The second year dip – it seems to be a well-known phenomenon at Imperial. The excitement of arriving at university has worn off but the end is not yet in sight. Mid-way through their degree program, many students seem to find the 2nd year of study a bit of a slog.
No doubt opinions on the matter will vary. And it is certainly true that the Biochemists and Biologists have rather different curricula in the 2nd year – the biologists, for example, have more choices.
But the dip is by no means confined to Imperial, as this interesting article in the Guardian makes plain. Do you have any suggestions on how we might better prepare students entering the 2nd year? I have at least warned students in the past to expect the 2nd year to be tougher – but what else could we do? Please feel free to comment below, or talk to your reps.