Welcome to your course
Congratulations on obtaining a place on the BSc Outdoor Adventure and Environment course starting in September. You join a community of students that started in 1979! The whole course is run from Ambleside.
As a student you will join an enthusiastic outdoor community both within the students and the local community. Many great opportunities await your arrival. We do hope your course is a two way process between student and staff. To this end, Welcome week is designed so that that staff and students can get to know each other.
Welcome week for Integrated Foundation Year
Welcome Week starts for all students at 9am on Monday 18th September in Ambleside (posters around the campus will display the room to meet). During your first day, you will meet all the students on outdoor courses and some of the lectures on your Course.
This experience is an opportunity to get to know other students from other year groups and outdoor courses. There will be many activities/sessions that will feed into your course, introducing concepts and practice which will be developed during the course. There will be lots of opportunities to ask questions.
We will be ensuring you have all the information you need to start your course on the following Monday. Students really benefit from the activity and sessions run in Welcome week and past students have often found the trips to be one of their favourite memories of the Outdoor courses.
A list of outdoor equipment can be found below. Equipment such as tents and stoves can be shared and borrowed, as can other kit so please do not go out and buy a new equipment specifically.
- Sleeping bag and mat
- Tent
- Stove, fuel, pans, cutlery, plate, bowl, mug etc. (there will be time to buy food on Monday)
- Torch
- Waterproof top and bottom
- Warm clothing
- Walking boots (walked in)
- Day pack (rucksack).
During the first year, students have a module dedicated to practical activities. In the first year you could take part in climbing, kayaking, canoeing, caving, hill-walking and navigation, orienteering, and environmental-orientated days. All instruction, equipment and provision of minibuses are covered by the University, however students are expected to provide their own base-level set of equipment (approximate costs are indicated in brackets).
Many students collect other equipment during their time as a student. You need not spend a fortune on this equipment (if you avoid expensive brands) and many stores now offer discounts to students/clubs. Equally there are regular second hand kit sales in the student population. If you are unsure what to buy, wait - you can purchase equipment during the first couple of weeks as a student here. In your first few weeks, the local equipment stores will open during the evening just for students or offer a discount week etc. This is a good time to buy new equipment as you will be able to gain advice from University staff, other students and shop staff.
Students like to have an idea of what they will cover in their first year and what books they are expected to read. You do not necessarily need to buy these but if you do you can have access to your own rather than share what is in the library. These are ones that are useful for the first year but many of them will be useful throughout the whole three years of the course. Some students sell the books during/after the course to the next cohort of students so you might pick up a bargain. The books are as follows:
- Barnes, P. and Sharp, B. (Eds.) (2004) The RHP Companion to Outdoor Education. Russell House, Lyme Regis.
- Gooley, T. (2013) The Natural Explorer. London : Sceptre
- Priest, S. & Gass, M. (2005) Effective Leadership in Adventure Programming. Kendal/Hunt, Iowa.
- Rackham, O (2000) The History of the Countryside: The Classic History of Britain's Landscape, Flora and Fauna. London : Phoenix Press.
- Wurdinger, S (1999) Controversial Issues in Adventure Education.Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt.
We look forward to meeting you when you arrive in September and helping you make the most of your time on the course. If you have any further questions or queries please do not hesitate to contact us (contact details are provided below).
Regards,
Nigel
Contact Us
If you have any questions about your course, please don't hesitate to get in touch with our Admissions team.
