|
This is a sample of what the students who participate in the Aberdyfi
weekends had to say about them in their own words.
|
| [ What makes Aber special ] |
| "...over the weekend, I strengthened relationships with the group, and learnt to work together as a team. Although we were not always successful in our tasks, we managed to get through to the end and identify and improve on our areas of weakness. By going on the weekend I feel I have learnt a great deal about how to work with other people and feel more comfortable working in a team environment..." |
| David Parker |
|
There are two "Aberdyfi Weekends". The first weekend is a mixture of
"high
impact" ( plenty of adrenaline ) ",
low impact
" ( not so much adrenaline but plenty
of laughs ) events as well as problem solving and team building challenges. The second weekend still has the challenges but instead of the outdoor activities there are simulated job interviews conducted by people invited from industry; in addition there are other events aimed at improving your job acquisition skills. According to students, one of the great benefits of the Aberdyfi weekends is that it helps them get to know one another [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ] [ 4 ] and make friendships that carry over into day to day student life. Oh, and of course, have some fun [ 5 ] [ 6 ] [ 7 ] [ 8 ] [ 9 [ 10 ]. It was worth the £20 apparently [ 11 ] although, of course the true cost of the weekend is subsidised by the department. Some said that the deciding factor in their decision to come to Aberystwyth was the Aberdyfi weekends [ 12 ] [ 13 ] and, although some were reluctant at first, [ 14 ] [ 15 ] people seemed to really enjoy it once they'd given it a try. Besides getting to know their fellow students they also got to know the staff a lot better [ 16 ] [ 17 ] [ 18 ]. There is a serious side to the weekends though and students appear to have found that useful both in building their confidence [ 19 ] [ 20 ] [ 21 ] [ 22 ] [ 23 ] and also in building practical team-working [ 24 ] [ 25 ] [ 26 ] [ 27 ] [ 28 ] and job acquisition skills [ 29 ] [ 30 ] [ 31 ] [ 32 ] [ 33 ] [ 34 ]. And although one person said the Aberdyfi weekends were the determining factor in their decision to come to Aberystwyth [ 35 ] and they felt confirmed in that decision others felt the food left something to be desired [ 36 ] [ 37 ] [ 38 ] ( so no change there then )... although this disappointment seems to have been made up for by the nightly provision of a bar [ 39 ] [ 40 ] for those who like that sort of thing ;}}. |
From:
atm6@aber.ac.uk (ANTHONY NEIL MILLER)
To:
Mark Ratcliffe
Mark,
... I think that the
interviews and feedback from the SEMA group employees was the essential part
of the weekend. It was a good idea because the real interview situation was
very well replicated and it was useful to sit in the position of the
employer and ask the questions holding someones CV in hand to test
the info they had written was true as well as expanding on what they had
written.
=========================================================
From:
MARTY ROBBIN OLIVER
To:
mbr@aber.ac.uk
... I would have to say that " The interview that was conducted
by a gentleman from BASema was very
enlightening. Not only was it a valueble experience to me but bieng a mature
student gave me more incentive to do well.
knowing that I was not as acedemically gifted as may of the student would not be
such a disadvantage because of my
positive drive." On the whole the weekend was enjoyable (food exclueded) and
would like to say a big thank you to the
people form BASema and to you for making it possible.
yours Marty Oliver
======================================================
From:
ANDREW MATTHEW COX
To:
Mark Ratcliffe
The weekend was excellent. It was well organised and provided some great
challenges. In terms of activities and structure, you would really struggle
to improve for next year. All of the staff were excellent, both from the
uni and at the centre. Thankyou for a very enjoyable weekend.
======================================================
From:
ELIZABETH IRENE WOOD
To:
Mark Ratcliffe
I'd just like to say how much I enjoyed the Aberdovey weekend. I thought it
was a real good laugh and an opportunity to make friends that I normally
wouldn't and to do things that I normally wouldn't get chance to. Thanks
again for a great weekend.
Liz
======================================================
Date:
Sat, 30 May 1998 11:05:08 +0100
From:
GEOFF DEAN
To:
mbr@aber.ac.uk
I was telling Rosemary about a Maths student who could of benefitted
from a weekend like Aberdovey. She really has had no one to revise with
or study with for that matter and has probably found the 1st year a bit
lonely apart from those in her hall(Dave Gregory and myself included).
They (the weekends) are so useful at breaking the ice with fellow
students - everyone comments when walking with friends around campus
about all the comp sci students who let on or come round in the
evenings. It really makes a difference with projects and revision.
Keep it up next year and hope the new 1st year enjoy it as much as we
have.
See you,
Geoff Dean
======================================================
From:
DAVID ROBERT ALLEN
To:
mbr@aber.ac.uk
The weekend was a great way to meet everyone and generally great fun. the
team building aspect was clear to see and a marked improvement occurred as
the weekend went on. A pitty about your display of hats!!!
Cheers
David Allen
======================================================
From:
MEREDITH EUGENE WILLIAMS
To:
mbr
Dear Mark,
Thank you for a brillant weekend, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Boosted my
confidence, met a lot of very nice people,(not forgetting John) and I hope
to go on and do big and better things because of it.
I'm already looking forward to the next weekend and it is a pity that you
couldn't have extended this one by another week !
I hope to lose a bit of weight, get in shape, and hopefully try some of the
other activities next time round,vertigo allowing.
Perhaps I might even branch out and try Outward Bound for myself, who
knows what the future holds ?
Upwards and onwards......:)
Regards
Meredith
======================================================
From:
MATTHEW CHRISTIAN WHITTLE
To:
mbr
this is a message of support that you may print out and wave at bureaucrats
who think that aberdyfi is a waste of department money.
it isnt.
the weekend was the best I have spent since coming to uni, and i think the
20 pound subsidy I paid was well worth it!
thanks again Mark..
====================================================== Dear Mark, Even your reassuring comments in the 122 lectures could still not convince me that I would enjoy the Aberdyfi weekend. In fact it has been the main "worry" on my mind since I came here. After coming back today I realise that I should have taken in what you said! I don't think that I could have ever imagined that I would have had so much fun. Thanks for being such a good sport over the weekend. I think that once everyone saw you in the bar drinking more than them they felt they had to keep up with you. The atmosphere changed immediately. Thanks also for being such a good sport with the hats! Please don't hold a grudge they did steal my Java book! You may have noticed that the atmosphere in the department has changed considerably after the weekend. There are more laughs and I know a lot more people. I can see what you meant about the department being so friendly and the main reason for this is probably the Aberdyfi weekend. I feel I need to apologise to fooling or as some people would put it "hustling" you into making that bet. To be honest that was the fatest pint I have ever had and I will probably never drink one like that again! I should have made you buy a drink for my table as opposed to your table after you lost!! Thanks very much for taking the time and effort to arrange the weekend. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. The results are very clear to see. I cannot wait for the next one. Regards, Joe Major
======================================================
From:
DARREN HILL
To:
mbr@aber.ac.uk
Mark,
Just a quick note to say many thanks for a truly
great and enlightening weekend.
One of the reasons why I chose Aber Uni was because
of this course and look I forward to the next weekend.
Once again thank you,
Darren (Hill)
======================================================
From:
MARIAN THOMAS
To:
mbr@aber.ac.uk
I'm not really that sure of what to put in here and I'm really hoping you
won't regard this e-mail as a waste of your time! But want I want to say
really is that Aberdyfi was such and eye-opener for me ! It was really
getting me down that I didn't know many people in our year and I felt
really intimidated by a lot of people. But since Aberdyfi its made me
realise that confidence is the key to everything! There was no way that I
would have asked a question in any of my lectures because of the fear of
looking stupid but after this weekend I feel a little/lot more confident
(I'm not sure which one yet because I have a really bad throat!!!) Well
to make more sense I will be a lot more confident after my sore throat has
gone! I couldn't believe by the end of the weekend how well we got to know
each other's strengths and weaknesses!
======================================================
From:
LEE THORPE
To:
Mark
Dear Mark,
Just a quick message to say thanks for the Aberdyfi Weekend. I
feel that the whole event was a great success. It was a fantastic
opportunity for both students and staff to get to know each other. The
events which took place during the course were varied and emphasised some
very important points about team-work, communication, project management,
e.t.c. As a naturally quiet person, I feel that I have benefited
considerably from the experience. Thanks again.
Lee Thorpe.
======================================================
Subject:
Feedback from Aberdyfi
Date:
Mon, 26 Oct 1998 22:28:48 +0000
From:
PAUL SIMON WOZENCROFT
To:
mbr
Mark,
Just a quick email to say that I thought the Outward bound weekend was a
total success. I must admit that I wasn't looking forward to it, but I
think a great time was had by all. Team Building\working skills definitely
improved as the week progressed.
A credit to all the CS staff who arranged\took part.
Thanks for the experience
Paul Wozencroft
======================================================
From:
ALEXANDER RHYS HOLROYD
To:
mbr@aber.ac.uk
This was the best Outward Bound course I've been on (Not just because of
the bar, but it helped!). The best thing to come out of the weekend, is
the fact that I now know far more people than before. I'm basically glad I
went along, as it provided some useful insight into my ability to work with
a team I didn't know beforehand. To sum up, the course was rewarding and
enjoyable. Thanks for making it compulsory, as my laziness would have meant
I missed out on something genuinely useful! Cheers, Al.
======================================================
From:
ANTHONY ST DUNN
To:
mbr
Dear Mark.
I'd just like to give some feedback on my feelings from aberdovey/dyfi
(which one is it???)
I found it an absolutly fantastic experiance. Not only did I get
to
finally conquer my fear of hights which is something I've wanted to do for
ages and will hopefully teach me that fear of anything can be beaten! But
it also allowed me to get a group spirit into me. Normally I am a lot
happier working on my own on a project. It allows me to use my ideas the
way I want to but I have now revised this totally. In working with a group
on all the activites it allowed me to become part of a bigger thing, using
my input and adding it to others in order to find a solution to any
problem. I think this was the best thing to come out of the weekend and I
am sure it will help me in the future not only in working on group projects
for the degree but also when I enter the world of work.
======================================================
From:
MARK STEPHEN BROOKES
To:
mbr
I am just writing to say how useful I found the Aberdyfi weekend. If
it had not been organised, there would have been the possibility that
I would have left Aber, because I found that I was not really enjoying
myself and I was finding it difficult to settle down.
The weekend completely changed nearly everything, I certainly feel
a lot more comfortable now, although not all my problems have been
resolved, the activity weekend has certainly made a great difference
to myself - and for the better.
The weekend helped me, and others to get know each other. This probably
would not have occured if the weekend had not been organised. Not only
that but the activities that were arranged were excellent - and I really
mean that. I would be extremely disappointed if the Aberdyfi weekends were
not going to carry on. I found them very useful and so have many people
that I have spoken to.
======================================================
From:
PHILIP HOLLAND
To:
mbr@aber.ac.uk
Okay, so we got a bit wet, but who cares! Pretty much everyone had an
absolutely cracking time, including those who didn't want to go in the
first place. Staff from both UWA and Outward Bound did a brilliant job to
make the weekend enjoyable, and educational.
Phil Holland
======================================================
From:
IOAN WYN EVANS
To:
mbr@aber.ac.uk
I would like to thank you for the brilliant weekend. I was really suprised
that 10 total strangers could get on so well. When I first started I knew
nobody on the course and was meeting a few people as the weeks went on. The
weekend has given me 10 new friends, and am really good friends with
Jonothan, Gavin and Garwyn.
Before, I just went to the lectures and left.
I am really enjoying the course, every topic that I'm taking is really
interesting. I'm glad that I have swapped from astronomy, which I only did
becouse Jonothan told me that he also didn't cover everything at A Level
and he was taking Databases. Another plus for Aberdyfi.
I can't wait until February for another weekend!
======================================================
From:
MEREDITH EUGENE WILLIAMS
To:
mbr
Hi Mark,
Thank you for another great weekend at Aberdovey. John Woodbury said you
would appreciate some feedback about the weekend.Here goes...
I enjoyed the two sets of interviews (Sun 1 and Brit Aero). I found Sun 1
quite intensive and a little unnerving, given that we asked more
technically based questions and they tended to fire them backwards and
forewards, rather than speaking to us individually. One of the pluses to
come out of that interview is that they are keen to take people on who have
a knowledge of foreign languages, something that I had overlooked(having
studied Russian many years ago)and had not put this in my CV thinking it
wasn't relevant.
I particularly enjoyed the interview with British Aerospace. We interviewed
individually for about ten minutes and at the end of each interview the
others were asked for feedback and thoughts on how we had done. We were
also asked for our thoughts on the Aberdovey weekends and how it had
changed our outlook, personalities,etc. I found the interviewers to be very
relaxed and informal, putting one at ease. I found this type of interview
very useful as I was relaxed and able to think more clearly and able to
formulate my answers better.
Packed lunches still as dire as ever :) I enjoyed the weekend as much as
the first though initially found it hard to get into the swing of things,
flu and some other problems being in the back of my mind....
The MTA sessions were good as I was given the role of being group
co-ordinator for one task and found that this boosted my confidence as I
was able to take a more active part in the decision making process.
Perhaps,it would be better to say that I felt that I had taken a more
active role in the group, putting ideas forward whereas in the past I might
have stood in the background and kept my trap shut...
I hope this has been of some use to you, I will email you again with more
thoughts as they come to me.
Best Wishes
Meredith
======================================================
From:
DAVID MICHAEL PARKER
To:
mbr
"...over the weekend, I strengthened relationships with the group, and
learnt to work together as a team. Although we were not always successful
in our tasks, we managed to get through to the end and identify and improve
on our areas of weakness. By going on the weekend I feel I have learnt a
great deal about how to work with other people and feel more comfortable
working in a team environment..."
======================================================
From:
STEPHEN JAMES SMITH
To:
mbr@aber.ac.uk
Mark,
Thanks for organising the Aberdyfi weekend so well, as well as
Rosemary
and the other staff that did all of the legwork. One of the main reasons
that I came to Aber was that we were told what a friendly university it is,
and you've been proven right over the last month, especially last weekend.
Although the food wasn't amazing, it was OK, and even though the bar was
terrible, they do it only twice a year don't they? The drinking games were
real quality, and I don't know anyone at this university not doing CompSci,
or at any other university, that can say that their lecturers are so
friendly, or that they get drunk with them and play stupid games with them
on a regular basis.
The activities were very good and encouraged a lot of teamwork. However,
the fill-a-barrel-with water wasn't as good as you described to me over a
year ago, as it was right underneath the tap and next to the hosepipe.
The trapeze was just as bad as I expected, although I did make it.
Therein
lies a lot of the teamwork - all of my team helped each other make it up
and across, and I don't know if you noticed, but today in Concepts all of
my group was in the front row, in front of Vyv, Glen and I. It just goes to
show what a good weekend it was.
The only problems were that we're all knackered, and all of my body
hurts.
I need bed. Glen has an awful cold, and Vyv didn't enjoy it as much as me
because A) he couldn't e-mail his girlfriend back home for two days and B)
he didn't bond with his team-mates as much as I, and therefore didn't like
Sunday.
My only problems with the weekend were the weather (although I'm used to
it coming from Cornwall), the orienteering (our team was mis-informed badly
and wasted two hours of their time on Sunday) and the breakfasts. Still,
thanks again for a damn good weekend - I now know most of the people in
Concepts, which is quite scary.
Thanks again,
Steve.
======================================================
From:
EMYR GRUFFUDD WILLIAMS
To:
mbr
Dear Mark
Thank you very much for taking the effort to arranging this weekend. I
don't know what it takes to arrange such a weekend, but I am sure it was a
lot of work.
I thouroughly enjoyed all the weekend activities, it's nearly impossible to
single one of them out.
What did impress me however was the way the group I was assigned with
seemed to hit it off straight away, and I think our integration to work as
a team was helped by this fact.
When we first met we were all a bit nervous becuase none of us had met
before, but when we did our first activity, we seemed to gel as a team,
encouraging everyone especially when it came to the trapeze.
If I had single out on event, it had to be the Trapeze, becuase it was good
fun, end everyone was encouraging all those who had the guts to do it. I
failed the first time, but the second time I made it with a lot of
encouragement and I think that helped a lot.
I found the weekend very beneficial as it enhanced my knowledge about team
work. We covered this in my BTEC course at college, but I think the
Aberdyfi weekend took it that extra step, and I can't wait until Feburary
to do it all over again.
Emyr Williams
1st Year Student & General Pain in the arse!!!
======================================================
If you have any difficulties with the above, or have any suggestions to make on how things can be improved, please do not hesitate to email me.
| Mark Ratcliffe | Last modified: Sep 4 2001 |