School of Earth and Environment University of Leeds

1. School of Earth and EnvironmentUniversity of Leeds • End of Year / Pre-Enrolment meeting: Year 1 • Welcome • Learning outcomes – aims and objectives, for Year 2 • General advice on option choices • Who to approach for advice • Leeds for Life • Careers and employability • Feedback

2. Important information • Esther has prepared a document with important information on • Pre-enrolment • Exams • Results • Important dates • Available online – please make sure you read this! This link will be emailed after the meeting. • http://www.see.leeds.ac.uk/current/undergraduates/endofyear.html

3. Special circumstances • You must notify us of any special circumstances that you wish to be taken into account before 18th June 2012. This should be via email to Katrina Firth: • k.firth@see.leeds.ac.uk • If we don’t know we can’t take it into account.

4. Level 2 Learning Outcomes • demonstrate in-depth knowledge of particular environmental problems from a range of interdisciplinary perspectives; • understand and analyse the complex relations between human and environmental systems as required to apply environmental science knowledge to environmental decision-making; • develop environmental research design, methodology and analytical skills to enable an understanding of project design and execution, the synthesis and analysis of results and the use of environmental literature; • display key fieldwork and analytical skills for environmental monitoring approaches and appreciate the complexities of field research in environmental science, and to demonstrate the ability to conduct field investigation independently and in groups.

5. Level 2 Transferable Skills • intellectual skills (for example, analysing generic and subject specific theories to situations outside the context in which they were originally studied, and evaluation and criticism of received opinion through individual problem-based exercises); • practical skills (including applied practical competencies in field and laboratory work); • communication skills (in written, graphic, C&IT and oral forms); • numerical and C&IT skills (data collection, handling and analysis including initiation of the quantitative research process); • interpersonal and teamwork skills (for example in group fieldwork activities); • self-management and professional development skills (for example in structuring a suitable degree route and continued development of time management skills).

6. Module pre-enrolment: • You have a choice of courses to make up the 120 credits that you take during your second year. • May specialise or you may keep your options open. • The amount of choice varies between degree schemes • Make sure you pick modules at the correct level. You MUST choose at least 110 credits at level 2. This is your responsibility. If you are thinking about taking a module which is not at level 2 then talk to your programme coordinator.

7. Skills + Climate change • All students take 40 credits of skills modules including fieldwork, environmental measurements, careers, statistics and preparation for final year dissertations. • Everyone also studies the Climate Change: Science and Impacts module

8. EnvSci pathways • For Environmental Science there are 5 pathways which follow on from the first year. You should pick 3 from • Earth • Atmosphere • Water • Bio • Environmental management • You must also pick a 10 credit “skills” module from those suggested or from elsewhere with permission of your programme leader.

9. Met & Climate Science • For Met and Climate Science you must take the atmosphere pathway from EnvSci along with an additional block of specialist atmospheric science modules. • It is suggested that you then choose either the water or environmental management pathways. For MEnv you might also like to consider taking additional maths options instead. • Alternatively up to 20 credits of approved electives may be taken.

10. How do I choose a suitable module / pathway? • By now you may know which areas of the subject interest you most. • Think about level 3 options / pathways you might want to study and make sure you have the prerequisites. • You may also be thinking about an MSc / MRes / PhD course or a particular job after your degree. Options give you the chance to prepare for a particular p/g course or career.

11. How do I choose a suitable module? • You need to check your proposed timetable – Compulsory modules won’t clash and the pathways won’t clash, but some optional modules might clash with compulsory and with other optional modules. It is your responsibility to avoid clashes. The school reserves the right to remove students from modules if they clash with compulsory modules. • You may also want to balance your workload between semesters 1 and 2. • You must seek permission from your programme coordinator or administrator for ANY elective module. If you register for an unapproved module it will be removed from your student record by the school.

12. Who do I ask about choice of modules? • In the first instance your course convenor: • EnvSci: Steve Arnold / Andrew Ross from July • Met Climate Sci: Andrew Ross • We may send you off to talk to the module convenor if we don’t have the necessary detailed information • Programme Administrator: Lisa Beare

13. Feedback has been a major L&T theme, where we aimed to raise the profile of provision of feedback amongst staff and encourage students to engage with feedback accordingly. • In order to get the most from feedback, bear in mind the following: • Anticipate and actively look for all forms of feedback • Engage fully with all feedback that you receive • Engage with all coursework and feedback, whether assessed for marks or not. • Ask for help if do not understand the feedback you receive, and ask for more feedback if you feel you aren’t getting enough • Feedback is your main route to improvement, so • don’t miss out!!

14. Student portfolios • You must return you completed assessment portfolios to the School on: • Environmental Sci: 17/05/2012 10.30 to 11.30 Vis Lab • Met and Climate Sci: 22/05/2012 12.00 to 1.00 & 14.00 to 15.00 SSO • Please retrieve any marked coursework from pigeonholes. • Coursework not returned to you before this will be kept by SSO until reviewed by the External Examiners and returned later. • It is your responsibility to submit your completed portfolio to the School. Submission of completed portfolios is compulsory!

15. Field trip dates • SOEE2540 – Environmental Science Skills 2 • Field trip to Blencathra during Easter Vacation (16th March to 15 April 2013). Dates TBC so don’t book any holidays until you know the exact date. • Compulsory for all BSc Env programmes. • Note: While the majority of the costs for the field trip are paid by the school you will be asked to contribute to cover food.

16. Leeds for Life https://leedsforlife.leeds.ac.uk/ • Use Leeds for Life to: • - arrange and support your personal tutorials • - Find out what skills employers are looking for • - Find opportunities within and outside your course to develop and add to your skills, making yourself more employable. • - seek opportunities for funding to undertake travel and to pursue interesting project ideas (apply to the Leeds for Life Foundation). • help your personal tutor to write job references for you (it will record your transcript and details of meetings during your time at Leeds and for five years after you graduate). • Update skills and achievements on the living CV section on ‘Leeds for Life’.

17. Employability • In order to improve chances of employment or going on to postgraduate study, you need to actively engage with improving your CV, so: • Make sure you have a productive summer. • Be prepared to really engage with level 2 careers module (part of EnvSci Skills 2) to improve your CV. It may seem early, but you need to do things early to stay ahead of the competition.

18. Employability • You may want to consider the year in industry option. • Meetings will be held during the second year to discuss this opportunity. • Students who obtain a year in industry between second and final year significantly increase their employability. • Many employers offer jobs to their ‘interns’ upon graduation. • Also gives you a chance to ‘try out’ working in a particular job or sector to see if that is what you want to do in the future. • Although the School has its own placement contacts, some students find their own. The summer would be a good opportunity to investigate these.

19. Careers guidance Careers Vacancy System - Students can look at thousands of employers on this database which will help them secure a job or placement. Go to: careerweb.leeds.ac.uk/go/jobsandinternships and simply click on the careers centre events and vacancy system. Then log in with your University username and password. • Linked-in http://www.linkedin.com/ This is an excellent forum for students to join relevant discussion groups and prepare a profile.   Could also create a Twitter profile and follow relevant organisations and companies.

20. Jobs / Further study • Never too early to think about what you might want to do once you graduate • Use the careers centre • Do research into the possibilities open to you • Choose pathways / options to help you get where you want to be • Work on enhancing your CV with relevant skills / experience

21. University Research and Leadership Scholarships • We are excited to announce the launch of University Research and Leadership Scholarships for students in the Environment Faculty. • - Are you looking for a paid placement for the summer? • - Do you want to get involved in the research work of the department? • - Do you want to help to find the answers to important questions in your subject area? • If the answer to the above is yes, then you should act now upon this message.

22. University Research and Leadership Scholarships • More information is available at: • http://www.see.leeds.ac.uk/current/undergraduates/studentships.html • You must be quick – the deadline for applications is 3rd May 2012!

23. Feedback • Undergraduate module feedback surveys available from 4th May. • Tell us what worked well and what didn’t. • For general programme feedback complete the programme survey at: haveyoursay.leeds.ac.uk • 100 free printer credits or a £1 charity donation are on offer.

24. Dates for diary • Eco Fair http://www.eco-fair.co.uk/  1st May, Leeds United • Yorkshire Graduate Recruitment Fair, Thursday 31st May, The Edge

25. Finally …………. • Best Wishes for your Exams! • Term starts on Wednesday 19 September 2012 for returning students and important meetings will be held during this week. • Please make yourselves available from this date. • Any Questions?