UCLAN Astronomy BSc feedback

[Sqyff]

Having read that quite a lot of Lounge members started the UCLAN Astronomy BSc last year I was curious to find out how the first set of modules went.

I am quite interested in this course myself but would like to see what people actually think of it and if it is worth the time and money.

Also did anyone manage to get financial support for the course fees?

Cheers

Cliff

[Rockrae78]

I'm interested in this too... I want to enrol on the University Certificate in Astronomy (which is just the Intro to Astronomy module on the BSc course) in Sep 2013. Can't afford to do the full BSc yet, and not sure if I'll be able to cope with the maths anyway, so I thought that the certificate might be a good compromise.

[jonathan]

I went to UCLAN, it was a polytechnic through and through back then (1997) with delusions of grandeur, a lot of money was spent on things like a new library and halls of residence, but honestly they did not seem like much of an improvement over the old buildings (just bigger). I think it's definitely a case of Bring Your Own if you want to succeed in a place like that, some of the lecturers were pure academics (never really succeeded in their professional field, if they ever had one in the first place). They didn't have any astro stuff back then, it's probably just one of the many things they added to their course list with the arrival of a keen astronomer lecturer on the staff. I am cynical, yes, but I had four years of the place so unless there's been a very radical change of attitude (in my experience this doesn't happen) I doubt it has changed much since then. Distance learning may be the ticket, less reliance on the buildings and staff and more on your own study technique at your own pace.