what is coursework in uk universities

Coursework vs Exams: What’s Easier? (Pros and Cons)

In A-Level , GCSE , General by Think Student Editor September 12, 2023 Leave a Comment

Coursework and exams are two different techniques used to assess students on certain subjects. Both of these methods can seem like a drag when trying to get a good grade, as they both take so many hours of work! However, is it true that one of these assessment techniques is easier than the other? Some students pick subjects specifically because they are only assessed via coursework or only assessed via exams, depending on what they find easiest. However, could there be a definite answer to what is the easiest?

If you want to discover whether coursework or exams are easier and the pros and cons of these methods, check out the rest of this article!

Disclaimer: This article is solely based on one student’s opinion. Every student has different perspectives on whether coursework or exams are easier. Therefore, the views expressed in this article may not align with your own.

Table of Contents

Coursework vs exams: what’s easier?

The truth is that whether you find coursework or exams easier depends on you and how you like to work. Different students learn best in different ways and as a result, will have differing views on these two assessment methods.

Coursework requires students to complete assignments and essays throughout the year which are carefully graded and moderated. This work makes up a student’s coursework and contributes to their final grade.

In comparison, exams often only take place at the end of the year. Therefore, students are only assessed at one point in the year instead of throughout. All of a student’s work then leads up to them answering a number of exams which make up their grade.

There are pros and cons for both of these methods, depending on how you learn and are assessed best. Therefore, whether you find coursework or exams easier or not depends on each individual.

Is coursework easier than exams?

Some students believe that coursework is easier than exams. This is because it requires students to work on it all throughout the year, whilst having plenty of resources available to them.

As a result, there is less pressure on students at the end of the year, as they have gradually been able to work hard on their coursework, which then determines their grade. If you do coursework at GCSE or A-Level, you will generally have to complete an extended essay or project.

Some students find this easier than exams because they have lots of time to research and edit their essays, allowing the highest quality of work to be produced. You can discover more about coursework and tips for how to make it stand out if you check out this article from Oxford Royale.

However, some students actually find coursework harder because of the amount of time it takes and all of the research involved. Consequently, whether you prefer coursework or not depends on how you enjoy learning.

What are the cons of coursework?

As already hinted at, the main con of coursework is the amount of time it takes. In my experience, coursework was always such a drag because it took up so much of my time!

When you hear that you have to do a long essay, roughly 2000-3000 words, it sounds easily achievable. However, the amount of research you have to do is immense, and then editing and reviewing your work takes even more time.

Coursework should not be over and done within a week. It requires constant revisits and rephrasing, as you make it as professional sounding and high quality as possible. Teachers are also unable to give lots of help to students doing coursework. This is because it is supposed to be an independent project.

Teachers are able to give some advice, however not too much support. This can be difficult for students who are used to being given lots of help.

You also have to be very careful with what you actually write. If you plagiarise anything that you have written, your coursework could be disqualified. Therefore, it is very important that you pay attention to everything you write and make sure that you don’t copy explicitly from other websites. This can make coursework a risky assessment method.

You are allowed to use websites for research, however you must reference them correctly. This can be a difficult skill for some students to learn also!

What are the pros of coursework?

Some of the cons of coursework already discussed can actually be seen as pros by some students! Due to coursework being completed throughout the year, this places less pressure on students, as they don’t have to worry about final exams completely determining their grade.

Some subjects require students to sit exams and complete some coursework. However, if a student already knows that they have completed some high-quality coursework when it comes to exam season, they are less likely to place pressure on themselves. They know that their coursework could save their grade even if they don’t do very well on the exam.

A lot of coursework also requires students to decide what they want to research or investigate. This allows students to be more creative, as they decide what to research, depending on the subject. This can make school more enjoyable and also give them more ideas about what they want to do in the future.

If you are about to sit your GCSEs and are thinking that coursework is the way to go, check out this article from Think Student to discover which GCSE subjects require students to complete coursework.

What are the cons of exams?

Personally, I hated exams! Most students share this opinion. After all, so much pressure is put on students to complete a set of exams at the end of the school year. Therefore, the main con of sitting exams is the amount of pressure that students are put under.

Unlike coursework, students are unable to go back and revisit the answers to their exams over many weeks. Instead, after those 2 (ish) hours are up, you have to leave the exam hall and that’s it! Your grade will be determined from your exams.

This can be seen as not the best method, as it doesn’t take student’s performances throughout the rest of the year into account. Consequently, if a student is just having a bad day and messes up one of their exams, nothing can be done about it!

If you are struggling with exam stress at the moment, check out this article from Think Student to discover ways of dealing with it.

Exams also require an immense amount of revision which takes up time and can be difficult for students to complete. If you want to discover some revision tips, check out this article from Think Student.

What are the pros of exams?

Exams can be considered easier however because they are over with quickly. Unlike coursework, all students have to do is stay in an exam hall for a couple of hours and it’s done! If you want to discover how long GCSE exams generally last, check out this article from Think Student.

Alternatively, you can find out how long A-Level exams are in this article from Think Student. There is no need to work on one exam paper for weeks – apart from revising of course!

Revising for exams does take a while, however revising can also be beneficial because it increases a student’s knowledge. Going over information again and again means that the student is more likely to remember it and use it in real life. This differs greatly from coursework.

Finally, the main advantage of exams is that it is much harder to cheat in any way. Firstly, this includes outright cheating – there have been issues in the past with students getting other people to write their coursework essays.

However, it also includes the help you get. Some students may have an unfair advantage if their teachers offer more help and guidance with coursework than at other schools. In an exam, it is purely the student’s work.

While this doesn’t necessarily make exams easier than coursework, it does make them fairer, and is the reason why very few GCSEs now include coursework.

If you want to discover more pros and cons of exams, check out this article from AplusTopper.

What type of student is coursework and exams suited to?

You have probably already gathered from this article whether exams or coursework are easier. This is because it all depends on you. Hopefully, the pros and cons outlined have helped you to decide whether exams or coursework is the best assessment method for you.

If you work well under pressure and prefer getting assessed all at once instead of gradually throughout the year, then exams will probably be easier for you. This is also true if you are the kind of person that leaves schoolwork till the last minute! Coursework will definitely be seen as difficult for you if you are known for doing this!

However, if, like me, you buckle under pressure and prefer having lots of time to research and write a perfect essay, then you may find coursework easier. Despite this, most GCSE subjects are assessed via exams. Therefore, you won’t be able to escape all exams!

As a result, it can be useful to find strategies that will help you work through them. This article from Think Student details a range of skills and techniques which could be useful to use when you are in an exam situation.

Exams and coursework are both difficult in their own ways – after all, they are used to thoroughly assess you! Depending on how you work best, it is your decision to decide whether one is easier than the other and which assessment method this is.

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10. Medicine and Dentistry

Medicine encompasses a variety of practices that have evolved to maintain and restore health by preventing and treating illness. Medicine may be a challenging area to work in, but job satisfaction from a career in medicine is high. Most doctors agree there is no greater joy than curing a patient.

Dentistry is the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of disease and disfigurement in the mouth and oral area. Dentistry, like any other medical degree or profession, has the feel-good factor. You're changing lives for the better, learning how to keep people in good health.

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9. Psychology

Psychology is the study of the human mind. Psychologists attempt to determine why people behave in a particular way, and if you get far in this field, you could reach dizzy heights: think Freud, Jung and Pavlov.

Despite a lack of vocational certainty after studying it, psychology remains a popular field of study. Many graduates work with other people, as psychologists, therapists and social workers. Many others go into academia, research and education.

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Law is a study that specialises in legalities and bringing justice to criminals and victims. A degree provides you with the skills required to practise in law. Transferable skills include research, interpretation and explanation of complex subjects, analytical thinking and practical problem solving, good oral communication, negotiation, teamwork, attention to detail and the ability to draft formal documents.

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7. Biological and sports sciences

Biological Sciences courses allow you to explore areas of biochemistry, biomedicine, cell biology, conservation, ecology, genetics, microbiology, pathobiology and physiology.

Sports Science explores how the healthy human body works during exercise, how sport and physical activity promote health physically, mentally and socially, and incorporates many other academic subjects, such as Physiology, Psychology, Anatomy, Engineering and ,Chemistry.

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6. Engineering and technology

Engineering graduates are exposed to various technical subjects and skills and develop transferable skills useful to all industries such as problem-solving, decision-making, innovation, project management, teamwork working, and communication.

Technology subjects are wide-ranging from materials technology, graduates could go on to develop solutions for the aeronautical or energy industries,  to medical technology, where graduates could work to improve the quality of healthcare, such as by increasing the accuracy of diagnosis or decreasing the time taken to treat an illness. Studying these subject areas could lead you to play a part in improving people’s lives and society.

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5. Computer Science

Computer Science is the study of information technology.

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2. Business & Management Studies

Management studies courses often include areas of business, hospitality, tourism, land, and property. Business and administration courses teach you all about how a business functions from the financial side to marketing.

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Degree courses in this field set you up for a career in most professional sectors, as management skills are highly transferable and widely applicable. From business organisation to human resource management, you’ll learn how to make a workplace efficient and effective.

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1. Subjects Allied to Medicine

The subjects allied to medicine range far and wide – from clinical medicine to optometry, dentistry to medical technology.

Most courses in this subject area are highly vocational, meaning you can expect to graduate ready to enter into a specific healthcare-related role. Alternatively, many students go into roles in sectors such as education, scientific sales, environment, and journalism.

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• How to Make Your Coursework as Good as It Can Possibly Be

Many GCSE and A-level subjects are assessed in part by coursework in addition to exams, meaning that the mark you receive for coursework contributes to your overall grade. Many students prefer coursework, because it’s a chance to showcase your academic abilities away from the high-pressured environment of the exam room, making it ideal for those who don’t perform to the best of their abilities in exams. However, the time you have available for coursework, in contrast with the time constraints of the exam room, can lull some students into a false sense of security. Coursework is arguably just as challenging as exams, just in different ways – and, given the fact that you have more time, much higher standards are expected of you in coursework than in exams. Careful planning and research are needed for successful coursework, as well as strong data-gathering and essay-writing skills. In this article, we look at how to produce excellent coursework, from planning to proofreading. This information might also be useful to you if you’re planning on attending an Oxford Summer School this summer.

What is coursework?

GCSE and A-level coursework typically takes the form of an extended essay or project. Its objectives vary from one subject to another, but there’s usually an emphasis on the student conducting independent research into a topic of their own choice. Thus coursework often takes the form of some sort of investigation; it may, therefore, help to have your ‘detective’ hat on as you explore, investigate and analyse your topic. You can usually work on your coursework at home, though it’s sometimes completed under controlled conditions through sessions at school. To give you a better idea of how coursework varies from one subject to another, here are some examples:

• English – English coursework usually takes the form of an extended essay with a title of your choice. You’re usually given a choice of themes and/or texts to explore, and you could choose a format such as a comparison between a set text and another one.
• Geography – Geography coursework usually focuses on the gathering, reporting and interpretation of data designed to answer a particular geographical question. You could investigate usage of a shopping centre, for example, or look at erosion on a particular beach.
• Sciences – coursework for science subjects often takes the form of a scientific project or experiment that you conduct and report on yourself.

Before you start work on your coursework, it’s essential that you have a thorough understanding of the rules. Failing to conform to the rules – inadvertently or not – may result in your coursework (or possibly even your entire qualification) being disqualified, so it’s a serious matter.

• No plagiarism – this is particularly dangerous given the ready availability of relevant information on the internet these days. Make sure everything is in your own words; you’ll need to sign a declaration stating that it’s your own original work.
• There’s only so much help your teacher can give you . They can provide guidance on what you need to include, and on what the examiners will be looking for. You can ask them questions, but they’ll usually only be able to check through your first draft once and offer broad hints on updating it.
• Check the word count , and stick to it. Find out whether footnotes, appendices and bibliographies are included in the word count.
• Check what topics you’re allowed to do your coursework on; if there’s an exam on this topic, you’ll almost certainly have to choose a different one for your coursework.

Choose your topic wisely

Ideally, choose something you’re genuinely interested in, as your enthusiasm will come across and you’ll find it more enjoyable to write. If there’s something you’ve been working on for the course so far that you’ve particularly enjoyed, you may be able to focus more on this as part of your coursework. For science coursework, you’ll need to choose something to investigate that you can measure, change and control; it should be what’s called a ‘fair test’, meaning that you have to acknowledge all the controls you use in the experiment and why. Try not to pick a topic for which the scope is too vast, as you’ll struggle to research it properly and you’re unlikely to do it justice, and it’ll be hard to keep within the word limit. Ask your teachers for some guidance on choosing your topic if you’re not sure what to write about; they might even tell you a bit about what previous students have done to give you some inspiration.

Plan how long it’s going to take

Never leave your coursework until the last minute, even if this is your normal approach to essays and it usually works for you. Make sure you understand when the deadlines are, including time for submitting a first draft for comments from your teacher. Then schedule blocks of time for working on it, allowing plenty of time before the deadline to cater for any unexpected delays. Allow ample time for making corrections based on teacher feedback on your first draft, and keep some time aside before the deadline for final editing and proofreading. Because actual deadlines are few and far between, you’ll need to take responsibility for the writing process and impose some deadlines on yourself to ensure it’s finished in time. Write down your deadlines on a calendar, with the coursework broken into stages and dates assigned to each, by which time each task should be complete. You can base your stages on the next few points in this article – research and data gathering, a structure plan for the piece of work, writing up, and so on.

Conducting your research and gathering data

As coursework is primarily a research exercise, the research phase is crucial, so don’t be tempted to skimp on it and go straight to writing up. Use as many different resources as you can to gather data: books, journals, newspapers, television, radio, the internet and anything else you think might be relevant. For science and Geography coursework, you’ll need to base your work on a hypothesis, so the research stage should start by coming up with at least one hypothesis, otherwise your research will lack direction. The research phase for some subjects may involve site visits for gathering data, so allow plenty of time for this, particularly if you need your parents to drive you somewhere to do so. If it’s a scientific experiment you’re conducting for your coursework, you’ll need to pay careful attention to planning the experiment using rigorous scientific methods (also noting what Health and Safety precautions you are taking), as well as reading up on the background and theory so that you have an idea of what to expect from the outcome of your experiment. In the research stage, make notes about what you expect to happen, so that you can later compare your expectations with what actually did happen. The experiment itself also forms part of the research and data-gathering stage for your science coursework; in the write-up stage, which we come onto shortly, you analyse and write up the results.

Plan your structure

Once you’ve completed your research, the process of writing up begins. Before you get down to the actual writing, however, it’s advisable to write a plan for how you’re going to structure it – essentially an essay plan for English coursework and other subjects for which the coursework is based on an extended essay. It’ll look slightly different from an essay plan for science subjects and others that revolve around project work, but the principle is the same: plan out what order you’re going to present your information in. For big projects, this is particularly important, because with a lot of information to convey, you risk being disorganised and waffling.

Writing up your project

For any coursework, but particularly coursework based around an extended essay, you’ll need to perfect your essay-writing abilities. For science coursework, writing up your project also involves data analysis, as you interpret the results of your experiment and work your notes into formal scientific language.

When you’re writing up, it’s important to find a place where you can work quietly, without distractions that could cause you to make careless errors. You wouldn’t want noise or distractions when you were in an exam room, so treat your coursework with the same reverence.

Supporting materials and images

For some subjects, namely the sciences and Geography, it would be appropriate to include images, graphs, charts, tables and so on in your coursework. For example, for Geography coursework, your extra material could include annotated images and maps of the site you’re talking about, plus tables, graphs and charts. An appendix could then detail your raw data; if, for example, your coursework focused on the results of a survey, you could put the raw survey responses in an appendix and provide summaries and analysis in the main body of the coursework.

Footnotes and bibliography

As we said earlier, it’s important that you always use your own words in your coursework to avoid the possibility of falling foul of plagiarism rules. However, it’s acceptable to quote from another source, as you would in any piece of academic writing, but you must make sure that you state where it is from and use quotation marks to show that it’s a quote from somewhere else. The best way of citing another work is to use a footnote; word processors will allow you to insert one, and it just puts a little number at the end of the sentence and another in the footer of the document, into which you put the name of the author and work, and the page within that work that the quote can be found. At the end of your piece of work, include a bibliography that includes a list of every external source you’ve used in the creation of your coursework. Stick to a set formula when including books. A common format is: Author Surname, Initial. (Date) – Title of Book , page number For example: Lewis, C.S. (1960) – Studies in Words , p. 45 When you get to university, you’ll be expected to include footnotes and bibliographies in all your essays, so it’s a good habit to get into and coursework gives you good practice at it.

The final pre-submission check

Having completed a first draft, received feedback from your teacher, and honed your work into a finished piece of coursework, have a final check through it before you send off your coursework for submission.

• Sense check : have a read through your completed piece of work and check that it all makes sense. Make sure you haven’t contradicted yourself anywhere, or repeated yourself, or laboured the point. If there are any facts that you may have meant to look up to double check their accuracy, do so now.
• Word count : ensure that the completed work falls within the word count, and double check whether the bibliography should be included in the word count. If you’ve exceeded it, you’ll need to work through the piece and tighten up your writing, omitting unnecessary information, reordering sentences so that they use fewer words, and so on.
• Proofread : check your spelling and grammar, and ensure that there are no typos. Don’t just use the spellcheck – go through it with a fine toothcomb, manually, and if you can, ask someone to read through it for you to see if they spot anything you haven’t.
• Formatting : check that you’ve included page numbers, and that the font and line spacing is consistent throughout the work. Ensure that the font is plain and easy to read, such as Arial or Times New Roman.
• Bibliography : check that you’ve included everything, that the format is the same for all sources mentioned, and that the right information is included for each.

Once this stage is complete, you’re ready to submit your coursework along with your declaration that it’s entirely your own work. Get ready for a feeling of immense satisfaction when you finally send off your hard work!

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UK riots: Why are far-right groups attacking immigrants and Muslims?

Police arrest hundreds as chaos fuelled by hate and misinformation grips the United Kingdom in the aftermath of a tragic stabbing attack.

As riots continue to rage in the United Kingdom, hotels housing asylum seekers have been torched by far-right agitators.

The Holiday Inn Express hotel in Tamworth, in northern England, was set alight. Rioters also gathered near the Holiday Inn Express hotel used to house asylum seekers in Rotherham. Both incidents took place on Sunday.

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Protests led by far-right groups have escalated into clashes with police in multiple towns, as a wave of unrest, fuelled by xenophobia and misinformation surrounding the tragic killing of three young girls in a stabbing incident, sweeps across the country. About 400 people have been arrested.

“I guarantee you will regret taking part in this disorder, either directly or those whipping up this disorder online,” Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a televised address on Sunday. He has cast the riots as “organised illegal thuggery” by a minority of Britons.

In the grips of a sixth day of violence, Downing Street held a Cabinet Office briefing room (Cobra) emergency meeting.

Here’s what you should know:

What led to this moment?

Last week, during a Taylor Swift-themed dance and yoga workshop at a community centre in Southport, England, three young girls were stabbed to death by a 17-year-old suspect, Axel Rudakubana. He was born in Cardiff, the Welsh capital, reportedly to Christian Rwandan parents.

False information on social media claimed the suspect was a Muslim immigrant.

Those rioting are vocal about their hatred of immigrants. But there is also a sense of underlying xenophobia against minority communities in the UK, especially Muslims, said analysts.

Rosa Freedman, a professor at the University of Reading, told Al Jazeera that the riots were a result of the former Conservative government’s complicity with such “racist” far-right groups.

“Instead of hiding their faces, they have now been coming out … we cannot blame a Labour Party that has [only] been in government [for] the past four weeks,” she said.

Meanwhile, agitators like Tommy Robinson are stoking tensions.

Born Stephen Christopher Yaxley-Lennon, the far-right activist and co-founder of the English Defence League (EDL), has been busy posting inflammatory video rants to his 800,000 followers on X, decrying Muslims, migrants, the political establishment and police.

He’s posting from afar, reportedly in Cyprus. A High Court judge issued an arrest warrant for Robinson after he failed to appear at the Royal Courts of Justice on Monday for a hearing in a contempt of libel court case he lost against Syrian refugee Jamal Hijazi.

Influencer Andrew Tate, who has suggested the Southport suspect arrived in the UK on a boat, and MP Nigel Farage, more on him later, are also accused of stirring division.

Where are the riots?

In multiple cities and towns across the country.

In addition to Southport, Rotherham and Tamworth, clashes have also been reported in Manchester, Liverpool, Belfast in Northern Ireland, and other cities.

Posts are swirling on social media describing other planned far-right events. Al Jazeera could not independently verify these claims.

What has the government said?

Prime Minister Starmer said he “utterly” condemns “far-right thuggery”.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper stated in a recent interview with Sky News: “There will be people who were thinking they were going on their summer holidays this week, and instead they will face a knock on the door from the police.”

Nigel Farage, the anti-immigration leader of the populist movement Reform UK who is now a sitting MP, has stoked tensions. In May, he suggested Muslims do not share British values.

“What you’ve seen on the streets of Hartlepool, London or Southport is nothing compared to what could happen over the course of the next few weeks,” Farage said recently.

He’s also justified the riots.

“The far right are a reaction to fear, to discomfort, to unease that is out there shared by tens of millions of people,” he said.

Neil Basu, the UK’s former head of counter-terrorism policing, has accused Farage of not going far enough to condemn the violence.

“Has Nigel Farage condemned the violence? Has he condemned the EDL? Fomenting discord in society is what these people seem to exist for,” Basu stated.

Policing minister Dame Diana Johnson promised consequences and action against those responsible for the disorder and violence in the streets.

“When I saw people looting some of the shops in the city centre, that’s nothing to do with genuine protest or people having different opinions about immigration,” Johnson said.

What’s next?

Police and officials are telling the public that perpetrators of violence and abuse will be punished. Meanwhile, ethnic minority and migrant communities are becoming more fearful.

In a recent news conference, South Yorkshire Police’s Assistant Chief Constable Lindsey Butterfield stated, “If you were there, we will find you and you will be held accountable for yesterday’s violence.”

Veteran Labour MP Diane Abbott said on X, “Nationwide anti-immigrant riots on a scale never seen before. Threatening life, property and our police force. We need to recall Parliament.”

Dame Sara Khan, an independent adviser for the review into social cohesion and resilience against extremism, told the Guardian that “extremist and cohesion threats are worsening”.

“Our country is woefully unprepared,” she said. “We’ve got a gap in our legislation which is allowing these extremists to operate with impunity.”

Montclair Awarded $1 Million to Develop Unique Character Education Course Using Virtual Reality

With grant support from the Program for Leadership and Character at Wake Forest University, Montclair is positioned to be a leader in offering innovative, character-focused coursework in its core curriculum

Posted in: Homepage News , Press Releases , University

Montclair State University is launching a first-of-its-kind effort to create a character education course for its core curriculum using virtual reality – a project that has the potential to reach the entire undergraduate population at Montclair as well as other educational institutions.

In support of the project, titled “Planting the SEEDS of Character Growth: Developing Civic and Community Responsibility through Ethical Inquiry Using Virtual Reality,” the University has been awarded a three-year, $1 million grant that it has matched with an additional $888K in funding.

The Institutional Impact Grant , which aims to help develop the moral, civic and/or intellectual character and capacity of faculty, staff and students, is awarded by the Educating Character Initiative (ECI), a part of the Program for Leadership and Character at Wake Forest University. Montclair is one of 29 colleges and universities to be awarded the grant for 2024.

The ECI works to provide public and private institutions of higher education with the resources, funding and support needed to integrate character education into their distinctive institutional contexts, curricula, and cultures.

About the Institutional Impact Grant

With a focus on character, community engagement, student-centered transformational learning opportunities, and commitment to student success, Montclair is positioned to be a leader in solving the most complex and pressing societal problems. The institution is also committed to enabling innovative applications that foster transformative student experiences as evidenced by the development of a virtual reality lab that will offer immersive coursework.

To that end, the “Planting the SEEDS of Character Growth” project, led by principal investigator Jennifer Urban, professor of Family Science and Human Development, will develop and evaluate an interdisciplinary character education course that infuses virtual reality experiences and meets the character-focused learning objectives set forth in SEEDS, the University’s new general education curriculum. Key elements of the project include:

• A four-module character education course including syllabus and real-world classroom activities. Modules will focus on character and the exploration of character virtues in topics that may include neurodiversity or aging, for example.
• Three corresponding character education virtual reality experiences
• A teaching manual that can be broadly disseminated to future course instructors.

Urban says she is eager to connect with faculty and staff from across the University who have expertise and lived experience related to the aforementioned topic areas.

The course will launch in the academic year following the project’s conclusion, potentially serving as a model for character education innovation in higher education.

“In these particularly fraught and divisive times, character education, ethical reasoning and a focus on community engagement have never been more important,” says Urban, who is also co-director of the Institute for Research on Youth Thriving and Evaluation (RYTE). “Our administration has elevated our identity as a university focused on the social good and the new SEEDS core curriculum operationalizes our aspiration to educate students who will contribute to civil society.”

“Imagine the potential power of virtual reality when applied to prosocial endeavors. Our students will be able to see what it feels like to truly walk in someone else’s shoes and reflect on those experiences through guided coursework.”

What is Character Education at Montclair?

The new SEEDS core curriculum reflects a call for universities to elevate their obligation to educate for character, not just prepare students for the workforce. SEEDS courses share a character-focused mission statement and follow a set of five values:

• S ocial Justice and Equity
• E ducated Citizenry
• E ngagement, Agency and Leadership
• D iversity and Intercultural Competency
• S elf-discovery and Self-care

“Montclair enthusiastically supports and empowers students to become citizens of the world who demonstrate a commitment to the public good through ethics and empathy,” says Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Junius Gonzales. “The coursework in development through the Institutional Impact Grant will only strengthen the efforts of the SEEDS curriculum, designed to help our Red Hawks develop the skills necessary to tackle society’s biggest challenges.”

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Prospective Student / Parent: Learn more about the SEEDS core curriculum , plan a visit to our campus and take the first step in applying to become a Red Hawk !

Journalist: Contact the Media Relations team for assets or to schedule an interview with the team behind this grant-supported project. See our Faculty Experts and hi-res media assets available for download.

BYU marathoners’ coach says Paris course will be one of the Olympics’ toughest tests

Paris 2024 organizers may have saved the most sadistic test for last..

Paris • BYU coach Ed Eyestone is not one for hyperbole. A cleareyed coach and two-time Olympian, he will casually describe his athletes’ 23-mile training runs in a way that makes it sound as if they had gone for brisk walks. He understands that hard training is a part of the profession and that marathons are inherently challenging, so why oversell the struggle?

But ask him about the marathon course at the Paris Olympics, and Eyestone speaks with a sort of reverence that borders on fear.

“This marathon,” he said, “will have a debris field in the final miles.”

Over the past two weeks, thousands of Olympians have tackled the seemingly impossible. Gymnasts have tumbled on 4-inch beams. Skateboarders have gone airborne over rails and ramps. Triathletes have submerged themselves in bacteria-infested waters.

But Paris 2024 organizers may have saved the most sadistic test for last.

(Chang W. Lee | The New York Times) A hilly stretch of the marathon course for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, on Aug. 7, 2024. From steep climbs to quad-crushing downhills, competitors in Paris face what is almost certainly the most difficult marathon course in the history of the Games.

Over 26.2 grueling miles this weekend, Olympic marathoners will be forced to contend with a series of steep climbs and quad-crushing downhills that comprise what is almost certainly the most difficult marathon course in the history of the Games.

The challenge, as always, is the pursuit of glory.

The true goal, more likely, will be survival.

“Oh, my gosh,” Canadian marathoner Malindi Elmore recalled telling her husband when she got her first look at the course in February, “this looks ridiculous.”

Both races, per tradition, will help bring down the curtain at the Games. The men will gather on the start line at Hôtel de Ville on Saturday. The women will race Sunday, hours before the closing ceremony. But after several weeks in Paris, all will set off knowing that a punishing two-plus-hour torture test awaits.

Long before he was able to see the course in person, Dathan Ritzenhein got a sneak peek. Several employees from the apparel brand On, which sponsors Ritzenhein’s running team, sent him video of the course’s inclines last year.

“It doesn’t look like you’d run up that,” Ritzenhein recalled telling them when he watched the clips. “It’s just comical.”

Ritzenhein coaches Hellen Obiri, a Kenyan who has shown her mettle on hills as the reigning back-to-back champion of the Boston Marathon. But the Paris course is a different beast, and Ritzenhein made sure to familiarize himself with it when he visited the city in July. He tied up his running sneakers and took to the streets so that he could experience the grueling heart of the course, from Mile 9 to Mile 23.

(Chang W. Lee | The New York Times) The Rue de Versailles, west of Paris, a hilly stretch of the marathon course for the 2024 Summer Olympics, on Aug. 7, 2024. From steep climbs to quad-crushing downhills, competitors in Paris face what is almost certainly the most difficult marathon course in the history of the Games.

“It’s really hard to imagine how extreme the course is without running it,” he said. “The course is unlike any major marathon these athletes have ever run.”

Olympic organizers have been curiously understated in their own assessments, describing the course in promotional materials as one that “will set demanding conditions for the athletes, because the Paris region is not as flat as it may seem.”

But the people most responsible for its treachery are long gone.

The first half of the course, which heads west toward Versailles, approximates the route taken by thousands of women, early in the French Revolution, who were seeking liberal reforms and sought to confront King Louis XVI at his palace.

The marathon course is a loop. After reaching Versailles, it winds its way back along the left bank of the Seine toward Paris and a finish at the Esplanade des Invalides, a 17th-century hospital that will, all these years later, welcome a fresh stream of broken bodies.

Because the course has hills. Long hills. Hard hills.

The first one is just before the 10-mile mark. Its 4% incline, according to Runner’s World, is the same as that of a stretch of the Boston Marathon that includes the notorious Heartbreak Hill. The difference is that the segment in Paris, at about 1.25 miles, is over twice as long as the one in Boston. The course should claim its first victims there.

The second hill is at around Mile 12, and slightly steeper at 5% but only about a half-mile long. No sweat, right? Wrong. The first two hills are mere hors d’oeuvres.

Around Mile 18, the race goes from difficult to extreme. The athletes will be deep enough into their mornings that any sort of undulation could cause problems, and Paris has a doozy: another ascent that maxes out at 13.5%.

“That hill,” American Conner Mantz said, “is going to be a big determinant of the race.”

(Chang W. Lee | The New York Times) The Rue de Ville d'Avray, west of Paris, a hilly stretch of the marathon course for the 2024 Summer Olympics, on Aug. 7, 2024. From steep climbs to quad-crushing downhills, competitors in Paris face what is almost certainly the most difficult marathon course in the history of the Games.

The twist is that after scaling that hill, the runners will almost immediately be running downhill — and at a sharp angle, which could strain their already tired legs.

One of the challenges in training, Eyestone said, is that running downhill at steep grades can lead to injury. Based on her own research, Elmore concluded that she needed to incorporate downhill running in her training only once every three or four weeks to reap the benefits.

Overall, she said, patience will be essential for the medal contenders — and everyone else.

“You just have to realize that you’re going to be running slower,” said Elmore, who placed ninth in the women’s marathon in hot conditions at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. “You can’t rely on pace as your feedback during a race.”

In other words, throw away the idea of running consistent mile splits or finishing in a time that comes anywhere near your personal best. That is not going to happen this weekend.

This article originally appeared in  The New York Times .

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How many courses can you take at university?

Most universities will allow you to study at least two subjects at a time. Some universities have been known to allow students to study three. Studying two courses at once is known as a Joint Honours degree, these can be face-to-face courses at university, or they can be online university courses.

Check out our article on Joint Honours Degrees to learn more.

When do university courses end?

Most university degrees take place over a 3 or 4-year period, depending on what course you're sitting. An academic year will typically end in June and then restart again in late September/early October.

How many university courses can you apply for?

You can apply for up to 5 different courses. You can apply for all 5 of these at the same university, or you can apply for 1 course at 5 different universities. You can find any of these using our university degree finder and the university courses list.

What are foundation courses at university?

A foundation course is a preparatory course, which is designed to teach you skills and specific knowledge in a subject area before you begin your university degree. Foundation uni courses typically take between 1 and 2 years depending on the subject and how frequently you study.

To learn more, check out our article on Foundation degrees .

How can I switch courses at university?

The process for switching courses is fairly straightforward. First, you will need to find which course suits you best, then you will need to speak to your course tutor and begin the process of transferring. Then you will need to attend an interview with your new tutor or university and await their decision before you move. The process is the same for undergraduate courses and postgraduate courses.

What is Clearing?

Clearing is a process that universities will go through in order to fill out the remaining places on their courses. If you didn’t meet the conditions of any of the offers you received from the universities you applied to, you will enter the Clearing process, which allows you to apply to another university instead.

You will also take part in the Clearing process if you have declined an offer at your firm choice, if you didn’t receive any offers or if you paid the multiple-choice application fee to UCAS.

Searching for courses isn’t a problem because most universities will advertise any courses that still have spaces available and most uni course searches will have a Clearing filter and provide you with a lost of degree courses for you to choose from.

For more information check out our article on Clearing .

What is Adjustment?

Adjustment is for students who have gotten into their desired university but want to apply elsewhere. Where Clearing is mainly reserved for those who didn’t achieve the required grades, Adjustment is the opposite.

Adjustment allows you to reconsider where you want to study, without the worry of losing your secured place. If you have exceeded the expectations of your firm offer, then you are automatically eligible to apply through Adjustment.

As with Clearing, you can simply search for any subject and apply as you see fit. Both Clearing and Adjustment processes can be used for undergraduate courses and postgraduate courses.

Check out our article on Adjustment to learn more.

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3 Columbia University Deans Who Sent Insulting Texts Have Resigned

The deans were put on leave earlier in the summer after sending messages that disparaged Jewish panelists. A fourth dean, who is tenured, will remain at the university.

By Sharon Otterman

Three Columbia University deans who exchanged disparaging text messages that the university president said “ touched on ancient antisemitic tropes ” during a forum about Jewish issues in May are resigning, a spokeswoman said Thursday.

The deans, who had responsibility for undergraduate student affairs, sent the biting and sarcastic messages as they reacted in real time to Jewish speakers expressing concern about antisemitism on campus during the two-hour event.

In June, Nemat Shafik, the university president, placed the three deans on indefinite leave as an investigation proceeded.

In the texts, one dean suggested that a Jewish speaker was playing up concerns for fund-raising purposes. Another sent vomit emojis in reaction to the mention of a college newspaper opinion piece written by one of the school’s rabbis.

The deans did not respond to calls requesting comment. Samantha Slater, a Columbia spokeswoman, confirmed the resignations by email but did not provide further comment.

The episode, which became public in June when an attendee shared her pictures of one of the dean’s cellphones with The Washington Free Beacon, has been deeply embarrassing to the administration. University leaders have been trying to convince Congress, alumni and its own Jewish students that it takes antisemitism on campus seriously.

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In the UK, the majority of postgraduate students are studying part-time, and the full-time market is predominantly made up of international students:

• Full-time enrolments : UK students 126,955; international students 169,515.
• Part-time enrolments : UK students 210,620; international students 29,345.
• All enrolments : UK students 296,470; international students 239,965.

It seems as if some UK students are spreading the cost of their postgraduate study paying fees for part-time learning over a period of time, and they’re also staying in work and using part-time study as a way of improving their career opportunities.

Many international students who come to the UK want to study here full-time. And, international students studying on a Tier 4 visa can only study full-time courses.

Full-time postgraduate study

For : you qualify in the shortest possible time.

Against : if you’re in full-time work you need to give it up to study.

Part-time postgraduate study

For : suitable if you have to balance study with personal or work life. Also useful if you want to change your career or improve it while still in employment.

Against : will take you longer to finish the course and you may not feel quite so much part of the university.

Blended learning and postgraduate study

For : suits you if you want to work from home, and can reduce travel costs and sometimes tuition fees.

Against : you may miss some of the company and mental stimulation of academics and fellow students. Like distance learning, it’s not a study mode that’s immediately suitable for group projects and group learning.

With distance learning , all your time is spent learning at home. Resources will be supplied and you’ll be assigned a tutor. The main advantages to this mode of study are costs and flexibility, as the timescales can be longer.

Block mode learning and postgraduate study

For : combines some of the strengths of full-time with part-time study – you keep your job but have complete involvement in learning at other times.

Against : it’s still not as quick to finish as full-time study. Remember too that the allocated blocks of university time are for lectures and classes. You’ll still need to do research and assignments in your own time.

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New evidence that brain and body health influence mental wellbeing

9 August 2024

Multiple biological pathways involving organs and the brain play a key part in physical and mental health, according to a new study from UCL, the University of Melbourne and the University of Cambridge.

The study, published in Nature Mental Health , analysed UK Biobank data from more than 18,000 individuals. Of these, 7,749 people had no major clinically-diagnosed medical or mental health conditions, while 10,334 had reported a diagnosis of either schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression or anxiety.

Using advanced statistical models, the researchers found a significant association between poorer organ health and higher depressive symptoms, and that the brain plays an important role in linking body health and depression. 

The organ systems studied included the lungs, muscles and bones, kidneys, liver, heart, and the metabolic and immune systems.

Dr Ye Ella Tian, lead author of the study from the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Melbourne, said. “Overall, we found multiple significant pathways through which poor organ health may lead to poor brain health, which may in turn lead to poor mental health.

“By integrating clinical data, brain imaging and a wide array of organ-specific biomarkers in a large population-based cohort, for the first time we were able to establish multiple pathways involving the brain as a mediating factor and through which poor physical health of body organ systems may lead to poor mental health.

“We identified modifiable lifestyle factors that can potentially lead to improved mental health through their impact on these specific organ systems and neurobiology.

“Our work provides a holistic characterisation of brain, body, lifestyle and mental health.”

Physical health was also taken into account, as well as lifestyle factors such as sleep quality, diet, exercise, smoking, and alcohol consumption.

Professor James Cole, an author of the study from UCL Computer Science, said: “While it’s well-known in healthcare that all the body’s organs and systems influence each other, it’s rarely reflected in research studies. So, it’s exciting to see these results, as it really emphases the value in combining measures from different parts of the body together.”

Professor Andrew Zalesky, an author of the study from the Departments of Psychiatry and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Melbourne, said. “This is a significant body of work because we have shown the link between physical health and depression and anxiety, and how that is partially influenced by individual changes in brain structure.

“Our results suggest that poor physical health across multiple organ systems, such as liver and heart, the immune system and muscles and bones, may lead to subsequent alterations in brain structure.

“These structural changes of the brain may lead to or exacerbate symptoms of depression and anxiety, as well as neuroticism.”

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Universities set to ‘battle’ for students on A-level results day to fill places

Many top institutions have courses available through clearing in the week before a-level results day, analysis suggests., article bookmarked.

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British universities will be competing for school leavers on A-level results day to fill their places amid financial pressures, experts have suggested.

Three out of four top institutions have courses available through clearing – which matches applicants to university places yet to be filled – in the week before A-level results day, analysis has found.

The competition among universities to recruit more students comes amid a decline in the proportion of UK school leavers applying to higher education and a fall in demand from overseas applicants.

Students receiving their grades next week could find many places on courses still available on results day – especially at cash-strapped institutions who need the tuition fee income, it has been suggested.

The end result is a real battle for students with, for example, quite probably more courses at Russell Group institutions in clearing this year and also lots of voluntary redundancy schemes in place for staff at many universities

A PA news agency sample of 130 of the UK’s largest higher education providers showed more than 23,000 courses with vacancies for undergraduate students living in England were available on the Ucas clearing site as of Wednesday.

Eighteen of the 24 elite Russell Group universities had vacancies on courses for English residents – a total of 3,892 courses between them.

A similar analysis last year, in the week before A-level results day, showed 15 of the 24 universities had vacancies on courses for English residents – a total of 2,021 courses between them – on the clearing site.

Clearing is available to students who do not meet the conditions of their offer on A-level results day, as well as those who did not receive any offers.

Students who have changed their mind about what or where they wish to study, and also those who have applied outside the normal application window, can also use clearing.

Eight days ahead of exam results day, there was a total of 23,306 courses through clearing across 130 universities, the PA analysis showed.

A similar analysis by PA last year – carried out at the same point before A-level results day  – showed there was a total of 22,410 courses through clearing.

The universities of Liverpool, Manchester and Durham had no courses listed on Ucas’s clearing site eight days before A-level results day last year, but this year all three Russell Group universities have vacancies.

I think universities will have a very clear sense of what their numbers are this year, what they've got to achieve to balance the books

Nick Hillman , director of the Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) think tank, said he believed students “who act fast” after getting their results next week “could find many university courses still open”.

He told the PA news agency: “While the fall in international applications is partly about postgraduate study, it still leaves universities with unused resources and empty places.

“The end result is a real battle for students with, for example, quite probably more courses at Russell Group institutions in clearing this year and also lots of voluntary redundancy schemes in place for staff at many universities.”

University leaders have warned of significant financial concerns in recent months as a result of frozen tuition fees paid by domestic students and a decline in international students following visa restrictions.

Meanwhile, the application rate for UK 18-year-olds has fallen to 41.9% this year, from 42.1% last year and 44.1% in 2022, according to the data collected by Ucas at the end of June.

“Any university that is really strapped for cash and which is on course for empty places needs to have a really good clearing to keep the wolves from the door,” Mr Hillman warned.

Unfilled degree courses are a chilling prospect for universities reliant on tuition fees to sustain their financial future

Mike Nicholson, director of recruitment, admissions and participation at the University of Cambridge, which does not take part in clearing, said universities have been “fast off the blocks” in advertising clearing vacancies this year.

In pre-pandemic years, universities who were using clearing usually waited until August to advertise places but now more institutions who have capacity are advertising online and on social media in July, Mr Nicholson said.

He told PA: “I think universities will have a very clear sense of what their numbers are this year, what they’ve got to achieve to balance the books.

“Therefore I think Thursday and Friday of the week the A-level results are out will be very busy.”

Many universities are likely to run “physical drop-in sessions” in the immediate days after results come out to try to encourage students to enrol, he added.

Mr Nicholson said: “I think the impetus this year will be to take a student who’s narrowly missed (on their grades), and then if you need some more students on top of that go into clearing.

“But if you can fill your places on students who’ve got the grades and those who’ve narrowly missed, and then not have to bother with clearing, then for a university that’s probably a stronger position to be in.”

Lee Elliot Major, professor of social mobility at the University of Exeter, told PA: “Unfilled degree courses are a chilling prospect for universities reliant on tuition fees to sustain their financial future.”

He said: “I think what institutions are having to do now is make sure that they fill their home student numbers because the income has gone down from those international student numbers so dramatically. So there probably is more pressure on universities to make sure that they get their enrolments.”

Prof Elliot Major added: “What I’m being told is that because of these worries about application rates falling this year, that there will be lots of departments, lots of universities that you might not ordinarily think of going into clearing (who) might have to go into that process to get those numbers up.”

More than nine in 10 (91%) of UK 18-year-olds who have applied to university or college are holding an offer, compared with 89% last year, Ucas figures show.

Speaking ahead of A-level results day on Thursday next week, Vivienne Stern, chief executive of Universities UK (UUK), said “there’s plenty of space in the system”.

She said: “I think (clearing) is going to be pretty active and there will be plenty of opportunities in clearing as there are every year.”

A Ucas spokesperson said: “For anyone who doesn’t receive the results they were expecting or those who want to reconsider their choice, there will be plenty of options in clearing with just under 30,000 courses available – which is in line with last year.

“As is the case each year, clearing is likely to be competitive for the most selective courses and at the most selective universities. Ucas’s advice to students is to research their options and make a plan ahead of results day.”

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The 5 Best Machine Learning Courses for 2024

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Machine learning may sound relatively old-fashioned in the age of AI, but it remains a valuable and oft-used skill. Machine learning is the use of algorithms in computer systems to “learn” from data, allowing those systems to take on autonomous tasks. Manufacturing, engineering, programming, data science and more can include machine learning.

The field is distinct from AI in its approach, methods and underlying structure, and it often makes headlines in physics and other science applications. To discover more about machine learning, you can take online courses from a variety of businesses or institutions.

• Best for complete beginners: Introduction to Machine Learning (Google)
• Best for data scientists: Data Science - Machine Learning (Harvard on edX)
• Best for a traditional university education: Cornell University’s Machine Learning Certificate Program (Cornell)
• Best for building neural network applications: Stanford Machine Learning Specialization (Coursera)
• Best for aspiring data scientists: IBM Introduction to Machine Learning Specialization (Coursera)

Best Machine Learning Courses: Comparison table

Introduction to Machine Learning (Google): Best for complete beginners

For beginners, Google’s Introduction to Machine Learning is a clear-cut, low-commitment option. This course is the first entry in a longer sequence of Google “foundational courses” on machine learning. That makes it easy to explore as much or as little of the topic as you want.

This course is free.

This course can be completed in 20 minutes.

Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites for this course.

Data Science - Machine Learning (Harvard on edX): Best for data scientists

Harvard University has some of the brightest minds in education behind its online courses — contributing to our selection of “Data Science: Machine Learning.” This course is a section in Harvard’s larger online data science course. It’s appropriate for people with some professional experience in data science, placing machine learning in the context of existing, practical work. This course results in a project the learner can use or show to current or prospective employers — namely, a movie recommendation system showing mastery of predictive algorithms.

“Data Science: Machine Learning” can be “audited” for free. Paying $149 adds a certification of completion and unlimited access to the course materials.

This course is self-paced. It has enough content for about eight weeks of work if done at 2 to 4 hours per week.

It is recommended to take the previous courses in Professional Certificate Program in Data Science before taking this course.

Cornell University’s Machine Learning Certificate Program (Cornell): Best for a traditional university education

While this certification includes self-paced elements, it also offers live discussions with peers and educators. Participants will get feedback on their work. The course includes projects suitable for a resume or other real-world demonstrations. It covers the math involved in machine learning — including linear algebra and probability distributions — and computing aspects, including kernel machines and neural networks.

This certification costs $3,750.

This course can be completed in 3.5 months at 6-9 hours of study per week.

Cornell University recommends that learners taking this course have a background in “math, including familiarity with Python, probability theory, statistics, multivariate calculus and linear algebra.” Completing some projects requires using the NumPy library and Jupyter Notebooks.

Stanford Machine Learning Specialization (Coursera): Best for building neural network applications

Andrew Ng is often referred to as one of the best instructors of artificial intelligence. An adjunct professor at Stanford University and co-founder of Coursera, he has built a brand on conveying complex information in a useful, actionable way for people who want to progress in their tech careers. The Machine Learning Specialization contains three separate courses and covers neural networks, deep reinforcement learning and more.

This course is accessible through a Coursera Plus subscription at $59 per month.

Coursera estimates this self-paced course will take 2 months at 10 hours per week.

Coursera recommends that learners taking this course have a background in “Basic coding (for loops, functions, if/else statements) and high school-level math (arithmetic, algebra).”

IBM Introduction to Machine Learning Specialization (Coursera): Best for aspiring data scientists

IBM instructors teach this machine learning course, which comprises four smaller courses:

• Exploratory Data Analysis for Machine Learning.
• Supervised Machine Learning: Regression.
• Supervised Machine Learning: Classification.
• Unsupervised Machine Learning.

This specialization includes hands-on exercises in SQL, regression, classification and other tools and techniques useful in ML. By the end of the course, you will be able to design ML systems to glean insights from data sets that lack a target or labeled variable. Upon completing the specialization, learners will earn a career certificate from IBM.

This specialization is accessible through a Coursera Plus subscription at $59 per month.

This specialization takes two months at 10 hours per week to complete.

Learners pursuing this specialization should have some experience in coding, particularly in Python, as well as be comfortable with calculus, linear algebra, probability and statistics.

Methodology

In choosing these courses, we looked at universities and online learning platforms well-known in the tech world. We sought to provide a mix of beginner, intermediate and advanced courses and certifications.

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• The 10 Best AI Courses That Are Worth Taking in 2024
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