A week in the life of an environment and sustainability undergraduate
From lectures and tutorials to group work and seminars, discover what a typical week will look like as a first-year BSc environmental and sustainability student at Surrey.
How will I be taught?
You will be taught through a combination of seminars, tutorials, lectures, group work and online learning. You’ll receive approximately 12 contact hours each week. During the first year some modules are taught in intensive teaching blocks, while other modules run over a whole semester.
You’ll also be expected to carry out independent learning, including coursework, essays and reading. We have a range of study spaces available, including our library, open 24/7, and more relaxed spaces like the new Hillside Coffee café.
What will I be taught?
In a typical week in first year students will have two or three hours of classes for a semester-long module such as Sustainable Development Goals and Indicators, plus 10 to 12 hours of an intensively taught module such as Earth System Sciences, An Unequal Planet or Environmental and Ecological Economics.
Read more about our Environment and Sustainability BSc course here.
Will I be in lectures all the time?
Don’t worry, you won’t be in lecture halls all day! This course includes seminars, discussions, group work, role-play sessions and other forms of interactive learning. There are also a couple of week-long residential fieldwork trip modules in the programme.
What about other interests? Will I have time for those during the week?
That’s what Wednesdays are for: you have most of the day to focus on sporting, society or employability events. Students have access to more than 180 student clubs and societies, with interests ranging from mixed martial arts to mah jong, and poker to politics.
Nearby Surrey Sports Park is a £36m facility, offering state-of-the-art training facilities such as a climbing wall and an Olympic-size swimming pool.
What’s life like outside lectures?
We’re a campus university so everything you need is within a five-minute walk, including the Students’ Union building, grocery shopping, wellbeing and support services, the launderette and the medical centre.
Guildford’s picturesque cobbled high street boasts a wide range of shops and restaurants, plus an excellent range of pubs and a busy nightlife. The town is also only a 35-minute train journey to London.
Expect more
Find out why you should expect more at Surrey and when our next undergraduate open days will be.
Disclaimer: The modules listed are indicative, reflecting the information available at the time of publication and may be subject to teaching availability, student demand and/or class size caps.