Mathematics and Music MA (Hons) Mathematics BSc (Hons) Mathematics and Physics MMath (Hons) Mathematics BSc (Hons) Mathematics and Statistics Mathematics programmes offered by other schools are: Combined Honours Degree BSc (Hons) Computer Science and Mathematics MA (Hons) Economics and Mathematics MA (Hons) Economics and Statistics MA (Hons) Philosophy and Mathematics Programme Information There are two stages in your degree: Pre-Honours and Honours. Pre-Honours years are years 1 and 2, and Honours year are years 3 and 4 (and 5 if on the MMath programme). The differences between the Pre-Honours and Honours stages are mainly in relation to the assessment regime in each. See Section 5 for more information. The Degree Regulations and Programme of Study (DRPS) website contains the official list of University regulations. It also holds the degree programme tables for all degree programmes across the University. Additionally, you can use Path to look at your programme information and available optional courses. It is used as a decision support tool for selecting courses and building your degree programme. Much like DRPS, Path holds information on all courses across the University. Students can also review courses to leave feedback for lecturers and advice for future students. Changing Your Degree It may be possible for you to transfer to a different degree programme if you meet the requirements of the degree programme table for the degree to which you wish to transfer. If the degree is owned by a different School or College then you will need to seek per-mission - a transfer is not guaranteed. SECTION 3 LEARNING AND TEACHING Information Services and Facilities Email Your university email address is the main way in which the University will contact you, so it is very important that you check it at least once a day. It is expected that you reply promptly to any emails requiring a response. It is a good idea to set up automatic forwarding to an account you use a lot. MyEd MyEd is a gateway to a wide range of University systems and information. You can access many services through MyEd, such as your University email, e-Learning, grades and more. Learn Learn is the University’s main Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). It is used by course teams to provide you with documents, notes and course information. Once enrolled on a course, a link to the course Learn page will automatically appear on your MyEd Learn channel. University of Edinburgh Website There is a lot of useful information for students on the university website: ed.ac.uk/students. The School’s website can be found at teaching.maths.ed.ac.uk. This should be the first place you look if you need general information relating to different years of study, advice or full details of rules and regulations. MathsBase MathsBase is a dedicated study space and drop-in help service for all first year students studying in the School of Mathematics. It is located in Appleton Tower, next to George Square. Student advisers and course tutors may hold drop-in advice sessions to help you with your degree. MathsHub MathsHub is a social and study space for School of Mathematics students based in the James Clerk Maxwell Building at the King’s Buildings campus. It can be found at room 5310 – 5312. There are study spaces and a small kitchen, as well as sofas for students to use. Libraries The University has excellent library facilities which you can use. The University’s main library is located in George Square and is open 24/7 to all students. There is a café which is open between Monday-Friday and bookable study spaces on the 3rd and 5th floors. There is also a library at the King's Buildings campus which holds collections in mathematics, statistics, physics, engineering, geosciences, biology and chemistry. The Edinburgh Mathematical Society also has a book collection in the library. This library is not open 24/7 and opening times can vary during the year, so please check the website for up-to date information. Recommended Readings and Textbooks Courses may recommend or require a specific textbook. The course organiser will explain how they are to be used and what versions of the book are appropriate for the course. In most cases, using older versions and buying these second-hand is possible and even encouraged. It is best not to commit to buying a book until you have confirmation from the course lecturing team of which books or versions are the best to use. Institue for Academic Development (IAD) The Institute for Academic Development (IAD) aims to help students succeed in their current studies and future careers. Study Development Advisers at the IAD offer one-to-one appointments to help you learn to study more effectively and develop strategies to help you become a more successful student. They also provide a range of self-access study skills advice materials on topics such as time management, note making, reading, assignment writing, revision, and exams. What is Expected of You Make the Most of Your Lectures Your lectures are an opportunity to learn about your course content from academics directly. Try to remain focussed as the more you think about the material, the more you will absorb and retain. If you have been asked to prepare for the lecture in advance, for example, by reading a section of the textbook, then you will get far more out of the lecture if you do so. When you are on campus in a class please show consideration to other students and your lecturer by switching mobiles to silent, giving your full attention and avoiding off-topic conversations. Make the Most of Your Workshops Collaborating with your peers is an important part of making the most of your workshops. Learning maths is hard and it’s completely normal to not understand aspects of your courses. Workshops are a perfect opportunity share your concerns by asking questions of your fellow students and your tutor. There is no such thing as a bad or silly question; it’s important to ask for help when you need it. Come prepared to participate and to work, and if you have been asked to prepare in advance, then try your very best to arrive with some thoughts on the problems. If you get stuck on a problem in advance, then try to come along with an explanation of where you are stuck as it makes it much easier for your tutor to provide you with useful guidance. Be organised and make sure you come to a class on time and make sure you have the materials you will need, such as the textbook and notes, to hand. Most importantly, you should always attend the workshop regardless of how much work you have managed to do beforehand; you need the support of your peers and they need yours. For first year courses, if there is any work that your group wasn’t able to complete at the workshop, you could suggest to the others that you ask a question to the tutor at MathsBase straight after the workshop to continue discussing it. There will be tutors there who can help you. Attend Everything You Can It is expected that you attend all your scheduled sessions and engage in your studies to the best of your ability. Research shows that attendance at workshop sessions and other measures of engagement are good predictors of exam success. Course attendance is often recorded, and if you are frequently absent you will be contacted by your Student Adviser. This is so we can check that you are okay, whether you need any extra support and offer advice on maintaining good study habits. If you have ongoing circumstances which may affect your studies or attendance you should get in touch with your Student Adviser to discuss ways in which we can support you. Make the Most of Your Coursework In most of your mathematics courses there will be regular work set, often called “assignments” or “hand-ins”, which will be marked by a tutor. Coursework counts towards your final grade for the course and your feedback will help you to focus on your progress and academic performance. You will be assessed regularly to give you a chance to practice what you’ve learned and ensure that you’re familiar with the course content. Along with your assessment feedback, this will put you in a better position to sit your exams at the end of the semester. Make the Most of the Personal Development Programme The School offers a programme of personal development activities throughout your degree, starting with the induction programme when you first arrive. These activities are designed to support your development as a member of our academic community, and the themes include transitioning to university study, your academic progress, career planning, and skills development. This is an important part of your degree programme and it is expected that you engage with it. Keep Us Informed Let your Student Adviser know as early as possible if you fall behind in a course, for whatever reason. The earlier you inform us, the more likely it is that we’ll be able to offer help and advice to get you back on track. SECTION 4 SUPPORT Within the School of Mathematics, there are two main points of contact for student support: your Student Adviser and the Mathematics Teaching Organisation (MTO). Generally, you can contact your Student Advisers for any personal queries relating to your programme and student life, and the Mathematics Teaching Organisation for any course administration issues. If you need specific academic support it is suggested that you contact your cohort lead or the course organiser. Regardless of who you contact, you can normally expect a response within three working days. Student Adviser Your Student Adviser is a named contact who will support you throughout your time at the University, giving you general programme advice and a route to pastoral support. Your student advisers are Emily Harlo and Niamh McCrossan. You will work with your Student Adviser to reflect on your academic performance and get the most out of your studies. They will stay with you throughout your time at university, and regular communication with them will allow you to build a rapport. You will also have an academic Cohort Lead who can guide you to make appropriate academic choices to tailor your degree programme to your aspirations or intended career path. Meetings As an undergraduate student you will have a number of scheduled meetings with your Student Adviser during the academic year. It is expected that you will have more regular meetings at the start of your programme to help you settle into university life and get to know your adviser. These meetings are all about you, so make the most of them by thinking carefully about what you would like to discuss beforehand. Your Student Adviser is there to talk to you about your personal developments, your academic and professional development, and about any concerns you may have. Please don’t hesitate to speak to them about any circumstances that you feel are affecting your progress or wellbeing at university. Most meetings will be in person, but online or phone meetings may also be available. Additionally, your Student Advisers may run drop-in sessions which you can attend. Contacting Your Student Adviser You can contact your student adviser by emailing studentsupport@maths.ed.ac.uk during office hours (Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm). Academic Cohort Leads (ACL) Burak Buke - b.buke@ed.ac.uk 0131 650 5840 Ana Rita Pires - apires@ed.ac.uk 0131 650 4886 Ivan Cheltsov - i.cheltsov@ed.ac.uk 0131 650 4881 Pieter Blue - p.blue@ed.ac.uk 0131 650 5076 Each cohort of students will be assigned an Academic Cohort Lead (ACL) who will stay with you throughout your time at university. You will be assigned an ACL before you arrive at university. Your Academic Cohort Lead will assist you with questions relating to Mathematics and your studies, as well offering academic advice about your further academic journey and your career aspriations. They will also help build a community within your cohort and the wider school by facilitating social events and networking opportunities. Mathematics Teaching Organisation (MTO) Course administration queries are handled by the Mathematics Teaching Organisation (MTO). Please ask your Year Course Administrator for any guidance you may need. You can find the MTO in room 5211 of the James Clerk Maxwell Building at the King’s Buildings campus, and you can email them at mto@maths.ed.ac.uk. They are open Monday – Friday between 9am -5pm. Health and Wellbeing The University has a wide range of services to help students with their health and wellbeing such as counselling, mental wellbeing, crisis support, and health services. Disability Support The Disability and Learning Support Service can support disabled students with their time at university. They are based in the main library in George Square and are able to offer support with additional funding, disability legislation and policy, building access, and additional arrangements for assessments. Special Circumstances If you think that your performance in an assessment has been (or will be) affected by circumstances in your life, please speak to your Student Adviser about applying for Special Circumstances. The Extensions and Special Circumstances (ESC) Service process all Special Circumstances applications, and there is a variety of helpful information on their webpage. Interruption of Study and Withdrawal An interruption of study is a temporary break from your programme due to circumstances beyond your control, parental leave, pursuing an internship, or attending an elite sporting event. You must speak to your Student Adviser before you apply for an interruption of study as you will need permission to do so. If you choose to withdraw from your programme, you are applying to permanently discontinue your studies. You can withdraw from your programme at any time. Again, it is important that you speak with your Student Adviser before deciding to withdraw from university. Section 5 Assessment and Feedback Exams and coursework The majority of undergraduate maths courses have an exam. The official dates, times and venues for examinations are normally published around six weeks before the exam diet. All of the undergraduate maths courses have a coursework component which contributes to your final grade in the course. You can find the breakdown for each course on the relevant DRPS page. Your marks for coursework and examination will be merged to form the final course mark. The marks correspond to grades in the University’s Extended Common Marking Scheme. In arriving at a final mark for a course, marks are moderated and checked, and discussed at a Board of Examiners where an external examiner (from another university) is in attendance. Sometimes, when it is deemed necessary, marks are scaled during this process of moderating the raw marks. All assessments follow the University Assessment Regulations. Honours Class Mark (%) Grade Non-Honours Description 1st 90-100 A1 Excellent 1st 80-89 A2 Excellent 1st 70-79 A3 Excellent 2.1 60-69 B Very Good 2.2 50-59 C Performance at a level showing the potential to achieve at least a lower second class honours degree 3rd 40-49 D Pass, may not be sufficient for progression to an honours programme Fail 30-39 E Fail Fail 20-29 F Fail Fail 10-19 G Fail Fail 0-9 H Fail Resits (Pre-honours) If you fail a course in your pre-honours years (Years 1 and 2), you will be registered for the August resit exam. You must check the date, time and location of the exam yourself. There is a fee to enter the resit diet, and the fees team will invoice after you have sat the exam. If your home address is not in the UK, you may apply to re-sit your exam in your home country. There is a fee per exam for this service in addition to the fee to be entered to the resit diet. If you fail a resit exam you should talk to your Student Adviser or Cohort Lead. There is a limit to the number of times you can sit an exam and they will advise you how many you may be able to sit. Resit attempts cannot be delayed; if you are absent from the exam without declared special circumstances it will count as an attempt. Resits (Honours) Resits are not allowed for any exams in courses which count towards an Honours degree classification (that is courses taken in Years 3-5). If you fail a course in your Honours years, please speak to your Student Adviser. Special circumstances If you have special circumstances (see Section 4) which affected your exam performance, you may be permitted to sit the exam again as a first attempt. If this is the case you will not pay a resit fee. Progression requirements In order to progress to the next year of your current degree programme, you must satisfy both - the University of Edinburgh degree programme regulations, and - the requirements of the degree programme table of your degree programme. These are explained below. University Degree Programme Regulations You are required to have obtained the minimum number of credits by the end of the given year shown in the table (right). You are also required to pass at least 80 credits and have an overall average of 40% in each Honours year. year Minimum credits 1 80 2 200 3 360 4 480 Degree Programme Table Requirements The School of Mathematics also requires that you pass all the courses that are a core part of your degree programme. These are generally defined as the courses which are prerequisites for compulsory courses in subsequent years, and are listed in each degree programme table. For example, the three core courses for Year 1 of all degree programmes owned by the School are Introduction to Linear Algebra, Calculus and its Applications and Proofs and Problem Solving. You are unable to progress to the next year if you do not pass a compulsory course that must be passed, regardless of how many credits you have achieved overall. This information is listed in the Degree Programme Table. In addition to all the above requirements, students registered on the MMath programme are required to achieve an average of 60% in year 3. If this is not achieved, you will be transferred to another (four year) Mathematics degree programme, as advised by your Student Adviser. Progression requirements Degree awards and classifications The School of Mathematics Honours Board of Examiners determine degree classifications for all students on degree programmes owned by the School. For combined degree programmes owned by another School (e.g. Economics and Mathematics), you should consult that School for their degree classification process. Honours Degree Requirements In order to satisfy the requirements for an honours degree, you must have achieved: - passes in 80 credits and an average of at least 40% in courses taken in each Honours year; - a total of 480/600 credits for a four/five year programme. Subject to meeting the previous requirement, credit “on aggregate” is awarded in Honours courses that have been failed so that 120 credits are awarded in total per year. For four year degrees owned by the School, Years 3 and 4 are weighted in the ratio of 50:50 towards the final Honours classification. For the five year MMath degree, Years 3, 4 and 5 are weighted in the ratio 20:40:40. Note that results in pre Honours years do not contribute towards degree classifications. The classification award is based on the overall percentage mark, as shown in the table below. Honours class Mark 1st 70% or above 2.1 60 - 69.99% 2.2 50 - 59.99% 3rd 40 - 49.99% Borderline Cases The Board of Examiners considers borderline cases carefully. A strict definition of a borderline candidate is used, that is, a student whose mark is not more than two percentage points below the mark required for a certain classification. For the criteria on which a candidate may be promoted to the higher degree classification in this situation. BSc Ordinary Sciences The BSc Ordinary degree is a qualification that can be obtained if you choose to exit your programme at the end of Year 3. You need to pass 80 credits and have an average of 40% in 3rd year. In this case, resits are allowed. If you have not satisfied the conditions to be awarded an Honours degree you may be eligible for an Ordinary degree. Alternatively, if you have passed Year 3 and choose to leave your programme you automatically qualify for an Ordinary degree. Your official course results, progression decisions, and degree classifications and awards will be published on your individual MyEd portal according to the schedule (right). You will receive a notification email when new results are available. If you have any questions or concerns following the release of course results, progression decisions or a degree award, you should speak to your Student Adviser, who can talk you through the possible outcomes and offer you advice. Assessment procedures and regulations Academic Misconduct The University takes academic misconduct very seriously and is committed to ensuring that so far as possible it is detected and dealt with appropriately. Plagiarism Plagiarism can be defined as the act of including or copying, without adequate acknowledgment, the work of another in one’s own work as if it were one’s own. Exam Hall Regulations: Calculators You may use a scientific calculator in maths exams that occur on campus but it must not be a graphical calculator and it must not be able to communicate with any other device. Full list of exam hall regulations Academic Appeals If you are considering making an appeal, it is important that you act promptly. The appeal process can-not be used to challenge academic judgement, that is, you cannot submit an appeal because you believe that you deserve a better mark. You are advised to seek advice from the EUSA Advice Place, who can support you through the appeals process. Result Decisions Publication date Semester 1 pre-honours course results Pre-honours Board of Examiners January Semester 2 and full-year pre- honours course results Pre-honours Board of Examiners June Semester 1 honours course results Honours Board of Examiners January Semester 2 and full-year honours course results Honours Board of Examiners June Pre-honours progression decisions Pre-honours Board of Examiners Late June & Early September (if resits required) Honours progression decisions Honours Board of Examiners June Degree Award and Classification Honours Board of Examiners June Feedback Feedback is the information we receive that tells us how we are doing. It is important for improving our performance. Getting feedback is a two-way process. You are expected to read the feedback you receive and to try and make the most of it. If you cannot understand the feedback or do not know how to apply it, you should ask the person who gave it for clarification. There are two types of feedback: - Feedback to you from lecturers, tutors, and Student Advisers is given to support your learning. Feedback from other students is very important too. - Feedback from you as a student, to the School to help us improve our teaching and degree programmes. Feedback from you to your fellow students is also important, benefiting both you and the students who receive it. Feedback to you You will be given feedback in workshops. Your tutor will give you instant feedback to guide your progress. - Coursework submissions are an opportunity to get feedback from your tutor on your understanding, mathematical writing and presentation style - Automated quizzes are often used to give you feedback on whether you are understanding the material in the course; this technique is used quite a lot in our year 1 courses. - We encourage you to work with other students in workshops, MathsBase and other private study whether this is online, on campus, or some mix of these. This is an opportunity to receive feedback from each other - In lectures there are often opportunities to get feedback on your understanding. Don’t be afraid to ask questions - The marks you get for a piece of work or for a course are also themselves a measure of feedback - Your Course Organisers and Cohort Leads are able to provide feedback to you on your overall progress. Feedback from you - Course experience questionnaires are important because they provide feedback to the School about how the courses are running. Please find the time to complete this questionnaire at the end of each course - Your class representatives listen to you to identify areas for improvement, suggest solutions, and ensure that your views inform decisions within the University - The Student-Staff Liaison Committee (SSLC) is a group of class representatives and staff from within the School. They report to the School Teaching Committees, which monitors, updates and improves our teaching and degree programmes - Every student in the School is a member of the School Council. Meetings are held twice a year and issues are raised, discussed and fed back to the School Teaching Committee - Every student is invited to Student Council. Meetings are held six times a year, and are facilitated by the Students’ Association (EUSA). Here you can raise issues that relate to the wider university and student experience. - If at any time you feel that the normal channels of feedback have not addressed an issue, you are encouraged to contact your Year co-ordinator, Director of Teaching or Head of School as appropriate who will do their best to resolve it. Have Your Say! A flier designed to show how the student feedback loop works. It shows how students can give feedback both by filling in course surveys and by speaking with their student representatives who will then pass this on to the academic team at an SSLC. Give feedback on your courses. What worked? Speak to your rep. Make suggestions such as: "Would it be good if...?" "I really think there should be more of..." "This thing doesn't really work..." Reps take your suggestions to the SSLC. Changes are made! Section 6 Opportunities Making the most of your time at university There are many opportunities for development within the School of Maths and beyond, including joining MathSoc, becoming a student ambassador, the outreach team and opportunities across the University. Student Representation Becoming a class representative is a great way to improve your communication skills and you can make a real contribution to improvements in our teaching. MathPALS If you enjoy attending MathPALs in pre-honours, you may like to give something back by becoming a MathPALs leader in your 3rd and 4th year. You will receive full support and training, as well as opportunities for personal development. This includes completing the Edinburgh Award. Outreach Team If you have a passion for mathematics and an enthusiasm for communicating it to the outside world then you should seriously consider joining our Outreach Team in the School of Mathematics. It’s a fantastic opportunity to meet people from different year groups, receive professional communications training, get experience in teamwork and project organisation, flex your creative muscles and generally have a great time. No prior experience is required although you should demonstrate enthusiasm and a willingness to learn. MathSoc MathSoc provides the perfect opportunity for maths students and those interested in maths to get together. They host regular socials and lots of varied events like pub quizzes, barbecues and an annual ball. MathSoc also supports and hosts academic events, from mini-lectures by MathSoc members to full general interest lectures by academic staff from across the University. Student Ambassadors When potential applicants come to visit the School, it is very important that they have an opportunity to meet current students who can tell them what it is like studying here. Look out for opportunities via email throughout the year. Student Experience Grants Student experience grants support you if you have an innovative project which will develop yourself in various ways. Student groups can be awarded up to £5,000 to fund their projects. Find out more about student experience grants and how they will benefit you through the following link. Student Travel Fund Funding is available to support vacation activities which will: - Enhance your learning experience (for example a research visit, summer school). - Enhance your employability (for example a training course, short-term intern-ship). Employability It is never too early or late to start thinking about what you are going to do when you leave university. You can access the Careers Service at any time during your time during your studies, whether that is through their online resources, their job hub, or by a 1:1 careers consultation. There is a lot you can and should do in your lower years to lay the foundations for a successful future after you graduate. You can start preparing by developing the skills recruiters seek and by finding out about different careers and opportunities. Doing this during your early years (when you have more time) takes the pressure off later on and puts you in a strong position to gain an internship/experience in summer. This can make a huge difference if you want to apply to a graduate job or postgraduate study in your final year. Voluntary work This can be a great way of developing experience and doing something completely different to get a break from studying. If you are considering teaching it is a good idea to get some voluntary experience in a school. Example organisations offering help with this are Pro-Science and LEAPS. LEAPS is an access programme based in Edinburgh University that works on helping school children in accessing Higher Education. There are also volunteering opportunities in the Students’ Association (EUSA). Developing skills By getting involved in these activities you can start to develop key skills which employers and postgraduate admissions tutors think are really important. And of course, this is a great way to settle into University and make friends. In addition, you may be eligible for an Edinburgh Award which is how the University formally recognises these additional activities on your Higher Education Achievement Report. You may also have the time to get a part-time job which is another good way to develop your skills. Jobs for maths graduates There are some career paths that are more typical than others and these can be a good place to start generating some ide-as. The Careers Service website has details on where previous Maths graduates have gone and on areas of work that are most common. Section 7 University Services Student Administration Student Administration has general responsibility for fees, student finance, arrangements for examinations and official documentation. They also maintain student records. Old College South Bridge, EH8 9YL T:0131 650 2845 E: infopoint@ed.ac.uk W: ed.ac.uk/student-administration Scholarships and Student Funding The Student Funding Office provides a single point of contact for prospective and enrolled students in finding the financial help and information they need in order to pursue their education. Old College South Bridge, EH8 9YL T:0131 651 4070 E: studentfunding@ed.ac.uk W: ed.ac.uk/student-funding English Language Education English Language Education provides a wide range of Academic and Specialist English courses for international students and teachers. Paterson’s Land, Holyrood Road, EH8 8AQ T: 0131 650 4400E: eleinfo@ed.ac.uk W: ed.ac.uk/english-language-teaching Student Disability and Learning Support Service The Disability and Learning Support Service supports disabled students. Their main focus is providing advice and support during your time at university. They support students with dyslexia, mental health conditions and students on the autistic spectrum, as well as those who have physical and sensory impairments. 7 Bristo Square, EH8 9AL T: 0131 650 6828 E: disability.service@ed.ac.uk W: ed.ac.uk/student-disability-service Student Counselling Service The Student Counselling Services offers short-term individual counselling to students. The counselling is designed to help students work through their difficulty, understand themselves better and find ways of managing their situation. 7 Bristo Square, EH8 9AL T: 0131 650 4170 E: student.counselling@ed.ac.uk W: ed.ac.uk/student-counselling Chaplaincy The Chaplaincy is a centre on campus for students and staff of all faiths and none. They offer mindfulness activities such as yoga, and have a Listening Service which you can access 24/7. 1 Bristo Square T: 0131 650 2595 E: chaplaincy@ed.ac.uk W: ed.ac.uk/chaplaincy Advice Place The Advice Place is a free and impartial service, separate from the University. They are a team of professional, trained staff, there to help you with any queries or concerns relating to accommodation, finances, personal health, and wellbeing. They can also help you with university systems, such as appeals, disciplinary processes or funding applications. You can find them in the Students’ Association buildings. Potterrow, EH8 9AL KB House, EH9 3JF T: 0131 650 9225 E: advice@eusa.ed.ac.uk W: eusa.ed.ac.uk/adviceplace Edinburgh Global There is wide range of student support available for international students during their time at the University of Edinburgh. The International Student Advisory Service within Edinburgh Global works to support students at all stages. They offer welfare sup-port, practical advice and events. Edinburgh Global are responsible for the University’s Go Abroad activities, exchange programmes, and incoming study abroad students. 33 Buccleuch Place, EH8 9JS T: 0131 650 4296 E: global.enquiries@d.ac.uk W:ed.ac.uk/globalStudent Services A-Z W: ed.ac.uk/students/student-services