Multi Story Edinburgh

Episode 80: The Complete Welcome Week Speech

• The University of Edinburgh • Season 5 • Episode 8

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For our second special and first compilation special of the season, Andrew has compiled every season 5 guest’s advice to first and final year students, all in one space, for you to listen to, all at once.

All opinions expressed are those of the individual and do not necessarily reflect those of the University of Edinburgh.

Multi Story Edinburgh has been created and produced by the Alumni Relations team at the University of Edinburgh. If you are interested in telling your story, please get in touch and let’s talk!

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“Since When” by Mise Darling (modified). Sourced from Free Music Archive under license CC BY-SA. Available at: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Mise/Rebel_1433/Mise_Darling_-_Rebel_-_11_Since_When_1357/ 

“Shake It!” by Jahzzar (modified). Sourced from Free Music Archive under license CC BY-SA. Available at: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jahzzar/Super_1222/01_Shake_It/ 

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Andrew:

Hello, everybody. Welcome to our first special of

Multi Story Edinburgh:

the complete Welcome Week speech. Now in this season, the concept was that the guests were coming back to Edinburgh to give this welcome week speech. So what I've done is compiled them all for you. So you can listen all at once you can get all your advice in one go. Hopefully, you'll have noticed that in the episodes, I first asked them to give them advice to first years and then I asked them to give advice to final years. And this episode will include both. First we have all of the first year advice, and you'll hear from each guest there, and then we'll have the final year advice. So you can hear both of them separately. But before we do that, I will remind you first that Multi Story Edinburgh is not the only way you can engage with us. In our online meeting place, platform one, you can connect with members of our Edinburgh community, including students, alumni and staff. And if you're a recent graduate, watch out for our regular digital newsletter, and head to www.ed.ac.uk, forward slash alumni for slash new graduates with a hyphen in between new and graduates, where you can catch up on resources, opportunities, and careers advice. Or you can discover alumni networks and clubs that you can join. I don't think there's much more to say. So I think we can just get on with the episode. Enjoy Multi

Story Edinburgh:

the complete Welcome Week speech. So, you've gotten off the plane from Singapore, and you are arriving in Edinburgh to give your speech to the new first years. You've spoken already about the importance of joining sports but what do you tell the new crowd? What advice do you give to them in regards to making the most out of uni?

Peter:

Well, this is quite good prep for me, because I think I

Andrew:

I think you've touched on two very important parts there. And something that I can relate to as well, because figuring out how you study best is extremely important to kind of making the most of your time. And you do have that freedom at university to choose. If you are somebody that doesn't work well in the morning, but does work well in the evenings, then do that. Don't force yourself to work in the morning. I work best with with a timetable, and making sure that I kind of do the same thing every week. The other thing that you mentioned there was not comparing yourself to other people, which is what I immediately did in first year, I came off of kind of being at school as someone who is pretty good at maths, I was more towards the top of the class and coming into uni, I was absolutely not that. But you've got to kind of be open and understand that what you're doing is good enough. And just because you're not getting that 100% that some people might be getting, it doesn't mean that you're doing bad because for a lot of degrees 70% is still that great line to have.

Peter:

Yeah. And also noting that everyone comes into uni at a different point. And everyone comes from a different level experience or their school taught in a different way. Or, you know, and it doesn't, it doesn't matter where you start at uni. And you're you're going to be given the resources that you need to get to the point where you need to be, you have what you need to be here. And when you're here, you'll be given what you need to succeed. And you've got to kind of trust that.

Andrew:

It's quite a big thing to trust, because you go from a actually get to do that this year. Oh, okay. A really exciting part of the of the role is that there's typically a principals welcome to new students in the McEwan hall, and as sports president, you get to come along and give a wee welcome to the new students in that space. So this is really good prep for me. So I've, you know, I've done my first... this is going to be my first draft of my, of my speech, I suppose. I've had a wee think about some of the sort of headline things that I would that I would say, when thinking about academics, I would tell people, don't worry about your grades too much. So long as you stay focused, you put in the work, you put in the effort, you don't need to be worried about the exact grade that you're getting, you just need to be more worried about teacher guiding you through school and every single subject, about learning. And uni is... it's less about the content, I think, and it's more about learning what your process is. And also on the academic side, don't worry about what other people are doing around you and how they're working. Find your own rhythm, find your own pace, and trust yourself on that don't get too tied up in what everyone else does. Because I think if you try and act like everyone else, you're just gonna get stressed, tired, overworked. So figure out what works best for you. to a lecturer who will see you for those two hours but unless he's on open hours, he's probably not as free to help you

Fraser:

I think one of the biggest things I would have wanted to know, in first year is that you've got the probably one of the largest in fact, definitely one of the largest institutions in the country, with their name next to yours. And you can use that you if you decide that you want to do something. There are people with the skills, there are departments with the facilities, there are students with the time and the interest. If you put the effort into organizing something, whether that's in the creative team, whether that's making tote bags, whether that's starting a business, whether it's I don't know becoming a new all star, Ultimate Frisbee team for Edinburgh Uni, you really can achieve that, like here more than anywhere else. And I think that's just I mean, maybe people know, in the back of their minds, but the size of the opportunity is not shoved down people's throat enough, as I think it probably could be. And so you can do all of these things you really, really want to do and you've always dreamed of doing. But it takes like a level of personal dedication and commitment and effort that I don't know you can do but you have to make yourself do it. I don't know. That's maybe my biggest point.

Andrew:

How did you manage to balance going really headfirst into that with still studying to get degrees?

Fraser:

I think I've always chased what I love. So the reason I wanted to do music is because I love music. And I was like well I could do something else: I thought about like international relations, politics, philosophy, these are things that also interests me, but like, I just loved music. I was like if I'm going to do put all my time and energy into this even for just four years and see what it's like I want it to be music. And then the same with The Edinburgh Collective, we put on fun events, and we work with people that we like and that become our friends and we work with venues and sound techs that we like and we don't work with people that aren't easy to work with. Like, I think if you really chase the fun with restriction, you know, you got to be careful and be sensible and safe, obviously. But if you chase the fun and if you really pursue what you love, doesn't feel like work. Like I never wake up thinking, Oh, I've got this song to write. And then I've got to have this team meeting with Cab Vol. What a bore. It's like, oh, wow, what an exciting day a random Multi Story Edinburgh interview that I didn't know about two weeks ago pops up like that's, that's all part of the fun. It's all part of the lifestyle. So I think that's maybe the secret to not doing anything other than music or Edinburgh collective ever.

Andrew:

Just do absolutely everything.

Fraser:

There's something to be said for that. Don't burn yourself out, which I've done in the past, probably a risk of in the future, too. But yeah, there's something to be said for just saying yes to random opportunities and chasing the fun.

Andrew:

Yeah. Especially if you're trying to market yourself and get yourself out there. There's a lot to be said about just taking opportunities, even if it's not exactly what you're looking for. Everything is a... a network and a jump to the next stage.

Fraser:

Exactly. And you can you can back out of things having given them a good test, like I used to teach piano and singing. And I do, I did love it. And it paid well, which is the main reason I did it. But I found it just it was so draining physically and I guess musically draining to so that at the end of the day of teaching, I wouldn't want to go home and make music. The next day I wouldn't want... I'd be so tired and go into class and stuff. I can't... I just like dipped out of those jobs and found other things that I found were less draining and still paid.

Andrew:

You really found that balance to make sure that you could get everything done in an efficient way.

Fraser:

Yeah, that, that maintains your energy level. If you don't want to do - you could work really, really hard for a week, but then have to take a week off your better balancing out and working really well consistently.

Mia:

So I think it's probably everyone's advice, but definitely join as many societies in your first year and keep going to them. So I joined the wind band society when I was in first year, because I did some, yeah, I played the trumpet since I was nine, I think so I was in the school band in high school. So I thought, you know, I want to keep my trumpet skills up. So I joined the wind band society and it was really fun. And you know, you have weekly practice sessions, and then you go for a pint in the pub. It was all nice. But then COVID hit and other, you know, rehearsals are online. So it was really awkward. You know, you have to mute yourself and you're the

Unknown:

This is gonna surprise you but I joined the wind band

Mia:

No way.

Andrew:

But my first year was COVID. So it was the, the online

Mia:

That would be too comedic.

Andrew:

Yeah, I think there's a lot of societies, I believe on a Wednesday, is it? Yeah. So I guess advice to first years would be check which socieites you want to join on a Wednesday and then find ones for other days? only one playing. You know, I can actually relate to that one. in my first year. stuff. And I very quickly wasn't able to really join because I'm a percussionist. I think would you would agree that standing with you zoom call muted while you're hitting a triangle is not really what you want to do in the first year? Yeah, I couldn't get a drum kit into my first year flat because that would have caused a bit of a riot I think.

Mia:

Yeah, yeah, definitely. Yeah. And yeah, trumpet as well as like get too noisy at 8pm.

Andrew:

Yeah, joining societies in first year was very much how I got to meet people. Because otherwise it was just my uni accommodation. Are there any societies you wish you had joined in first year?

Mia:

Yeah, I think Japan Society just because I'm you know, I come from Japan originally I'm half Japanese and it's really hard to find other Japanese people in Scotland. So and I thought that coming to uni naturally, you know, I'll meet more people who are like me, but that was tricky. And also Japan Society clashed with wind band society in first year. Just everything clashes that I want, wanna go to so I couldn't go to them. And then later on in my course I actually met someone who, who was the president of Japan Society. And she was like, oh, I should come to some more events, but it always clashes with something. So I think I just had no luck. Yeah, exactly. I heard that a lot of sports societies, they do their activities Wednesday afternoon, because their schedules are cleared or like it's a university wide thing. But Wednesdays were always the busiest for me.

Unknown:

Yeah, I heard that as well, actually, that it was meant to be that no one had class on a Wednesday afternoon, and I very much do. What it is, and I know this from experience, it is that there are fixtures on a Wednesday afternoon. So that might be where the rumour sort of stems from. I do think a lot of clubs do stuff on a Wednesday because badminton club does. But Pleasance is completely swept with fixtures on a Wednesday afternoon.

Katherine:

I think I would say, as cliche as it is, like, you kind of get out what you've put into it. Like how you want your uni experience to be, like, it's completely just up to you. And for me, like I was quite proactive and kind of meeting people and joining societies. I was president of like Edinburgh Taiwanese society, I also Co-President of another like law school society. And I was pretty involved. I think, at least for the first third years of my degree. Fourth year, I was more chilled out because I wanted to focus on my dissertation. So I think I would just say, put yourself out there, you know, like, don't... don't be shy. I know, it's definitely easier said than done, especially if someone is like an introvert. But everyone is in the same boat. When you first start uni, everybody would more likely than not want to be friends and want to make friends. So just put yourself out there. Don't be shy. Join the societies and run for positions in committees. Sometimes it feels like it's not worth it. But it's good for the CV and you definitely develop like the soft skills that you need. Yeah.

Andrew:

You mentioned there that you were Co-President of a law society, which one was that?

Katherine:

It was lawyers without borders - the Edinburgh student division. It was quite fun. It's like a research based society - there's events and research. I was kind of more in charge of the running events part of it.

Andrew:

Yeah. It sounds like quite a full on position to go for. Did you go straight to President or did you kind of, you know, spend your time somewhere else first before going on to it?

Katherine:

Yeah, so for that society, I was director of marketing before in my second year, and then I became co president in third year, but for the Taiwanese society, I went straight to President in second year, I believe.

Andrew:

Oh, wow. So you... you were Taiwanese president in second year, that's quite, it's quite a big thing to do in second year. Obviously, you have a bit more time than third and fourth year to do it but you know, well done for getting voted in as president in your second year. That's quite a tricky thing to do.

Katherine:

Yeah, it was, it was an intense race. But I think I won by like two votes.

Ian:

I would say my biggest advice is for the new students who go out more, obviously, you need to study hard, right? That's the basis of everything. That's how you can get a degree, that's how you can get a first. But in the meantime, you should go out more, or you should go and chat to people chat to people, socialize with them, you know, don't be afraid to say hi, you know, because the other person, the other side, the receiving end of the message would probably be something in the same that they're intimidated. I don't know what to say. You know, it's normal. And people are sort of the same people want to know each other, but maybe a wee bit shy to do so. So I would say absolutely. Go out and have fun. Enjoy your Freshers Week, because that's when will when you have the most fun, but also go out during like, the turn time and stuff. And also you like it's not just having fun new year, you're also still learning about how to network, you're learning about how to communicate with people. So those would be very nice skills to have actually in, in the end when you graduate and get a job?

Andrew:

Where did you find it easiest to meet people then in your first year,

Ian:

it's quite specific to me, really. But I suppose for the chemistry degree, I was able to talk to the most people and get to know them quite well in the lab. Because how it works is when we're working in a lab in the first year, you basically get paired up with someone else. And during that process, you will be working with them, you will be working in a team essentially, you will be chatting to know about them. And you know, those are things to you. And you will just get to know know them so much better. For example, one of my first lab partners in first year and my daughter, she's one of my best friends now. So we've kept in touch over the past five years of our degree. So it's really nice. And you I feel like you built the deepest connections there in the lab. And obviously you get to talk to people during lectures to but it's a wee bit less personal. It's more like the there's just too many people in the lecture theatre.

Andrew:

What about societies? Did you join any of them in first year and to meet people?

Ian:

Yeah, I did. Actually joined so many societies in my first year. I can't even remember some of them. But okay, so I remember I joined the English debating society, Chinese debating society. And then there's also Doctor Who society rate choice and then at the end is the French theatre society. I think the French name is Lee this concrete or something along the lines of, but I would say I spend the most time the French theater theater to theater society. Because we had to do like one big play at the time. And we had to go in like each and every week to rehearse for the piece. And I was able to make quite a few friends there, actually, as well. Obviously not as good as the friend they're made in laboratories, but just be honest.

Andrew:

What would you say to people going into their final year in terms of their approaching graduation? It's not really hit them yet. It's not really hit me. I've got one year left. It's not really happy that I'm graduating in a year. What kind of advice would you give to people in that position?

Fraser:

I think the best thing you can do because you're struggling fourth year I would say is you have these days courses, whether it's dissertation, a big project of a composition portfolio, in my case, to invite because I did 240 credit courses, and then and then you have these other smaller courses that you have to do. You have other fun things you're doing in life, you've got your social life, blah, blah, blah, that the only way you can really achieve the bigger projects and have them be something that when you're handing it in, you're like, Oh, I back this. I've spent my time on this. I finished early, I've looked it over, I've done a redraft. This is the best work that I can do is if you start like at the start or fourth year, and just have a plan, have a schedule. I know I'm doing this this week. I know that I need to start this early. Because life gets in the way. And if you don't get that plan in before life takes over, you just never made the plan. And then it'll be like I was in the start of second semester. Fourth, you're thinking like, wow, okay, it's time to do a composition portfolio. And that was fun, like working for months on end, just like 40 minutes music, but it is draining as well. And I think if I had a reflection, I'd have liked to have planned timetables got into a routine earlier. Because I it's just so powerful, you can achieve so much if you have a clearer idea of what you should be spending your time on.

Andrew:

Yeah, cuz I guess dissertation on projects, they're quite open, in terms of you don't have a weekly lecture, because it's so big and interpretive, why and even

Fraser:

your weekly lectures like you'll have to, if you're lucky, that are on the thing that your project is interested in. And the rest will be like, Oh, here's another random thing. Oh, have you seen this? Have you checked that the chances of you getting regular lectures on the exact thing you're doing your project on, it's small. And then you've got these other smaller courses that are asking you to do an essay in two weeks, a group presentation of this, that and there's Yeah, next to no guidance in your dissertation and a high workload for smaller courses. Like it's all time management, literally. So just make

Andrew:

sure to get that started. Soon, get that plan ready, so that it doesn't become too overwhelming later on in the in the year.

Fraser:

Yeah, and you don't do your best work. When you're stressed. And you do your best work. When you've got a time period to do it. You can stick it in a drawer for a week, take a break, look over again and be like, Oh, that entire chapter actually isn't needed. Or wow, I need to go into that more because there's something good there and delete the rest of it. Now I remember submitting I did some confirmation in first year called Edinburgh, it was like an orchestral piece. And then I just got in contact with her another orchestra who I said it's in the piece too. And I listened through it. And I was like, wow, it took me 200 bars to get to the melody that I know want the piece to start with. Wow, that's like all that all those bars, and half of them got deleted. But not all of those bars, like were essential to getting me to this point. And now I've got it and it's a good feeling. But you've got to do the work before

Andrew:

don't like also, don't be afraid to change things. And if you're kind of objective sort of changes a bit. That's not necessarily a bad thing if you're more passionate.

Fraser:

Yeah, I agree. If it changes, it's probably because it needed to change.

Katherine:

I think just be organized. I think that's the biggest thing, especially with dissipation, if you're doing one and just like it's like a whole year long. So you don't want to end up in a position where you know, your deadlines in a month or something and you haven't really done enough to meet meet that deadline. Like that's really stressful. It's such a big part of your grade. So I think being organized is such an important thing. And I think also prioritizing your academic career, and your future is more important than social events in fourth year. I think for me, I definitely kind of put a pause, or a semi pause on like social events. So yeah, just focusing on your grades and being organized. This. My top tip,

Andrew:

very nice.

Mia:

I think final year definitely have less extracurricular activities, I think focus on your studies. I mean, that's an obvious tip, I suppose. But for me, I was definitely going to you know, just focus on my studies and won't work and do maybe one extracurricular by ended up doing maybe to extracurriculars, and like part time work. So I ended up with like more things than I was expecting. So that was quite overwhelming. And I think I went into four here. Not fully prepared, I was still kind of because I was quite busy during the summer months working for SACHA. So I never really had a time to properly kind of relax before going into fourth year. And that definitely showed because I think I was just constantly trying to catch up with things and trying to be organized, but it was I just had too much on my plate. So think I wish I had the power to say no. Yeah, I think that's the one thing that I was still trying to grapple with. Trying to say no. And don't feel bad about it.

Andrew:

Yeah, I think I'd be the same because I've spent you know these first three years by building up relationships with all these societies, that is going to be quite tricky to say no.

Mia:

But also, I think, because I work too much in my fourth year, I wish I made more time for my friends. Because now like everyone's left Edinburgh feels really empty. You know, I don't know when I'm going to see them again. So, yeah, I think, definitely, maybe, yeah, focus on your studies and making time for friends that you actually care about? Yeah.

Andrew:

I will take that on board, because it's gonna happen to me. Yeah.

Ian:

That's a really good question. Actually, if I, if I knew what I was going to, if I heard, if I heard this, when I first started fifth year, I think I would be in a much better place. Not to say that I'm not in a good place, I would be so much more successful, my advice would be, again, this year is going to be if you're doing a project this year, or placement this year, make the most out of it, make mistakes, learn from it. You know, don't be afraid to ask questions, to your colleagues, think really, really hard about what you're going to do next, after graduation. You know, is it going into academia, if you're going to do to do a PhD, afterwards, you know, if you're if you are, then you should think really hard about what sort of specific topic that you that really inspire you in the area that you're in. Don't be afraid to get in touch with people, people are always very helpful in anything really people, get a LinkedIn and just reach out to people. And don't be afraid to get in a zoom chat and talk to them about what you want to want to do. You know, ask them this, ask them how can you fail? So that you know how to what to avoid when you go into that career? You know, how do you get into that industry, you know, then you will get an idea about what what's it like to work in that specific field. So if that's if you're doing a PhD, or continuing into academia, but if you want to go into industry, or, you know, for example, quite a lot of my colleagues actually are not doing chemistry anymore, they actually go into finance, accounting, that, you know, so many different pathways you can take. So don't limit yourself only on the subjects that you study at uni. Because at the end of the day, employers is going to look at your CV and say, wow, it's gonna straight out, ignore the education bit, if I'm being honest, and look at if you have like relevant experiences. So that's the sort of things that employers really do look at, when they are hiring people. And remember this, it's really not. So people often hire people that are not necessarily best at doing the job, but those who are willing to learn and those who are willing to make mistakes, and those who are willing to go and get the job. One other thing that can really make you stand out from 1000s of applicants is actually to reach out to the person, the hiring manager, or, you know, the one of the people that's working in the department that you're hoping to work in and say, express how much you would love to work for them, and why you want to, you know, do your research, then you might actually land a chance for an interview and, you know, finding the job.

Andrew:

That is some that is some great advice. I'm very much taking that on board because going into my final year. Thank you very much.

Ian:

It's a wee bit late for me to learn about these, like, at the end of my I mean, literally just learned them like a month ago when I went to one of our MSc programs that I went to where I was basically networking with like, big pharmaceutical companies and chemical companies. And yeah, it's just someone inspire me when I when I was there was great, but that was a wee bit late. I wish I knew a wee bit earlier.

Andrew:

So you mentioned messaging people on LinkedIn and stuff. I've tried that did not go well. So do you have any advice on kind of retaining people people's interest on LinkedIn because, you know, they don't owe you anything. So it's very easy for them to switch off.

Ian:

Absolutely. I've got this too. It's quite common. Like, you know, for example, when you message someone you wrote like a paragraph of some thing, and then they never reply to you. It's quite common. But I would say, I still get this, this till the stage, you know, but what I would say to that is for you to look at their LinkedIn profile, like what they've posted, you know, if they don't post anything, then maybe do a little stalking and look at what they've been up to, in their business. And when you message them put down in words, you know, for example, you know, congratulations on X, Y, Zed, then they will be much more, you know, willing to read on to what you're actually going to say,

Andrew:

yeah, so try and tailor it to the person don't just send a general message

Ian:

Tailor it to the person, instead of sending like, yeah, instead of like sending him Millom sending a million people the same message.

Andrew:

Even if people have the same job, you can probably find on their profile exactly what they do. And what interests them. Do you reckon that's quite a good way to kind of start the conversation as to mention that stuff? Yeah, absolutely.

Ian:

You know, if you look, look into their LinkedIn, and then they said, Well, I've done X, Y, Zed to improve the businesses turnover by 50%, or whatever, you know, ask them. I've heard that you've done such and such, how did you do it? How did you succeed? I would really love to learn from you. What advice would you give me, you know, give yourself five years ago, that kind of stuff. And then, and then you listen in, and then you'll say what you really want from them?

Peter:

Goodness, I don't know, I think it's all too easy to think, okay, it's my last year, it's my biggest piece of work, this is what's gonna give me my degree classification. And yeah, it's really important that you put your best work in so that you get the degree out which you really want, and that you deserve. And you need to make sure that you're putting that effort in, but it's all about balance. And I think university from the start of, of your university career is all about balance, it's probably easier to find that in your first two, three years than it is in your last year. Because, you know, maybe drop a couple grades in your first year, it's not going to matter in the long run. Whereas there's a bit more high stakes in your final year. But I still think finding that balance is actually going to improve your outcome at the end of it anyway. So, you know, become obsessed with a sport or society. And then you're finding your stay obsessed with that and stay connected and looped into that community that you've got. Because when you're busy and stressed and worried that community within that sport or that society, that's going to be the biggest support that you could possibly have, as a general guide, treat yourself every once in a while going for food with friends, or a drink or a coffee or taking the morning off to go for a walk or something. You've got to do that every once in a while. Because I think too easily as students like weekends don't exist is quite common for students know that doing nothing for a bit of time, is actually going to help you a huge amount the next day.

Andrew:

Yeah, I mean, resting is such an important part of studying, it's quite easy to fall into that trap of just being on it all the time. Something that's helped me a lot in my third year was making sure that I do set out that time to go and not study and having, as you see a sports club is very good for that. Because they give you those set times that you know you you have to stop playing so otherwise, it's not going to be happening. Yeah. Well, I think you've given quite a good speech there.

Peter:

Well, I think I'm gonna have to cut down because I got rambled for about 1015 minutes there. So I think I'm only gonna get two or three. So I'll have to cut it down.

Andrew:

Nah, you'll be fine. I think you've you've covered the main points and you just you cut it down to that you'll be okay. I hope that you have taken something away from this episode. I know I have going into my final year, and you'll have heard me say that to the guests in their episodes, but I hope that you have as well. A lot of great advice was said in that episode, and I hope you enjoyed it. Thank you for listening to multistory. Edinburgh: the complete Welcome Week speech. I'll see you next time for another episode.