Information about UK Universities

[mith]

I'm looking to go back to school next year, somewhere in the UK; I've gotten a little bit of information about how to go about applying and such online, but I was wondering if any of the limeys have any information that would be of help. Specifically, I'm looking to get a PhD in Mathematics, or whatever the equivalent is over there.

[This message has been edited by mith (edited 09-05-2003 06:31 AM).]

[MacadamiamaN]

I heard Oxford is pretty good.

[Dragon Phoenix]

To get the right info, you may want to change the title. In Europe we tend to call them Universities rather than schools...

[Kd]

Most colleges and universities over here have actually found the time to put up their own website (w0w we're organised!) The two biggest are Oxford and Cambridge, conjointly known as Oxbridge, and they're each split into many uni's spread across each city. However - you can't apply to both in the same year - no idea why.

http://www.oxbridge-info.co.uk

Originally posted by Oxbridge info:

---

When you apply to Oxbridge, you don't simply apply to either "Cambridge University" or "Oxford University". Instead, you apply to a particular college at one of those universities (although it is possible to make an "open" application, where the university you are applying to chooses a college for you at random, based on the number of applications at each college. Warning, girls - if you are applying for a science subject and don't want to end up at an all-girls' college, don't make an Open application!).

---

Most things are explained on the site. If Oxbridge doesn't appeal to you, then there are more uni's around, in places like Northampton, Birmingham, Reading etc. Shop around, as they say... or not... (Personally, I think Northampton is a great choice, because then I could get to meet you. )

Good luck, have fun, yadda yadda yadda.

[This message has been edited by Kd (edited 09-05-2003 07:36 AM).]

[Agamemnon]

Exeter, Devon, South-West Blighty:
http://www.maths.ex.ac.uk/

King's college, London:
http://www.mth.kcl.ac.uk/

Leeds, Yorkshire-ish, North-East Blighty:
http://www.amsta.leeds.ac.uk/applied/index.html

Queem Mary university, London:
http://www.maths.qmw.ac.uk/

Southampton, Hampshire, South Blighty:
http://www.maths.qmw.ac.uk/

Manchester, you know where that is:
http://www2.umist.ac.uk/mathematics/

University college, London:
http://www2.umist.ac.uk/mathematics/

Since my math knowledge is non-exsistant, I just did a random search across the listed places on the UMIST web site. Hope it helps a bit old chum.

[Fried Egg]

Most prospective students apply through the organisation called UCAS. However, I don't know if they deal with foreign students...no harm in looking though...

[Macros]

FE linked what i was about too. it doesnt matter if you're foreign or whrereever. to apply to a uk uni, use UCAS, irish ones use CAO, i assume most nations have their own organisation for the task.

[Macros]

(sorry, double post with more info)
on UCAS:
you submit 6 chocies (of colleges, with course listed) you can choice all six courses at one college if you want.
they post your app of too all the colleges, you get made an offer/ rejected then you narrow it down to 2, a CF, a Ci
(conditional firm, condition insurance)
however, in your case (i assume) you have your grades already, and so aren't waintg on surety , so in your case it'll be, acceptance, then pick one (heck, in your case it could be all different, anyone i know using ucas (everyone i know) is using it on predicted grades, so all acceptance offers are conditional,) if youmcan wait till onday i'll ask the careers teacher on exact procedure for foreigners.
you have got you grades an all already havent you ? (i have this idea you worked a year as a teacher sub)

[ctrlaltdel]

if everything fails, you can apply the 3 step all-solving approach...

get a ticket to any larger city
find chinatown
ask around (it helps if you speek fluent mandarine)

[Pi]

I don't think you use UCAS for Ph.D. courses. It would help if you knew the subject area of mathematics you intend to do research in. Whilst the obvious universities have good reputations, ther individual supervisors may not be so hot. How do you intend to fund the course? Have you thought about Research Assistantships? You get paid!! and the fees may be paid for you. Need more details before I can be of any real help.

[mith]

I'm really interested in pretty much *any* area of mathematics, but I did narrow down possible research areas I'd like to work in to three (axioms/consistency/independence/etc., number theory (specifically prime numbers), and game theory/surreal numbers/AI).

Funding, I'm currently teaching high school math almost exclusively to help out with that and rent and food and things next year. I'm sure my parents would help as well if needed.

Of course I would be interested in a research or teaching assistantship (I'm published, and I obviously have experience teaching); do they do the latter over there? Do you (or anyone) have any information on how one would go about getting something like that? (i.e. would I need to apply separately from the normal application, should I be spamming myself out to possible advisors/etc., how likely is it to get one, etc.)

[Pi]

Essentially if you get a job as a research associate, the chances are you do the Ph.D. in the area of research in which the job is paying you for. To find jobs in academic institutions in the UK look at
http://www.jobs.ac.uk


_{Fixing link, I hope.}

[This message has been edited by Chuck (edited 09-08-2003 11:58 AM).]

[mith]

Link doesn't work.

[Pi]

Seen the site?

There are fewer teaching assistanships available, basically there are enough people to teach, the RA post can be really hard work, the 'advantage' is academic research is poorly paid in the UK and anyone who wants to do it at the starting levels really needs the Ph.D. carrot in front of them.

Incidentally, can I ask why you want to do a Ph.D.?
It's actually a very important question before you embark on one.

[This message has been edited by Pi (edited 09-08-2003 02:11 PM).]

[mith]

Short Answer: I like math.

Slightly Longer Answer: I like math, and I know that having a Ph.D is the best way to be involved in what I like doing. I don't know exactly what I would end up doing, but I think that's the next step. Besides, you could call me Dr. Phil.

[Pi]

I hate to play the been there done that bit, but IMHO, liking the subject is not really gonna be enough to get you through the Ph.D. The work involved can be very difficult and frustrating, to the point that any liking you had for the subject is long gone, it is at this point you need to have some other motivation for continuing. As far as I understand there is about a 70% dropout rate for Ph.D. students in the U.K.

Over here a Ph.D. is only really useful if you intend to stay in the research/academic field, in fact it is getting towards being essential.

To make yourself more marketable to be taken on to do Ph.D. studentship (Not the RA post) you really need to have some pretty solid ideas about the field of research you want to enter, and a fair bit of background reading inm the subject area would be really useful. Best of all would be a research proposal (3-5 pages) about what you want to do, why it needs to be done and how you're going to do it.

Perhaps canvass the opinion of a few other Drs in here as well.

Personally, it's not something I regret doing but I don't think I'd have done it if I knew the troubles ahead of me. Still, as you say, people should call you Doctor and that's always nice ('cept that no-one ever really does )


[edit]
Oh, and actuall Oxford isn't that good, the one you really want is the DAMTP at Cambridge
[/edit]

[This message has been edited by Pi (edited 09-09-2003 05:40 AM).]

[Dragon Phoenix]

Doctor Pi,
I agree that a PhD is mainly beneficial if you want an academic carreer or a very much R&D driven business carreer. Otherwise it's a waste of time, in terms of carreer development.

Dr DP

[Pi]

Oooh where are all the other Doctors?? Saw Borodoc just joined the ranks.

[mith]

[Pi]

Thers is always that, regret over the missed opportunity.

Good luck, let us know which colleges you are looking at.