Your weekly round-up of undergraduate life in The University of Manchester Department of Computer Science from Paul Nutter, Director of Undergraduate Studies.

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Week 12 (B) • Monday 10 May 2021 • #20.28

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Good morning UG! It’s Monday 10th May and we are in week 12 (a B week), the last week of teaching! The exams start next week, so please make sure you know your exam timetable (see below). The past semester has flown by and it’s hard to believe that the whole academic year has been taught remotely. We will be advertising some summer internships in the Department from Friday, you can find out more information below. On with the rest of today’s news ...

Please continue to keep safe

Paul
Undergraduate Programme Director

PASS1.

Simeon Tsvetankov (Y3, CSwIE) and Javier Rodriguez (Y3, CSwIE) write: Hi! We've come to the end of teaching for the second semester. This week is the last PASS1 session taking place this academic year! Make sure to visit PASS one last time and thank your PASS Leaders for the hard work during these difficult times! On the image you can see us playing PASS the object during one of the recent debriefs. We'd like to thank everyone who participated and made PASS1 great this year, despite the circumstances. All the leaders have done a fantastic job too. Well done! We've received a lot of applications for the upcoming intake of Leaders next year which makes us very happy and certain that PASS1 is going to continue running! Don't forget what you've learned in PASS and best of luck during exams and in the future from the PASS1 Coordination team!

PASS2.

Teodora Balmos (Yf3, CSwIE) and Boris Vasilev (Y3, CSwIE) write: Hello from the PASS2 team! This week marks the end of our PASS2 journey. We'd like to thank you for participating in the sessions and being such an amazing audience. This has been a great learning experience for us and we're so glad that we had the opportunity to be part of it. We hope the sessions have been helpful and enjoyable. We'd like to wish you success on your exams and have an enjoyable third year/placement year. If you have anything you want to ask us we will be available on Discord and will be happy to answer your questions as always.

UNDERGRADUATE SUMMER INTERNSHIPS.

The Department will be advertising, via the Careers service, 13 summer internships in the Department that will run for 8 weeks (some 10 weeks) between the 5th July and the 10th September. The rate of pay will be £10.08 per hour, 35 hours per week. Any undergraduate student (including graduating students) may apply. Applications must be submitted by the 30th May and you may apply for a maximum of two projects. Shortlisted students will be invited to submit a video interview between 14th - 20th June, with successful applicants being notified by the end of June. Details on where to find details of the internships and how to apply will be sent out before the end of the week.

SEMESTER TWO EXAMS:

Please make sure you know when your semester 2 exams are running - the exams microsite contains the full list of course units and the dates of the exams. Please note: you will not be provided with a personalised timetable in My Manchester. The Department Exams Wiki Page contains further information regarding exam formats, timeframes, advice and FAQ’s. Please read this carefully before the exam period and contact SSO if you have any questions regarding your exams.

UNICS.

This from Jennifer Tirok: Our committee elections are now open from May 6th to May 11th! The deadline for voting is 11th of May at 23:59 and the new committee will be announced after it. Help us create this new team, so VOTE VOTE VOTE! Vote here.

MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK 2021.

Mental Health Awareness Week is an annual event, inspiring the whole of the UK to focus on achieving good mental health. It’s all about starting conversations around mental health and the things in our daily lives that can affect it. This year’s theme is nature, and the aim is for us all Take Notice of nature and try to make a habit of connecting to nature each day. However, the week also offers a chance to talk about any aspect of mental health that you might want to – regardless of the theme. Nature is so central to our psychological and emotional health, and it’s almost impossible to achieve good mental health for all without a greater connection to the natural world. Therefore, during the week, The Mental Health Foundation are asking you to do three things: 

Experience nature: take time to recognise and grow your connection with nature. Take Notice and celebrate nature in your daily life. You might be surprised by what you notice!
Share nature: Take a photo, video or sound recording and share the connections you’ve made to inspire others. Join the discussion on how you’re connecting with nature by using the hashtags #ConnectWithNature #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek
Talk about nature: Discuss with your friends, family and community how you can help encourage people to find new ways to connect with nature in your local environment.

There are a number of things you can do to mark Mental Health Awareness Week:

Join the Wellbeing Strava group and complete a walk during Mental Health Awareness Week (10th – 16th May). While listening to a wellbeing or mental health podcast, upload and share your walk with a comment about the podcast you have chosen to listen to!
Six Ways to Wellbeing Walk: Wherever you are in the world, take yourself on a trip in your local area and use our Six Ways to Wellbeing checklist to engage with your surroundings and give your wellbeing a well-deserved boost.
The 4D's of Dealing with Distress: On Friday 14th May, Dr Warren Mansell will be presenting The 4Ds of Dealing with Distress: Distract, Dilute, Develop and Discover. 4Ds is a brief, accessible stress management training session in which you learn how to apply simple principles in your life to manage stress, by putting you in control. The session will involve practising a variety of methods and is best done in a private setting.
Finally, check out @uompodium through the week for some honest and open advice from our Wellbeing Champions about how to manage and stay on top your mental health.

More Recommendations

Mental Health Webinars: A webinar series focusing on various aspects of Mental Health.
Manchester Walk Routes: Check out our #SundaySuggestion post on Instagram @uomwellbeing for some walking routes in Manchester!
Or why not Find a Walk Route Near You

CRACKCHESTER.

Hey everyone. Wanna be part of the Crackchester Committee next year? Nominations are now open! We are opening eight committee positions that you can apply for using this link. The application deadline is 14th May. Best of luck!

COMMERCIALISATION WORKSHOPS.

Prof Aline Miller, Associate Dean for Business Engagement & Innovation writes: The University of Manchester Innovation Factory and FSE Business Engagement and Innovation Team are excited to invite you to three virtual workshops in June/July to help you identify opportunities and support IP commercialisation in Computer Science. The events are aimed at students, postdocs and academics working and studying in the Department and are being specially tailored with relevant agenda topics and speakers. Attending the workshops will help you identify ideas with commercial opportunity and inspire and lead to you to generate societal, environmental and/or economic impact. The three introductory events will be followed by on-going meetings and activities which will enable contact with dynamic tech companies, investors, big corporates, specialist IP lawyers as well as other organisations and individuals working in the tech/digital/AI space. These events will be held via Zoom from 13:00-14:00 on Friday the 25 June, 2 July and 9 July. You can register here. Places are limited, so please register now to secure your place.

BLOCKCHAINERS.

This from Brian Yam Tam: Hi everyone! We have two exciting updates from Blockchainers today.

Interested in a job in the cryptocurrency and blockchain sector? Come along to our event this Thursday, hosted with Encode Club, to learn more about exciting job opportunities in the decentralised finance space! Tickets here.

We are also recruiting for next year's committee! Joining us is a great opportunity to learn more about blockchain and it looks great on your CV! Application form, Roles and responsibilities.

YEAR TUTOR OPEN HOURS.

If you would like to speak to a year tutor then don't forget they each run a weekly open hour, or contact them by email:

Year 1 (not CM): Gareth Henshall - Wednesday 12:00-13:00 Zoom link.
Year 2 (not CM): Ahmed Saeed - Wednesday 12:00-13:00 Zoom link.
Year 3/4 (not CM): Tim Morris - Wednesday 10:00-11:00 Zoom link.
CM (all years): Andrea Schalk - Monday 16:00-17:00 Zoom link.
UG Programme Director: Paul Nutter - Wednesday 12:00-13:00 Zoom link.

SOMETHING TO SHARE?

Deadline for sending in Monday Mail items: 14:00 every Friday.

Welcome back to Gareth’s Puzzle Corner, this is your weekly fix of brain teasers and logic puzzles. You are given 4 different puzzles to tackle. One is an easier Sudoku, the second is a more challenging Sudoku, the third is a different form of logic puzzle and finally we have a chess puzzle for you. I hope you enjoy the puzzles and if you have any puzzles you wish to feature or ideas for Puzzle Corner then please get in touch.

Easier Sudoku - Classic Sudoku by sudoku.com

Normal sudoku rules apply.

Challenging Sudoku - Miracle Squares by Peter Veenis

Normal Sudoku rules apply. Digits in two cells separated by an X sum to 10. Digits in two cells separated by a V sum to 5. For any pair of orthogonally adjacent cells where both cells are coloured yellow: The digits cannot add to 5 or 10; the digits cannot be consecutive (ie cannot have a difference of 1); and the digits cannot have a ratio of 1:2 (so one digit cannot be double the other).

Bonus Puzzle - Kakurasu by Otto Janko

Blacken some cells of the diagram [paper] resp. color the gray cells of the diagram black or white [interactively]. The numbers on the upper and left edge of the diagram denote the sum of the values of the black cells in the respective row or column. The numbers on the right edge of the diagram denote the values of the cells in the corresponding row for the column sums; the numbers on the lower edge of the diagram denote the values of the cells in the respective column in the row sums.

Chess Puzzle - Ricardi Vs. Perez Nivar, 1984

Drag and drop the White pieces to win the chess match.

Answers to Last Week’s Puzzles

The answers to last week's puzzles can be found here.

Week 11 (A) • Monday 3 May 2021 • #20.27

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Good morning UG! It’s Monday 3rd May. We are in week 11, which is an A week, and the penultimate week of teaching. Today is a bank holiday in the UK so there are no teaching activities scheduled - make the most of it! As we are nearing the end of the semester it is important that you complete and submit any outstanding assignments - so check the deadlines for your course units.

Please continue to keep safe

Paul
Undergraduate Programme Director

PASS1.

Simeon Tsvetankov (Y3, CSwIE) and Javier Rodriguez (Y3, CSwIE) write: Hi! There are only a couple of PASS1 Sessions left for this year - the last one is in week 12, finishing with the end of teaching. Make sure you visit them as your Leaders can be very helpful with exams preparation tips! Enjoy your week!

PASS2.

Teodora Balmos (Yf3, CSwIE) and Boris Vasilev (Y3, CSwIE) write: Hello from the PASS2 team! We hope everything is going smoothly for you and deadlines aren't piling up. Next week we are going to go over some more information on third year projects. We will give you some tips that you can use while writing your report and where you can find useful resources. As always, if you have any questions you can find us on the discord server. Hope to see as many of you on Thursday!

SEMESTER TWO EXAMS:

Don’t forget that the Semester two examination timetable is available to view on the exams microsite here. Please make sure you check the timetable and make a note of when your exams are running as you will not be provided with a personalised timetable in My Manchester. The Department Exams Wiki Page contains further information regarding exam formats, timeframes, advice and FAQ’s. Please read this carefully before the exam period and contact SSO if you have any questions regarding your exams.

COURSE UNIT SURVEYS:

The course unit surveys are open! The course unit surveys are a valuable way to gather any feedback you have regarding your course units, especially after a 2nd full semester of blended, remote-heavy delivery. To take part, follow the links in Blackboard or in email reminders. For more information on feedback and Unit Surveys, go here.

PHD IN HEALTHCARE TEXT ANALYTICS.

A fully-funded PhD position is available at University of Manchester to work on 'Applying Natural Language Processing to real-world patient data to optimise cancer care'. This project is an exciting collaboration between the Manchester Cancer Research Centre and Department of Computer Science. Due to funding restrictions, applications are invited from UK nationals only. This EPSRC studentship covers UK tuition fees and an annual minimum stipend of £15,609 per annum for a duration of 3.5 years. The position is to commence in September 2021. Applicants must have obtained, or be about to obtain, at least an upper second class honours degree (or equivalent) in a relevant subject. Details available here. Please contact Goran Nenadic for informal discussion. Closing date: 21 May 2021.

LIBRARY.

This from Gemma Smith: iPads and laptops are now available to borrow from the Main Library and the Alan Gilbert Learning Commons. To borrow a device, simply swipe your ID card at the machine:

iPads: Borrow from machines located on Blue Ground floor in the Main Library
Laptops: Borrow from machines located on Blue Ground floor in the Main Library and lower ground floor at the Alan Gilbert Learning Commons.

Please note that iPads and laptops are for use within the library only and can only be borrowed for up to six hours at a time. Terms and conditions can be found on the Library website.

FIRST YEAR CAREERS SESSION RECORDING.

This link provides access to a recording of the 1st Year Careers Sessions which took place two weeks ago. This session was aimed at making students aware of the resources that were available to them via the careers service as well as offering help with CV’s.

BE HEALTHY.

A healthy body can help you better maintain a healthy mind. Be Healthy focuses on how physical aspects of our health, such as getting enough sleep, paying attention to nutrition and hydration, and looking after our personal safety can positively impact our overall wellbeing. Looking after your physical health may seem like an overwhelming task, especially as a student, but there are plenty of simple and easy ways to incorporate a healthy lifestyle into your current routine. Over the next two months, The Student Wellbeing Team will be exploring how to Be Healthy as a student, starting off with getting a good night’s sleep. Sleep is one of the most important things to consider when checking in with our wellbeing. It allows our bodies to repair themselves and our brains to consolidate our memories and process information. Getting enough sleep also boosts our ability to remember and recall information, which is vital during the exam season and longer term! A bad night’s sleep can leave you feeling tired, irritable, and unable to concentrate and when you’ve got a lot on your mind, getting a good night’s sleep can be easier said than done. For advice and sleep resources, including our tips for a better night’s sleep, be sure to check out the Student Support sleep page.

CRACKCHESTER.

We are pleased to announce that our final Crackchester event of the year taking place on 8th May 2021 is BAE Systems Capture The Flag (CTF)!  This year’s CTF will be a remote event, so please see below for instructions on how to sign up for the event. Please use this link to sign up.

Schedule – Saturday May 8th 2021

10:00: Opening brief (via discord)
10:15: Competition starts
16:00: Competition ends
16:15: Final debrief and winners announced (via discord)

How to join

One member of the team to register a team on baectf.com
Once the team has been verified other teams members will be able to join (max of 6 people per team)
Join the BAE CTF discord server – this is what we will use for all formal communications relating to the CTF event on the day and will set up private rooms within this server for each team to use.

We have also opened up 8 Crackchester Committee positions for next year so please use this link if you want to be part of the team. Good luck!

SUPPORT SERVICE SPOTLIGHT:

Togetherall is a 24/7 anonymous online mental health and wellbeing resource for students, staff and researchers. You can access the service by going to www.togetherall.com and signing up with your UoM email address. Whether you’re struggling to sleep, feeling low or finding it hard to cope, or just want the chance to think more deeply about your wellbeing, Togetherall can help you to explore your feelings and think things through. You will have access to a 24/7 online community, monitored by trained clinicians. Togetherall is a safe space online to get things off your chest, have conversations, get creative and learn how to manage your mental health and wellbeing. Togetherall is totally anonymous and confidential, so no one will know you’re using it unless you tell them! Find out more here.

PURPLE WAVE:

Join us on the 22nd or 23rd May to complete a 10k or Half Marathon in the UoM Virtual Purple Wave! You can sign up here. The Purple Wave brings together thousands of University student’s staff and alumni through our mass participation running, walking or jogging events! This year we are running an extra competition in the School of Engineering. One random student from the Department which has the highest percentage of their staff and students sign up will win a £10 UoM Nike Store voucher! Make sure to get friends and lecturers from Computer Science to sign up, so that one of our students wins the voucher!

Sign up for the Virtual Purple Wave 10k or half marathon events here
Run, walk, or jog 10k or a half marathon on 22nd or 23rd.
We will calculate which Department in the School of Engineering has the highest percentage of their staff and students sign up.
One student from the winning Department wins a £10 UoM Nike Store voucher.

More info and the sign up via this link! If you have any questions please email.

UNICS.

This from Jennifer Tirok: Hi everyone! Nominations for our society committee have been extended until May 5th. This is your chance to take part in one of the biggest CS societies in UoM, allowing you to network with many big companies, take leadership roles, learn to work in a big team and much more! Apply here and good luck!

YEAR TUTOR OPEN HOURS.

If you would like to speak to a year tutor then don't forget they each run a weekly open hour, or contact them by email:

Year 1 (not CM): Gareth Henshall - Wednesday 12:00-13:00 Zoom link.
Year 2 (not CM): Ahmed Saeed - Wednesday 12:00-13:00 Zoom link.
Year 3/4 (not CM): Tim Morris - Wednesday 10:00-11:00 Zoom link.
CM (all years): Andrea Schalk - Monday 16:00-17:00 Zoom link.
UG Programme Director: Paul Nutter - Wednesday 12:00-13:00 Zoom link.

SOMETHING TO SHARE?

Deadline for sending in Monday Mail items: 14:00 every Friday.

Easier Sudoku - Classic Sudoku by sudoku.com

Normal sudoku rules apply.

Challenging Sudoku - Boxes by Clover

Normal sudoku rules apply. In cages, digits must sum to the small clue in the top left corner of the cage (where given). Digits cannot repeat within a cage. Digits in white circles must appear in one of the four cells surrounding the circle.

Bonus Puzzle - Nonogram by Danilo Kusmin

Normal monogram rules apply.

Chess Puzzle - Blackburne Vs. Noa, 1887

Drag and drop the White pieces to win the chess match.

Answers for Last Week’s Puzzles

The answers to last week's puzzles can be found here.

Week 10 (B) • Monday 26 April 2021 • #20.26

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Good morning UG! It’s Monday 26th April, we are in week 10 (a B week). We are into the final stretch of the semester, with only three weeks to go until teaching finishes and we start the semester 2 exam period. Please make sure you complete and submit any outstanding assessments by the published deadlines. Good luck to the first years who will be presenting their group projects this week, I hope everything goes well. On with the rest of today’s news …

Please continue to stay safe.

Paul
Undergraduate Programme Director

PASS1.

Simeon Tsvetankov (Y3, CSwIE) and Javier Rodriguez (Y3, CSwIE) write: Hi! We would like to wish all First-Year students good luck with the Team Project presentations! If you happen to have your presentation after PASS on Wednesday, feel free to go to your PASS session and do a quick demo in front of your leaders - they can be very helpful in giving feedback! Enjoy!

PASS2.

Teodora Balmos (Yf3, CSwIE) and Boris Vasilev (Y3, CSwIE) write: Hello from the PASS2 team! This week we are going to continue our sessions on third-year modules. We will talk about second-semester courses and, as always, answer any questions you might have. If you have any suggestions on what we should cover next, feel free to complete this very short one-question form. If you have any other questions, you can always reach us on the discord server. Hope to see you on Thursday! :)

FIRST YEAR TEAL PROJECT SHOWCASE.

The project showcase took place on Monday, April 19, with a large number of visitors and quite a buzz. Participants and visitors voted in 3 categories, and the winning teams are:

The Application with the Best Idea/Concept Z6 “Micdrop - the Text-To-Speech Rap Battling Game” (Xinan Zou, Patrick Hume, Jack Hygate, Matthew Cockcroft, Mihai State, Yizhi Pan and Wei Chang)
The Application with the Best Design/Visual Appeal M6 “Course Planner” (Joshua Coates, Benjamin Coath, Thomas Mccartney, Claudiu Craciun and Alexander Vickery)
The most Carefully Thought Through Application W1 “Elbow Bumps- Making Friends in The COVID Age” (Zoya Anwar, Eve Ashton, Lily Nicholson, Naomi Felix, Matthew Oladimeji, Faridz Ibrahim, Zichang Wang),  and Z16 “Project Happy - Content to make you content” (Ramadan Malak, Lucy Jefford, Krystyna Szczerba, Ben Smith, Andrei Popescu, Xun Li, Sebastian Bartuzi).

EXAMS WIKI PAGE.

Have you read the Computer Science Exams Wiki Page? The wiki has information about the exam formats for the upcoming semester 2 exams, general advice, information regarding late submission penalties, FAQs and more. If you haven’t done so already, please read this carefully before the exam period and contact SSO if you have any questions regarding your exams.

STUDY SPACES ON CAMPUS:

In addition to the 1200 bookable spaces at the University’s libraries, students in the Faculty of Science and Engineering are now able to access the following spaces on a drop-in-basis:

Schuster Building – Monday to Friday, 8am – 5pm
- Rooms in the library (1st floor)
- GA10, 11, 12, 13, 14
- Open space in the annex
Williamson Building – Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm
- Computer clusters (rooms 2.20, 2.22c, 2.45)

Opening hours will also be extended in the following FSE PC Clusters;

Barnes Wallis Student Hub – Monday to Friday, 9am – 8pm
Kilburn Building – Monday to Friday, 9am – 8pm

You can read more about eligibility to return to campus to use study spaces in our online FAQs. Our top priority is keeping everyone as safe as possible. We therefore ask you to familiarise yourself with 4 things you need to know before heading back to campus. You can also find out more information on COVID-19 testing here

MANCHESTER SATELLITE DEVELOPMENT GROUP.

Matilde Jahilo writes: The Manchester Satellite Development Group is recruiting! MSDG is Manchester's one and only satellite society. Our members take part in international can-sized satellite development contests, we run our own UK-wide competition, and our CubeSat team is working hard to launch a Manchester student built satellite into orbit! There is something for everyone at MSDG, as no previous engineering experience is required. We offer a way to apply the technical skills learned at university, have fun and boost your CV. If the latter is of interest to you, consider applying to be on the committee next year - we are on the lookout for a president, treasurer, general secretary, social secretary and many more. Click this link to apply! If you are interested in joining the society as a member, remember to follow us, as member recruitment will start at the beginning of the next academic year. Instagram, Facebook.

UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER ROBOTICS SOCIETY.

The Robotics Society will host an open event on Wed 5th May 18:00-19:30. Come and join us as we have a look back on this year and showcase some of our amazing projects! This is the first annual University of Manchester Robotics Society Showcase! Our members have worked hard over the year to produce some amazing robotic projects despite being in lockdown, come and join us as we have a look back on this year’s amazing achievements by our members, have a chat with current members and committee and find out more about the projects that we run and how you can get involved with the best society at UoM! The Robotics Society is a cross-departmental society which teaches students from all backgrounds the basics of how to design, build and control robotic platforms and provides more experienced members the opportunity to work on long term, interdisciplinary team projects. Please sign up here.

COMPUTER SCIENCE MEET THE PROFESSIONALS EVENT.

Want to learn more about career options for Computer Science students after graduation? Come along to the Computer Science Meet the Professionals Event taking place on Tuesday 27th April 2021 5-6pm. Connect with fellow Manchester alumni who work in a variety of different tech jobs. Hear about their experiences of finding work after graduation and how they have adjusted to the new way of working, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Take this unique opportunity to ask questions about their career journey, find out how to tackle job hunting and gain valuable advice on how to approach potential employers. If you have any questions about the event please email Anna Warburton-Ball. Sign up for the event here.

LIBRARY ASSESSMENT SUPPORT.

Monday 26th April to Wednesday 9th June 2021. As lockdown restrictions ease, things are beginning to feel more positive and hopeful, but we appreciate that looming assessments may leave you feeling stressed and worried about balancing assessments alongside other commitments. This is a reminder that these feelings are completely normal and that there is lots of assessment support available during this time. A good starting point to access this support is the Library website for assessment support. Here you’ll be able to book a drop-in session to get support and guidance on assessments from Library staff and the student team. Specialist Library Support is also available. My Learning Essentials also has many resources including a quick guide to tackling revision, that you can access in your own time. Check out Start to Finish: Revision. Here you’ll find online resources, peer support, and additional resources all in one place. If you have any questions or need further support, you can contact the Library via uml.teachingandlearning@manchester.ac.uk or access the 24 hour Library Chat.

LOOKING AFTER YOURSELF DURING ASSESSMENTS.

It is important to continue to look after your wellbeing whilst preparing for assessments. If you need inspiration, check out the Six Ways to Wellbeing pages for loads of proactive wellbeing suggestions. The Student Wellbeing Team have also made a range of self-help resources around topics including motivation, planning goals and managing focus. There are also a number of planners that you can access to help manage your study time whilst factoring in wellbeing activities. The Counselling Service will continue to run their online workshops before and during the assessment period. You can participate in workshops that explore techniques to manage stress, such as Mindfulness Meditation and Challenging Unhelpful Thinking Habits. Remember that there are a number of other Student Support services you can access throughout and in the build up to the assessment period. Check out the Student Support website for further guidance on taking care of your wellbeing and to find the answers to common queries. If you aren’t sure where to go you can email the Student Wellbeing Team.

STUDENT SUPPORT HUB.

Remember that the student support hub is currently open in the Booth Street East Building. The hub opening hours will be Monday-Friday 10:00-16:00, where you can drop in to have a chat with someone from SSO. You can also pre-arrange a time to come in by contacting them beforehand. SSO are still available to support you via email and by phone (0161 549 1288) but please use the on campus support hub if you’d like to talk to someone in person.

HCI SOCIETY.

Matei Stan writes: Hi everyone! The HCI Society will be holding elections for next year's committee. If you'd like to participate, fill out this form. Nominations are open between Monday the 26th of April to the 3rd of May. Please note that you have to be a member of the society if you'd like to run.

CRACKCHESTER.

Thanks to everyone who attended Hackers Hub this weekend! Check our social media (@crackchester) for regular updates on our next events.

UNICS.

Hi everyone! Ready to take part of our Computer Science community? Now is your chance to join one of our teams as officers and gain a wonderful experience! Apply here and good luck!

YEAR TUTOR OPEN HOURS.

If you would like to speak to a year tutor then don't forget they each run a weekly open hour, or contact them by email:

Year 1 (not CM): Gareth Henshall - Wednesday 12:00-13:00 Zoom link.
Year 2 (not CM): Ahmed Saeed - Wednesday 12:00-13:00 Zoom link.
Year 3/4 (not CM): Tim Morris - Wednesday 10:00-11:00 Zoom link.
CM (all years): Andrea Schalk - Monday 16:00-17:00 Zoom link.
UG Programme Director: Paul Nutter - Wednesday 12:00-13:00 Zoom link.

SOMETHING TO SHARE?

Deadline for sending in Monday Mail items: 14:00 every Friday.

Easier Sudoku - Classic Sudoku by sudoku.com

Normal sudoku rules apply.

Challenging Sudoku - Highs and Lows by Rob K

Normal sudoku rules apply. All pairs of cells which share an edge and whose values add to 5 are marked with a V; all which add to 10 are marked with an X. Within any given cage, either all of the cells have values less than 5, or they all have values greater than 5.

Bonus Puzzle - Kakurasu by Otto Janko

Chess Puzzle - Sadovsky Vs. Musat, 2020

Drag and drop the Black pieces to win the chess match.

Answers to the Last Week’s Puzzles

The answers to last week's puzzles can be found here.

Week 9 (A) • Monday 19 April 2021 • #20.25

Paul pic

Good morning UG! It’s Monday 19th April, we are in week 9, which is an A week. I hope everything is going well. We have the 1st year project showcase today, so please pop in the Zoom sessions to have a look at what applications the first year students have produced (Zoom details below). Third years, the deadline for submitting your project report and screencast is this Friday. If you are planning on using one of your 7 day extensions (you will need to use one each for the report and the screencast) then details of how to do so are provided below. On with the rest of today’s news ...

Please continue to keep safe

Paul
Undergraduate Programme Director

PASS1.

Simeon Tsvetankov (Y3, CSwIE) and Javier Rodriguez (Y3, CSwIE) write: Hi! There are three more weeks of teaching left which means three more weeks of PASS - make sure to make the most of it! We would like to thank everyone who applied to become a PASS Leader or a PASS Coordinator for the next academic year. Future Coordinators and Leaders will be contacted soon with next steps. If you have any questions, please contact Simeon and Javi.

PASS2.

Teodora Balmos (Yf3, CSwIE) and Boris Vasilev (Y3, CSwIE) write: Hello from the PASS2 team! We hope you're doing well and you're managing to cope with coursework. In this week's session, we're going to go over the 3rd year modules so you can make informed decisions when choosing them. As always, we're happy to answer any questions you might have, uni-related or not. We know it's probably the most stressful time of the year for you and we want you to know that we're here for you and we'll try to help you in the best way we can. We'd like to wish you good luck with your coursework and the rest of the year. Hope to see you on Thursday!

1ST YEAR TEAM PROJECT SHOWCASE.

All staff and students are invited to the 1st year team project showcase today (April 19th), 12:00 - 14:00, where all teams will demo their web application in two Zoom sessions:

for teams M, W, and Z we use https://zoom.us/j/93413646343
for teams X and Y we use https://zoom.us/j/98340422930

Pop along and have a look at what the teams have built!

SEMESTER TWO EXAM TIMETABLE:

The Semester two examination timetable is now available to view on the exams microsite here. Please check this carefully as you will not have a personalised timetable in My Manchester. The Department Exams Wiki Page contains further information regarding exam formats, timeframes, advice and FAQ’s. Please read this carefully before the exam period and contact SSO if you have any questions regarding your exams.

ONLINE SURVEY ON USE OF THE WEB.

This from Omar Alghamdi: I am a PhD student running a survey to understand the programmers use of the web and investigate any impact. The survey will take 10-15 minutes, and any CS undergraduate student is able to participate. As a 'Thank You' for completing this survey, you will be able to enter a prize draw to win £50 as Amazon vouchers. The survey link is here.

AUTOMATIC EXTENSIONS:

As part of the University Assessment Pledge you can choose to have an automatic extension of up to seven days, for up to two individual assignments or pieces of coursework in the remainder of this academic year. This allows you to choose how to best resolve any challenges arising from deadlines ‘bunching up’. You can find out how to submit a request for an extension on the Department wiki page. There will be a late flag showing on SPOT for your work because we will process all the extension requests at the end of term - please do not fill in a late flag removal form for that. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact SSO.

LOCKDOWN EASING CONCERNS.

The easing of lockdown restrictions makes this an exciting time for some of us as we begin to return to normality. However, it’s okay if the thought of normality scares or concerns you. There are many potential reasons why we might not feel ready for lockdown to end, and after so long living under restrictions, some of us may have adapted to this new way of living more than others. Normality may feel unfamiliar and the pressure to make plans on top of existing revision commitments may feel difficult to balance. If you’re concerned about managing your workload out of lockdown, why not check out these tips on workload management. Remember to go at your own pace and make whatever adjustments feel right to you. If you’ve learned to enjoy a slower pace of life and have found things in lockdown you enjoy doing, there’s no need to abandon these strategies now that the world is picking up again. You can do as little or as much as you are comfortable with, and take each day as it comes.

STUDENT REP NOMINATIONS.

If you are interested in being a student representative then please consider nominating yourself. The election process is handed by the Students’ Union. If you'd like to be a Rep next year then please register by the deadline of 23rd April. We need more representatives for the 3rd year, so if you are in the 2nd year and not going on placement, or are currently on placement, then please consider nominating yourself.

NATIONAL STRESS AWARENESS MONTH.

Stress Awareness Month is held each April to increase public awareness about the causes of stress and how to manage stressful feelings. Change can trigger feelings of stress in many of us, especially as lockdown begins to ease, but stress can also be caused by a build-up of much smaller pressures. It’s important not to lose sight of the smaller pressures that you might be experiencing and be aware of how they are impacting you and your levels of stress. This could include the pressure of university work, family pressures or work commitments. Be sure to check out the Student Support stress page for some top tips on managing stressful feelings. You can also contact The Student Wellbeing Team for more advice.

UNICS.

Jennifer Tirok writes: Nominations for the society committee will be taking place on April 26th to May 2nd. The role description will be posted on all our social medias soon, so watch out for our posts!

SUPPORT SERVICE SPOTLIGHT:

Health Assured Helpline. Health Assured is a 24 hour mental health helpline and wellbeing app which offers access to mental health support from trained counsellors and advisors who are ready to listen and provide help whenever you need it. It’s anonymous, non-judgmental and available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. You can call the helpline for advice and support on a whole range of issues you might be facing, big or small. Things you could call for include mental and emotional health, managing relationships, feeling worried about yourself or someone else, dealing with stress and anxiety, money advice, and everything in between. Find out more here.

COMPUTER SCIENCE MEET THE PROFESSIONALS EVENT.

UNDERGRADUATE SUMMER INTERNSHIPS.

We will soon be advertising a number of Undergraduate Summer Internships in the Department. These will run between 5th July and 10th September and any undergraduate student (including graduating students) may apply. The rate of pay will be £10.08 per hour, 35 hours per week. All internships will take place remotely, no activities will take place on campus. We will send out details of the projects and the application process in early May.

CRACKCHESTER.

Hackers Hub will be taking place THIS WEEKEND on the 24th of April. It is a weekend long networking event pinned by a CTF that we built and organised. It will be filled with challenges, workshops, prizes, and plenty of opportunities to talk to different people and companies. The winners of the CTF will also receive a grand prize, so be sure to check it out! We have 3 guest speakers from the industry who will discuss a variety of topics:

Alex Smye - Senior Software Consultant at NCC Group, who will discuss Hacking@Home@Work
Mike Fortune - Operations Head & Lead Security Behaviors at BT, who will discuss the human firewall and the threat of social engineering
Adam Kramer - Secops Director and Honorary Professor, who will discuss the power of reverse engineering

Hurry and get your tickets using this link to register for the event. To take part in the CTF and win the prize, you need to be a registered participant. We look forward to seeing you all there!

EXAM FEEDBACK.

To help you understand where you may have made mistakes in the semester 1 exams we have now opened up your examination scripts for viewing in Blackboard. Please see the Department Exams Wiki Page for further information on how to view your scripts.

GRADCRACKER CAREERS EVENT.

On Tuesday the 27th of April Gradcracker will be hosting an event for all School of Engineering students to learn more about their site and job hunting when they have finished their course. Gradcracker is the UK’s careers website for Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) students. Each year over 200 employers advertise their work placement/internship and graduate roles on gradcracker.com. This Webinar will be full of hints and tips on how to secure your ideal role as well as introducing you to hundreds of employers and exploring the many industry sectors you could work in. This event will take place on Tuesday the 27th of April at 2pm. The zoom log-in details are below.

Zoom Meeting: https://zoom.us/j/93416733846
Meeting ID: 934 1673 3846

PLACEMENT Q&A.

In response to your feedback on wanting extra support and information surrounding placements, we are holding a session for 2nd year Computer Science Students to have your questions answered by Martine Storey (Employability Consultant) and Mabel Yau (Computer Science Placement & Employability Officer). Use this opportunity to ask your own questions at a tailored placement event, or you can just listen to the questions and responses of others.

Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/92549581811
Meeting ID: 925 4958 1811
Passcode: 643025

YEAR TUTOR OPEN HOURS.

If you would like to speak to a year tutor then don't forget they each run a weekly open hour, or contact them by email:

Year 1 (not CM): Gareth Henshall - Wednesday 12:00-13:00 Zoom link.
Year 2 (not CM): Ahmed Saeed - Wednesday 12:00-13:00 Zoom link.
Year 3/4 (not CM): Tim Morris - Wednesday 10:00-11:00 Zoom link.
CM (all years): Andrea Schalk - Monday 16:00-17:00 Zoom link.
UG Programme Director: Paul Nutter - Wednesday 12:00-13:00 Zoom link.

SOMETHING TO SHARE?

Deadline for sending in Monday Mail items: 14:00 every Friday.

Easier Sudoku - Classic Sudoku by sudoku.com

Normal sudoku rules apply.

Challenging Sudoku - Give Me An X ... ! by Andy Petersen

Normal sudoku rules apply. An X joins two neighbouring cells that sum to 10, and a V joins two neighbouring cells that sum to 5. All Xs and Vs are given.

Bonus Puzzle - Akari by Otto Janko

Place light bulbs in some of the white cells so that all white cells are lit and no light bulb is lit by another light bulb. A light bulb shines horizontally and vertically up to the next black cell or the edge of the diagram. A number in a black cell indicates how many light bulbs must be placed in orthogonally adjacent cells.

Chess Puzzle - Geller Vs. Liyanage, 2021

Drag and drop the Black pieces to win the chess match.

Answers to the Last Week’s Puzzles

The answers to last week's puzzles can be found here.

Week 8 (B) • Monday 12 April 2021 • #20.24

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Good morning UG! It’s Monday 12th April, we are in week 8 (a B week) and we are in the final stretch of teaching before the exams and the end of what has been a very strange academic year. Welcome back! I hope you managed to find some time to relax over the Easter break and recharge your batteries. Hopefully, you will have also used the time to catch up on your studies, complete any outstanding assignments etc. Third years, don’t forget that the deadline for stopping work on your project and submitting your code is 6pm this Friday, 16th April. On with the rest of today’s news ...

Please continue to keep safe

Paul
Undergraduate Programme Director

PASS1.

Simeon Tsvetankov (Y3, CSwIE) and Javier Rodriguez (Y3, CSwIE) write: Hi! Hope you enjoyed your Easter break! We would like to thank everyone who applied to become a PASS Leader next year, lots of fantastic applications! Additionally, if you are interested in becoming a PASS1 Coordinator next year, please hurry up and apply here. Coordinator recruitment is closing soon so don't miss out! Good luck with the rest of the semester!

PASS2.

Teodora Balmos (Yf3, CSwIE) and Boris Vasilev (Y3, CSwIE) write: Hello from the PASS2 team! We hope you had some time to relax in the past couple of weeks and catch up with everything. This week we are going to have a session where you can join and ask questions, whether they're related to university work or not, or if you just want to join and chat about anything. We hope to see you there!

ON-CAMPUS TEACHING UPDATE.

While there is some continued lifting of restrictions in England from 12 April, as outlined by the UK government on Easter Monday, there will be no further return of students to on-campus teaching at the current time. All students should continue to follow current arrangements. The University is awaiting further guidance from the UK government, which is expected in early May. See here for further information.

EXAM TIMETABLE:

The semester two exam timetable will be available to view on the exams microsite here from 12pm on Thursday 15th April. Please check this carefully as you will not be provided with a personalised timetable in My Manchester. We have created an exams wiki page which contains further information regarding exam formats, timeframes, advice and FAQ’s. Please read this carefully before the exam period and contact SSO if you have any questions or queries regarding your exams.

EXAM SUPPORT.

Do you need support for a disability/dyslexia for your Exams? If you need extra time, rest breaks etc. because of a disability, please contact the Disability Advisory and Support Service (DASS) ASAP to register. Alternatively you can contact the Department DASS coordinator Jessicca Kateryniuk-Smith to discuss a referral. Please note that you must have fully registered with DASS and have met with a Disability Adviser to discuss and agree any exam adjustments by Monday 26th April 2021 in order to receive support in the May/June 2021 examinations.

STUDENT-STAFF COMMITTEE MEETING.

We have a meeting of the student-staff committee on Wednesday 21st April. If you would like to raise any issues then please contact one of your student reps. Remember, we also interested in what’s going well, which course units are doing a good job etc, so we can learn from what works and what doesn’t.

STUDENT REP ELECTIONS.

Do you want to be a student representative? We are starting the process of electing reps for next academic year by asking for students to nominate themselves. The election process is handled by the Students’ Union. If you'd like to be a Rep next year then please register by the deadline of 23rd April. We will be looking at appointing 10 Reps in each year group (1 rep for Year 4 MEng). If we have just enough volunteers then they will automatically be appointed as reps. If there are too many applicants then an election will be held as in previous years.

COMPUTER SCIENCE MEET THE PROFESSIONALS EVENT.

NWERC SUCCESS.

This from Ian Pratt-Hartmann. On Sunday, 28th March, The North West Europe Regionals of the International Collegiate Programming Contest were held (virtually) at the University of Reykjavik. One hundred and twenty teams competed to solve eleven challenging programming problems over a period of five hours. Manchester fielded three teams:

Special congratulations go to the team Good Treap: Dragos Marin (Year 2, CS), Alex Iordachescu (Year 2, CSwIE), Andrei Bostan (Year 2, CS), who achieved an excellent 12th place (hence a bronze medal!), with nine problems solved.
Old Boys' Squad: Sava Patrick (Year 3 CSwIE), Vlad-Andrei Munteanu (Year 3, CSwIE), and Alexandru Stoica (Year 1, CSwIE), achieved 20th place with eight problems solved.
Baltoslav: Andrej Velichkovski (Year 1, CS), Simas Kuprelis (Year 3, CS), Ignes Simeon (Year 1, CS), was ranked 43rd, with seven problems solved.

These are all splendid performances, well done to everyone involved. Good Treap was the highest-placed non-Oxbridge UK team, pipping a team from Glasgow to take the last bronze medal place. Of the first dozen teams (i.e., the medalists), six represented British institutions, and of the top twenty teams, ten did. A full list of the final standings can be found here.

UNICS.

This from Jennifer Tirok: Hi everyone! Our nominations are coming up, watch out for our social media posts!

CRACKCHESTER.

Hackers Hub is less than 2 weeks away and we are proud to share with you two exciting details. We are very pleased to share that our second confirmed speaker is Mike Fortune - Operations Head & Lead Security Behaviors at BT. Over his 20+ years in BT, he has spent 8 years within cyber & physical security and completed 200+ ethical social engineering attacks. He will be discussing the human firewall and the threat of social engineering - what it really is, why we are all vulnerable to it, some real-life examples of its impact, and how businesses and individuals can defend against it. We are also very pleased to announce that BT will be sponsoring our event. Please be sure to get your tickets here.

YEAR TUTOR OPEN HOURS.

If you would like to speak to a year tutor then don't forget they each run a weekly open hour, or contact them by email:

Year 1 (not CM): Gareth Henshall - Wednesday 12:00-13:00 Zoom link.
Year 2 (not CM): Ahmed Saeed - Wednesday 12:00-13:00 Zoom link.
Year 3/4 (not CM): Tim Morris - Wednesday 10:00-11:00 Zoom link.
CM (all years): Andrea Schalk - Monday 16:00-17:00 Zoom link.
UG Programme Director: Paul Nutter - Wednesday 12:00-13:00 Zoom link.

SOMETHING TO SHARE?

Deadline for sending in Monday Mail items: 14:00 every Friday.

Easier Sudoku - Classic Sudoku by sudoku.com

Normal sudoku rules apply.

Challenging Sudoku - Numberpad Kropki by Tyrgannus

Normal sudoku rules apply. Digits in a cage cannot repeat. Cells separated by a black dot have a ratio of 1:2. Cells separated by a white dot have a difference of 1. Not all dots are given.

Bonus Puzzle - Norinori by Otto Janko

Classic Norinori Rules. Shade exactly two cells in each cage. Each shaded cell is orthogonally adjacent to exactly one other shaded cell. Every shaded cell must be part of a 2x1 or a 1x2 domino, independently from the region borders. Use the default colour of DG for your dominoes.

Chess Puzzle - Hasangatin Vs. Tishin, 2004

Drag and drop the Black pieces to win the chess match.

Answers to the Puzzles in the last Monday Mail

The answers to last week's puzzles can be found here.

Week 7 (A) • Monday 22 March 2021 • #20.23

Paul pic

Good morning UG! It’s Monday 22nd March, it’s Week 7 (an A week) and it's officially Spring! The semester 1 results will be released on Wednesday, if you have any concerns about your results then please make sure you speak to your personal tutor/project supervisor, or your year tutor. The Easter break starts next week and lasts for two weeks, enjoy the break and make sure you take some time to relax and take a break from your studies. Monday Mail will be back on the 12th April when teaching resumes. For your chance to win a prize, see if you can find Kilburn McKilburny on our social media accounts! On with the rest of today’s news ...

Please continue to keep safe and have a good break!

Paul
Undergraduate Programme Director

PASS1.

Simeon Tsvetankov (Y3, CSwIE) and Javier Rodriguez (Y3, CSwIE) write: Hi! Half of the semester teaching just flew by! Make sure to attend PASS and ask questions about the topics you find difficult! Also, a quick reminder for PASS recruitment, it's still open! PASS Leader application form, PASS Coordinator application form. Best of luck!

PASS2.

Teodora Balmos (Yf3, CSwIE) and Boris Vasilev (Y3, CSwIE) write: Hello from the PASS2 team! We hope you enjoyed our last session. If you missed it or any other session, you can find the slides and other resources on our website. This week we will go over different types of testing and how to implement them to improve your code coverage. This is the last week you can apply to be a PASS2 coordinator, so if you want to get involved in PASS2, all you have to do is complete this form. As always, you can suggest topics you want us to discuss or ask any questions that we will answer during our sessions.

SEMESTER ONE RESULTS.

The semester one exam results will be released at around 9am on Wednesday 24th March following the Faculty Exam Board on the 23rd March. Results will be released via the student system and SSO will email to confirm when they are available to view. For further information about semester one results please see the intranet page here. Please see the Department Exams Wiki for information on additional processes we are undertaking following the Assessment Pledge made by the University. Please note: marks are provisional and may be subject to change.

COURSE UNIT HEALTH CHECKS.

Thank you for completing the semester 2 course unit health checks. The feedback you've provided has been forwarded to course unit leaders, who have been asked to make adjustments to the teaching where appropriate.

EXAM SUPPORT.

STUDENT REP ELECTIONS.

Do you want to be a student representative? We are starting the process of electing reps for next academic year by asking for students to nominate themselves. The election process is handed by the Students’ Union. If you'd like to be a Rep next year then please register by the deadline of 23rd April. We will be looking at appointing 10 Reps in each year group (1 rep for Year 4 MEng). If we have enough volunteers then they will automatically be appointed as reps. If there are too many applicants then an election will be held as in previous years.

AUTOMATIC EXTENSIONS:

UNICS.

Holly Foster writes: Hi everyone! KB is back in time for the Easter Break! On Thursday 25th March join us at 6pm UK time to come and chat with other students on https://kb.unicsmcr.com/ If you find the bunny you win a PRIZE!

HUMAN-ROBOT INTERACTION STUDY.

This from Martina Ruocco: Take part in a Human-Robot Interaction study and play a game with the robot Pepper! The aim of our research is to investigate the interaction between Humans and Robots Participants will be asked to play an Investment Game with Pepper. We are looking for people that don’t have much experience with Robots. The study will take approximately 40 minutes and your participation will be rewarded. If you would like to participate, please express your time slot preference going to  this link (please, make sure to write your EMAIL alongside your name in the Name box). Please DO NOT fill the doodle if you joined our price game experiment last year. Alternatively, you can also contact us by email: Martina Ruocco and Wenxuan Mou.

SUPPORT SERVICE SPOTLIGHT:

Manchester Student Homes & the Accommodation Office. Are you starting to think about accommodation for next year? Need a place in Manchester over the summer? Manchester Student Homes is a free, University-run housing service for students who can offer independent housing advice. They can help you search for the perfect student home and put you in contact with accredited landlords. Alternatively if you’re thinking of staying in Halls next year, check out the UoM Accommodation Office. Halls are also available for short term stay over the summer vacation period – see their website for more details.

MY MANCHESTER NEWS:

SAFETY AND SAFE SPACES: In line with recent events, My Manchester News recently published ‘Safety tips, resources and safe spaces’, which is a useful guide containing resources and advice to help you feel supported whilst studying at university.

CRACKCHESTER.

Crackchester has planned an exclusive event to highlight the contributions made by women within the field of Cyber Security. The event will be hosted by Prof Danny Dresner and will consist of a panel of women across the industry, including Jenny Radcliffe, Jasmine Taylor, Holly Grace, and Dr Reem Faraj Al-Shammari. Please be sure to check out the event which will take place this Wednesday, 24th of March at 5pm. Here is the meeting link.

STUDENT SURVEY.

Hayaat Nankya Kagimu writes: The results of this questionnaire are to be used for an individual project researching safety climate perception at the University of Manchester and how this perception affects the likelihood of accidents and incidents in laboratories. Given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this assessment of safety perception is more relevant than before given social distances measures and safety protocol aimed to stop the further spread of the virus. The pandemic has catalysed the need to re-assess and change our attitudes towards safety and this research will provide the necessary insight into the current safety perception at the university and highlight areas for improvement. You can complete the questionnaire here. Please be assured that the responses obtained from all participants of this study shall be completely anonymous and confidential as no personal information would be included in the transcript. Also, the results to be obtained from this study shall only be used for the stated purpose and the entire survey will take approximately 15-20 minutes to complete.

WOMEN IN COMPUTER SCIENCE SOCIAL EVENT.

The Student Experience team in collaboration with UniCS will be running a social event for Women in Computer Science on Wednesday the 31st of March at 6pm. This event will include a short panel featuring by female academics within the department and alumni who have recently graduated who will talk about their experiences within Computer Science. We will then move onto the social where students can get to know each other and play some games in a safe and inclusive space. This event is open to all students who identify as female. The link to sign up is here.

ATHENA HACKATHON.

The Athena Hackathon 2021 will take place between 12 - 24th April and is an all-women/non-binary hackathon themed around the circular economy. The hackathon includes a series of webinars, panels, speakers and workshops as well as the hack itself, which takes place over the weekend. You can find out more information from this flyer.

FIND THE ROBOT SOCIAL MEDIA COMPETITION.

All this week (Monday 22nd to Friday 26th) your Student Experience Team will be running a competition on our social media accounts for Computer Science students. Every day this week Kilburn McKilburny will be hiding in a picture we post on our social media. Find and circle him to be in the change of winning a £10 Amazon Voucher. Full information on how to enter can be found on Instagram and Facebook respectively. Rules and T&C’s.

You can only submit 1 entry per day.
If you have won one of the days you cannot win again.
Only current registered students from the Department of Computer Science can enter the competition.
If posted on Instagram, your profile must be public so your submissions can be seen.
The competitions will be run on alternating days on Facebook and Instagram. Monday: Facebook. Tuesday: Instagram. Wednesday: Facebook. Thursday: Instagram. Friday: Facebook.

YEAR TUTOR OPEN HOURS.

If you would like to speak to a year tutor then don't forget they each run a weekly open hour, or contact them by email:

Year 1 (not CM): Gareth Henshall - Wednesday 12:00-13:00 Zoom link.
Year 2 (not CM): Ahmed Saeed - Wednesday 12:00-13:00 Zoom link.
Year 3/4 (not CM): Tim Morris - Wednesday 10:00-11:00 Zoom link.
CM (all years): Andrea Schalk - Monday 16:00-17:00 Zoom link.
UG Programme Director: Paul Nutter - Wednesday 12:00-13:00 Zoom link.

SOMETHING TO SHARE?

Deadline for sending in Monday Mail items: 14:00 every Friday.

Easier Sudoku - Classic Sudoku by sudoku.com

Normal sudoku rules apply.

Challenging Sudoku - It's Gonna Be A Long Knight by Cam Dennis

Normal sudoku rules apply. In cages, digits must sum to the small clue in the top left corner of the cage. Digits may not repeat along each of the marked diagonals. Cells separated by a "taxicab" distance of 4 may not contain the same digit. A "taxicab" distance from cell A to cell B is the minimum possible distance from cell A to cell B when traversed only through orthogonal cells. In other words if two cells are H horizontal moves and V vertical moves away from each other, their taxicab distance from one another is H+V.

Bonus Puzzle - Pills by Otto Janko

In the diagram N pills are hidden. A pill is a rectangle of size 3x1 or 1x3 cells. The value of a pill is the sum of the numbers in the three cells of the pill. There exists exactly one pill with every value from 1 to N. A number at the edge of the diagram indicates the sum of the values in the pill cells in the corresponding row resp. column. Colour all pills in Dark Grey.

Chess Puzzle - Helmut Vs. Lubomir, 1975

Drag and drop the White pieces to draw the chess match.

Answers to last week’s puzzles

The answers to last week's puzzles can be found here.

Week 6 (B) • Monday 15 March 2021 • #20.22

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Good morning UG! It’s Monday 15th March and the start of Week 6 (week B). We are in week 6 already … where’s the time gone? We’re at the semester half-way point with the Easter break just under a couple of weeks away. Don’t forget, if you are interested in being a student rep (looks good on a CV) then nominate yourself (see below for details). For fun, if you are interested in looking at some pictures of Manchester from the 1970s (including some of the University) then check out this page. On with the rest of today’s news ...

Please continue to keep safe

Paul Nutter
Undergraduate Programme Director

PASS1.

Simeon Tsvetankov (Y3, CSwIE) and Javier Rodriguez (Y3, CSwIE) write: Hi! PASS1 is continuing as the previous weeks with the availability of module-specific sessions! Recruitment is also still open, don't miss your chance in becoming a PASS Coordinator by filling in this form or a PASS Leader by filling in this form. As part of the coordinator recruitment, we will run a Debrief shadowing session, so all of you interested in becoming PASS Coordinators get to know what to expect from the role a bit better. If you're interested in shadowing, please submit the form and email Simeon and Javi.

PASS2.

Teodora Balmos (Yf3, CSwIE) and Boris Vasilev (Y3, CSwIE) write: Hello from the PASS2 team! We hope you enjoyed our last session on Third Year Projects. If you missed it or any other session, you can find the slides and other resources on our website. This week we are going to talk about different CS related activities you can get involved outside of Kilburn (e.g. Hackathons, CTF, Game Jams). The Coordinator recruitment is still going, so if you want to get involved in PASS2, all you have to do is complete this form. It's a great experience to have on your CV, and an amazing opportunity to help second-year students. If you have any questions relating to the recruitment you can message Teodora or Boris. As always, you can suggest topics you want us to discuss during the sessions, or ask any module-specific or general questions that we will answer during our sessions.

SEMESTER ONE RESULTS.

Semester one exam results will be released at around 9am on Wednesday 24th March following the Faculty Exam Board on the 23rd March. Results will be released via the student system and SSO will email to confirm when they are available to view. Please see the Department Exams Wiki for information on additional processes we are undertaking following the Assessment Pledge made by the University.

STUDENT SUPPORT HUB.

The Student Support Hub in the Booth Street East Building will be reopening from Monday 15th March. The hub opening hours will be Monday-Friday 10:00-16:00. SSO are still available to support you via email and by phone (0161 549 1288) however do feel free to use the on campus support hub if you’d like to talk to someone in person.

AUTOMATIC EXTENSIONS:

MEET A STUDENT REP.

This week the student rep of the week is Anica Espanola - “Hello! I'm Anica and I'm a student rep for first year students! I'm really excited to get to know everyone and am happy to help out with whatever you need. Please feel free to contact me if you have any concerns or just want someone to talk to. I'll do my best to support you and help your voice be heard. See you around and hope you have a great rest of the school year! ” Please email Anica if you want to discuss anything!

CYBER 9/12 STRATEGY COMPETITION.

Ryan Harrison writes: Potential Russian interference, threat to life, coordinated misinformation campaigns, large-scale supply chain attacks, economic implications, foreign diplomatic relations; these are all the things the Crackchester team tackled in their policy recommendations to the government as part of the Cyber 9/12 Atlantic Council Cyber Strategy competition. The team members (Saira Hassan, Laszlo Nagy, Maks Gotkowicz, and Ryan Harrison) grappled with the emergence of a serious (fictional) cyber threat against the healthcare system in the UK, including a vulnerability in ICUs, a dramatic rise in COVID misinformation, and calls for and attack against the vaccine supply chain. The team produced policy recommendations for the (fictional) Prime Minister's office and dealt with the conflicting interests of national and local government, the private sector, healthcare workers, systems administrators, foreign states, and so many more. After weeks of preparation facilitated by our coach Dmitry Dereshev, the team presented their recommendations to a panel of judges along with a decision document outlining their decisions.. It was a stellar performance; the team were enthusiastic and passionate about their policy choices, which drew fantastic feedback from the judges. The competition was fierce, and Crackchester won the prize for the best decision document, but unfortunately were unable to make it to the top ten and compete in the semi-final. Congratulations to the entire team on their amazing win and incredible effort. If you’d be interested in reading about how the competition worked, and what thoughts the competitors had, read this article or to learn more about the coach’s perspective read this article.

BLOOMBERG ENGINEERING EXPO.

At Bloomberg, we strive to create a working environment that values difference, fosters inclusion and promotes collaboration. Our global community of diverse engineers take on some of the world’s most interesting and important technical challenges. We are running a Bloomberg Engineering Expo and workshop on Wednesday, 24 March 2021. What to expect?

Find out what we do at Bloomberg and what it is like to work in our London office
See how the Bloomberg Terminal works
Meet our interns and graduates
Gain tips on how you can apply and interview for a role in tech with convenience
Take part in Bpuzzled challenge - Bpuzzled is a puzzle competition created by Bloomberg engineers, where teams use problem solving, creative thinking, and teamwork to solve challenging and intricate puzzles

You can register here.

ROBOTA EVALUATION.

Ben Possible writes: Second year students — I’m conducting an independent review on the RoboTA tool used in the COMP23311 course unit and would like to hear your thoughts and opinions on using it. I will be asking a few questions about using RoboTA for feedback on coursework and your answers will not be shared with the academic team until it has been anonymised. Anyone who has taken the course last semester is welcome to participate. The whole thing will be conducted online and will last less than 30 minutes and you will be rewarded for giving up your time. Contact Ben Possible for more information or simply enter your university email address here and I will get in touch with you.

COVID TESTING WHILE ON CAMPUS.

On campus? Get tested regularly to help keep our community safe and our campus open. As more staff and students begin returning to campus, it’s important that everyone using on-campus facilities gets tested twice weekly at our free COVID-19 testing centres. All staff and students who use on campus facilities (such as the Library or study spaces), attend in-person teaching activities or live in halls of residence can get tested. This testing is for those who don’t have symptoms (or who are self-isolating) – even if you don’t feel ill, you may still have COVID-19 and pass it on without realising. If you do have symptoms, you should instead get a free test through the NHS. Read more here.

AZURE AI FUNDAMENTALS COURSE.

Microsoft is providing a one-day of live, expert training on Azure AI Fundamentals. The course is free, both training and certification. The Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals course will:

Provide you with skills aligned to relevant industry job roles.
Help you achieve learning and career objectives.
Boost your employability with a free certification on real-world skills.

You can find out more information from this flyer.

WOMEN IN TECH Q&A.

Check out this youtube video produced by CS graduate Petia Davidova where, along with fellow CS graduate Stanislava Piskyulieva, they talk about what it’s like to be a woman software engineer in honour of International Women’s Day. Petia and Stansilava graduated in 2020 (both CSwIE) and now work as software engineers at Bloomberg and Amazon respectively, based in London. In the video they give some insight as to what they are doing at work, what technologies they use etc. and generally what it’s like to be a female software engineer.

LIBRARY NEWS.

This from Gemma Smith: From 15 March, you will only be able to book a study space for the following day. Library study space bookings are in high demand. Although spaces are regularly fully booked, 50% of booked sessions are not attended. To help manage demand and ensure every student has the opportunity to book a space, from Monday, 15 March you will be able to book a space online for the next day only. You will be able to book a study space for the following day from 10am. You must book in advance in order to use a Library study space, and you must keep to the session you have booked. Please cancel your space via our online booking system if you no longer need it (instructions on how to do this are in your space booking confirmation email). You can book a student space here. If you cannot book a Library study space, other spaces are available across campus via ResourceBooker.

FACULTY FORUM.

The next Faculty Forum will be taking place at 15:30–17:00, Wednesday 24th March, and we want your opinions! This is an opportunity for students and staff in the Faculty of Science and Engineering to weigh in on relevant issues. We particularly encourage Faculty Officers and Student Reps to attend, but all are welcome. We will be discussing the design and structure of assessments and feedback, with particular focus on the differences between online vs face-to-face assessment/feedback, and what support the Faculty and University can offer to support students in overcoming obstacles to online assessment/feedback, and what enables it. Sign up to take part here. Sign-up will end at 10 am on 24th March; if you want to sign up after this point please email.

STUDENT REP ELECTIONS.

Do you want to be a student representative? We are starting the process of electing reps for next academic year by asking for students to nominate themselves. The election process is handed by the Students’ Union. If you'd like to be a Rep next year then please register by the deadline of 23rd April. We will be looking at appointing 10 Reps in each year group (1 rep for Year 4 MEng). If we have enough volunteers then they will automatically be appointed as reps. If there are too many applicants then an election will be held as in previous years.

GOOGLE SUMMER OF CODE.

The Linux foundation has been accepted as a Google summer-of-code mentoring organisation and they're looking for students to mentor doing work on Linux profiling. The main details on the Linux foundation application are here. You can find details on potential projects with perf here.

SUPPORT SERVICE SPOTLIGHT:

Careers Service. The award winning Careers Service at the University can offer help and advice with job applications, career direction, mock interviews, psychometric tests, CV checks plus much more! Check out their website to see what they can offer you and don’t forget to register for CareersLink to see current job vacancies.

UNICS.

This from Jennifer Tirok: Hi everyone! Don’t miss out on this week’s Unity Tutorial presented by UniCS GameDev on Wednesday, March 17th at 4pm. See you there!

CRACKCHESTER.

Hi everyone. Crackchester has planned an exclusive event to highlight the contributions made by women within the field of Cyber Security. The event will be hosted by Prof Danny Dresner and will consist of a panel of women across the industry, including Jenny Radcliffe, Jasmine Taylor, Holly Grace, and Dr Reem Faraj Al-Shammari. Please be sure to check out the event which will take place on the 24th of March at 5pm. Here is the meeting link. We are also recruiting volunteers for two positions in our committee: Web UI/UX Designer and Marketing Designer. Please use this link for more information and to apply if you are interested.

HCI SOCIETY.

Matei Stan writes: Websites have changed how programmers access information and provide a platform to seek and exchange code and information. But how does that impact programmers’ memories? The HCI society is hosting a Zoom PhD talk on March 16th at 6 pm UK time. Omar Alghamdi will discuss his recent study findings that investigate employed resources and possible consequences that websites have on programmers. There are effects pertaining to the memory processes like recall, activities like experience, understanding, and learning, and others to the code adoption activities such as quality issues. You can watch the talk via this Zoom Link.

FROM SMARTPHONES TO BEHAVIOUR RESEARCH STUDY.

Ahmed Ibrahim writes: I would like to invite you to participate in a research study aiming to recognise human motivation and social engagement from smartphone data. You must have an Android phone to participate. For information about why the research is being conducted and what it will involve, please visit the IAMlab webpage. If you are interested or you would like to know more about this experiment, please contact me via email.

YEAR TUTOR OPEN HOURS.

If you would like to speak to a year tutor then don't forget they each run a weekly open hour, or contact them by email:

Year 1 (not CM): Gareth Henshall - Wednesday 12:00-13:00 Zoom link.
Year 2 (not CM): Ahmed Saeed - Wednesday 12:00-13:00 Zoom link.
Year 3/4 (not CM): Tim Morris - Wednesday 10:00-11:00 Zoom link.
CM (all years): Andrea Schalk - Monday 16:00-17:00 Zoom link.
UG Programme Director: Paul Nutter - Wednesday 12:00-13:00 Zoom link.

SOMETHING TO SHARE?

Deadline for sending in Monday Mail items: 14:00 every Friday.

Easier Sudoku - Classic Sudoku by sudoku.com

Normal sudoku rules apply.

Challenging Sudoku - Killer Cat Sudoku by Stuart Emmerson

Normal sudoku rules apply. Digits increase along thermometers from the bulb to the end(s). Marked cages sum to 9, and three 'invisible' 2-cell cages summing to 9 each are in box 2 (the top, middle 3x3 box).

Bonus Puzzle - Six-Pack Linked Sudokus by Genomico

This is one for those who enjoy the puzzle hunts. It's quite a long rule set but a great puzzle!

This is one large puzzle, consisting of six different variants of 6x6 sudokus, all linked together by circles. A circle is an outside clue for both adjacent puzzles.
Normal 6x6 sudoku rules apply to all sudokus, so each row, column and region must contain 1-6. Outside clues per variant show:
Difference Sudoku: The difference of the first two digits in the corresponding direction.
Outside-2 Sudoku: Must be placed in one of the first two cells in the corresponding direction.
Next-to-6 Sum Sudoku: The sum of all direct neighbours of the digit 6 in the row or column.
Skyscraper Sudoku: The number of visible skyscrapers from that side. Higher skyscrapers block the view of lower ones, size being given by the digit.
MaxAscending Sudoku: The length of the longest series of ascending digits in the corresponding direction. (E.g. the length of a 1-3-6 series is 3.)
First seen odd/even Sudoku: If odd, the first odd number in the corresponding direction; or, if even, the first even number.

Chess Puzzle - Juan Pablo, 1884

Drag and drop the Black pieces to win the chess match.

Answers to last week’s puzzles

The answers to last week's puzzles can be found here.

Week 5 (A) • Monday 8 March 2021 • #20.21

Paul pic

Good morning UG! It’s Monday 8th March and the start of Week 5, which is an A week. I hope everything is going well. If you would like to be a student representative or PASS coordinator/leader next academic year then please put your name forward - see below for details. We are running the course unit health checks this week, so please give us feedback on how things are going so far. Don’t forget the essential links provided below if you want to find information quickly, and see the regular updates that are also posted on the UG Facebook page. On with the rest of today's news ...

Please continue to keep safe
Paul
Undergraduate Programme Director

PASS1.

Simeon Tsvetankov (Y3, CSwIE) and Javier Rodriguez (Y3, CSwIE) write: Hi! This week we'll continue with the module-specific PASS for Operating Systems, Data Science and introducing one for Fundamentals of Computation! As you already know how those sessions run, just head to the relevant channels on Discord (in the PASS text and voice sections) during your timetabled PASS slot on Wednesday at 12. If you're joining these, make sure to let your PASS leaders know you're still attending. After PASS it's all fun and joy debriefing PASS with all the leaders and coordinators. The following GIF speaks for itself! Thanks to all leaders for making these great debriefs possible and I hope everyone else feels encouraged to contribute to the PASS scheme.

PASS1 COORDINATOR RECRUITMENT.

We are excited to announce that PASS1 Coordinator recruitment for the next academic year (2021-2022) is now open! If you are interested in becoming a Coordinator, please complete this form. You will have support from the department and will inherit all the work from the previous coordinators to help you! Also, it is an amazing leadership topic to bring up during job interviews! If you'd like to know more information, please contact Simeon and Javier. Good luck! Finally, just a reminder, if you are interested in becoming a PASS leader please fill out this form.

PASS2.

Teodora Balmos (Yf3, CSwIE) and Boris Vasilev (Y3, CSwIE) write: Hello from the PASS2 team! This week we'll have a discussion about 3rd-year projects. We hope this would be helpful in choosing the right project and how to approach it next year. If you want us to talk about anything during the next PASS2 session, please fill out the suggestions form or the feedback form. Also, we'd like to remind you that the PASS2 Coordinator Recruitment is happening, and you can sign up here. Hope to see you there!

SUSPICIOUS EMAILS.

There have been reports over the weekend of students receiving suspicious emails that look to have come from University accounts. These are clearly phishing attempts, so please do not open any attachments or provide any personal data. You should report such incidents to IT Services - please see their email phishing website for advice.

MEET A STUDENT REP.

This week the student rep of the week is Liam Patterson - “Hello, I'm a first year Rep from Scarborough, far up North in the UK. If you're on the Discord, you can find me there as Area or Bruce. I'm a real nerd's nerd, and if you want to get to know me you can approach me with anything. If you have any major concerns, or just want someone to talk to for advice, I'd be happy to help.” Why not get in contact with Liam if you want to discuss anything.

STUDENT REP ELECTIONS.

Do you want to be a student representative? We are starting the process of electing reps for next academic year by asking for students to nominate themselves. The election process is managed by the Students’ Union. If you'd like to be a student representative next academic year then please register by the deadline of 23rd April. We will be looking at appointing approx 10-15 student reps in each year group (1 rep for Year 4 MEng). If we have enough volunteers then they will automatically be appointed as reps. If there are too many applicants then an election will be held.

AUTOMATIC EXTENSIONS:

FUN MATH CLUB.

This from Ignes Simeonova: Hello everyone! I am Esi, a first-year student of Computer Science. I love Mathematics and I am trying to solve the optional exercises in the notes for COMP11120. My idea is to form a group of students to discuss the optional exercises in a similar way to the example classes but without teachers. We can also go deeper into the topics we find interesting. For example, I really like the exercises for proving that sqrt 2 is an irrational number and the one for De Moivre's theorem. If you are interested, you can email me or message me on discord (ignesesi#8533). Everyone is invited to join, not only people who are taking this module because we will share the problems in the group! We have created a group of a couple of students in discord but there is always a place for more!

LIBRARY.

This from Gemma Smith: From the week commencing 8th March the main library opening hours will be extended to:

9am-midnight, Mon-Fri
10am-midnight Sat and Sun

in response to the new government guidance on COVID-19. Students on campus can book study spaces at the following Library sites and study spaces via the Library website:

Alan Gilbert Learning Commons (24 hours a day, seven days a week)
Main Library (9am-midnight, Monday to Friday; 10am-midnight, Saturday and Sunday)
Stopford Library (9am-5pm, Monday to Friday)
Oddfellows Hall (9am-5pm, Monday to Friday; postgraduates only)

You can use the Click and Collect service to access physical resources from some Library sites. Find out more here. To find out how to access Library services and support, visit our Service availability page. For Library help and support, visit our Library Help page or contact us on Library Chat.

SEMESTER 2 COURSE UNIT HEALTH CHECKS.

As in semester 1, we are running course unit health checks this semester, which you can use to give feedback on your semester 2 units so far. This is a chance for you to tell us about your units while we still have time to address any issues at the earliest opportunity. The health checks open today and will close on Thursday 11th March. Please follow the links to get to your years survey and complete a survey for each of the units that you are taking this semester.

WELLBEING CALENDAR:

With many wellbeing events happening across campus and being delivered by different services, sometimes it can get a little confusing about what is happening and when. To make things easier, you can now visit the new wellbeing calendar on the student support website where you can view and book onto all of the wellbeing events that are coming up. You can book onto as many events as you want, as often as you want!

WOMEN IN STEM Q&A PANEL.

Monday 8th March is International Women's Day. We will be celebrating this throughout the week on our social media pages, and we will be advertising events being run by WISE, WES, and other societies. The biggest event of the week will be the Women in STEM Q&A panel, which takes place from 1-2pm on Friday 12th March. The panel features female academics from across the Faculty of Science and Engineering who will be answering your questions about further study, including Dr Sarah Clinch from Computer Science. This event is aimed at women and gender minority students in the Faculty of Science and Engineering who are considering continuing their study. At this event we will invite you to talk openly about your expectations, your concerns, and any barriers that you may feel stand in your way of further study. We will put these to a panel of our female academics and professional staff who will share their experiences of postgraduate study, answer your questions about how it is to be a woman in STEM, and debunk some misconceptions about the experience. This is a casual event, and as this takes place over lunchtime you are invited to bring your lunch. Sign up to the event here.

SUPPORT SERVICE SPOTLIGHT:

ResLife. If you live in University of Manchester Halls of Residence then check out your local ResLife team who live onsite and can help you get all the support and guidance you need during your stay. ResLife can offer support relating to your mental and physical wellbeing, your safety on campus and adjusting to life in a new place. They also organise lots of fun events and extracurricular activities to help you meet people, make friends and feel at home in Manchester. Click here for contact information for your halls.

BE ACTIVE - INCLUSIVITY.

By inclusivity, we mean the inclusion of different identities, abilities and bodies within the realm of exercise, wellness and sports. Exercise isn’t just about keeping fit. Physical activity can help us to think and feel positively, have more energy and can help us to feel present in the moment. However, ideas surrounding sports and exercise are heavily associated with an emphasis on visual aesthetics and athletic ability, resulting in many feeling excluded from taking part. But remember, Be Active has a range of mental and physical benefits that all of us can advantage from, no matter who we are or what we look like. In our discussion of inclusivity, we are looking to diversify the image of sports, exercise and wellness. As well as diversifying the attitudes we have towards sports, exercise and wellness. If you’d like to learn more about Inclusivity within Fitness, take a look at the following resources:

Don’t forget to follow @uomwellbeing on Instagram for more Be Active Inclusive content, created by Wellbeing Champions!

CRACKCHESTER.

Hi everyone. We have an exciting new event coming up on the 24th of March at 5pm about Women in Cyber Security! We will have a panel of women from different fields of Cyber Security across the industry, including Jenny Radcliffe, Holly Grace, and Jasmine Taylor. Hackers Hub is also coming up on April 24th and will be filled with challenges, workshops, prizes, and plenty of opportunities to talk to different people and companies. Click here to find out more info and sign up. Follow our Instagram (@crackchester) and like us on Facebook for more updates!

OPPORTUNITY FOR SECOND YEARS.

Omar Alghamdi writes: Second year students — want to test your programming skills? We’re recruiting current second year students from computer science (any program) to participate in a one hour Zoom programming challenge and interview. We’ll ask you to live-code solutions to four programming tasks and then chat to us about how you went about them. The whole thing will last less than one hour and you’ll be rewarded for giving up your time. Contact me for more information or to book your slot.

UNICS.

This from Jennifer Tirok: Optiver's Virtual Technology Insight Days will be taking place on April 8-9th 2021 for first-year students who are interested in learning about Optiver and the fintech industry. Apply now by submitting your CV and cover letter as soon as possible!

EMERGING RESEARCH TRENDS IN COMPUTER SCIENCE.

CMMRS 2021 will take place in Saarbruecken, Germany, August 2-7 2021. Applications are requested from undergraduate students in Computer Science to The Cornell, Maryland, Max Planck Pre-doctoral Research School. The 5th of this new annual series of week-long schools will focus on emerging research trends in computer science, including robotics, machine learning, responsible computing, programming languages, algorithms and game theory. Leading researchers will engage with attendees in their areas of expertise. For full consideration, applications should be received by March 15, 2021. Travel and accommodation will be covered for accepted students. We are currently planning for a physical CMMRS 2021 but will be monitoring the pandemic very closely and adjust the format as needed to ensure safety for all attendees. Further information about the school and how to apply can be found here.

MASTER’S OPEN DAY.

The Master’s open day will be taking place on Saturday 27th March and will include online talks and Q&As to introduce you to master’s options at Manchester. Book a place on the virtual open day to find out more about studying on a postgraduate programme at the University of Manchester. There will be lots of opportunities to speak with our students, alumni and connect with our teaching staff.

STUDENT SUPPORT WEBSITE FOCUS GROUP.

We really want to make sure that we are sharing information about the support that’s available at University in the best and most accessible way possible. That’s why we are currently looking to make some improvements to the Student Support website and we would love to hear your thoughts on the current website, and what we could do to improve it. We will be holding six focus groups over the coming weeks to gain student feedback on the website, and we still have some places available for each session. As a thank you for taking part, all participants will receive a £10.00 voucher. You can book your place below

Monday 8th March 4pm-4.45pm – Book your place here
Wednesday 10th March 2pm-2.45pm – Book your place here
Wednesday 10th March 4pm-4.45pm – Book your place here
Friday 12th March 3pm-3.45pm – Book your place here
Monday 15th March 10am-10.45pm – Book your place here
Thursday 18th March 3pm-3.45pm – Book your place here

YEAR TUTOR OPEN HOURS.

If you need to speak to a year tutor then don't forget they each run a weekly open hour, or contact them by email:

Year 1 (not CM): Gareth Henshall - Wednesday 12:00-13:00 Zoom link.
Year 2 (not CM): Ahmed Saeed - Wednesday 12:00-13:00 Zoom link.
Year 3/4 (not CM): Tim Morris - Wednesday 10:00-11:00 Zoom link.
CM (all years): Andrea Schalk - Monday 16:00-17:00 Zoom link.
UG Programme Director: Paul Nutter - Wednesday 12:00-13:00 Zoom link.

SOMETHING TO SHARE?

Deadline for sending in Monday Mail items: 14:00 every Friday.

Easier Sudoku - Classic Sudoku by sudoku.com

Normal sudoku rules apply.

Challenging Sudoku - Lunch with 5 Odd Friends by Andy Petersen

Normal sudoku rules apply. Digits increase along the thermo from the bulb. Clues outside the grid show the sum of digits sandwiched between the 1 and the 9 in that row/column. The central 3x3 box is a magic square. 5s never have even neighbours, even considering the grid as a torus.

Bonus Puzzle - Thermometer by Otto Janko

Blacken some cells of the diagram. A number at the edge of the diagram indicates how many cells are black in the corresponding row or column. Cells in a "thermometer" must be blackened from bottom (circle) to top without gaps but must not necessarily be completely black.

Chess Puzzle - Chongsheng Zeng, 2019

Drag and drop the white pieces to win the chess match.

Answers to the Last Week’s Puzzles

The answers to last week's puzzles can be found here.

Week 4 (B) • Monday 1 March 2021 • #20.20

Paul pic

Good morning UG! It’s Monday 1st March and the start of Week 4, a B week … it’s March already! I hope everything is going well. We had some positive feedback from our student reps at the meeting of the Student-Staff Meeting last week, so thank you. I hope you have a good week, on with the rest of today’s news ...

Please continue to keep safe.
Paul
Undergraduate Programme Director

PASS1.

Simeon Tsvetankov (Y3, CSwIE) and Javier Rodriguez (Y3, CSwIE) write: Hello! We are continuing with the Module-specific sessions for OS and Data Science this week. If you would like to see more module-specific sessions, tell your PASS Leaders or Simeon and Javi!

PASS1 RECRUITMENT.

We are excited to announce that PASS1 Leader recruitment for the next academic year (2021-2022) is now open! If you are interested in becoming a Leader, please complete this form. Note that you do not need any specific previous experience or skills to apply; your personality, dedication and willingness to participate are crucial! Also, looks fantastic on your CV! Best of luck!

PASS2.

Teodora Balmos (Yf3, CSwIE) and Boris Vasilev (Y3, CSwIE) write: Hello from the PASS2 team! We hope you enjoyed the last workshop on Spring. If you missed this or any other session, you can find the slides on our website. This week we will be covering a different type of interview topics: System Design. As always, if you have any topics you would want us to cover in the sessions, you can suggest them using this form. In other news, the recruitment for PASS2 Coordinators has started! If you want to be a coordinator for PASS2 you can apply by filling out the recruitment form. Don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.

STUDENT-STAFF COMMITTEE.

The student-staff committee met last Wednesday (24th February), you can find minutes of the meeting on the SSC Blackboard page. It was great to receive some positive comments from the reps on the semester so far - these are always passed on to the relevant member of staff. It was pleasing to hear that the changes we made to (in particular) year 2 are having a positive impact and that you are finding the deadlines chart helpful. Any issues raised by the reps since the last meeting were discussed in the meeting and, where appropriate, were passed onto course unit leaders for comment. The issues forum has also been updated. Remember that the sooner you report any issues to a student rep, the sooner we can do something to help. Please carry on telling us what's going well!

MEET A STUDENT REP.

This week the student rep of the week is Aakash Kalantre - “Hi everyone! My name is Aakash Kalantre and I am a student representative in my third year. I am very excited to get to know as many of you as possible and help you out in any way possible. I hope that I can address your concerns and will try to find unique solutions with the help of other reps & staff. Please do not hesitate to contact me or email me. Stay safe & hope you have a lovely year ahead.”.

STUDENT SURVEY.

If you are an international Chinese student then you may be able to help with a Psychology survey. The organiser of the survey, who is an Open University undergraduate student, is recruiting students to better understand the needs of Chinese international students through their opinions of seeking psychological help. The link for the survey can be found here and will generally take no more than 10 minutes to complete. It is also important to note that all responses are completely anonymous, and there is no way for any respondents to be identified.

SEXUAL HARASSMENT SURVEY.

If you are a student at the University of Manchester, you are invited to take part in a research project investigating barriers against help-seeking for experiences of sexual harassment on campus. The study will take no more than 30 minutes to complete, and all participant information will remain anonymous. Psychology undergraduate students will receive course credits for participation. This project is being conducted as a postgraduate thesis for the MSc Forensic Psychology and Mental Health programme in the School of Health Sciences, University of Manchester. If you are interested in participating, please use this link if you have any questions please email the researcher. A participation leaflet can also be found here.

UNIVERSITY MENTAL HEALTH DAY:

University Mental Health Day (UMHD) aims to bring together the University community and make mental health a University-wide priority. Even though this year we can't be together physically, we wanted to take UMHD as an opportunity to signpost to the different support services available. Taking the first step to reach out for support can be really tough, so there are a range of ways that you can access support - whether that be by speaking to someone, connecting with others online, via self-help resources or by sending a text. Remember, the support is here for you. You can choose whichever support service you feel most comfortable with:

The Counselling and Mental Health Service: you can try these resources in the first instance. If you need to talk to someone, please complete this online questionnaire. You can then call their appointment line on 0161 275 2864 between 10.30am-1.30pm (Monday – Friday), stating the colour suggested on completing the questionnaire and you will be booked-in for the next day. For urgent support out of working hours please click here.
Togetherall: a 24/7, safe online community that helps support its members with self-guided courses and resources.
The Students’ Union Buddy Scheme: if you’re experiencing feelings of isolation, you can sign up for a peer buddy.
Health Assured 24/7 Helpline: our new 24/7 mental health support phone line and app means there is always someone available to offer support.
Greater Manchester Mental Health 24/7 Helpline: ring freephone 0800 953 0285 for round the clock mental health support.
Shout: text SHOUT to 85258 to access mental health support from a trained volunteer.
The Samaritans: freephone 116 123 or 0161 236 8000 charged at local rate (when phoning from the UK). Available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to talk confidentially about any problem, however big or small.

For more information on mental health support, take a look at the Mental Health Support page and the Support Services page on the Student Support website.

STUDENT SUPPORT DROP IN SESSIONS.

Are you experiencing difficulties with your wellbeing and would like to chat to someone? The Student Wellbeing Team are offering Zoom appointments between 10am-11am & 2pm-3pm, Monday-Friday. They can help talk through any issues you are facing, signpost to different services and help you move forward. You can email for the link and to arrange a time.

INVESTMENT IN STUDENT SUPPORT EXPLAINED.

Responding to student feedback, the University has shared an article disclosing how much is spent on student support services. Click here to learn more about the University’s recent investment in accommodation, financial support, and mental health services.

SUPPORT SERVICE SPOTLIGHT:

The Students’ Union Advice Centre. The Students’ Union offers advice and support with any wellbeing problems you’re facing in a safe and confidential space away from the University. What can they do?

Give free, impartial and confidential advice or simply offer a place to talk.
Provide free contraception and sexual health tests.
Help you report a hate crime, and give you advice and support if you have been the victim of a hate crime.
Provide confidential advice and support if you have been a victim of sexual assault.
Help you understand University procedures around bullying, harassment and discrimination.

You can find more information on their website. Remember you can always contact the Student Support Office in Computer Science for any advice or help at any time.

UNICS.

This from Jennifer Tirok: Ever wondered what it takes to become a tech entrepreneur? Would you like to find out how to go from an idea to a viable product? Then START Hack - Europe's leading hackathon for aspiring tech entrepreneurs is the place to be! This March 19th-21st, 600+ coders, designers, and business students from universities all over the world will gather online to celebrate technology and push innovation forward in one, continent-spanning event. Have fun, build amazing projects, and take the next step on your entrepreneurial journey. During a weekend of ideation, prototyping and much coding you will get the chance to listen to keynotes by experienced techies (e.g. Massimo Banzi, Founder Arduino) and work on challenging cases from partners such as Microsoft, Accenture & Co. As a cherry on top, you’ll get a free ticket to START Summit 2021, Europe’s biggest student-led conference for technology and entrepreneurship. Intrigued? Learn more about the START Hack 2021 on our website and apply now.

CRACKCHESTER.

The Hackers Hub registration forms are NOW OPEN! Hackers Hub is a weekend long networking event pinned by a CTF that WE built. It will be filled with challenges, workshops, prizes, and plenty of opportunities to talk to different people and companies. The event will take place on Saturday 24th of April and will last till Sunday afternoon, so mark your calendars! Please use this link to sign up.

HYPERLOOP SOCIETY.

The Hyperloop Manchester team is a student-lead project aiming to design a unique pod that will compete in the SpaceX Hyperloop competitions and we would love to recruit new members for the coming academic year. We intend to enter the first competition that is arranged following the COVID-19 situation and are making progress designing our first pod. It is an exciting time to be part of this diverse and innovative team. We have three main sub-teams - Mechanical, Electronics & Software and Business & Outreach. The Electronics & Software team is now open for applications. Application form. Please see our website for more information.

STUDENT VOLUNTEERS WANTED.

The School of Engineering is looking for a diverse group of UG and PGT students from across the School to join a select group of students who would be willing to represent the School/Faculty at key University events and meetings. Interested students will be approached about these activities on an ad-hoc/one-off basis to attend events where student insight is valued. Why should you put yourself forward?

It will be an ideal opportunity for you to influence key School of Engineering decisions and gain an insight into the workings of a university.
It will be great for your own personal development and will boost your employability. It will be good to add into your CV and future interviews.
You will get to work with academics, including Department Heads of Education, and key Professional Service staff.

If you are interested in getting involved, please email Stacey Kendall with the following details: student ID Number, full name, and your academic department (Computer Science).

SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS AFFECTED BY INDIAN FARMERS PROTEST.

As many of you will be aware, there are currently protests that are happening in India. We would like to ensure that all students who are affected by this are able to require the support and assistance that they need. For mental health and wellbeing support and advice, call the Health Assured confidential helpline on 0800 028 3766 whenever and wherever you need it.The 24 hour mental health helpline and app offers access to mental health support from trained counsellors and advisors who are ready to listen and provide help whenever you need it. We also recognise that some of our students may require consular services at this time. Students can access support from the Consulate General of India by email or by calling 0044 – 07405158288. Consular services provide help and advice by the diplomatic agents of a country to citizens of that country who are living or traveling overseas. Assistance may take the form of provision of replacement travel documents and providing guidance. If you are affected and have any queries or concerns about this topic then we encourage you to get in contact with the Student Support Office in whatever way you feel comfortable, by email, or telephone: 0161 549 1288.

YEAR TUTOR OPEN HOURS.

If you need to speak to a year tutor then don't forget they each run a weekly open hour, or contact them by email:

Year 1 (not CM): Gareth Henshall - Wednesday 12:00-13:00 Zoom link.
Year 2 (not CM): Ahmed Saeed - Wednesday 12:00-13:00 Zoom link.
Year 3/4 (not CM): Tim Morris - Wednesday 10:00-11:00 Zoom link.
CM (all years): Andrea Schalk - Monday 16:00-17:00 Zoom link.
UG Programme Director: Paul Nutter - Wednesday 12:00-13:00 Zoom link.

SOMETHING TO SHARE?

Deadline for sending in Monday Mail items: 14:00 every Friday.

Welcome back to Gareth’s Puzzle Corner, this is your weekly fix of brain teasers and logic puzzles. You are given 4 different puzzles to tackle. One is an easier Sudoku, the second is a more challenging Sudoku, the third is a different form of logic puzzle, and finally we have a chess puzzle for you. I hope you enjoy the puzzles and if you have any puzzles you wish to feature or ideas for Puzzle Corner then please get in touch.

Easier Sudoku - Classic 2 by Gustaf Hafvenstein

Normal sudoku rules apply.

Challenging Sudoku - De Stijl by Karl Eklöf

Numbers may not repeat within rows columns or regions. Small numbers in the top left of a cage indicate the sum of the digits in the cage.

Bonus Puzzle - Kakurasu by Otto Janko

Chess Puzzle - IM De Gleria, 2018

Drag and drop the white pieces to win the chess match.

Answers to the Last Week’s Puzzles:

The answers to last week's puzzles can be found here.

Week 3 (A) • Monday 22 February 2021 • #20.19

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Good morning UG! It’s Monday 22nd February and we’re already in week 3 (A), I hope everything is going well and you've settled into your semester 2 course units now. We have a meeting of the student-staff committee on Wednesday (24th Feb) so please contact a rep if you have any issues that you would like to raise (or to report anything positive!). On with the rest of today’s news ...

Keep safe

Paul
Undergraduate Programme Director

PASS1.

Simeon Tsvetankov (Y3, CSwIE) and Javier Rodriguez (Y3, CSwIE) write: Hi all! This week we are continuing with the Module-specific sessions for Operating Systems and running a second one in parallel for Data Science. Kiran Darji will be leading the session for Data Science in a newly created channel on Discord under the "PASS" section, right where the Operating Systems one is (and was last week). There will also be a voice channel for the session, right where all your other sessions run, created specifically for the people who would like to ask their questions by speaking up. As last week, the Module-specific sessions will be running during your timetabled slot for PASS, so if you'd like to attend those, just let your PASS Leaders know and join the channels! If any questions come up, reach out to Simeon and Javi on Discord or by email.

PASS2.

Teodora Balmos (Yf3, CSwIE) and Boris Vasilev (Y3, CSwIE) write: Hello from the PASS2 team! This week we'll be having a workshop on Spring. We hope this would be helpful for your Software Engineering labs. Also, as always we'll be open to any questions you might have. This week we decided to keep breakout rooms in case you want to speak to one of us in private to see your CV, answer questions about interviews, etc. If you want us to talk about anything during the PASS2 session, please fill out the suggestions form or the feedback form. Hope to see you there!

MEETING OF THE STUDENT STAFF COMMITTEE.

The first meeting of the semester of the student-staff committee takes place on Wednesday (24th Feb). If you have any issues that you would like to raise, then please let one of your reps know - you can find contact details on the SSC Blackboard page. The Department is particularly interested in what’s going well - just so we can make sure we do more of it! So please let us know what you like and what’s going well. Maybe you want to let us know about a member of staff who you feel is doing a good job teaching, or has gone the extra mile for their students. We’ve already had some encouraging feedback about some of the changes we have made this semester.

MEET A STUDENT REP.

This week the student rep of the week is Yash Chopda - “Hello everyone, I am Yash and I am a third year AIwIE student from India. I am eager to interact and solve any of your difficulties. I will be glad to hear your feedback, thoughts and ideas related to the department. Please feel free to message or email me.” If you want to contact Yash then just send him an email.

UNICS.

Jennifer Tirok writes: Hi everyone! Don't forget to register for our Unity Tutorials presented by UniCS GameDev which will start on Wednesday, February 24th! Join our live sessions in order to develop an RPG game based on a modelled map of our campus! Over the course of 8 weeks, we will guide you through developing a fully functional game - starting with beginner-friendly concepts and slowly progressing to intermediate level. We will also be featuring advanced tutorials as part of the series, so make sure you register your interest here!

STUDENT SERVICE SPOTLIGHT:

Living Cost Support Fund. The Living Cost Support Fund, open to all students, is designed to help students experiencing financial hardship to ensure no one is struggling whilst studying at The University of Manchester. This has become increasingly prevalent due to COVID-19, resulting in the government distributing an additional £50 million to assist students. The fund is designed to help as many students as possible, so if you feel that you are struggling to make ends meet and cover essential daily living costs, please apply, whereby you will be assessed to determine what kind of assistance may be offered to you. Before you do so, you should have accessed all other sources of funding available to you, including your full entitlement of student loans/NHS Bursary. The fund cannot assist with the cost of tuition fees for any student. The University funds are discretionary with a maximum non-repayable award of £2,000. Awards are granted on a case-by-case basis after consideration of each application, and we cannot guarantee financial support to every student who applies. The Living Cost Support Fund for the 2020/2021 academic year is still open and available to all students to apply to via a portal on MyManchester. You can find out more about your eligibility, what you may be entitled to and the application process on the university website. Contact them by email if you have any queries.

CRACKCHESTER.

Hi everyone. We are proud to announce the first ever UK-wide Hackers Hub! Hackers Hub is a weekend long networking event pinned by a CTF that WE built. It will be filled with interesting challenges, informative workshops, grand prizes, and plenty of opportunities to talk to different people and companies. If you think you can CRACK our challenges, keep an eye out for sign-ups which will be opening soon. The event will take place on Saturday 24th of April and will last till Sunday afternoon, so mark your calendars!

TABLEAU WORKSHOP.

This from Dilyan Penev. If you would like to dive in the world of data visualization or just want to improve your visual analysis skill and boost your way up the career path, this is the right event for you! Together with a student ambassador from Ritsumeikan APU, we'll help you with this by exploring questions like "What can my phone metadata show?" and "What Google searches have their annual peak in January?". This online workshop will take place on Feb 24 (this Wednesday!) at 2 pm. You can RSVP here.

YEAR TUTOR OPEN HOURS.

If you need to speak to a year tutor then don't forget they each run a weekly open hour, or contact them by email:

Year 1 (not CM): Gareth Henshall - Wednesday 12:00-13:00 Zoom link.
Year 2 (not CM): Ahmed Saeed - Wednesday 12:00-13:00 Zoom link.
Year 3/4 (not CM): Tim Morris - Wednesday 10:00-11:00 Zoom link.
CM (all years): Andrea Schalk - Monday 16:00-17:00 Zoom link.
UG Programme Director: Paul Nutter - Wednesday 12:00-13:00 Zoom link.

SOMETHING TO SHARE?

Deadline for sending in Monday Mail items: 14:00 every Friday.

Easier Sudoku - Classic Sudoku by sudoku.com

Normal sudoku rules apply.

Challenging Sudoku - Kropkiesque Polyominos by Zetamath

Normal sudoku rules apply, and the grid divides fully into polyominos, each containing one circle and no repeated digits. The circle digit indicates the number of cells in that polyomino. White boxes separate adjacent, consecutive digits that share a polyomino. Black boxes separate adjacent numbers with a 1:2 ratio that are in different polyominos. All such boxes of both types are given. Three of the polyominos have been filled in, including the unique largest and the unique smallest.

Bonus Puzzle - Akari by Mokuani

Place light bulbs in some of the white cells so that all white cells are lit and no light bulb is lit by an other light bulb. A light bulb shines horizontally and vertically up to the next black cell or the edge of the diagram. A number in a black cell indicates how many light bulbs must be placed in orthogonally adjacent cells.

Chess Puzzle - Chin A Lien, 1984

Drag and drop the black pieces to win the chess match.

Answers to the Last Week’s Puzzles

The answers to last week's puzzles can be found here.

Week 2 (B) • Monday 15 February 2021 • #20.18

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Good morning UG! It’s Monday 15th February and it’s Week 2 (B). I hope you have settled down into your new timetable and routine. It was great to see such a good turnout for the virtual students vs staff quiz on Thursday, it was great fun. I’d like to express my thanks to Anna Warburton-Ball and the UniCS team for organising the event and Diana-Cristina Irimia and Zeynep Tezduyar for being excellent quizmasters. Congratulations to the winners! Don’t forget to choose your semester 2 optional course units by Friday’s deadline. I hope you have a good week … on with the rest of today’s news.

Keep safe
Paul
Undergraduate Programme Director

PASS1.

Simeon Tsvetankov (Y3, CSwIE) and Javier Rodriguez (Y3, CSwIE) write: Hello from the PASS team! We are excited to inform you that Module-specific PASS sessions are back with the new semester! They will allow students to gather and ask questions about a commonly difficult module and it allows the focus of the entire PASS session to be on one topic. Additionally, many of you probably have similar questions about the syllabus and answering those by topic makes it more useful for you and more efficient for your PASS Leaders! You would not have to allocate any additional time slot for those, as they will be happening during the usual 12pm PASS session slot! This week we will be running a session for COMP15212 Operating Systems, hosted by one of your PASS Leaders - Sam Leonard. If interested, just join the newly created channel on Discord for the session. If not, you can join your usual PASS session. Moreover, we would like to remind you that PASS group mix-and-match is also allowed and encouraged! As we expect more people to be scattered around the Module-specific sessions as the semester continues, feel free to jump to another PASS session and join their activities. Just before doing so - make sure you have informed your leader about which group you are going to sort out your attendance. Enjoy!

PASS2.

Teodora Balmos (Yf3, CSwIE) and Boris Vasilev (Y3, CSwIE) write: Hello from the PASS2 team! You still have time until the end of the week to choose your semester 2 optional modules. If you're looking at external course-units, we will be talking in the next PASS2 session about business and maths courses you can take. We will also be talking about getting placements, as well as answer any CV questions you have. The last part of our PASS2 session will be dedicated to answering any coursework questions you might have. If you want us to talk about anything during the PASS2 session, please fill out the suggestions form or the feedback form.

STUDENT-STAFF QUIZ.

This from Anna Warburton-Ball: Thank you everyone who attended the Students vs Staff quiz on Thursday night! We had 27 teams who entered and over 100 people who took part. After a very thorough and rigorous marking process we now have some winners! In 1st place we have team “Eman Throw Counter” with 41 marks out of 42! We also have two 2nd place teams who both got 40 points “Computer Says No” and “Patrices United”. The winners of the UniCS prizes are “404: Team Name Not Found” for the best team name and ‘are ya winnin son’ for the best screenshot. Well done to all the winners I will be in contact with you via email to organise your prizes! And now the bit you have all been waiting for… Who had the highest average, students or staff? The staff teams had an average of 37 out of 42 while the student teams had an average of 33 out of 42!

MEET A STUDENT REP.

This week the student rep of the week is Yingyu Xu - “Hi, I'm Yingyu and I am a 1st year CS student from China. I am very glad and excited if I can hear your ideas or anything I could help you with. If there is something I can do for you, feel free to get in touch with me.” Why not send Yingyu an email!

MITIGATING CIRCUMSTANCES FORM.

We have a new online form for applying for mitigating circumstances from semester 2 onwards. You can find a link to the form and instructions on the intranet pages here. We have also recently updated the Undergraduate Handbook to explain mitigating circumstances in greater detail and provide an indication of what recommendations can be taken by the Mitigating Circumstances Committee. Please don’t hesitate to contact SSO if you would like to discuss applying for mitigating circumstances. If you have applied for mitigating circumstances for semester 1 and need to update your form, please contact SSO.

ON-CAMPUS STUDY SPACES.

Between now and the 5th March, students in the Faculty of Science and Engineering are able to use the PC cluster and study spaces located in Office 2 on the ground floor of the Kilburn Building. You do not need to book a space in advance. The Kilburn building will be open from 9am to 5pm weekdays. Please note that Barnes Wallis will continue to remain closed during this period. We ask that you think carefully before visiting campus so that we can protect the health of our students and staff by reducing footfall on campus. We would also like to remind you that when on site you will must follow all COVID-19 safety guidelines and we strongly recommend that if you are intending to come on to campus, you take two COVID-19 tests three days apart to reduce the risk of onward transmission. Every student is eligible to book a test, as long as you don't have COVID-19 symptoms, or are a contact and have been advised to self-isolate. You can find out more about testing on the COVID-19 website.

PLACEMENT YEAR:

The Undergraduate Handbook has been updated with further information to support students who are undertaking a placement in the 2021/22 academic year. The new Placement Journey infographic helps you understand the steps you need to take from the point of receiving a job offer to starting your placement. All students who secure a placement must complete the required documentation and have their placement formally approved no later than Friday 13th August 2021. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact the Placement Officer Mabel Yau.

AUTOMATIC EXTENSIONS:

SUPPORT SERVICE SPOTLIGHT:

DASS. The Disability Advisory and Support Service (DASS) at the University is a specialist service supporting students with any condition that has a significant, adverse and long term effect on normal day to day activities. DASS helps students with a range of conditions which includes but is not limited to dyslexia and other learning difficulties, autism spectrum condition, mental health difficulties such as anxiety and depression, mobility and sensory impairments, unseen disabilities like epilepsy, HIV, AIDS, chronic fatigue, IBS and Crohns. DASS can help students access exams, study and specialist support but only if you register with them. You can make an appointment with DASS at any time. Make an appointment and register here. For advice talk to the Department’s DASS coordinator Jessicca Kateryniuk-Smith. If you decide you don’t wish to register with DASS, this may affect the level of support that you can receive from the University.

*STUDENT SUPPORT: Dealing with Imposter Syndrome. Imposter syndrome is the feeling or belief that you've been given something you didn't earn or don't deserve. It affects students of all backgrounds and in different ways. However, research has shown that imposter syndrome is more prevalent among women and minority students. It can also impact mature students, who are prone to the sense that they don’t belong. If this is something you feel you can relate to, check out this resource on Dealing with Imposter Syndrome.

LGBTQ+ HISTORY MONTH.

The Mancunian has rounded up some ways you can celebrate LGBTQ+ History Month, whether you are in Manchester or elsewhere. Click here to read the full article filled with lots of recommendations for how to celebrate at home, including virtual events, TV series’, walk routes, book recommendations and more! You can also join UoM Sport as they celebrate LGBTQ+ History Month! Each year, UoM Sport join the Stonewall Rainbow Laces campaign to show their support of the LGBTQ+ community within sport. However, this year with no in-person sport and competition, they’ll be continuing their campaign online. Show your support by joining them for Rainbow Day on Wednesday 17th February 2021! On this day, UoM Sport are encouraging everyone to dress up in their most colourful clothes to show their support. If you would like to be involved, get in touch and don’t forget to tag @UoMSport in your Rainbow Day posts!

UNICS.

Jennifer Tirok writes: Interested in gamedev but don’t know where to start? UniCS GameDev is excited to announce our Unity Tutorials starting in 3 weeks. Join our live sessions in order to develop an RPG game based on a modelled map of our campus! Over the course of 8 weeks, we will guide you through developing a fully functional game - starting with beginner-friendly concepts and slowly progressing to intermediate level. We will also be featuring advanced tutorials as part of the series, so make sure you register your interest here!

CRACKCHESTER.

Hi everyone! Hope you had a good weekend. We are planning some exciting new events for Semester 2 which will be announced later on our social media and next week's Monday Mail. In the meantime, sign up for our monthly HackTheBox competition where you can test your penetration testing skills and exchange ideas/methodologies with thousands of people in the security field. Please use this link to sign up. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram (@crackchester) for more updates!

BLOCKCHAINERS.

Seen the cryptocurrency hype lately? Still confused? Join us next Friday for an event featuring Rémy Mandon, Vice President of IBM France, to discuss the latest developments and use cases in the Blockchain Industry! Event link.

COURSE UNIT CHOICES.

The deadline for choosing/changing your Semester 2 course units on the University system is 15:00 Friday 19th February. Please do this urgently, because class sizes have implications for the timetable and we need to finalise things ASAP. See full details and instructions. Details of common enrolment issues and what action to take to resolve them are here. If you are having issues with course unit selection SSO are running a drop-in session where you can get any issues sorted right then and there. This is being held on Monday 15th (today) between 2-3. Zoom Link for drop-in. Please note that some units may have a maximum enrolment capacity, and this is stated on the relevant syllabus pages. Any queries, please contact SSO.

PROJECT SURVEY.

This from Hossein Miraftabi: Hello everyone! My third year project is concerned with building a voiced-enabled cooking assistant that helps people with the cooking process by answering any questions that they might have along the way. I am currently gathering some data to capture the language by which people would communicate with the cooking assistant. In order to do so, I have created a questionnaire and it would greatly help my project if you can kindly fill it out. You will not be asked for any personal identifiable information and it will only take you 5 minutes to complete it. If you have any questions, please get in touch with me. Click here for the questionnaire.

GAME PARADE GAME JAM.

Starting Sunday 21st February, Games Jobs Live have the next Game Parade Game Jam! Last time we had almost 400 participants produce 80 amazing games to get in front of the industry judging panel, all looking to identify the next wave of talent to hire. And this time, we've even more industry judges including Universal Music, Team 17, Sumo Digital, Avalance, Sharkmob, Double Eleven, Storm in a Teacup, and plenty more! Check out the showreel of the quality of the last one, as well as all the details about this upcoming one here.

YEAR TUTOR OPEN HOURS.

If you need to speak to a year tutor then don't forget they each run a weekly open hour, or contact them by email:

Year 1 (not CM): Gareth Henshall - Wednesday 12:00-13:00 Zoom link.
Year 2 (not CM): Ahmed Saeed - Wednesday 12:00-13:00 Zoom link.
Year 3/4 (not CM): Tim Morris - Wednesday 10:00-11:00 Zoom link.
CM (all years): Andrea Schalk - Monday 16:00-17:00 Zoom link.
UG Programme Director: Paul Nutter - Wednesday 12:00-13:00 Zoom link.

SOMETHING TO SHARE?

Deadline for sending in Monday Mail items: 14:00 every Friday.

Welcome back to Gareth’s Puzzle Corner, this is your weekly fix of brain teasers and logic puzzles. You are given 3 different puzzles to tackle. One is an easier Sudoku, the second is a more challenging Sudoku and the third is a different form of logic puzzle. I hope you enjoy the puzzles and if you have any puzzles you wish to feature or ideas for Puzzle Corner then please get in touch by email.

Easier Sudoku - Classic Sudoku by Cracking the Cryptic

Normal sudoku rules apply.

Challenging Sudoku - Whirl by WombatBreath

Normal sudoku rules apply. Cells on arrows must sum to the value in the circle/pill, and pill totals should be read left to right or top down. Digits may not repeat within killer cages. A black dot between cells indicates a cell value ratio of 2:1. A white dot between cells indicates that they have consecutive values. Digits on the marked diagonal must sum to the total provided. The central box is a magic square. Colour/shading is not significant.

Bonus Puzzle - Norinori by Iwa Daigeki

Answers to the Last Week’s Puzzles

The answers to last week's puzzles can be found here.

Week 1 (A) • Monday 8 February 2021 • #20.17

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Good morning UG! It’s Monday 8th February and it’s the start of Semester 2, so today is Week 1, which is an A week. Hopefully, after having a week off, you are now feeling refreshed and eager to get back into the swing of things … hopefully! Don’t forget to check out your new teaching timetable for this semester (there were updates at the end of last week) and make sure you have selected any course unit choices (if you have any) by the deadline. Please sign up for the Department Students v Staff Quiz (details below), which takes place on Thursday this week. Can you take on the UG team?

If there’s something you’d like to share in Monday Mail, such as your success at a Hackathon, then just send me an email. Have a good week and on with today’s news ...

Keep safe

Paul Nutter
Undergraduate Programme Director

PASS1.

Simeon Tsvetankov (Y3, CSwIE) and Javier Rodriguez (Y3, CSwIE) write: Hi all! PASS1 is coming back this week with the start of teaching activities for Semester 2. Our department allocates an hour every Wednesday at 12 pm for PASS, but make sure you collaborate with your PASS leaders to find a different time if preferred. All activities will be happening as usual, on the Discord server or however your PASS Leaders chose to arrange the sessions. For some of you, module selection is probably your main concern these days so come to PASS and get some advice to figure it all out! Looking forward to continuing interacting with you all virtually and helping with any queries or questions that come up. For PASS1 Leaders - Debriefs are starting again at 1pm, as you know it. See you then!

PASS2.

Teodora Balmos (Yf3, CSwIE) and Boris Vasilev (Y3, CSwIE) write: Hello from the PASS2 team. We wish you an enjoyable and successful semester. We'll be starting the PASS sessions as usual from this Thursday 11AM. This week we'll be going over the module choices for this semester. Hope to see you there.

YEAR TUTOR OPEN HOURS.

Don’t forget that the Tear Tutors are available to offer you help and support throughout the semester. You can contact a year tutor to discuss any issue that is affecting you, whether this is academic or personal, or just drop in for a chat! We strongly suggest you contact your Year Tutor if you are experiencing issues that are directly affecting your ability to study. You can contact your Year Tutor by email, or drop into their office open hour on Zoom:

UG Programme Director: Paul Nutter - Wednesday 12:0-13:00 Zoom link
Year 1 (not CM): Gareth Henshall - Wednesday 12:00-13:00 Zoom link
Year 2 (not CM): Ahmed Saeed - Wednesday 12:00-13:00 Zoom link
Year 3/4 (not CM): Tim Morris - Wednesday 10:00-11:00 Zoom link
CM (all years): Andrea Schalk - Monday 16:00-17:00 Zoom link

STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES.

If you would like to raise any issues about your degree programme, the teaching you are receiving, issues with coursework etc, then please talk to one of your student representatives. You can find contact details of the student reps on the Student-Staff Committee page in the CS UG Community space in Blackboard, which also contains some advice on how issues are addressed. When taking issues to a student rep, it is important that you provide enough information, at a sufficient level of detail, to allow us to take action. Don’t forget that each week we have the “Meet a Student Rep” feature to induce one of our student reps!

MEET A STUDENT REP.

Each week we will continue to introduce one of the student representatives, this week it’s the turn of Ariel Ramos Vela - “Hi everyone, I’m Ariel and I’m a third year CSE student from Ecuador. I’m excited to be a rep this year and help to make sure that students' opinions are heard so please get in touch if you have any question or concern.” If you’d like to speak to Ariel, then just send him an email.

DEPARTMENT STUDENTS VS STAFF QUIZ.

This from Anna Warburton-Ball: Do you think you know more about Manchester trivia than Dr Gareth Henshall? Think you could identify more film posters than Dr Uli Sattler? If so, then come along to our Department Students vs Staff quiz, in collaboration with UniCS, on Thursday 11th of February at 6pm. You can enter in teams of up to 6 people with prizes for the members of the teams who win 1st 2nd and 3rd place. Please use this link to sign up your team, if you do not have a team please get in contact and I will sort it out for you. The sign up will close the day before the event on Wednesday 10th of February at 5pm. Links to zoom calls and streaming services will be sent out to those who have signed up closer to the event. Keep an eye on our social media platforms for sneak peaks and behind the scene’s hints!

COURSEWORK DEADLINES.

Following some very useful feedback from 2nd year students, we have put together a Gantt chart to outline, for each year, the coursework deadlines over semester 2 across all COMP course units. You can find the chart here. Hopefully this will help you in planning your work during the semester, and don’t forget that we have a two week vacation at Easter in the middle of this semester! Please note: the deadlines shown are for indication purposes only and may be subject to change. Only SPOT indicates up-to-date information on deadlines, so please use SPOT to confirm deadlines.

BP ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS 2021.

The University of Manchester is pleased to announce the launch of the 2021 Achievement Awards, sponsored by bp. The awards are aimed at Year 1 and Year 2 students with an aim to recognise, reward and support academic excellence amongst students who have the potential to excel in their discipline. The value of each award is £800. Winners will have the opportunity to be considered for an 8-week paid project over the 2021 summer break, based at the University and sponsored by bp, provided they have expressed an interest in doing so on their application form, and the coronavirus restrictions in place at that time allow these to go ahead. The closing date for applications is Friday 19th February 2021. You can find more information here. There is an application form for 1st Years, and an application form for 2nd Years. You can contact Duncan Hull for further details.

VIRTUAL MACHINE IMAGE.

We have updated the VM image to reduce its size. The latest version can be downloaded from the VM wiki page. There are two UG images to choose from depending on whether you are taking COMP34212. It is possible to copy over your files from the old image to the new image using the backup facility. We have provided advice on how to perform the migration process.

ASSESSMENT PLEDGE.

As part of the University Assessment Pledge you can choose to have an automatic extension of up to seven days, for up to two individual assignments or pieces of coursework in the remainder of this academic year. This allows you to choose how to best resolve any challenges arising from deadlines ‘bunching up’. This also applies to dissertations, but not to any examinations. We are still working on the process for informing us when you want to use an extension and we will let you know what the process is as soon as possible. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please contact SSO. We have created a wiki page that will provide details. Please note that some assignments, mainly those involving group work, or where the answers are released following the deadline, are not covered by the pledge, the wiki page lists these.

HCI SOCIETY.

This from Matei Stan: Stereotypes are hugely inﬂuential in human-human interactions but have received little attention in human-computer interaction. The HCI society is hosting a Zoom PhD talk on Feb 9th at 7 pm UK time. Maddy Steeds will discuss their research on how individuals stereotype their devices and its implications on cognitive processes. Take part in the PhD research.

UNDERGRADUATE HANDBOOK.

Just a reminder that the Undergraduate Handbook is your one-stop resource for all information related to your studies. It contains information about your degree programmes, details on progression, how to change degree programmes or interrupt your degree programme, information on student support etc. The handbook has recently been updated to explain the mitigating circumstances process in greater detail, and provide some indication of what recommendations can be taken by the Mitigating Circumstances Committee to support mitigating circumstances cases submitted by students.

COURSE UNIT CHOICES.

The deadline for choosing/changing your Semester 2 course units on the University system is 15:00 Friday 19 February. Please do this urgently, because class sizes have implications for the timetable and we need to finalise things ASAP. See full details and instructions. Details of common enrolment issues and what action to take to resolve them are here. Please note that some units may have a maximum enrolment capacity, and this is stated on the relevant syllabus pages. Any queries, please contact SSO.

FROM SMARTPHONES TO BEHAVIOUR RESEARCH STUDY.

Ahmed Ibrahim writes: I would like to invite you to participate in a research study aiming to recognise human motivation and social engagement from smartphone data. You must have an Android phone to participate. For information about why the research is being conducted and what it will involve, please visit the IAMlab webpage. If you are interested or you would like to know more about this experiment, please contact me via email.

LIBRARY STUDY SKILLS SUPPORT.

This from Gemma Smith: Our study skills support with regular online drop in sessions and workshops continues online throughout semester 2 including:

Library Drop-In: Our general online drop in support provides an opportunity to ask our Library experts any questions regarding the Library’s resources or services. Any question is welcome whether it is IT related or help with referencing, essay writing or undertaking a literature review.
Referencing Support Drop-In: Our online referencing support provides an opportunity to speak to one of our library experts on any aspects of referencing eg how to reference or use reference management software.
Online workshops: an opportunity for students to come together for a fixed amount of time and work alongside our library experts and each other. Topics covered include “Searching Together” and “Writing Together”.

The Library also has 40+ online resources for students across a range of topics including academic writing, personal development, study skills strategies and specialist support such as referencing, maths & stats, specialist financial datasets and copyright, see My Learning Essentials.

STUDENT SUPPORT SURVEY.

This from the University Student Support Team: We really want to make sure that we are sharing information about the support that’s available at University in the best and most accessible way possible. That’s why we are currently looking to make some improvements to the Student Support website and we would love to hear your thoughts on the current website, and what we could do to improve it. Please complete our survey about the Student Support website by Monday 8th February (note the deadline is today). The survey should only take less than five minutes to complete, but your feedback will be fundamental in helping us to make changes that should benefit students now and in the future. You can go to the survey by clicking here. We really appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts.

SUPPORT SERVICE SPOTLIGHT:

The Counselling Service. The University counselling service is free to students and can offer help and support with a range of personal issues. Support is provided through a range of activities including;

Confidential one to one appointments
Group workshops
Online support materials and self-help tools

You can refer yourself to the counselling service by booking an appointment online. Remember, you can always contact the Student Support Office in Computer Science for any advice or help at any time.

WORK EXPERIENCE BURSARY.

Are you looking to gain an insight into a certain industry to see if it is right for you, or are you looking at your CV and noticing some gaps? Perhaps now is the time to dip your toe into the virtual world of work experience.The Careers Service has great resources for you to tap into, to help you get started. To find out more click here. We also have you covered, if you find that ideal opportunity and need some financial support. The Work Experience scheme offers financial support with your accommodation, travel and or dependent care costs. With a bursary award of up to £1,000 we can help reduce the financial burden you might feel. Applications to the scheme are reviewed on a monthly basis. The application process could not be simpler. To find out more, click here.

RECRUITMENT FOCUS GROUP.

There is an opportunity for first year students in the Faculty of Science and Engineering to participate in a focus group with the Student Recruitment & Marketing Team and receive a £10 Amazon voucher. The focus group will discuss why you chose to study here, what you thought of the communication that you received before you started your studies here and the activities that helped you come to the decision to study at Manchester. The results of the focus groups will help future students receive all the information they need before joining the university. For anyone who is interested to attend a 1 hour focus group session by Zoom call (dates and times TBC), please complete this application survey. Once we have enough students signed up, we will then be in touch with details of your allocated session.

OUTREACHY INTERNSHIPS.

Outreachy provides remote internships that are open to applicants from around the world. Successful interns work remotely and are not required to move. They work with experienced mentors from open source communities. Outreachy internship projects may include programming, user experience, documentation, illustration, graphical design, data science, project marketing, user advocacy, or community event planning. This scheme is suitable for all students (UG to PGR) and is targeted towards under-presented groups in CS and supports diversity. You can find more information here. The deadline for applications is 22nd February.

SOMETHING TO SHARE?

Deadline for sending in Monday Mail items: 14:00 every Friday.

Easier Sudoku - Domino by Scott Strosahl

Normal sudoku and quadruples rules apply. The digits in the circle must appear at least once in the surrounding 4 cells.

Challenging Sudoku - Japanese Sums Sudoku by Genomico

Normal sudoku rules apply. Additionally, shade some cells such that the clues outside the grid indicate the sums of the digits in contiguous blocks of white cells in the respective row or column. Every question mark represents a number (from 1-45). Blocks have to be separated by at least one shaded cell.

Bonus Puzzle - Nonogram by Paws

Normal Nonogram rules apply. Rules can be found here.

Answers to the Last Week’s Puzzles

The answers to last week's puzzles can be found here.

Post exams week AY20 • Monday 1 February 2021 • #20.16

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Good morning UG! It’s Monday 1st February and you have a week off as there are no scheduled teaching activities this week! So, take some time to relax before we jump into semester 2, which starts next week. I hope your exams went well over the past two weeks. We’ve taken onboard your comments about the size of the VM Image and have produced a newer, slim-downed version - see below for details.

Keep safe

Paul
Director of Undergraduate Studies

PASS1.

Simeon Tsvetankov (Y3, CSwIE) and Javier Rodriguez (Y3, CSwIE) write: Hi! Now that exams are over, please make sure to get some well-deserved rest! Recharge your batteries this week and prepare for the start of the second semester next week. If any questions arise, you know where to find PASS by now - Discord is always available as are your Coordinators and Leaders. Stay tuned for the start of PASS again soon!

PASS2.

Teodora Balmos (Yf3, CSwIE) and Boris Vasilev (Y3, CSwIE) write: Hello from the PASS2 team. We hope your exams went well and now you can relax for a bit before starting the second semester. The PASS2 sessions will start again next week. Until then, enjoy your time and if you need anything, you can contact us on the discord channel.

SEMESTER TWO.

We will continue to teach online for all course units in semester 2 until at least the 8th March following UK Government advice, and so you should not return to campus. The teaching timetable changes in semester 2 and you start a new set of course units. You can check out your semester 2 teaching timetable on the Department intranet pages.

VIRTUAL MACHINE IMAGE.

We have updated the VM image to reduce the size of the image. The latest version can be downloaded from the VM wiki page. There are two UG images to choose from depending on whether you are taking COMP34212. It is possible to copy over your files from the old image to the new image using the backup facility. We have provided advice on how to perform the migration process.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY WITH GOOGLE STUDENTS.

Come celebrate International Women’s Day with Google!This two day virtual event series is open to all higher education students in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa and is committed to creating spaces where women who are at the start of their careers can find community, inspiration, and empowerment. Deadline to register is Thursday, March 7, 2021 at 11:59 pm. Submit your registration here. Attendees will catch a rare glimpse behind the scenes at Google EMEA, will learn about our internship and full time roles and gain access to tech talks and professional development opportunities, while expanding their networks.

COURSE UNIT CHOICES.

NEW COLLEAGUE IS SSO.

A big welcome to Jessicca Kateryniuk-Smith who has recently joined SSO as the Student Support & Welfare Administrator. Jessicca will support both the Undergraduate and Postgraduate teams to respond to your queries but will focus particularly on welfare and wellbeing support for students. Welcome to the team Jessicca!

SUPPORT SERVICE SPOTLIGHT:

Togetherall is a 24/7 anonymous online mental health and wellbeing resource for students, staff and researchers. You can access the service by going to www.togetherall.com and signing up with your UoM email address. Whether you’re struggling to sleep, feeling low or finding it hard to cope, or just want to the chance to think more deeply about your wellbeing, Togetherall can help you to explore your feelings and think things through. You will have access to a 24/7 online community, monitored by trained clinicians. Togetherall is a safe space online to get things off your chest, have conversations, get creative and learn how to manage your mental health and wellbeing. Togetherall is totally anonymous and confidential, so no one will know you’re using it unless you tell them! Find out more here.

DEPARTMENT STUDENTS VS STAFF QUIZ.

This from Anna Warburton-Ball: Do you think you know more about Manchester trivia than Dr Gareth Henshall? Think you could identify more film posters than Dr Uli Sattler? If so, then come along to our Department Students vs Staff quiz, in collaboration with UniCS, on Thursday 11th of February at 6pm. You can enter in teams of up to 6 people with prizes for the members of the teams who win 1st, 2nd and 3rd place. Please use this link to sign up your team, if you do not have a team please get in contact and I will sort it out for you. Links to zoom calls and streaming services will be sent out to those who have signed up closer to the event.

SOMETHING TO SHARE?

Deadline for sending in Monday Mail items: 14:00 every Friday.

Welcome back to Gareth’s Puzzle Corner, this is your weekly fix of brain teasers and logic puzzles. This week we are trying something different. You are given 3 different puzzles to tackle. One is an easier Sudoku, the second is a more challenging Sudoku and the third is a different form of logic puzzle. I hope you enjoy the puzzles and if you have any puzzles you wish to feature or ideas for Puzzle Corner then please get in touch.

Easier Sudoku - 4 Leaf Clover by Scott Strosahl

Normal sukoku rules apply.

Challenging Sudoku - X, V, XV Sudoku by jovi-al

Normal sudoku rules apply. Cells separated by a V, X, or XV sum to 5, 10, and 15 respectively. All such clues are given.

Bonus Puzzle - Star Battle by Scott Strosahl

Place 2 stars in every row, column and region such that no star touches another, orthogonally or diagonally.

Answers to last weeks puzzles

The answers to last week's puzzles (including the December Monthly Puzzle Hunt!) can be found here.

Exams Week 2 • Monday 25 January 2021 • #20.15

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Good morning UG! It’s Monday 25th January and we are in the second (and final) week of the semester 1 examination period. I hope everything is going well so far with the exams. If you have any problems with an exam then please let SSO know immediately by email. You have a week off next week before semester 2 teaching starts on Monday 8th February. I hope you have a good week and please continue to keep safe.
Paul
Director of Undergraduate Studies

PASS1.

Simeon Tsvetankov (Y3, CSwIE) and Javier Rodriguez (Y3, CSwIE) write: Hi all! We hope exams are going well! This message is just a reminder that PASS1 will be back with the start of the second semester; stay tuned for more updates in the upcoming weeks! Best of luck!

ONLINE SURVEY ON USE OF THE WEB.

COURSE UNIT CHOICES.

COMPUTER SCIENCE STUDY GROUP.

Fed up of procrastination on your own? Keen to focus your time and organise your revision? Want to meet new course mates and discuss your work? The Student Experience Team will be running a Computer Science Study Group every weekday for an hour between now and the end of exams. This is a good opportunity to come and ask questions and we will do our best to answer them or point you in the direction of someone who can. There will also be space for you to catch up and unwind with your friends so this could offer a good opportunity to schedule breaks in your revision. This is open to students from all year groups, but there are spaces specifically focused on 1st year students. Join via Zoom on the following dates:

Monday 25th - 3pm
Tuesday 26th - 1pm
Wednesday 27th - 10am
Thursday 28th - 10am

Please note that this is run by the student experience team and there will NOT be an academic presence.

BLACK TECH BROADCASTS.

“Black Tech Broadcasts” is an event series from Hype Collective aimed at helping young black talent get into the world of tech and succeed. These events are at 4 pm every Thursday from 4th February until the 25th. They are focused on the challenges and opportunities available for black students, and free and open for everyone to attend.

EXAMS:

We hope your exams have gone well so far. For those with exams taking place this week please be reminded that the exam timetable is available to view here. Please check this carefully as you will not have a personalised timetable in My Manchester. We have created an exams wiki page which contains further information regarding exam formats, timeframes, advice and FAQ’s. Please read this carefully before the exam period. If something happens on the day such as illness or internet connectivity please let SSO know as soon as possible.

ASSESSMENT PLEDGE:

On Tuesday 19 January 2021 you were sent an email from the University with details of our new Assessment Pledge. This five-point pledge has been agreed in collaboration with the Students’ Union and has been designed to ensure that we are able to support our students through the challenges of the pandemic. Here in the Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE) we are fully committed to making the pledge work for all our students. In order to implement all of the elements effectively and consistently we need to ensure that we have robust processes in place to keep track of the actions that are being taken to support individual students. It will take us a little time to embed these processes but we will be in touch with more information about how this will work for you. For more information about the Pledge please read the FAQs.

UG AWARDS.

Win summer placements, internships, and trips abroad, in the Target Jobs Undergraduate of the Year awards. The awards are a fantastic way for you to win valuable career experience as well as gaining insight into the graduate job application process. Each award is partnered with a prominent graduate recruiter who provides a fantastic prize for the winner, including paid internships, trips abroad, and other exclusive opportunities. Applications are open till 1st February 2021. Contact the team if you have any questions.

SUPPORT SERVICE SPOTLIGHT:

WELLBEING SUPPORT:

Greater Manchester Nightline is a confidential listening and information service run for students by students. They offer anonymous, non judgemental and non-directive support for all callers, regardless of the situation. You can talk about anything you like. Their instant messaging service is now open between 8pm and 2am every night during term time. Keep an eye on their website and Facebook page for updates. You can also contact them through Nightmail - a confidential email listening and information service run by Nightline. It’s open 24 hours a day, every day of the year and they aim to respond to emails within 48 hours.

SOMETHING TO SHARE?

Deadline for sending in Monday Mail items: 14:00 every Friday.

Welcome back to Gareth’s Puzzle Corner, this is your weekly fix of brain teasers and logic puzzles. This week two new brainteasers and a new Sudoku. You have until Sunday 31st January to submit any solutions to the Monthly Puzzle. Solutions to last times puzzles can be found below.

Quick Brainteasers (logiclike.com)

1. There are three kinds of sensors in the box. A third of all the sensors are motion sensors. There are 7 fewer leakage sensors less than motion sensors. The other 19 sensors are temperature sensors. How many sensors are in the box?

2. Archie lied on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, but told the truth every other day of the week. Kent lied on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, but told the truth every other day of the week.

Archie: I lied yesterday.
Kent: I lied yesterday, too.

What day of the week was yesterday?

Logic Puzzle 5 Magic squares Sudoku by Miick

Normal sudoku rules apply and the arrow clue shows the sum of digits along the diagonal. In addition, five 3x3 magic squares have to be placed in the grid. A magic square contains each digit from 1 to 9 and each row, column and diagonal sums to the same total. The red cells do not belong to a magic square.

Monthly Puzzle Hunt for December/January

The same puzzle continues from before the Christmas break. If you complete the puzzle hunt then submit your solution plus methods for working it out to me by email with the subject of: December Puzzle Hunt. First 3 correct solutions with workings get a shout out in Monday Mail and I will create a leaderboard of all correct submissions (plus working) so we can have a Puzzle Champion at the end of the year! Good Luck! You have until Sunday 31st January to submit any solutions.

No correct solutions so far... Who will be first?

Answers to last weeks puzzles

The answers to last week's puzzles (not inc. the December Monthly Puzzle Hunt!) can be found here.

Exams Week 1 • Monday 18 January 2021 • #20.14

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Good morning UG! It’s Monday 18th January, 2021. Welcome back and Happy New Year! I hope you managed to have a good break over the Christmas vacation and found some time to relax, charge your batteries and prepare for the exams which start this week! All the exams are being held online, via Blackboard, and you can find help and advice in the Department wiki. The timetable can be found here. If you have any issues on the day of an exam then please report this to SSO immediately. Best of luck in your exams!

Keep safe.

Paul
Director of Undergraduate Studies

PASS1.

Simeon Tsvetankov (Y3, CSwIE) and Javier Rodriguez (Y3, CSwIE) write: Happy New Year from the PASS1 Team! Hope you got some rest and have prepared for the exams session. Look out for the range of support available (e.g. study groups) for you during revision and exams. PASS1 sessions will continue with the start of the second semester. We look forward to seeing you there and until then - good luck from the PASS1 Team!

PASS2.

Teodora Balmos (Yf3, CSwIE) and Boris Vasilev (Y3, CSwIE) write: Hello from the PASS2 team! We hope you had a nice winter break and had plenty of time to unwind and relax. The PASS2 sessions are going to be paused until the beginning of the second semester. Good luck with your exams! You can get in touch with us on the discord channel if you have any questions.

EXAMS:

The exam period will run between 18th – 5th February, and the timetable is available to view here. Please check this carefully as you will not have a personalised timetable in My Manchester. We have created an exams wiki page which contains further information regarding exam formats, timeframes, advice and FAQ’s. Please read this carefully. If something happens on the day such as illness or internet connectivity please let SSO know as soon as possible.

1ST YEAR POSTER SESSION:

Uli Sattler writes: On December 15th, we had the traditional COMP10120 Poster Session where teams of 1st year students present posters about the web application they are going to build in Semester 2. While it had to take place virtually, it was great fun and we had loads of visitors to the Zoom sessions, including students, GTAs, tutors, and research staff. And I heard from many of my colleagues that they were very impressed by the range of ideas presented and the qualities of the posters, so well done to everybody! We also had a (this year public!) vote for the best posters in a range of categories (with over 400 votes!): the winners are X7: Pass It On, who have the Application with the Best Idea or Concept, Z9: Frigo, with the Most Visually Appealing and Imaginative Poster, and X1: PartyPlanner.io, with: The most Carefully Thought Through Application and Plan. Well done and congratulations to the winners, and thanks to all for making this an exciting event!

MITIGATING CIRCUMSTANCES:

A reminder that the deadline for applying for mitigating circumstances for semester one coursework and examinations is Monday 1st February. Further information can be found on the intranet pages here. If you would like to talk If you would to discuss your circumstances or need help with your application, please don't hesitate to contact SSO.

SUPPORT SERVICE SPOTLIGHT:

My Learning Essentials. My Learning Essentials is the Library’s award winning programme of skills support, including both online resources and face-to-face workshops which will aid you in your personal and professional development. Check out these tips for preparing for open book assessments.

STUDENT SUPPORT HUB SERVICE:

The student support hub service based in the Booth Street East building is now closed for face-to-face enquiries due to the national lockdown. SSO are still available for support and welfare queries, so if you would like to speak to someone please contact us by email or by phone to 0161 549 1288.

KNEEBONE BURSARY SUCCESS.

Congratulations to Sai Sambaraju (2nd year CSEwIE) who is the recipient of this year’s Kneebone Bursary award, sponsored by the Kneebone Family and ARM in memory of Kate Kneebone, a former student of the Department who worked for many years as a development engineer at ARM. Well done Sai! Fingers crossed for a placement at ARM.

LIBRARY.

Gemma Smith writes: Service availability at The University of Manchester Library has changed in response to the new national lockdown. Study spaces: if you can study in your accommodation, please do so, and avoid travelling on to campus.

Students on campus can book study spaces at the following Library sites via the Library website. There are over 900 bookable study spaces available:

Alan Gilbert Learning Commons (24 hours a day, seven days a week)
Main Library (9am-5pm, Monday to Friday)
Stopford Library (9am-5pm, Monday to Friday)

All other Library sites are currently closed. This includes Joule Library and study spaces which will be closed from 6 January 2021 onwards and will remain closed until further notice. Click and Collect: You can use the Click and Collect service to access physical resources from some Library sites, you can find out more here .

COMPUTER SCIENCE STUDY GROUP.

Fed up of procrastination on your own? Keen to focus your time and organise your revision? Want to meet new course mates and discuss your work? The Student Experience Team will be running a Computer Science Study Group every weekday for an hour between now and the end of exams. This is a good opportunity for you to meet with your course mates and discuss your revision and the content. There will also be space for you to catch up and unwind with your friends so this could offer a good opportunity to schedule breaks in your revision. This is open to students from all year groups, but there are spaces specifically focused on 1st year students. Join the sessions via Zoom at the dates and times given below.

Monday 18th - 10am
Tuesday 19th - 1pm
Wednesday 20th - 3pm
Thursday 21st - 10am
Friday 22nd - 9am
Monday 25th - 3pm
Tuesday 26th - 1pm
Wednesday 27th - 10am
Thursday 28th - 10am

Please note that this is run by the student experience team and there will NOT be an academic presence.

UNICS.

This from Jennifer Tirok: Hi everyone! We hope you had a nice Christmas break and are feeling refreshed for semester 2. We wish you very good luck for the exams! For this early 2021, we have Tradercraft, hosted by Optiver’s Robbert Pullen. It is an interactive training course which delves into the theory and techniques of modern-day trading and market making. You’ll get access to Optiver’s proprietary virtual trading platform, Optibook, and gain a deeper understanding of how to develop and analyse trading algorithms. You’ll also be shown how best to optimise them for different financial instruments using your knowledge of Python and have the support of experienced industry professionals. There’ll also be prizes up for grabs for the top performers including a Nintendo Switch gaming system! Applications will be closed on the 22nd January. What are you waiting for? Apply here. For more information, check out this event in Facebook.

SOMETHING TO SHARE?

Deadline for sending in Monday Mail items: 14:00 every Friday.

New Year, New Puzzles! Welcome back to Puzzle Corner, this is your weekly fix of brain teasers and logic puzzles. This week two new brainteasers and a new Sudoku. There is also still the Monthly Puzzle from before the Christmas break to complete. You have until Sunday 31st January to submit any solutions. Solutions to the puzzles form the last week before the Christmas break can be found below.

Quick Brainteasers (fatherly.com)

1. Who is bigger: Mr. Bigger, Mrs. Bigger, or their baby?

2. Mike is a butcher. He is 5-foot-10-inches tall. What does he weigh?

Logic Puzzle Prime Sudoku by Miick

Normal sudoku rules apply. Digits in cage cannot repeat, and sums to a prime number. Each cage total is a different prime number. In addition, prime digits cannot touch each others orthogonally.

Monthly Puzzle Hunt for December/January

The same puzzle continues from before the Christmas break. If you complete the puzzle hunt then submit your solution plus methods for working by email with the subject of: December Puzzle Hunt. The first 3 correct solutions (with workings) will get a shout out in Monday Mail and I will create a leaderboard of all correct submissions so we can have a Puzzle Champion at the end of the year! Good Luck! You have until Sunday 31st January to submit any solutions.

There are no correct solutions so far... Who will be first?

Answers to last weeks puzzles

The answers to last week's puzzles (not inc. the December Monthly Puzzle Hunt!) can be found here.

Week 12 (A) • Monday 14 December 2020 • #20.13

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Good morning UG! It’s Monday 14th December, it’s Week 12 (an A Week) and it’s the last week of teaching! It's been a very busy semester and the past 12 weeks have flown by, I hope you’ve enjoyed it. Good luck to the first years who have their project presentations this week. Please try to attend the poster session which will be held on Tuesday. The course unit surveys open today, so please provide us with feedback on how things have gone this semester and what we do to improve our teaching. I hope you appreciate that staff have worked very hard to move teaching online this semester, so I’d like to express my thanks for all their hard work.

Enjoy your Christmas break, and have a happy New Year. Hopefully there will still be an opportunity to celebrate considering the current circumstances. Make sure you take some time off to relax over the break before you start to prepare for the exams in January. I look forward to seeing you all in 2021!

Please keep safe.

Paul
Director of Undergraduate Studies

UK IRELAND PROGRAMMING COMPETITION.

This from Ian Pratt-Hartmann: On Saturday, 12th December, the (online) UK Ireland Programming Competition (UKIEPC) took place, in which 'teams' of one attempted a series of thirteen fiendish programming challenges over a five hour period. Teams from universities across the British Isles competed at a number of (virtual) sites, one of which was Manchester. Several of the Manchester teams did particularly well. Special mention goes to “No-pressure-complete” (Patrick Sava) with 11 problems solved, and to “Old Boys Squad” (Alexandru Stoica), “Vlad” (Vlad-Andrei Munteanu) and “Bad Treap” (Dragos Marin) all with 10 problems solved. We had quite a few other teams with a good number of solutions. The final standings can be found here. Congratulations to all the Manchester teams. We hope to organise seminars next semester on these problems, for the benefit of those interested in next year’s contest.

PASS1.

Simeon Tsvetankov (Y3, CSwIE) and Javier Rodriguez (Y3, CSwIE) write: Hi all! As the teaching is coming to an end for this semester, the PASS1 team would like to thank you for your attendance, wish you enjoyable holidays, get some well-deserved rest and take some time for revision! The last PASS1 session for this calendar year will happen this Wednesday, so don't miss out! See you next year!

PASS2.

Teodora Balmos (Yf3, CSwIE) and Boris Vasilev (Y3, CSwIE) write: Hello from the PASS2 team. This is the last week in Semester 1 and you can finally take a break from all the tough work that comes with second year. As such, we decided for the last session to have a Q&A session to answer any questions you might have and play some games in the meantime. Hope to see you there. Happy holidays and stay safe!

COMP10120 POSTER SESSION.

The COMP10120 poster session takes place tomorrow Tuesday 15 December 12:00-14:00. There will be two Zoom sessions:

Teams M&W for teams M, W, and Z and
Teams X for teams X and Y

Please pop in and see some of the projects that our first year students are planning on doing in the second semester.

CHRISTMAS CLOSURE.

The University will be closed from Friday 18the December until Monday 4th January 2021. Consequently, there will be no access to the Kilburn building for students during this time. Study spaces will be available at the Alan Gilbert Learning Commons. From Saturday, 19 December 2020 to Sunday, 3 January 2021, the AGLC will be open 9am-8pm, Monday to Friday and 10am-4pm, Saturday and Sunday. It will be closed Christmas Day and Boxing Day. You must book your study spaces online in advance. Booking will open as follows:

Fri 11 Dec (for Mon 14 - Sun 20 Dec inclusive)
Fri 18 Dec (for Mon 21 - Thu 24 Dec inclusive)
Weds 23 Dec (for Sun 27 Dec - Sun 3 Jan inclusive)

The AGLC will be staffed by Security only over the break.

SEMESTER ONE EXAMS.

The timetable for semester 1 examinations is due to be released at 5pm on Tuesday 15th December on the central exams website here. SSO will email you when this is available. For more information about the examination period please see our Department wiki page here in the first instance. If you have any questions about your exams please don’t hesitate to contact SSO.

MEET A STUDENT REP.

This week, let me introduce Ingy Abdelhalim - “Hi everyone!: Hi! I’m Ingy (pronounced In-G) and I’m a first year CS student rep. A lot of first years might know me by now, if you don’t please feel free to get in touch! It's been great talking to all of you and hearing your feedback so please keep it coming. Like always if any of you have any questions or concerns feel free to DM me or email me.”

COURSE UNIT SURVEYS.

Every semester the University surveys students to ask for feedback on the course units we teach. The course unit surveys open today and close on 10 January 2021. We take your (anonymous) feedback seriously and we make changes to our teaching as a result of the feedback we receive. Staff are also required to provide a response to any issues raised in the feedback. You can find out more information on the University Have Your Say webpages.

SUPPORT SERVICE SPOTLIGHT:

DASS. The Disability Advisory and Support Service (DASS) at the University is a specialist service supporting students with any condition that has a significant, adverse and long term effect on normal day to day activities. DASS helps students with a range of conditions which includes but is not limited to dyslexia and other learning difficulties, autism spectrum condition, mental health difficulties such as anxiety and depression, mobility and sensory impairments, unseen disabilities like epilepsy, HIV, AIDS, chronic fatigue, IBS and Crohns. DASS can help students access exam, study and specialist support but only if you register with them. You can make an appointment with DASS at any time, but in order to have Semester 1 exam support in place (should you need it) you must register and have your support plan in place by Friday 8th January 2021. Make an appointment and register here. For advice talk to the Department’s DASS coordinator Hannah Cousins. If you decide you don’t wish to register with DASS, this may affect the level of support that you can receive from the University.

SUPPORT AVAILABLE FOR STUDENTS OVER THE CHRISTMAS BREAK.

As the winter break fast approaches, the university has released what support they have available during this time. This covers support that will be available for students who are staying in Manchester during this period and support for students who have returned home. There is information on mental health support, safety and Halls of Residence support, disability support and much more. Link to more detailed information can be found here.

ASSESSMENT SUPPORT.

Assessment Support (previously known as Exam Extra ) will be running between the 7 December and 29 January. Assessment Support provides resources outlining revision strategies, time management techniques and ways to manage exam stress. It might seem overwhelming knowing where to start, so why not focus on one session a week? Perhaps try planning a workshop into your timetable? Click here to access online resources, revision strategies, podcast playlists and more.

STUDENTS’ UNION WELLBEING CAMPAIGN.

The Students’ Union are also launching a campaign to promote the Wellbeing Services that are available for you to access. Be sure to follow them on Instagram to keep up to date with the campaign. You can read their most recent blogpost on Mental Health Services, by clicking here. If you are unsure what services may be right for you, you can also check out this Wellbeing Check-in resource or take a look at the wider support available on the student support website.

MY LEARNING ESSENTIALS.

My Learning Essentials has made a quick and digestible guide to tackling revision. Check out Start to Finish: Revision. Here you can find online resources, Library drop-ins and Revise Together sessions, Wellbeing and Peer support, and additional resources all in one place. For further Library Help and Support, such as tracking enquiries and 24 hour Library Chat, click here.

RAEng SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES:

RAEng have a number of Scholarship opportunities which are currently open for application:

Engineering Leaders Scholarship: Providing engineering undergraduates with opportunities to develop the skills to become leaders in engineering early in their career through access to £5000 for career development activities, training and networking events and mentoring. Award value: £5,000, Deadline: 11 January 2021, Contact: Jacqueline Clay.
Sir Ralph Robins Scholarships: Providing engineering undergraduates with opportunities to develop the skills to become leaders in engineering early in their career through access to £5,000 for career development activities, training and networking events and mentoring, with an additional £5,000 to help with tuition fees. Award value: £10,000, Deadline: 11 January 2021, Contact: Jacqueline Clay.

UNICS.

This from Jennifer Tirok: Hi everyone, we hope you are all well! As Christmas is approaching, we would like to welcome you to our last event of this year, an online “Pub” Quiz on Friday, 18th December at 6pm. We will have all types of questions, from easy to hard, but we can promise, you will have fun! For this, you will all be arranged in teams of 4 and you will compete towards first place. You can come already with a team. We will have something special prepared for the winners of this quiz. Looking forward to seeing you there! Join our Discord Channel to register!

CRACKCHESTER.

Hey everyone, the second episode of our podcast is now live! In this episode of The CyberCast, we interview Jahmel Harris (Founder and Ethical Hacker at Digital Interruption) to find out more about deception technologies.

SOMETHING TO SHARE?

Deadline for sending in Monday Mail items: 14:00 every Friday.

Welcome back to Puzzle Corner, this is your weekly fix of brain teasers and logic puzzles. This week two new brainteasers and a new Sudoku. The monthly continues this week and you have the duration of December and January to try and complete it. You have until Sunday 31st January to submit any solutions. Solutions to last week's puzzles can be found below.

Quick Brainteasers (icebreakerideas.com)

1. A man condemned to death has the option of picking one of the mentioned three rooms. The first room is a furnace filled with flames. The second has armed men with loaded guns, while the third has lions starving for years. Which one should the man choose?

2. What has a mouth, but cannot eat; moves, but has no legs; and has a bank, but cannot put money in it?

Logic Puzzle Arrow Sudoku by Sed Holaysan

Normal Suduko rules apply. Arrow Sudoku rules apply, i.e. the number in the circle is the sum of the digits along each arrow connected to it.

Monthly Puzzle Hunt for December/January

This puzzle will last for the duration of December & January as we have our holiday break and exams in the middle, so give it a go as it should provide a welcome break from your studies.

If you complete the puzzle hunt then submit your solution plus methods for working it out to gareth.henshall@manchester.ac.uk with the subject of: December Puzzle Hunt.

First 3 correct solutions with workings get a shout out in Monday Mail and I will create a leaderboard of all correct submissions (plus working) so we can have a Puzzle Champion at the end of the year! Good Luck! You have until Sunday 31st January to submit any solutions.

No correct solutions so far... Who will be first?

Answers to last weeks puzzles

The answers to last week's puzzles (not inc. the December Monthly Puzzle Hunt!) can be found here.

Week 11 (B) • Monday 7 December 2020 • #20.12

Paul pic

Good morning UG! It’s Monday 7th December, it’s Week 11 (a B Week) and it’s not long until the end of the semester. I hope all those students who travelled home over the weekend managed to do so without any issues. Please make use of SPOT to check your coursework marks and make sure you submit any remaining assessments before the end of semester (check SPOT for assessment deadlines). If you are a second year student then please consider applying for the Kneebone bursary, the deadline is this Friday, the 11th December. Have a good week and on with the latest news...

Please continue to stay safe.

Paul Nutter
Director of Undergraduate Studies

KNEEBONE BURSARY.

The Kate Kneebone Acorn Bursary is an annual commemorative award of £500 funded by the Kneebone family and ARM, since 2013. In addition to the funding, the Bursary offers the opportunity to discuss a funded internship placement (with an Engineering bias) with ARM in Cambridge. All current Year 2 UG students in the Department are eligible. See full details and how to apply. The deadline for submissions is 5pm (UK time) Friday 11th December.

PASS1.

Simeon Tsvetankov (Y3, CSwIE) and Javier Rodriguez (Y3, CSwIE) write: Hello again from the PASS1 team! As most of you are travelling back home for Christmas, we would like to remind you and advise you to stay safe while travelling. Remember that whether or not you are staying in Manchester, you can keep in touch through PASS1, organise activities with your course mates and come to the Discord server to share ideas/activities to do over Christmas!

PASS2.

Teodora Balmos (Y3, CSwIE) and Boris Vasilev (Y3, CSwIE) write: Hello from the PASS2 team! We are slowly reaching the end of the first semester and we want to know what you think of the PASS2 sessions so far. You can find the form for feedback here. We greatly appreciate any feedback we get, and we are using the feedback to make the PASS2 sessions more useful for you. Last week we finished our Cracking the Coding Interview sessions, and this week we are going to go over different types of roles in the tech industry. So if you ever saw a role title which you didn't know what it meant, this might be a useful session for you. You might also hear about different roles you didn't know exist. We hope to see you there!

SECOND MEETING OF SSC.

The second meeting of the student-staff committee took place last Wednesday. The meeting, which was attended by the Head of Department Robert Stevens, proved really useful and we received plenty of feedback on how things are going this semester. Don't forget, if you'd like to raise an issue then please speak to one of your reps (or contact the rep of the week!). A list of your reps and contact details can be found on the SSC Blackboard page (under CS UG Community).

MEET A STUDENT REP.

This week, let me introduce Sahil Borkar - “Hi everyone, I'm Sahil Borkar, one of your student reps for this academic year! I'm extremely excited to be in contact with as many of you as I possibly can, to make sure that your concerns are met with appropriate action on the staff's part. Stay safe and have a great year ahead!” If you’d like to speak to Sahil, then just send him an email.

UNICS.

This from Jennifer Tirok. Hi everyone! Join us at 5-7pm on Friday, 11th November on our KB Networking App and try your best to finish our Christmas themed Bingo, together with other people that you will find there. This bingo will consist of a list of challenges that you will have to complete, you will get more information when the event begins, so make sure to be there! If you manage to finish it, and submit it to us, you will then have the possibility to win exciting prizes! We are pleased to announce that in this event we will have a special guest, Santa Gareth! If you manage to find him, you will instantly win a prize. Good luck! And hope to see you there! Click here to join KB on discord. Keep an eye out next week for our last event of the semester, a Grinch themed Online “Pub” Quiz!

COURSEWORK DEADLINES.

To mitigate disruption that may be caused due to students travelling during the travel home period over the weekend, the Faculty of Science and Engineering have decided that no late penalties will be applied to coursework (this includes lab work) with a due date falling in the travel window of 3 - 9 December, providing the work is submitted within 7 calendar days of the deadline. If you are taking a course unit outside of FSE you should speak with the Lecturer/Unit Coordinator in the first instance regarding coursework that is due during the travel window. Please note that overall, the work you are being asked to do between now and the end of the term, as well as the deadlines for these pieces of work, will stay the same so we strongly encourage you to continue to work to the advertised deadlines. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact SSO.

THE MAKING A DIFFERENCE AWARDS:

The annual Making a Difference Awards recognise the outstanding achievements of our staff, students, alumni and external partners and celebrate how they are making a difference. There are nine award categories covering many different types of social responsibility projects and activities. If you or someone you know has made a difference then enter now, the deadline for entries is 18 January 2021.

SPORT ADVENT CALENDAR:

The UoM sport office has put together 25 days of advent activities! Take a look each day to see what activity you can get involved with, including fun fitness challenges, Manchester facts , quiz questions and more.

SUPPORT SERVICE SPOTLIGHT:

Student Union Buddy Scheme. We recognise that this is a really difficult time for many of our students, especially those who have to isolate or those who are new to Manchester and are unable to meet many people due to COVID19 restrictions. The UMSU Buddy Scheme has been set up to help connect you with other students. As part of the scheme, they’ll pair students with other students who will get in touch for weekly phone or video calls, providing some social contact and the chance to make a new friend.

ASSESSMENT SUPPORT.

MY LEARNING ESSENTIALS.

TECH FIRST IMPACT VOLUNTEER HUB.

Develop your skills while doing some good! Tech First Impact have partnered with the University of Manchester to allow CS students to volunteer for software engineering projects that benefit charities locally and globally. These projects will allow participants to work as a team to create bespoke software solutions for partnered charities. As well as creating something valuable for others, volunteers will also be furthering their own skills by using modern software engineering principles currently used in industry. Check out the following links

to see what opportunities are currently available. Be quick, there are only limited slots available! If you have any questions then please email Emma Richardson.

LIBRARY.

This form Gemma Smith: Over the Christmas period (19 Dec – 3 Jan inclusive) the Alan Gilbert Learning Commons will be open:

9am-8pm, Monday to Friday
10am-4pm, Saturday and Sunday
Closed Christmas Day and Boxing Day

Students can book a study space in AGLC. All spaces must be booked online. There will be over 800 study sessions available to book each day. Release of booking sessions:

Fri 11 Dec (for Mon 14 - Sun 20 Dec inclusive)
Fri 18 Dec (for Mon 21 - Thu 24 Dec inclusive)
Weds 23 Dec (for Sun 27 Dec - Sun 3 Jan inclusive)

All other Library sites are closed.

RESEARCH STUDY.

This from Maddy Steeds: You are invited to participate in research investigating the effect of device on information processing. Participants must be aged 18 and over, must not be colour-blind and be a fluent English speaker. This research is conducted by the Department of Computer Science of the University of Manchester and will take place online. The experiment takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. If you’re interested in taking part or would like to know more, please have a look at the participant information sheet. Or, if you have any further questions, please contact me by email.

SOMETHING TO SHARE?

Deadline for sending in Monday Mail items: 14:00 every Friday.

Welcome back to Puzzle Corner, this is your weekly fix of brain teasers and logic puzzles. This week two new brainteasers and a new Sudoku. There is also a new Monthly Puzzle again this week and you have the duration of December and January to try and complete it. You have until Sunday 31st January to submit any solutions. Solutions to last week's puzzles can be found below.

Quick Brainteasers (icebreakerideas.com)

1. The number 8,549,176,320 is a unique number. What is so special about it?

2. A man is headed to a mountain along with a lion, a goat, and a basket of vegetables. On the way, he needs to cross a river and the boat can only carry two things at a time. If he takes the vegetables, the lion will eat the goat. If he takes the lion, the goat will eat the vegetables. How does he cross the river?

Logic Puzzle - Sandwich Sudoku by nflcar

Normal Sudoku rules apply. Normal Sandwich Sudoku rules apply (i.e. The numbers outside the grid show the sum of the digits sandwiched between 1 and 9 in that row or column.).

Monthly Puzzle Hunt for December/January

This puzzle will last for the duration of December & January as we have our holiday break and exams in the middle, so give it a go as it should provide a welcome break from your studies. If you complete the puzzle hunt then submit your solution to me by email with the subject of: December Puzzle Hunt, including methods for working it out.

The first 3 correct solutions (with workings) get a shout out in Monday Mail and I will create a leaderboard of all correct submissions (plus working) so we can have a Puzzle Champion at the end of the year! Good Luck! You have until Sunday 31st January to submit any solutions.

Answers to last weeks puzzles

The answers to last week's puzzles (inc. the November Monthly Puzzle Hunt!) can be found here.

Week 10 (A) • Monday 30 November 2020 • #20.11

Paul pic

Good morning UG, it’s Monday 30th November, it’s Week 10, and it’s an A Week. I hope you are all doing well. COVID testing has now started for those students still in Manchester who are planning on travelling home in the travel window next week. If you are a 2nd year student then please consider applying for the Kate Kneebone Acorn Bursary, an annual award in memory of a former student of the Department, Kate Kneebone - see below for details. Finally, please make sure you complete our survey on your intentions for study in semester 2. On with the rest of today’s news ...

Keep safe.

Paul Nutter
Director of Undergraduate Studies

KATE KNEEBONE ACORN BURSARY.

The Kate Kneebone Acorn Bursary is an annual commemorative award of £500 funded by the Kneebone family and ARM, since 2013. In addition to the funding, the Bursary offers the opportunity to discuss a funded internship placement (with an Engineering bias) with ARM in Cambridge. All current Year 2 UG students in the Department are eligible. See full details and how to apply. The deadline for submissions is 5pm (UK time) Friday 11th December.

PASS1.

Simeon Tsvetankov (Y3, CSwIE) and Javier Rodriguez (Y3, CSwIE) write: Hi all! We're slowly getting closer to the end of teaching for semester 1, which means, among other things, that the latest coursework requires your understanding of almost all concepts that you will have seen by the time Christmas is here. Most importantly, you should feel proud of all the effort you've put in so far. Representing PASS1, we'd like to get your input on whether or not you'd like to see some module specific PASS sessions coming up on the final weeks of the first semester. These would run simultaneously and primarily focus on a single course unit. Depending on which of your PASS leaders sign up to lead these, your weekly session may run as normal or with fewer PASS leaders. The goal for bringing these sessions to you is to group you up with other students that also opt to attend the module specific sessions and hopefully cover much more content that is relevant to you. If you can think of a module in which you're particularly behind or you think you're going to need some time discussing some concepts from one of your course units with your peers to be able to understand them, then these sessions would be a great opportunity to catch up. If you're on the opposite side and think you've got it all covered, you also can attend and contribute by helping your peers understand those concepts that you have managed to grasp. Let us know what you think of this and provide us with your own ideas and suggestions if you'd like to, by filling in this form. Have a great week!"

PASS2.

Teodora Balmos (Y3, CSwIE) and Boris Vasilev (Y3, CSwIE) write: Hi everyone! Hope you had a great weekend and you managed to get some well-deserved rest. This week we're continuing with the algorithms overview. On Thursday we'll be covering Searching and Sorting. Hope to see you there.

UKNEST SCHOLARSHIP SUCCESS.

Congratulations to Kamil Synak (currently on placement with The Hut Group) who has been awarded a prestigious United Kingdom Naval Engineering Science & Technology (UKNEST) undergraduate scholarship. The award includes a scholarship grant of £1,500 and access to a mentor who is a senior manager from one of the UKNEST member organisations. You can find out more about the scholarship scheme here. Very well done Kamil!

COVID TESTING & LEAVING MANCHESTER.

For those students still in Manchester who are planning on travelling home before the Christmas break, COVID testing has now started. The University strongly encourages you to get tested to minimise the risk of onward transmission while travelling home, or when you get home. As a Faculty of Science & Engineering student you should get tested first on Tuesday 1st December, followed by a second test (the required 72 hours later) on Friday 4th December. You should then consider travelling home between 5 - 6 December. For more information, including details of how to book a test and where you can be tested, see the University COVID-19 testing website.

MEET A STUDENT REP.

This week, let me introduce Ewan Massey - “Hi, I'm Ewan and I'm a first year (CSwIE) student from Derbyshire. As with any of the other SSC reps I'm always eager to hear your thoughts and ideas about the CS department, so please get in touch if there's anything on your mind.” If you’d like to speak to Ewan, then just send him an email.

SURVEY FOR SEMESTER 2:

Recently we confirmed that students have the option to study remotely for Semester 2 should they wish to. A survey to collect information on your intentions has been set up in Blackboard; this will provide us with accurate on-campus and off-campus student numbers so that the timetable can be optimised for your student experience. Please complete this survey by 14th December 2020.

FROM SMARTPHONES TO BEHAVIOUR RESEARCH STUDY.

RISE STUDENT COMPETITION.

UK RISE, in association with ARM, are running a competition for the best final year undergraduate/MSc projects in the area of hardware and embedded systems security. If your project has a hardware security theme, then why not enter! Prizes include a MacBook Air, iPad Air and an Apple Watch. The deadline for submission is 30 June 2021 and full details can be found here.

THE ADVENT OF CODE.

This from Sean Bechhofer: If you've been enjoying Puzzle Corner, check out the Advent of Code. It's "an Advent calendar of small programming puzzles for a variety of skill sets and skill levels that can be solved in any programming language you like. People use them as a speed contest, interview prep, company training, university coursework, practice problems, or to challenge each other." Each day there's a new puzzle revealed. Some are self-contained, while others build on earlier solutions: last year there were a string of steps leading to the implementation of an interpreter for a small language. For those of a competitive nature, there are stars and points awarded for solving problems and you can set up private leaderboards to play against your friends. You can see my efforts from last year here.

UNICS.

This from Jennifer Tirok: Hi everyone! DATERN is holding a Data Science Fundamental Course which will take place for 5 days starting on December 7th. The course is a series of Jupyter Notebooks to help students learn the fundamentals of Data Science in Python. The topics covered include linear algebra, probability, data visualisation, introduction to machine learning and natural language processing. The course is completely free and a certificate will be awarded to students that completed the course! For more information, please contact tom@datern.co.uk. Also, stay tuned for a lot of events from UniCS in December!

CRACKCHESTER.

Hi everyone, hope you’ve had a nice weekend. This Wednesday at 5pm we will be hosting an exclusive Social Issues & the Online World with Professor Danny Dresner! It will be a fun, interactive session where Prof. Danny will run an animated PowerPoint with a mock-up game screen and use a chat system. The participants have to spot what is going on and try to steer the vulnerable young person out of danger. Do not miss this event if you are interested in Cyber Security and the dangers of the online world! Here is the meeting link.

SUPPORT SERVICE SPOTLIGHT:

For mental health and wellbeing support and advice, call the new Health Assured confidential helpline on 0800 028 3766 whenever and wherever you need it. The helpline offers access to mental health support from trained counsellors and advisors who are ready to listen and provide help whenever you need it. It is anonymous, non-judgemental and available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. You can call the helpline for advice and support on a whole range of issues you might be facing, big or small. Things you could call for include, mental and emotional health, managing relationships, feeling worried about yourself or someone else, dealing with stress and anxiety, money advice and everything in between. You can access the helpline right away for help if you’re struggling, and it’s really easy to use. Call 0800 028 3766 and one of Health Assured’s advisors will answer. You’ll be asked to confirm your University and then you’ll be asked what your issue relates to so you can be put through to the right advisor to help you. If an appropriate advisor is unavailable or on another call, you can request a call back, which means no call charges if you’re not in the UK.

SUPPORT SERVICE SPOTLIGHT:

My Learning Essentials: My Learning Essentials is the Library’s award winning programme of skills support, including both online resources and face-to-face workshops which will aid you in your personal and professional development. The workshops offer a relaxed group environment where you can try out new strategies for yourself while learning from and with peers whilst the online resources help you develop skills and interests which are relevant to you, at times and using the methods that suit you best. My Learning Essentials is a great way to get the most out of your time at Manchester; helping you to make the best use of all of the specialist resources and support the University has to offer.

MANCHESTER THINK TANK.

This from Rees Johnson: My name is Rees Johnson, (Law PhD UoM) and I am the Co-Chair of Manchester Think Tank. The Manchester Think Tank is an intercollegiate, autonomous student led, research and project driven think tank based in Manchester. We are a partnership between UoM, Man Met and Salford University. We provide students with the opportunity to be politically engaged in a non-partisan way; gives students the opportunity to engage in policy making and provides a platform for them to answer some of the most pressing questions facing our society today. This year’s theme is New Frontiers and New Horizons. We have a number of interesting outputs including a policy journal and a policy hackathon in the summer in partnership with the Centre for Local Strategy. We also have a range of interesting events lined up. Join our Mailing List! We look forward to having you on board and working with you on this unique and exciting partnership.

SURVEY:

Why did you choose Manchester? The Student Recruitment and Marketing Team are running a survey to get some feedback about why you chose to study here. The team would also be keen to hear how informative, influential and useful the information you received before you started here was. This research will help inform communication between the university and future students prior to their arrival, in order for us to provide as much relevant and useful information as possible to new students. The survey is about 15 questions long and should take approximately 10–15 minutes to complete. As a 'Thank You' for completing this survey, you will entered into a prize draw to win a £50 Amazon voucher. The survey will be open until Wednesday 16th December and the winner will be notified by Friday 18th December 2020.

FOCUS GROUP:

Why did you choose Manchester? There is an opportunity for students who are new starters to the University to participate in a focus group with the Student Recruitment & Marketing Team. The focus group will discuss the communication that you received on your application journey and the activities that were available that helped you come to the decision to study here. The results of the focus groups will determine and inform the strategy for future student recruitment campaigns. The team is interested to identify what influenced you the most in your decision to study at the University of Manchester. For anyone who is interested in attending a 1 hour focus group session by Zoom in w/c Monday 30 November (dates and times TBC), please complete this application survey. For those who are chosen and attend, you will receive a £10 Amazon voucher to thank you for your time. You have until midday Friday 27 November to express interest in participating in the focus group and you will find out the time & date of your allocated session by Mon 30 November.

SOMETHING TO SHARE?

Deadline for sending in Monday Mail items: 14:00 every Friday.

Welcome back to Puzzle Corner, this is your weekly fix of brain teasers and logic puzzles. This week we have two new brainteasers and a new Sudoko. There is also a new Monthly Puzzle and you have the duration of December and January to try and complete it. You have until Sunday 31st January to submit any solutions. Solutions to last week's puzzles can be found below.

Quick Brainteasers (icebreakerideas.com)

1. A boy is walking down the road with a doctor. While the boy is the doctor’s son, the doctor is not the boy’s father. Then who is the doctor?

2. A man wanted to encrypt his password but he needed to do it in a way so that he could remember it. He had to use seven characters consisting of letters and numbers only (no symbols like ! or <). In order to remember it, he wrote down “You force heaven to be empty.” What is his password?

Logic Puzzle - (Criss Cross) Diagonal Sudoku by Cracking the Cryptic

Normal Sudoku rules apply. Each digit (1-9) must appear once on both of the two diagonals.

Monthly Puzzle Hunt for December/January

So far I have received 2 correct solutions to the Puzzle Hunt. So the Number 1 Spot goes to Tudor (Leo) Bujdei-Leonte and 2nd place goes to Krzysztof Dziuba. Good Work! Who is going to get the final spot in the top 3?

Answers to last weeks puzzles

The answers to last week's puzzles (inc. the November Monthly Puzzle Hunt!) can be found here.

Week 9 (B) • Monday 23 November 2020 • #20.10

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Good morning UG, it’s Monday 23rd November, it’s Week 9, and it’s an B Week. It was great to welcome four student reps, Ingy Abdelhalim, Leyan Tong, Arifa Amin and Ritam Anand to the meeting of the Department Leadership Team last week. We found their views and suggestions insightful. Please speak to one of them to get a feel for what was discussed at the meeting. Hopefully it’s now clear to you what is happening with respect to semester one exams and the delivery of teaching next semester - please see the information below. We have introduced a new process for submitting late flag removal requests for coursework, see below for details. On with today’s news ...

Please keep safe.

Paul Nutter
Director of Undergraduate Studies

PASS1.

Simeon Tsvetankov (Y3, CSwIE) and Javier Rodriguez (Y3, CSwIE) write: Hello once again from the PASS1 team! If you are feeling overwhelmed or anxious because of any university or life-related issue, come to PASS1 and get help from your leaders and peers. Remember that PASS1 is not just about coursework, any difficulties that you face are welcome and your leaders will make sure to provide the necessary support. Also, PASS1 is a great time to unwind and share relatable stories with your course mates. Any other questions or concerns are welcome, as usual.

PASS2.

Teodora Balmos (Y3, CSwIE) and Boris Vasilev (Y3, CSwIE) write: Hello from the PASS2 team! We hope you find the pass sessions useful so far. If you have any feedback please complete this form. Next week we are going to continue talking about algorithms. We are going to discuss dynamic programming, recursion, strings and edit distances. We hope to see you there.

MEET A STUDENT REP.

This week, let me introduce James Bungay - “Hi, I’m James, and I’m a student rep in second year. If you’ve got any comments or concerns this week, feel free to speak to me, no matter what year you’re in.” If you’d like to speak to James, then just send him an email.

SUPPORT SERVICE SPOTLIGHT:

Manchester Student Homes & the Accommodation Office. Are you starting to think about accommodation for next year? Need a place in Manchester over the summer? Manchester Student Homes is a free, University-run housing service for students who can offer independent housing advice. They can help you search for the perfect student home and put you in contact with accredited landlords. Alternatively if you’re thinking of staying in Halls next year, check out the Accommodation Office page. Halls are also available for short term stay over the summer vacation period.

SEMESTER TWO TEACHING.

On campus or remote study? Last week we confirmed that you have the option to study remotely and be assessed remotely in semester 2 should you wish to. Our programme of remote activities will allow you to achieve all of the Intended Learning Outcomes associated with Semester 2. For students choosing to study in Manchester we plan to deliver on-campus teaching activities as long as it remains safe and feasible for us to do so. You will be contacted this week with details of a simple survey which you can use to tell us whether you intend to study remotely or on campus – this will help up to optimise your personal timetable.

SEMESTER ONE EXAMS.

Last week we confirmed that the semester one exams, which take place in January/February 2021, will all take place online. Consequently, there is no need to present in Manchester for the exams. We are still finalising what the format of these exams will be, we will let you know in due course. The exam timetable will be published around the 2nd week of December.

LATE FLAG REMOVAL REQUEST PORTAL.

We have introduced a new late flag removal request system to make applying for the removal of a late flag for coursework easier. The system is in beta version so the offline method will run alongside should you run into problems applying using the online method. If you apply for the removal of a late flag using the online method, you will receive a confirmation email acknowledging the request. If you do not receive this email or if you run into any other problems please use the offline method and email Stewart Blakeway with details of the problem encountered. The system can be accessed via SPOT or using this link.

REMOTE USER STUDY.

Pejman Saeghe writes: We’re recruiting participants for a remote user study conducted over Zoom. It involves watching five short (~7 minutes) video clips on your laptop with the topic of nature drama. The session lasts about one hour, and you will be compensated with an Amazon voucher on completion of the session. If you have a laptop running Windows, this may be a good opportunity to take a break, watch some cool videos and contribute to science. Contact Pejman for more information or to book your slot.

OXFORD HACK 2020.

Andrej Velichkovski writes: Our team, consisting of Andrej Velichkovski, Alex Constantin and Maciej Lewandowski wanted to let people know of the small project we created during the Oxford Hack, we saw the hackathon on one of the former Monday Mails, and we met on the first year discord server. We created a Google Chrome extension that adds descriptions to all the images on the internet, allowing blind people to understand the content. We would love to hear other people’s opinions on our work which can be found on the link.

MAIN LIBRARY OPENING HOURS.

This from Gemma Smith: We have been listening to student feedback and this week we are extending the Main Library opening hours. AGLC and Main Library will be open as follows:

Monday-Friday 9am-8pm,
Saturday 10am-4pm,
Sunday 10am-4pm.

A full list of the libraries that are currently open and their opening times can be found here.

CV CHECKER.

The Careers service has recently launched CareerSet, a new online CV checker which allows students to get their CV checked through an AI-based platform 24/7, 365 days a year! CareersSet has many functions including online resources to help you draft a CV or get personalised or Line-by-Line feedback on your existing CV. CareersSet also allows you to resubmit your CV several times after changes have been made to see how your score increases. TargetMyCV is an additional feature allowing you to tailor their CVs to a specific job description based on keywords and skills. You can access this either via the CV section on Careers Website or at https://careerset.io/manchester.

TARGETJOBS UNDERGRADUATE OF THE YEAR AWARDS.

This year they have 9 award categories and each award is partnered by a big-name organisation who are keen to offer unique work opportunities and various prizes to successful candidates. The awards are a fantastic way for students to win valuable experience in the form of internships and placements, as well as gaining insight into the graduate job application process. To enter the awards, students must put themselves forward and apply online via the Undergraduate of the Year Awards website. The application process includes essay-style questions and psychometric tests, not unlike those that students may experience in the graduate job application process. Successful undergraduates will be invited to an interview and/or assessment centre with the award partner, and the shortlisted students will be invited to a prestigious award ceremony taking place either in person or virtually in April 2021. Deadline for completion of applications - 1st February 2021

UNICS.

This from Jennifer Tirok: Hi everyone, we hope you are doing well! We as UniCS hold an annual May Ball where students can get together and have a night of fun with their friends. However, as things are complicated this year, we would like to know your thoughts on the May Ball this year by filling out this short google form. Don’t forget to join us for GreatUniHack, an annual 24-hour hackathon, on November 28th-29th! What are you waiting for? Apply here. Sign up to our society on the SU page if you haven’t. We celebrate various technical and social events which are free and open to anyone! Join us here for updates and to help our society grow!

COVID SAFETY.

It's important that you keep COVID safe, particularly when on campus. If you are on campus please abide by the measures that have been put in place including following one way systems, using cleaning and hand sanitising stations, and wearing face coverings. We are now in a second lockdown until the 2nd December, so restrictions are in place; you can find out more information here. The University has released information detailing how this affects teaching. Please make sure you follow these rules. Please make sure you let SSO know immediately by email if you have symptoms, need to self-isolate, or have tested positive for the virus. Please do not come into the University if you show symptoms, are self-isolating, or have tested positive.

SOMETHING TO SHARE?

Deadline for sending in Monday Mail items: 14:00 every Friday.

Welcome back to Puzzle Corner, this is your weekly fix of brain teasers and logic puzzles. This week two new brainteasers and a new Sudoko. There is also the Monthly Puzzle again this week and you have the duration of November to try and complete it. It is far shorter than the first so give it a go. You have until Sunday 29th November to submit any solutions. Solutions to last week's puzzles can be found below.

Quick Brainteasers (Popular Mechanics)

1. You work in a factory that boxes apples and oranges to ship around the world. One day, the labeling machine goes haywire and incorrectly labels the crates of fruit.

Your coworker decides to play a game. He pulls up three crates of fruit and tells you that one of them has apples in it, one has oranges in it, and the last one has both apples and oranges in it. You can see that one of the crates is labeled "A" for apples, another is labeled "O" for oranges, and the third is labeled "A+O" for both apples and oranges. Your coworker reminds you that all three crates are incorrectly labeled.

You get to pick one crate, and your coworker will pull a fruit out of it and show you what it is. You get to do this only one time. How can you determine—without a doubt—which crate has apples, which one has oranges, and which one has both?

2. You're a thief, and you've managed to break into the vault of an ancient bank filled with 100 sacks of coins. One of the sacks contains gold coins, while the other 99 are filled with counterfeit gold coins. You cannot tell the difference between the gold coins and the fakes by handling the coins, looking at them, biting them, or testing them.

The fake coins weigh exactly 1 ounce each, while the real gold coins weigh 1.01 ounces. There is a large scale with enough room for all the sacks in the vault, but as soon as you weigh something it will trigger an alarm, so you can use the scale just once before you must flee the vault.

How can you figure out which sack of coins contains the real gold by only weighing something on the scale once?

Note: The scale tells you the exact weight of whatever you put on it, it is not a balance scale.

Logic Puzzle - The Killer in the Mirror by Cam Dennis

Normal Suduko rules apply. Killer cages show their sum and cannot contain a repeated digit. Each digit in the grid is reflected by a counterpart (which may be itself) every time it appears, the 'mirror' being the line shown. For example, if 1 reflects 4 in one place then 1 reflects a 4 every time it appears.

Monthly Puzzle Hunt for November

This is week 03 of this month's puzzle hunt! I think it is far more approachable compared to the last so give it a go! Remember Google (other search engines are available) is your friend.If you complete the puzzle hunt then submit your solution to me by email, plus methods for working it out, with the subject of: November Puzzle Hunt. The first 3 correct solutions with workings get a shout out in Monday Mail and I will create a leaderboard of all correct submissions (plus working) so we can have a Puzzle Champion at the end of the year! Good Luck! You have until Sunday 29th November to submit any solutions.

Answers to last weeks puzzles

The answers to last week's puzzles (not inc. the November Monthly Puzzle Hunt!) can be found here.

Week 8 (A) • Monday 16 November 2020 • #20.09

Paul pic

Good morning UG, it’s Monday 16th November, it’s Week 8, and it’s an A Week. I hope everything is going well and you are managing to keep on top of your work. If not, then it's important that you speak to someone, your personal tutor (for 3rd years this is your project supervisor), your year tutor (see the Year links in the Department curriculum pages), or contact SSO. Don’t forget that you can view your coursework deadlines, as well as your marks in SPOT.

Keep safe, lots of content this week ...

Paul Nutter
Director of Undergraduate Studies

COVID SAFETY.

PASS1.

Simeon Tsvetankov (Y3, CSwIE) and Javier Rodriguez (Y3, CSwIE) write: Hi there! As lots of social events are going on, we'd like to encourage you to sign up and join them to collaborate and have fun with your peers! PASS is happening every week as usual, so if you are looking for more information on what events are out there, reach out to your PASS leaders and attend your sessions! Of course, any other questions are also welcome during PASS. Please make sure you are aware of all that's going on, so you don't miss out!

PASS2.

UG FACEBOOK PAGE.

Did you know we have an undergraduate community page on Facebook? If you are a Facebook user then please join the group. Here you will find the latest information from the Department as well as information on Careers, as well as other interesting things!

MEET A STUDENT REP.

This week, let me introduce Eiman Baig - “Hi everyone, I’m Eiman and I’m a first year Computer Science student from London. I’m excited to be a rep and to help make this course as enjoyable as possible! Feel free to send me an email about anything you might want us to look at.” If you’d like to speak to Eiman, then just send her an email.

DIGITAL EDUCATION & ACCESSIBLE LEARNING RESEARCH STUDY.

Colleagues at the University of Reading are looking for Undergraduate students to take part in online research into how to improve online learning, particularly from students who fall into one or more of the following categories: students who are deaf or hard of hearing; students who have dyslexia; students who speak English as a second or additional language. If you identify in one of these groups and would like to take part, then please see this information sheet to find out how to get involved.

DEPARTMENT DASS COORDINATOR.

The Disability Advisory and Support Service (DASS) at the University is a specialist service supporting students with any condition that has a significant, adverse and long term effect on normal day to day activities. DASS can help students access exams, study and specialist support but only if you register with them. For advice talk to the Department’s DASS coordinator Hannah Cousins.

USER STUDIES.

This from Markel Vigo: Do you want to get involved in user studies or recruit participants? There is a mailing list to send announcements about user studies and experiments run by students and academics of the Department of Computer Science. If you want to recruit participants for studies and experiments you can send your announcements to COMPSCI-USER-STUDIES. If you want to get involved as a participant, opportunities to do so will be published in COMPSCI-USER-STUDIES. Either way you have to register here. This is a moderated list so if you are recruiting participants we will make sure that the studies follow the guidelines for ethical approval as defined here and our department wiki.

HARDWARE LIBRARY.

Did you know we have a student hardware library in the Department containing hardware components that are free for you to borrow? There are all sorts of items available, from Raspberry Pi components to Drones, Arduinos to Microsoft Kinects, basic electronic components to robots … we even have Oculus VR headsets. To see what is available for you to borrow (for free!) have a look at the library catalogue. The library is still open, although all items must be collected but the student who has reserved the item and any loaned items should not be taken away from Manchester. If you want to borrow an item then all you have to do is reserve it online. You will then be contacted by Steve Rhodes who will tell you when you can pick the item up from the Kilburn building.

SUPPORT SERVICE SPOTLIGHT.

TIPS TO MANAGE YOUR WORKLOAD.

It can sometimes feel as though there is a never ending to-do list so it’s really important that we manage our workloads effectively in order to avoid burnout. Burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. It occurs when you feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and unable to meet demands. Burnout can be particularly prevalent during difficult times, when there are lots of other things to think about and contend with. In order to avoid this and to maintain our wellbeing, it’s really important that we look after ourselves and use different techniques to manage our workloads. See tips here.

NEW COLLEAGUES IN SSO.

Welcome to Alyx Adams (left-hand photo) and Anna Warburton-Ball (right-hand photo) who have recently joined SSO. Alyx joins Lisa and Cameron to work on the Undergraduate team as a Student Support Office Assistant. She’ll be helping respond to your queries throughout the year and provide administrative support to the team. Anna is the new Student Experience Intern who will be working on various projects focussed on improving the experience of students. She will be looking at ways to help students feel part of a community and make the most of their academic year. Welcome Alyx and Anna!

ACADEMIC ENGLISH SUPPORT WORKSHOPS:

There is still time to register for the University Language Centre’s academic English support workshops; the next start dates will be in the week commencing 23 November. You can register for blocks of academic writing and grammar workshops delivered online via live synchronous video sessions. For full timetable and registration details, please see here.

OPPORTUNITY FOR SECOND YEARS.

This from Sarah Clinch: Second year students — want to test your programming skills? We’re recruiting current second year students from computer science (any program) to participate in a one hour Zoom programming challenge and interview. We’ll ask you to live-code solutions to four programming tasks and then chat to us about how you went about them. The whole thing will last less than one hour and you’ll be rewarded for giving up your time. Contact Omar for more information or to book your slot.

PLACEMENTS AT INTEL.

Intel is looking for technical students from the university for their Placements. Intel provides 13 month placements which allow you to learn new skills as well as building on your current skill set. This is an excellent opportunity to gain industrial experience and prepare yourself for the industry in a friendly environment. Intel will run a virtual session at Manchester on the 17th November, 12:00-12:45pm, where they will talk about what an internship at Intel looks like as well as how to make a strong application for any internship. Most importantly, they will answer any questions you may have about working in industry. Join here (Meeting number: 130 491 2337, Password: Students1!). If you plan on attending the meeting then please complete the registration (takes 30 seconds) so they know how many students to expect.

VIRTUAL POSTGRADUATE STUDY FAIR.

Thinking about postgraduate study? The Virtual Postgrad Study Fair, which takes place on Tuesday 17th November, 11am - 3:30pm, gives you a chance to explore further study options and meet representatives of over 30 institutions offering courses and further training for September 2021. Hundreds of university postgraduate course places are on offer. There will be opportunities to ask questions directly to representatives through live chat sessions and webinars throughout the day. You don't have to register in advance and can access the event on the day via the Careers Service website. Anyone can attend, it’s not just for students graduating this year.

UNICS.

Jennifer Tirok writes: Hi everyone! Don’t forget to join us for GreatUniHack, an annual 24-hour hackathon, on November 28th-29th! What are you waiting for? Apply here. Sign up to our society on the SU page if you haven’t. We celebrate various technical and social events which are free and open to anyone!

BLOCKCHAINERS.

Pedro Sousa writes: Is this your first-time hearing about blockchain? Do you not have much knowledge about blockchain technology but want to learn more? Our team is excited to be hosting a Blockchain 101 session for those who are new to blockchain and want to learn more about the technology and how it works. It is targeted towards beginners, so no prior knowledge is required and all are welcome! The session will be held on 19th November via zoom so make sure you sign up with the link below to register for the event. Register here.

DEVELOPER STUDENT CLUBS.

Finn Hudson writes: Hey everyone! Google DSC is running an event to get you all prepared for Great Uni Hack! We are running an introduction to hackathons event where you can learn what a hackathon is and how to participate. If you are a hackathons veteran there are also some previous winners presenting their projects so come along to pick up some tips! We have also prepared a take home workshop where you can create and host your own message board site to get you started with web development! The event is on Wednesday the 18th at 6pm so make sure to sign up at the link below and follow our socials for any updates: Event and Instagram.

AI/ML SOCIETY.

This from Manav Gupta: Hey everyone, this week on Tuesday (17th November) at 4pm, we will be having our 3rd Advanced Lecture, which will discuss adversarial examples and focus on the Fast Gradient Sign Method and explaining the considerations when uncovering the existence and importance of these adversarial examples. We will first discuss the importance of researching and studying adversarial examples and move on to why they matter in terms of AI Safety. In the next part of the workshop, I will be explaining one of the methods, Fast Gradient Sign Method, a simple one-step attack on neural networks still used today as a benchmark in evaluating the robustness of a neural network. We will end the workshop with examples of other attacks and tease one of our sandbox (which will take place the next day on Wednesday 18th Nov at 4pm!) in which will work on another type of attack. You must read up on Convolutional Neural Networks before coming to the lecture. So, come along and join us, more information can be found on our Facebook and Insta page, and join our Slack for more information and the zoom link nearer the time.

CRACKCHESTER.

This from Mark Paveszka: Hi everyone! This Wednesday at 4pm we will be hosting an employability talk to discuss the skills, experience and qualifications you will need to kickstart your career in Cyber Security. Be sure to check out this event if you’re interested in getting a summer internship, industrial placement or a graduate job within this field, and to find out more about the current career opportunities. Here is the meeting link. We are still accepting participants for our monthly HackTheBox competition where you can complete the HackTheBox challenges in your own time. A winner is decided at the end of every month and will receive a prize, so don’t miss out! Sign up here to be part of the competition.

LIBRARY.

This from Gemma Smith: Study Space. Students can book study spaces in the Libraries across campus, including the Main Library, Joule, and AGLC. Please book your session in advance using this form. As spaces are in high demand, please cancel your booking if no longer needed. Each space is available to book for a morning or an afternoon session. Students have to wear face coverings at all times whilst in the Library sites (unless they have a medical exemption). How to order research resources from the Library: Use Order a Book and Order an Article to get what you need electronically. If you need research resources that the Library does not hold, the Library will get them for you if they are available electronically. The Order a Book service is free; the Order an Article service incurs a £2 administration charge. Both services are available to staff and students. Visit the Library website and fill in a simple online form to access the services.

SOMETHING TO SHARE?

Deadline for sending in Monday Mail items: 14:00 every Friday.

Welcome back to Puzzle Corner, this is your weekly fix of brain teasers and logic puzzles. This week two new brainteasers and a new Sudoko. There is also the Monthly Puzzle Hunt again this week and you have the duration of November to try and complete it. It is far shorter than the first so give it a go. You have until Sunday 29th November to submit any solutions. Solutions to last week's puzzles can be found below.

Quick Brainteasers (from Popular Mechanics):

1. King Nupe of the kingdom Catan dotes on his two daughters so much that he decides the kingdom would be better off with more girls than boys, and he makes the following decree: All child-bearing couples must continue to bear children until they have a daughter!

But to avoid overpopulation, he makes an additional decree: All child-bearing couples will stop having children once they have a daughter! His subjects immediately begin following his orders.

After many years, what’s the expected ratio of girls to boys in Catan?

2. You’re rummaging around your great grandmother’s attic when you find five short chains each made of four gold links. It occurs to you that if you combined them all into one big loop of 20 links, you’d have an incredible necklace. So you bring it into a jeweler, who tells you the cost of making the necklace will be $10 for each gold link that she has to break and then reseal.

How much will it cost?

Logic Puzzle - Classic Suduko by Puzzler Media

Keeping it simple this week. Normal Suduko rules apply. That is all.

Monthly Puzzle Hunt for November

This is week 02 of this month's puzzle hunt! I think it is far more approachable compared to the last so give it a go! Remember google (other search engines are available) is your friend.

If you complete the puzzle hunt then submit your solution to me by email, plus methods for working it out, with the subject of: November Puzzle Hunt. The first 3 correct solutions with workings get a shout out in Monday Mail and I will create a leaderboard of all correct submissions (plus working) so we can have a Puzzle Champion at the end of the year! Good Luck! You have until Sunday 29th November to submit any solutions.

So far I have received 1 correct solution to the Puzzle Hunt. So the Number 1 Spot goes to Tudor (Leo) Bujdei-Leonte. Good Work! Who is going to get second place?

Answers to last weeks puzzles

The answers to last week's puzzles (not inc. the November Monthly Puzzle Hunt!) can be found here.

Week 7 (B) • Monday 9 November 2020 • #20.08

Paul pic

Good morning, it’s Monday 9th November, it’s Week 7, and it’s a B Week. We’ve now passed the halfway point in the semester! As you are aware, we are now in a second lockdown in England. It can be tough being isolated, particularly if you are already struggling, so it’s important that you keep in touch with friends and family over this period, so please make use of Zoom to meet and chat with people!

We had the first meeting of the staff student committee last Wednesday. I’d like to thank the student reps for making the meeting such a great success. They’ve given us a lot to think about! Remember, the reps are your voice in the Department.

Please keep safe ... on with today’s news

Paul Nutter
Director of Undergraduate Studies

Your essential links: UGweb SPOT Remote access Mitigating-Circumstances SSO Timetable Counselling Report absence Handbook Courses Y1 Y2 Y3 Y4 Student Activities Fund MM UG cal SSC FB @csmcr ITFAQ HelpDesk

COVID SAFETY.

It's important that you keep COVID safe, particularly when on campus. If you are on campus please abide by the measures that have been put in place including following one way systems, using cleaning and hand sanitising stations, and wearing face coverings. We are now in a second lockdown until the 2nd December, so restrictions are in place; you can find out more information here. The University has released information detailing how this affects teaching. Please make sure you follow these rules. Breaches of COVID-19 guidelines will be taken very seriously by the University. Please make sure you let SSO know immediately by email if you have symptoms, need to self-isolate, or have tested positive for the virus. Please do not come into the University if you show symptoms, are self-isolating, or have tested positive.

FACE COVERINGS.

The University is providing two washable face coverings for all students. If you are a new student (and currently on campus) you should have received your face coverings as part of your welcome pack. These were distributed either in your halls of residence or by appointment at the Whitworth Hall. Returning students can collect their face coverings from the Students’ Union or the marquee outside Uni place. See here for more information.

COURSEWORK.

We have finally fixed the feed that allows us to get coursework data from Blackboard into SPOT. So now you can view all your deadlines and marks for COMP course units in one place. There are a few issues we need to iron out, so please be patient.

PASS1.

Simeon Tsvetankov (Y3, CSwIE) and Javier Rodriguez (Y3, CSwIE) write: Hi! Hope your studies are going well! As we are around the middle of the semester, make sure to keep attending PASS1 for some tips and tricks! Here is a picture of some of the PASS1 team during Debrief, working hard to deliver best quality advice! If anything pops up - please contact us or your PASS Leaders!

PASS2.

Teodora Balmos (Y3, CSwIE) and Boris Vasilev (Y3, CSwIE) write: Hello from the PASS2 team! We hope deadlines don't feel too overwhelming so far and that job applications are going well. Next week we are going to talk about Git. More precisely how to undo your mistakes and how to undo the mistake you did while trying to undo the previous one. If you have any feedback for us or the sessions so far, please let us know by completing this form.

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING VIRTUAL STELLIFY AND VOLUNTEERING EVENT.

On Wednesday 11th November 4-5pm we are hosting a School of Engineering Virtual Stellify and Volunteering Event to showcase the exciting volunteering opportunities we have via Volunteer Hub here at UoM. Giving you more information about how you can get involved. How to log your community volunteering hours which will all contribute to you achieving the Stellify Award! More information on the Stellify Award can be found here. Please contact Laura Senior if you are planning on attending so they can get an idea of numbers. Join via Zoom.

MEETING OF THE STUDENT STAFF COMMITTEE.

We held the first meeting of the student-staff committee last Wednesday, which was the first time the student reps have got together this academic year. It was a great turnout and a very productive meeting! If you want to raise an issue, or just tell us what we are doing well, then please speak to one of your reps. One suggestion made by the reps was to highlight a rep each week, who you can contact if you want to raise anything that week. This week, let me introduce Jack Hygate - “Hi, I'm a first-year computer science student interested in Drama, Rock climbing and anything tech related. Feel free to message me if you have any thoughts about the course or if you just want to meet another compsci student at this weird time. I'm looking forward to meeting you all!” If you’d like to speak to Jack, then just send him an email.

STUDENT CARD.

Completed registration but don’t have your student card yet? Then you need to book an appointment to collect your student card. Appointment slots are available daily, Monday to Friday, and will take place in the Student Services Centre throughout November. You will need to bring proof of your collection booking with you to the collection venue (the appointment confirmation email on your phone or print out) otherwise we are unable to allow you entry to the collection venue. Please check your spam/junk folders if you do not receive an email following the booking of your appointment. Student card not long enough for your course? You can use this same booking link to obtain a new student card. Completed registration but lost your student card? If you have lost your student card, a replacement can be purchased here and a collection appointment booked immediately using the above appointment booking link – no need to wait to be invited to book.

SUPPORT SERVICE SPOTLIGHT.

The Library. The Library is here to help support your study, teaching or research. You can contact the Library for remote IT Support using the Library Chat and Library Help service. The Library’s Digital Support team provide a wide range of support for students, including connecting to email and other University services, support for personal devices and help with Microsoft 365. There are over 800 bookable study spaces available at the Main Library, the Alan Gilbert Learning Commons, Joule Library, Kantorowich Library and Stopford Library. The Library provides a key element of on-campus digital support with its physical IT support desks in the Alan Gilbert Learning Commons and the Main Library. To support remote working, the Digital Support team have primarily moved onto the web-based Library Chat platform and you can get digital support through that channel. In addition to these services, the Library is now working in partnership with IT Services to deliver a laptop loan and WiFi access scheme. This service offers a laptop loan or dongle (a device that allows access to the internet) if you meet certain criteria.

STUDENT SAFETY.

Whilst it is unlikely your personal safety will be at risk during your time at University, it's always better to be prepared. A list of resources has been compiled to ensure you are aware of the steps you can take to stay as safe as possible during your time in Manchester, which can be found here. Don’t forget about the University Safezone app, which has been designed to give you peace of mind when on-campus or living in University accommodation, particularly during the current pandemic. You can report concerns and get advice about COVID-19, contact security at the touch of a button, and 'check-in' to support contact tracing when on campus. The app is available to download on Google play or on the Apple App Store by searching for 'SafeZone'.

UNICS.

Jennifer Tirok writes: Hi everyone, we hope you are doing well! Join us for the G-Research Coding Challenge on November 13th, where you'll compete in teams (of 3-5 people) in a series of progressively more difficult challenges to build a natural language calculation engine (no prior NLP experience required). It is open for CompSci/Mathematics students in their penultimate or final years. Register here. Applications for Great Uni Hack (November 28th) have been opened! Apply here. Don’t forget to check out our application ‘KB’ if you haven’t, as we recognise that many students are still finding it difficult to connect with other students in this challenging time. ‘KB’ lets you meet your new colleagues and have a chat with them via video call or text. For more information, click here.

AI/ML SOCIETY.

This from Manav Gupta: Hey everyone, next Friday (13th Nov), we will be having our next social! We will be hosting a pub and games night Lockdown Edition! If you want to meet cool, like-minded people, then join us. We will be playing a variety of games such as skribbl and among us. We look forward to having you! Follow us on Facebook and Insta, where we will provide the time and more information. And join our Slack for the zoom link nearer the time.

CRACKCHESTER.

Hello everyone! We have some exciting new events coming up. This Wednesday, we will be walking you through the solutions from the BT/CTF challenge that took place last week. If you missed the event, this would still be a great chance for you to learn the technique behind solving CTFs! The meeting link will be available soon on our social media. We will also be starting our monthly HackTheBox competition where you can complete the HackTheBox challenges in your own time. The winner will be picked at the end of every month and will receive a prize, so don’t miss out! Sign up here to be part of the competition. Don’t forget to like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram (@crackchester) for more updates!"

SOMETHING TO SHARE?

Deadline for sending in Monday Mail items: 14:00 every Friday.

Welcome back to Puzzle Corner, this is your weekly fix of brain teasers and logic puzzles. This week two new brainteasers and a new Sudoko created by yours truly for you to have a go at. There is also a new Monthly Puzzle this week and you have the duration of November to try and complete it. It is far shorter than the first so give it a go. You have until Sunday 29th November to submit any solutions. Solutions to last week's puzzles can be found below.

Quick Brainteasers (Popular Mechanics)

1. Kenny, Abby, and Ned got together for a round-robin pickleball tournament, where, as usual, the winner stays on after each game to play the person who sat out that game. At the end of their pickleball afternoon, Abby is exhausted, having played the last seven straight games. Kenny, who is less winded, tallies up the games played:

Kenny played eight games
Abby played 12 games
Ned played 14 games

Who won the fourth game against whom?

2. The circuit breaker box in your new house is in an inconvenient corner of your basement. To your chagrin, you discover none of the 100 circuit breakers is labeled, and you face the daunting prospect of matching each circuit breaker to its respective light. (Suppose each circuit breaker maps to only one light.) To start with, you switch all 100 lights in the house to “on,” and then you head down to your basement to begin the onerous mapping process. On every trip to your basement, you can switch any number of circuit breakers on or off. You can then roam the hallways of your house to discover which lights are on and which are off. What is the minimum number of trips you need to make to the basement to map every circuit breaker to every light?

Logic Puzzle - My First Set by Gareth Henshall

Normal Sudoku rules apply. Normal XV (-) Rules (i.e. cells separated by an X must sum to 10 and cells separated by a V must sum to 5, all XVs have been provided). Normal Sandwich Rules (the number on the outside of the row/column is the sum of the digits that appear between the 1 & 9 in the respective row or column). This Suduko was created by me! This is my first creation and I hope you enjoy it! Please let me know how you get on with it! If you enjoy puzzles of this nature then get in touch as I want to try and get a group of us together to share puzzles. Also if you have created or completed a puzzle worthy of a feature here then send it to me.

Monthly Puzzle Hunt for November

We have a new monthly puzzle out today! I think it is far more approachable compared to the last so give it a go! Remember google (other search engines are available) is your friend. If you complete the puzzle hunt then submit your solution plus methods for working it out to gareth.henshall@manchester.ac.uk with the subject of: November Puzzle Hunt. First 3 correct solutions with workings get a shout out in Monday Mail and I will create a leaderboard of all correct submissions (plus working) so we can have a Puzzle Champion at the end of the year! Good Luck! You have until Sunday 29th November to submit any solutions.

Answers to last weeks puzzles

The answers to last week's puzzles (inc. the Monthly Puzzle Hunt for October) can be found here.

Week 6 (A) • Monday 2 November 2020 • #20.07

Paul pic

Good morning, it’s Monday 2nd November, it’s Week 6, and it’s an A Week. It’s November already … where’s the semester going? Thank you for providing feedback on how the course units are going so far. We will have a look through your comments and try to make changes where possible. The UK government announced new restrictions due to the rise in COVID-19 cases, see below for further information. We celebrate Bonfire Night (or Guy Fawkes Night) on Thursday, hopefully there will still be some the fireworks to enjoy. Enjoy the week … on with the rest of today’s news.
Paul Nutter
Director of Undergraduate Studies

COVID SAFETY.

It's important that you keep COVID safe, particularly when on campus. If you are on campus please abide by the measures that have been put in place including following one way systems, using cleaning and hand sanitising stations, and wearing face coverings. The government introduced new restrictions on Saturday that requires people to stay at home, to avoid socialising and has resulted in the closure of non-essential businesses and shops. These restrictions start on Thursday 5th November and continue until Wednesday 2nd December; you can find out more information here. As it currently stands, University buildings will remain open. We will let you know if the situation changes. Please make sure you follow these rules. Breaches of COVID-19 guidelines will be taken very seriously by the University. Please make sure you let SSO know immediately by email if you have symptoms, need to self-isolate, or have tested positive for the virus. Please do not come into the University if you show symptoms, are self-isolating, or have tested positive.

FACE COVERINGS.

ZOOM.

Please make sure you sign up for a Zoom account using your University email (@student.manchester.ac.uk) otherwise some facilities you may need for teaching may not be available unless you have a University account. Please check regularly to see that you have the latest version of Zoom installed.

SUPPORT SERVICE SPOTLIGHT:

The Careers Service. The award winning Careers Service at the University can offer help and advice with job applications, career direction, mock interviews, psychometric tests, CV checks plus much more! Check out their website to see what support they can offer you and don’t forget to register for CareersLink to see the latest job vacancies.

PASS1.

Simeon Tsvetankov (Y3, CSwIE) and Javier Rodriguez (Y3, CSwIE) write: Hi everyone! Hope you are enjoying your PASS1 sessions! As some midterms are approaching, make sure you attend the sessions and ask questions in case something is unclear. PASS is the perfect place to enhance your understanding of your course modules in case you need it. If you have any other concerns, reach out to us or your PASS Leaders.

PASS2.

Teodora Balmos (Y3, CSwIE) and Boris Vasilev (Y3, CSwIE) write: Hello from the PASS2 team! Hope you’re all doing well. In this week’s session we’ll be covering some more advanced data structures like heaps and priority queues. If there's enough time we'll also go over some Git tips and tricks as that was also something that was quite requested on the poll. Hope to see you there! Have a great rest of the week!

STAFF STUDENT COMMITTEE.

We have the first meeting of the UG Student Staff Committee (SSC) on Wednesday 4th November. Please raise any issues with your student reps in advance of the meeting.

STUDY SPACES.

Due to social distancing restrictions, room capacities in study space on-campus have been reduced. As a result, there are fewer computers available for students to sit down and use in our PC clusters. For more information on available PC clusters, please check the ITS webpage. In addition to the study spaces provided by the central library team, more information here, there are now study spaces available specifically for FSE students. In the Barnes Wallace building (North Campus) there is a PC cluster on the ground floor. In the Kilburn Building (South Campus) there is a PC cluster in office 2 and self-study spaces in 2.33, 2.11, IT407 and The Turing Lounge. These are available on a first come first basis. We would like to remind you of the guidelines we must all follow to maintain the safety of our fellow students and staff: wear your face covering, sanitise your hands when you enter and exit the building, and if you feel unwell, or believe you may have coronavirus symptoms,then please do not use any of the study spaces. Hand sanitising facilities are available; sanitise the desk, keyboard and mouse before and after use, using the facilities provided. Do not consume any food or drink (including water) in the room and please make sure you sit by yourself at one of the available desks and use the same study space whilst you are in the building.

STUDENT ENGAGEMENT LIST.

We are looking for a diverse group of students from across the School of Engineering to join a select group of students who would be willing to represent the School/Faculty at key University events and meetings. Interested students will be approached about these activities on an ad-hoc/one-off basis. This could be a ‘Communities of Practice’ meeting looking at key events such as Welcome Week, a ‘Task and Finish group’ looking at the academic advising framework or an engagement event where student insight is valued. This would be an ideal opportunity for you to influence key School of Engineering decisions and gain an insight into the workings of a university as well as work with academics, including Department Heads of Education and key professional service staff, boost employability and personal development. If you are interested in getting involved, please email Stacey.kendall@manchester.ac.uk with the following details: Student ID Number / Full Name / Academic Department (Comp Sci). The deadline for registering your interest is Friday 6th November @ 5pm.

STUDENT WELLBEING.

Workload Management. The new way of studying is a big change for everyone, and you may be finding that you are having some difficulties with getting used to this and managing your workload. If this is the case for you, you may find it helpful to check out this new page on the Student Support website around workload management that includes tips, resources and links to further support.

UNICS.

This from Jennifer Tirok: Hi everyone, come participate in Bloomberg’s upcoming event, BPuzzled this Wednesday 4th November from 5:30pm to 9:00pm BST! BPuzzled is a puzzle competition created by Bloomberg engineers, where teams of up to four use problem solving, creative thinking, and teamwork to solve challenging and intricate puzzles that are logical in nature, similar to those found in escape rooms. The winning teams from various universities will be invited to the Global Round to compete in the finals! For more info, check this BPuzzled video tutorial out. Interested? Register here. Great Uni Hack starts on November 28th, applications will be opened soon so keep an eye out for it!

HCI SOCIETY.

THIS from Dragos Marin: Hello, everyone! AlgoTalks is going to change its format, the hosts will be me and Andrej Velichkovski, founder of UoM Competitive Programming Club. The sessions are going to be held on Zoom and will be about 30-45 minutes. The next session is going to be on 4 Nov. at 15:00 UK Time. Make sure to join our discord server to see the link and stay tuned on our social media for all HCI-related news! (Instagram and Facebook).

AI/ML SOCIETY.

Manav Gupta writes: Hey everyone, this week on Tuesday(3rd Nov) at 4pm, we will be having our 2nd Advanced Lecture, which will be on Natural Language Processing with pre-trained models (BERT). In this lecture, we will show you how to use the power of transfer learning. We will obtain state-of-the-art performance on text classification task and will show you a roadmap to using BERT and other pre-trained models for different problems in NLP. This will be followed by a workshop, in which we will solve a Kaggle challenge on the same topic, on Wednesday(4th Nov), again at 4pm! So, come along and join us, more information can be found on our Facebook and Insta page, and join our Slack for more information and the zoom link nearer the time.

CRACKCHESTER.

This from Sana Aftab: Hi everyone! Hope you enjoyed last week's workshop. Crackchester is teaming up with BT to bring you our first CTF competition! It will be hosted on AWS so everyone can join and it would be a great opportunity to network with one of the leading companies in the industry. The event will take place from 2:30pm - 4:00pm this Wednesday, 4th of November. You are able to register today after 2pm through this link. If you have any questions, please email us or DM us on Instagram @crackchester. We hope to see you there!

SOMETHING TO SHARE?

Deadline for sending in Monday Mail items: 14:00 every Friday.

Welcome back to Puzzle Corner, this is your weekly fix of brain teasers and logic puzzles. This week two new brainteasers and a new Miracle Sudoko for you to have a go at. Don't forget the monthly puzzle which is still going on. As of 2pm Friday I have still not received a correct solution so I have extended the deadline by a week and the top spot is still up for grabs you have until Sunday 8th November to submit any solutions. Solutions to last weeks puzzles can be found below.

Quick Brainteasers (Courtesy BBC Radio 4)

1. On a Monday, all prices in Isla’s shop are 10% more than normal. On Friday all prices in Isla’s shop are 10% less than normal. James brought a book on Monday for £5.50. What would be the price of another copy of this book on Friday?

2. Last weekend my daughter Ellie and I went for a 15-mile bike ride. We both ride at 10 miles per hour. After 10 miles I got a puncture and had to walk my bike the rest of the way. Ellie hadn't noticed my predicament and rode on ahead. When I finally arrived Ellie said that she'd been waiting for the same length of time as she'd been riding. What was my walking speed?

Logic Puzzle - Miracle Sudoku by Mitchell Lee

Normal Sudoku rules apply. Any cells separated by a knights move (in chess) cannot contain the same digit. Any two orthogonally adjacent cells cannot contain consecutive digits.

Similar to last week the logic to break into this puzzle is really nice and well worth a go!

Monthly Puzzle Hunt for October

This was first published in week 2’s Monday Mail. You can find it here. We’ve extended the deadline until 6pm Friday as we’ve not had any answers yet! This one is quite involved and can take some time to work out, Google is also your friend. If you complete the puzzle hunt then submit your solution plus methods for working it out to Gareth with the subject of: October Monthly Puzzle Hunt. The first 3 correct solutions with workings get a shout out in Monday Mail and a leaderboard will be created of all correct submissions (plus working) so we can have a Puzzle Champion at the end of the year! Good Luck!

Answers to last weeks puzzles

The answers to last week's puzzles (but not the Monthly Puzzle Hunt!) can be found here.

Week 5 (B) • Monday 26 October 2020 • #20.06

Paul pic

Good morning, it’s Monday 26th October, it’s Week 5, a B Week. We are asking for feedback on how course units are going so please let us know - see the item below for further details. It’s Halloween on Saturday so have a Spooktacular weekend! There are plenty of things happening this week, so enjoy the week … on with the rest of today’s news.
Paul Nutter
Director of Undergraduate Studies

COVID SAFETY.

It’s important you keep COVID safe, particularly when on campus. If you are on campus please abide by the measures that have been put in place including following one way systems, using cleaning and hand sanitising stations, and wearing face coverings, you should also follow UK government guidance at all times. Manchester is now in a Tier 3 lockdown, so restrictions are in place on socialising - please make sure you follow these rules. Breaches of COVID-19 guidelines will be taken very seriously by the University. Please make sure you let SSO know immediately by email if you have symptoms, need to self-isolate, or have tested positive for the virus. Please do not come into the University.

FACE COVERINGS.

ZOOM.

HEALTH CHECK.

We're running an early-Semester Course Unit health check – please take a moment to give us your feedback on your course units so far this semester, so we can make sure everything is ok. Please follow the appropriate link depending on your year group: Year 1, Year 2, Year 3. Please complete a form for each of the course units you are taking. The deadline for feedback is 6pm Thursday 29th October (this Thursday), as we want to address any issues (where we can) at the earliest opportunity. You can find more information on the Department wiki pages.

PASS1.

Simeon Tsvetankov (Y3, CSwIE) and Javier Rodriguez (Y3, CSwIE) write: Hi everyone! We are very happy to see you all engaging with PASS, hopefully you can see and appreciate its value by now! Make sure to join again this week to get some more help, advice and support from your leaders. Keep yourself informed about all the events happening around societies - we have let some PR committee members in the Discord server to help you with that! If anything pops up, please reach out to us or your PASS Leaders - as usual.

PASS2.

Teodora Balmos (Y3, CSwIE) and Boris Vasilev (Y3, CSwIE) write: Hello from the PASS2 team! Hope you’re all doing well and second year has been enjoyable so far. In this week’s session we’ll be covering some common data structures that you might encounter during your interview process. We’d like to ask you if you could give us your thoughts about what you want to see next in PASS here.If you want to have a look at the past sessions you can find them on our website. Have a great rest of the week!

POSTGRADUATE VIRTUAL OPEN WEEK.

Interested in further study in an Advanced Computer Science MSc after you graduate next year? Or if you enjoy the research side of studying, have you considered our PhD programmes and explored our list of potential projects? To find out more about these options, please join our PG Virtual Open Week in a next week in the following sessions: Advanced Computer Science Taught Master's overview with Dr Caroline Jay (12-1pm - Tuesday November 2020), PhD & EngD study in Computer Science with Dr Sarah Clinch (11:30-12:30 - Friday 6 November 2020), PhD Student Projects & Presentations, followed by Q&A panel (1-2pm - Friday 6 November 2020). Please book through the University website to receive all the information and Zoom session details.

SUPPORT SERVICE SPOTLIGHT.

My Learning Essentials is the Library’s award winning programme of skills support, including both online resources and face-to-face workshops which will aid you in your personal and professional development. The workshops offer a relaxed group environment where you can try out new strategies for yourself while learning from and with peers whilst the online resources help you develop skills and interests which are relevant to you, at times and using the methods that suit you best. My Learning Essentials is a great way to get the most out of your time at Manchester; helping you to make the best use of all of the specialist resources and support the University has to offer.

STUDENT UNION BUDDY SCHEME.

We recognise that this is a really difficult time for many of our students, especially those who have to isolate or those who are new to Manchester and are unable to meet many people due to COVID19 restrictions. The UMSU Buddy Scheme has been set up to help connect you with other students. As part of the scheme, they’ll pair students with other students who will get in touch for weekly phone or video calls, providing some social contact and the chance to make a new friend.

IMAGO PODCAST.

Duncan Hull writes: Episode 37 of the CS@Manchester podcast features an interview with students from Imago, a student software company sponsored by the Institute of Coding, which is part of their student enterprise project. This is designed to provide the opportunity for students to engage with industry practices whilst studying at a Higher Education Institution. We speak to some of our undergraduate students from the Department of Computer Science who have been part of the Student Software Company over the summer. These are Karam Agha, Phoebe Evason and Albert Viliick. We find out about the different projects they worked on, the clients they delivered to and the positive experiences they found being part of the company. Dr Gareth Henshall, the department's First Year Tutor and one of our academic leads for the programme also joins us for the discussion, to talk about the aims of the initiative in general and the benefits to both students, clients and potential employers. You can find out more information about the Imago Student Software company ; the student enterprise and the Institute of Coding.

UKIEPC PROGRAMMING CONTEST.

Ian Pratt-Hartmann writes: The UK and Ireland Programming Contest (UKIEPC) will take place this year on Saturday, December 12th, 2020. UKIEPC is usually an annual event in which teams of three participants try to crack a series of programming challenges; this year, however, for obvious reasons, it will be run as an online, individual event. This will admittedly be less fun than the in-person team contest, but is still very rewarding, and of course excellent practice for your programming courses here. Details here. You should register using the Competition website. (There is a "Take Part" button in the top right corner, which is surprisingly easy to miss.) As everything is online this year, you may register anywhere; but you may as well select Virtual Participation, because that is what it is going to be. Registration is now open. (On scanning the web page, I could not find a closing date.) Completing the form should be easy. The best individuals from Manchester will be able to form teams to compete in the North West Europe Regional Programming Competition (NWERC), which will be hosted virtually by the University of Reykjavik in the first quarter of 2021. (For a summary see here.) The exact rules on the formation of teams at NWERC are still being finalised; realistically, however, we can expect to be able to enter two or three teams from Manchester. Note that we will enter a team to NWERC only if all of its members have competed in UKIEPC 2020. The detailed rules on eligibility are explained on the ICPC website. However, in practice, any UG or Master's student at Manchester, as well as some PhD students, are eligible.) There will be a practice competition hosted by the Nordic Collegiate Programming Competition (open to all) on 31st October. See here for details. Have fun and good luck!

LIBRARY DROP-INS.

This from Gemma Smith: Do you have a question about using the Library's resources or services? Our online Library drop-in gives you the opportunity to speak to one of our Library experts to get support and guidance. Online Library drop-ins start Friday 23rd October. These 90 minute sessions will run every week on either a Mon, Wed or Fri starting at 11am or 2pm. Students, researchers and staff can book onto the Library drop-ins. To find out more and to book on, visit the drop-in page. Can't make a session? Talk to us online via Library Chat now, or send us an email.

SAFEZONE.

The University has launched a new personal safety app for all students and staff to use. The app is designed to give students peace of mind when coming to campus or living in University accommodation, particularly during the current pandemic. Students can report concerns and get advice about COVID-19, contact security at the touch of a button, and 'check-in' to support contact tracing when on campus. This is an initiative from the University which can massively improve your University experience by giving you peace of mind and giving you access to COVID-19 advice. The app is available to download on Google play or on the App Store by searching for 'SafeZone'. More information can be found here.

VENTURE FURTHER 2021.

So you’re a University of Manchester student with a great start-up idea? What are you waiting for? Register your interest for #VentureFurtherUoM 2021 to hear the latest competition news and win £10,000 to start your own business! Find out more here.

UNICS.

Holly Foster writes: Hi everyone! Our next event is over on KB on the 29th Oct, 7-9pm UK time, for a Halloween Special!! Find the Ghost lurking on KB during these hours, and if you manage to scare it away, you’ll receive a treat of a £10 Amazon voucher. Be sure to follow all our socials for all our updates. See you on Thursday!

CRACKCHESTER.

Hey Guys, Hope you are safe and sound. We have a variety of events and opportunities planned for you this week. Volunteer applications are now closed, we are starting our monthly competition on Hack The Box, and we have got a CTF by BT coming up for you next week. Crackchester and BT are teaming up to bring you our first, but not last, CTF. It will be virtual, and extremely fun. It will be hosted on AWS, so everyone can join, and it would be a great opportunity to network with one of the leading companies in the industry. Sign up with this link. In preparation for the CTF we are hosting an Intro to CTF Challenges workshop this Wednesday from 3:30pm to 5pm. We will show you what type of challenges are there on CTFs and also we will show you how these challenges can be solved. You can find more details here. We are also starting our monthly Competition on the HackTheBox, and there will be **prizes**. Sign up via this form, don't miss out! Volunteer applications are now closed. Thank you to everyone who volunteered. We are looking forward to working with you. Any questions, contact us by email. And if you aren’t already, follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

AI/ML SOCIETY.

This from Manv Gupta: Hey everyone, this week on Tuesday (27 October) at 4pm BST, we will be running our 2nd Beginner Workshop: What makes up a learning algorithm? This workshop will discuss datasets, cost functions, optimization routines, parameter fitting and hyperparameters. We will also look at some traditional learning algorithms, such as decision trees, k nearest neighbors, and support vector machines. So, come along and join us, more information can be found on our Facebook and Insta page, and join our Slack for more information and the zoom link nearer the time.

HCI SOCIETY.

THIS from Dragos Marin: Hello, everybody! HCI Society is going to host the very first algorithmic session this Wednesday (28 October at 3 pm), the topic will be "Complexity, Time and Space". I will be the host, an experienced competitive programmer and winner at UKIEPC 2019. Sessions are going to be held every Wednesday from now on, exclusive on our discord server. Follow us on social media (Instagram and Facebook) for new announcements!

SOMETHING TO SHARE?

Deadline for sending in Monday Mail items: 14:00 every Friday.

Welcome back to Puzzle Corner, this is your weekly fix of brain teasers and logic puzzles. This week two new brainteasers and a new XV killer Sudoko for you to have a go at. Don't forget the monthly puzzle which is still going on. As of 2pm Friday I have still not received a correct solution so the top spot is still up for grabs, you have until Sunday 1st November to submit any solutions. Solutions to last week’s puzzles can be found below.

Quick Brainteasers (courtesy of Radio 4)

1. The character Harry Potter is 40 years old today! Harry's wife Ginny, and his friends Hermione and her husband Ron want to celebrate his birthday. They plan on sharing 4 pints of Butterbeer in a single jug. Unfortunately the bartender has lost all the jugs which have a capacity of 4 pints. Ginny has an empty jug with a 5 pint capacity and Ron has an empty jug with a 3 pint capacity. With only 10 pints of Butterbeer left at the tap, how does Hermione use the magic of maths to measure precisely 4 pints of Butterbeer?

2. Today will see a socially distanced pilot at the London Palladium featuring singer Beverley Knight. What is the link between Beverley’s age just before lockdown and the venue?

Logic Puzzle - XV Killer Sudoku by Scott Strosahl

Normal killer Sudoku rules apply, normal little killer rules apply. XV constraint - Cells separated by a X must sum to 10. Cells separated by a V must sum to 5.

Similar to last week the logic to break into this puzzle is really nice and well worth a go!

Monthly Puzzle Hunt for October

This was first published in week 2’s Monday Mail. You have a whole month to complete this puzzle. This one is quite involved and can take some time to work out, Google is also your friend. If you complete the puzzle hunt then submit your solution plus methods for working it out to Gareth with the subject of: October Monthly Puzzle Hunt. The first 3 correct solutions with workings get a shout out in Monday Mail and a leaderboard will be created of all correct submissions (plus working) so we can have a Puzzle Champion at the end of the year! Good Luck!

Answers to last weeks puzzles

The answers to last week’s puzzles (but not the Monthly Puzzle Hunt!) can be found here.

Week 4 (A) • Monday 19 October 2020 • #20.05

Paul pic

Good morning! It’s Monday 19th October, it’s Week 4 in the timetable - and it’s an A Week. We’re into the third week of teaching, so I hope things have settled down and you know what you are doing! Don’t forget that your student reps have been announced and you can find their contact details on Blackboard in CS UG Community -> School of Computer Science SSC. Please let them know of any issues.

Enjoy the rest of the week … on with the rest of today’s news ….

Paul
Director of Undergraduate Studies

COVID SAFETY.

It’s important you keep COVID safe, particularly when on campus. When you are on campus please abide by the measures that have been put in place including following one way systems, using cleaning and hand sanitising stations, and wearing face coverings. Full details, including handy summary animated video, can be found on the Staying Safe website. You should also follow UK government guidance at all times, including restrictions currently in place in Greater Manchester on socialising. Breaches of COVID-19 guidelines will be taken very seriously by the University. Please make sure you let SSO know immediately by email if you have symptoms, need to self-isolate, or have tested positive for the virus. Please do not come into the University.

FACE COVERINGS.

ZOOM.

PASS1.

Simeon Tsvetankov (Y3, CSwIE) and Javier Rodriguez (Y3, CSwIE) write: Thank you for attending PASS1 last week! We hope you got the chance to also attend the Careers Fair. Despite the Fair being over, you still have a chance to ask your PASS Leaders about their valuable personal job-hunt experience during your sessions each week! Additionally, if you'd like to get any help or there's anything you'd like to see more of in your next PASS sessions, please let your Leaders know.

PASS2.

Teodora Balmos (Y3, CSwIE) and Boris Vasilev (Y3, CSwIE) write: Hello from the PASS2 team! We hope you have enjoyed the CV workshop session. We have looked over what you voted for the next session topic, and the winner is the interviews! So, the next session will be based on what type of interviews you will go through, and an example of a technical interview. The slides for the last sessions are on our website, where you can also send us feedback for the sessions.

THE VIRTUAL FINANCE,

BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT FAIR 2020. If you're just starting to think about your future, or actively job-hunting for roles across commercial and non-technical positions including HR, Marketing, Retail, Banking, Accountancy, Management Consultancy etc. The Virtual Finance, Business and Management Careers Fair is for you. With over 40 recruiters available on the day, this is an ideal opportunity to speak to them directly online and find out. The fair takes place on Monday 19th October and you can find out more on the University careers service website.

SUPPORT SERVICE SPOTLIGHT:

Counselling Service. The University counselling service is free to students and can offer help and support with a range of personal issues. Support is provided through a range of activities including; confidential one to one appointments, group workshops, and online support materials and self-help tools. You can refer yourself to the counselling service by booking an appointment online. Remember you can always contact the Student Support Office in Computer Science for any advice or help at any time.

THE CAREERS SERVICE.

The award winning Careers Service at the University can offer help and advice with job applications, career direction, mock interviews, psychometric tests, CV checks plus much more! Check out their website to see what they can offer you and don’t forget to register for CareersLink to see current job vacancies. They also advertise vacancies, events and opportunities specifically for disabled students, details of which can be found here.

ACADEMIC ENGLISH WORKSHOPS.

From 26 October, the University Language Centre’s programme of in-year Academic English support starts. If you are interested in receiving help then visit here and click on “Academic English Workshops” for more details and registration. The Academic Writing workshops are delivered via live synchronous video sessions, and offer faculty-specific support covering both the basics and the finer points of good academic writing. The sessions are interactive and encourage small group work to solve problems and edit texts. Our Academic Grammar workshops are also online and open to students from all faculties. They include the fundamentals of good sentence structure as well as more subtle ways of showing nuance and emphasis. There are also self-study resources available via our Blackboard community – details, and registration, is via the “Online Resources” link. Should you have further queries, please email.

THE VIRTUAL STEM CAREERS FAIR 2020.

The Virtual STEM careers fair 2020 takes place on Tuesday 20 October 2020 11am-5pm. If you're just starting to think about your future, or actively job-hunting for roles across engineering, science and technology, then the Virtual STEM Careers Fair is for you. With over 50 recruiters available on the day, this is an ideal opportunity to speak to them directly online and find out more about their jobs, placements and internships. For more information, see the University careers service website.

SIX WAYS TO WELLBEING.

If you are having to self-isolate, or if you are feeling isolated, we would encourage you to watch this video that contains lots of tips around looking after yourself by incorporating the Six Ways to Wellbeing into your day. You can find out more about the Six Ways to Wellbeing here, and you can use these resources to support your wellbeing journey.

REMOTE PC CLUSTER ACCESS.

You can now remotely connect to PCs in computer clusters running Microsoft Windows using the Remote PC service. This easy-to-use service means you can download software to access the cluster PCs, or you can even access them using your web browser. In the case of Linux, the only remorse access is via SSH but you will require two factor authentication running for this to work - see the Department Wiki for details. For instructions on how to use the remote access service, please login to the Support Portal and search for RPC. More information can be found on the Questions and Answers about RPC FAQ page.

STUDY SPACES.

Due to social distancing restrictions, room capacities in study space on-campus have been reduced. As a result, there are fewer computers available for students to sit down and use in our PC clusters. For more information on available PC clusters, please check the ITS webpage. In addition to the study spaces provided by the central library team, more information here, there are now study spaces available specifically for FSE students. In the Barnes Wallace building (North Campus) there is a PC cluster on the ground floor and self-study spaces in The Refectory and The Harwood Room. In the Kilburn Building (South Campus) there is a PC cluster in office 2 and self-study spaces in 2.33, 2.11, IT407 and The Turing Lounge. These are available on a first come first basis. We would like to remind you of the guidelines we must all follow to maintain the safety of our fellow students and staff: wear your face covering, sanitise your hands when you enter and exit the building, and if you feel unwell, or believe you may have coronavirus symptoms,then please do not use any of the study spaces. Hand sanitising facilities are available; sanitise the desk, keyboard and mouse before and after use, using the facilities provided. Do not consume any food or drink (including water) in the room and please make sure you sit by yourself at one of the available desks and use the same study space whilst you are in the building.

UNICS.

This from Holly Foster: Hi everyone! We have an event with OutSystem next week on 21st October at 6pm UK time!! There will be a talk about OutSystems, with an interactive demo where students will be able to see an instagram being built with OutSystems (a low-code platform tool for developing business-ready applications). Join us on Zoom. If you haven’t already, join our Discord server (for all year groups) and you can check out our new application KB here. Be sure to follow all our social media and the Facebook group for event updates (Insta: @unics_uom, Twitter: @unics_uom, Website.

HCI SOCIETY.

This from Dragos Marin. Hello, everybody! The HCI Society is going to host a special event on 28 October at 3 pm, dedicated to algorithmics and interview problems! This workshop is going to be held by me, competitive programming fanatic and winner at UKIEPC Manchester 2019, and I will try my best to make the session educative and enjoyable. Sessions are going to be held regularly on our discord server. Stay tuned on social media (Instagram and Facebook) for announcements!

CRACKCHESTER.

Hey Guys, Hope you are safe and sound. Our election is now officially done and dusted. Thank you to the 24 applicants who registered, and the 100+ voters who turned out for the election. We will be introducing the new committee over the coming week. We have a couple of things for you today. We have an exciting event coming up with the cyber resilience centre, and we are recruiting people to be part of the Crackchester volunteering teams. The Cyber Student Chapter is a regular meet up for any student studying cybersecurity in Greater Manchester. The event will bring together students so they can share ideas, network and meet experts from the industry.This is a great opportunity to be part of a community of cybersecurity enthusiasts and engage with the region’s leading cyber companies, improve your knowledge and develop skills that will help you to get a job when you finish studying. Richard Lush (Head of Cyber Operational Security at CGI), Jim Baldwin (Information security manager at Daisy Corporate Services), and Ben Spring - Chief executive officer at TryHackMe will be attending the event. You can sign up for the event here. Our podcast, The Crackchester CyberCast, is now available on Spotify, and other platforms. Click here to give it a listen. We are also looking for volunteers who will help us organise and deliver our events. We are recruiting for the dev team and events team. The dev team will be working with our dev officers and various organizations to create our CTF platform and the events team will help us with organising our events and communicating with companies. You can apply here. We have two CTF teams that participate in competitions globally. The Crackchester A CTF team is for individuals who are well versed in participating at CTFs, and we have an amateur team, for students who just want to learn. Last weekend both of those teams were immensely successful at the Reply Challenges. One of the teams was ranked top 100, and the other was ranked in the top 150 ( out of a total of 2380 teams). Any questions, contact us and if you aren’t already, follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Shau from Crackchester.

BLOCKCHAINERS.

This from Pedro Sousa. Hi all! As part of our society, we are hosting our first event of the year on Thursday 22 October 2020! Our introduction to Blockchainers is a great way to meet the committee, learn our society goals and find out our plans for this year! The session will be held on Zoom so make sure you register for the event to gain access! To register for the event, sign up here. See you soon!

HYPERLOOP MANCHESTER.

This from Harry O’Brien. Hyperloop Manchester is looking for new software developers! We are a society/research group working towards entering the Hyperloop competition in 2021. We need devs for embedded firmware development, real-time front and back end web technologies, and machine learning. Prior knowledge is preferred in at least one of these areas. We are open to all years, including PhD students. To apply for a role, then simply submit your CV. We will get back to you soon for an interview if you are accepted. Applications close soon, good luck!

SEMINAR ANNOUNCEMENT.

Advance in Data Science Seminar. Vikas Garg from Aalto University will be presenting a live seminar: Generalization and Representation Limits of Graph Neural Networks, on Tuesday 20th October at 2pm BST. For more information, including the abstract for the talk and booking information please see the Institute for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence website.

SOMETHING TO SHARE?

Deadline for sending in Monday Mail items: 14:00 every Friday.

Gareth Henshall writes: Welcome back to Puzzle Corner, this is your weekly fix of brain teasers and logic puzzles. This week two we have two new brainteasers and a new kropki Sudoko for you to have a go at. Don't forget the monthly puzzle which is still going on. As of 2pm Friday I have still not recieved a correct solution so the top spot is still up for grabs. Solutions to last week's puzzles can be found below.

Quick Brainteasers

1. In an effort to help with social distancing, Oxford High is thinking of introducing crinolines as part of the uniform. If all students wear a crinoline of radius 1m, what is the size of the smallest square room we could fit 2 students in?

2. 6 friends met during the lockdown and arranged themselves in a circle 2 metres apart. What is the furthest distance any two are apart?

Logic Puzzle - Consecutive-Pairs Ration Sudoku by Nityant Agarwal

Normal Sudoku rules apply, normal Kropki Rules apply and negative constraint does not apply (i.e. consecutive numbers or numbers having a ratio of 2 can be adjacent to each other). The logic for this puzzle is beautiful and I found it a thoroughly enjoyable solve! It took me about an hour to complete, let me know how you get on!

Monthly Puzzle Hunt for October

Answers to Week 3

The answers to last week’s puzzles (but not the Monthly Puzzle Hunt!) can be found here.

Week 3 (B) • Monday 12 October 2020 • #20.04

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Good morning! It’s Monday 12th October, it’s Week 3 in the timetable - a B Week.

I hope your first week of teaching has gone well, and that you’ve managed to find the learning material for your course units in Blackboard. Remember, we have adopted a blended learning approach to our teaching this academic year. This means that staff have developed weekly online teaching materials, such as videos and quizzes, which are supported by “live” activities. We hope you like it! The student reps for 2020/21 have been appointed - you can find out more information below. Puzzle corner continues this week with the answers to last week’s puzzles (apart from the monthly Puzzle Hunt of course!) given below.

Due to the increase in the COVID-19 infection rate in Manchester, all teaching has temporarily moved online until 30 October, so consequently the Department will not be running any on-campus, face-to-face activities during this period. The University will continue to review the situation.

Enjoy the rest of the week … on with the rest of today’s news ….

Paul Nutter
Director of Undergraduate Studies

COVID SAFETY.

FACE COVERINGS.

SUPPORT SERVICE SPOTLIGHT.

VIRTUAL MACHINE IMAGE.

Please make sure you have downloaded and installed the Linux VM image for VirtualBox produced to support your learning this semester. If you have any issues then make use of the forum in Blackboard or contact the support team.

ZOOM.

MEET YOUR STUDENT REPS.

Nominations closed for students to nominate themselves as a student rep last Tuesday and I am pleased to announce that 42 students across all four years nominated themselves (22 in Year 1, 10 in Year 2, 8 in Year 3 and 2 in Year 4). All have been duly appointed as student reps on the Department Student-Staff Committee, so congratulations to all! You can find out more information, along with contact details for your reps on the Student-Staff Committee page in Blackboard (CU UG Community -> Undergraduate Student Staff Committee). Student reps act as the voice for the student body and allow any issues having a direct impact on their studies to be raised with the Department. In addition, we encourage student reps to tell us what we are doing right! The first meeting of SSC will take place on Wednesday 4th November.

PASS1.

Simeon Tsvetankov (Y3, CSwIE) and Javier Rodriguez (Y3, CSwIE) write: Hi everyone! You should have met your PASS1 leaders last week, exciting! Make sure you are aware of how your PASS1 sessions will be running. Your PASS1 Leaders have posted information to you via email and Discord about when, how and where the session will be hosted (the session could be on Zoom, Discord or other platforms they have set up for you). They are given the flexibility to choose a platform, so it is convenient for everyone. In case you have any doubts, please reach out to your PASS1 Leaders, Simeon or Javier.

LIBRARY.

This from Gemma Smith: Search on our Library website to access e-journals, e-books and databases provided by the Library Search. To make it easier to read electronic journal articles, e-books, reviews and other online material provided by the Library without having to visit the Library website first, simply download these browser extensions: Library Access and LibKey Nomad. If you are having any problems accessing electronic resources, please contact our Electronic Resources Helpdesk.

SUMMER STUDENT BLOG.

Veselin Karaganev (Year 2 CS) spent the summer working for Research IT (part of IT Services in the University), working with research software engineers from the Wellcome Centre for Cell-Matrix Research to develop a web database for the basement membraneBASE project. You can find out more of what he did via his blog post. Well done Veselin!

CODE CLUB.

Tabitha Day writes: Code Club is looking for volunteers! We are looking to set up weekly online classes to teach year 5 or 6 students the Scratch programming language. No teaching or coding experience is needed, we are looking for friendly, helpful people who have an hour spare a week to help plan and create sessions. If you’re interested or would like more information please contact Tabi or apply via our Volunteer Hub advert.

UNICS.

This from Holly Foster: Hi everyone, we hope you are doing well! Thank you to everyone who applied to join our committee team, we are looking through applications and will be contacting you shortly! Optiver are hosting a 'Low Latency C++ Workshop' on Zoom this Tuesday 13th Oct (time TBA) so come along if you want to learn how to write the fastest and best performing code possible, and have some pre-existing C++ knowledge! If you haven’t already, join our Discord server (for all year groups) and you can check out our new application KB. Be sure to follow all our social media and the Facebook group for event updates, Insta: @unics_uom, Twitter: @unics_uom, Website). See you at our next event!

AI/ML SOCIETY.

Klaudia Kreft writes: Hi everyone! We recently posted about our first event – beginners session launching this Tuesday (13 October) at 5pm! Make sure to join our slack and get to know more details! All you need is just a laptop, some Python background and you’re set! What is more we will run an advanced session next Tuesday (20 October) – if you are more of a pro in AI. Make sure you follow our social media: Instagram (@uomaiml) & Facebook to get all the updates (& check out our Women Wednesdays!), our main channel of communication, slack, and our website for a full calendar with specific session topics.

OXFORD HACK 2020.

This from Jonathan Elkin. We’d like to invite you to the first ever digital Oxford Hack! It’s Oxford university’s biggest student hackathon. We are inviting student teams from all disciplines to build a brilliant technical product in 36 hours. Be it an app, website, game, or anything else you can imagine together: fantastic, we want it all! There’ll be awards, sponsor-led workshops, and mentors if you need a hand! Applications are closing on the 8 Nov, so if you’re interested head over to Oxford Hack.

BLOCKCHAINERS.

Ever heard of blockchain and bitcoin but have no idea what they are? Interested in outshining your competition at interviews and assessment centres? Want to learn more about one of the leading technologies in the industry right now? Look no further than Blockchainers! We are a student led society that aims to educate the public about blockchain technology, and the numerous benefits it can bring to many industries! We will be holding a variety of workshops and presentations this year, everything from a beginner’s introduction to blockchain to more advanced topics and innovations in the industry. Stay tuned for more updates! Be sure to follow our Facebook group and our website!

CRACKCHESTER.

Hey Everyone, Hope everyone is enjoying their first few weeks and is as safe as can be. Crackchester has multiple important announcements to make regarding our elections, an internship opportunity at the CRC, and our podcast. Internship opportunity at the Cyber Resilience Centre for Greater Manchester: The Cyber Resilience Centre for Greater Manchester (CRCGM) is a not-for-profit venture between the Greater Manchester Police and Manchester Digital. They aim to grow and strengthen the region's resilience to online crime by providing the highest standards in leadership, integration, and collaboration across the cyber eco-system in Greater Manchester. Fill out this form to find out more and apply. Crackchester Elections: Crackchester Nominations are closed now, and voting will open TODAY. Click the link below to vote for the new incoming committee. Vote Now. Podcast: Our podcast, The Crackchester CyberCast, is now available on Spotify, and other platforms. Click here to give it a listen. Any questions, then contact us. And if you aren’t already, follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Shau from Crackchester.

MANCHESTER FORMULA STUDENT SOCIETY.

Zain Alden Jaffal writes: The Manchester Formula Student society is recruiting for the new AI division. We are planning to build the software for an autonomous car to participate in the IMechE Formula Student competition. If you are interested, please fill out this form. Check out our website for more information about what we do.

TABLEAU IRON VIZ:

STUDENT EDITION. This from Dilyan Penev. Calling all data students! Iron Viz is the world’s largest data visualization competition and this year Tableau is excited to announce an Iron Viz competition just for students! The design is all up to you and the data theme must be centered around the environment. The deadline is December 20th and the winners will be announced in early 2021. Learn more here.

SOMETHING TO SHARE?

Deadline for sending in Monday Mail items: 14:00 every Friday.

Welcome back to Puzzle Corner, this is your weekly fix of brain teasers and logic puzzles. This week two new brainteasers and a new Killer Sudoko for you to have a go at. Don't forget the monthly puzzle which is still going on. As of 2pm Friday I have not received a correct solution so the top spot is still up for grabs. Solutions to last week’s puzzles can be found below.

Quick Brainteasers

1. In a triangle the difference, in degrees, between the largest angle and the middle angle is the same as the difference between the middle angle and the smallest angle. What is the middle angle in degrees?

2. The Rime of the Ancient Mariner is getting a 2020 re-imagining during the coronavirus outbreak. Jeremy Irons, Tilda Swinton and Hilary Mantel are lending their voices to read the poem over a period of 40 days. The poem has 150 verses and they will read either 3 or 4 verses on each day. If I tune in on a random day what is the chance that I'll get to hear 4 verses?

Logic Puzzle - EZ Killer by Scott Strosahl

Standard Killer Sudoku rules apply (grey cells are merely cosmetic)

Place the digits 1-9 in every row/column/box. Dashed lines create 'cages' within which digits may not repeat. The number in the corner of the cage indicates the sum of the digits within the cage

Monthly Puzzle Hunt for October

This was first published in last week’s Monday Mail. You have a whole month to complete this puzzle. This one is quite involved and can take some time to work out, Google is also your friend. If you complete the puzzle hunt then submit your solution plus methods for working it out to Gareth with the subject of: October Monthly Puzzle Hunt. The first 3 correct solutions with workings get a shout out in Monday Mail and a leaderboard will be created of all correct submissions (plus working) so we can have a Puzzle Champion at the end of the year! Good Luck!

Answers to Week 2

The answers to last week’s puzzles (but not the Monthly Puzzle Hunt!) can be found here.

Week 2 (A) • Monday 5 October 2020 • #20.03

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Good morning! It’s Monday 5th October and it’s a Week A. For those who have joined us in Manchester, I hope you have settled in and have managed to get out and explore the city. Teaching starts this week, so you should be following your personal teaching timetable. Throughout the semester we alternate between Week A's and Week B's, with different timetabled activities according to whether it is Week A or Week B. The Monday Mail will always remind you which week it is – and this is a Week A. At the 2nd and 3rd Year Welcome Week presentations last week we recognised the students who were awarded prizes last academic year - see below for details. Congratulations to all! We’ve introduced something new to Monday Mail this week … say hello to Puzzle Corner! Each week we will present some puzzles for you to have a go at, including a tough one that we will give you a month to complete - see the end of Monday Mail for details. Thanks to Gareth Henshall, the resident CS puzzle expert, for putting Puzzle Corner together.

I hope the start of teaching goes well this week … on with the rest of today’s news.

Paul
Director of Undergraduate Studies

COVID SAFETY.

VIRTUAL MACHINE IMAGE.

Please make sure you have downloaded and installed the Linux VM image for VirtualBox produced to support your learning this semester. If you have any issues then please contact the support team.

TIMETABLES.

Your teaching timetable is now available via my.manchester. Please be aware that it may change due to circumstances beyond our control, so we recommend that you check your timetable on a daily basis. You can find out information about individual course units, such as Zoom codes for live, synchronous activities via the Blackboard page for each course unit.

COURSE UNIT SELECTION.

You have until 15:30 on Friday 16 October to finalise your Semester 1 course unit choices. After that deadline, your course selections freeze, and changes for Semester 1 won’t be possible. Please ensure you are also enrolled onto your Semester 2 choices by this date (120 credits in total). Course unit selection will reopen in February for you to make changes to your Semester 2 unit choices. Please note: 1st years have no choice in the 1st semester.

SUPPORT SERVICE SPOTLIGHT:

SSO DROP IN SESSIONS.

SSO are hosting drop in sessions every Wednesday at 2pm. Feel free to drop in if you have any questions, need some support or would just like a chat! Join using Zoom.

STUDENT STUDY ROOMS.

To further increase the amount of study space available, from Monday 5 October all students will be able to book empty teaching rooms for private study. To book a room, log into Resource Booker where you will see a link to Student Study Rooms (like below). If you click this, you will then be able to book a room which would otherwise be empty. Bookings can be up to 3 hours in duration, and students can make a maximum of two bookings per day. Bookings can be made up to 7 days in advance, but a student can have no more than 4 future bookings at any given time, to prevent individuals from block booking space.

PRIZEWINNERS.

Each year the Department awards prizes to UG students who have excelled academically or made significant contributions to life in the Department. Last week, the winners from last academic year were recognised at the virtual welcome week events: Alex Bowker-Lonneker (CSwIE, Professor’s Prize for outstanding performance in Year 2), Siyun Hu (CM, Professor’s Prize), Feifan Chen (CSwBM, Professor’s Prize), Leonor Almeida Resende (HCI wIE, Professor’s Prize), Konstiantyn Perehuda (CS MEng, Golden Anniversary Prize for excellence in 1st year studies + Netcraft Prize), Serena Huston (CMwIE, Golden Anniversary Prize), Dragos Marin (CS, Golden Anniversary Prize + Netcraft Prize), Miranda Watkins (CS MEng wIE, Golden Anniversary Prize + Netcraft Prize), Augustas Macijauskas (now Maths, Golden Anniversary Prize), Laura Justesen (AI, Michael Jealous Prize for best first year student + Netcraft Prize), Matei Stan (HCI MEng wIE, Netcraft Prize), Ivan Durev (CS, Netcraft Prize), Andrii Perehuda (CSMEng, Netcraft Prize), Alex Iordachescu (CS, Netcraft Prize), Thomas Gill (CSwIE, Netcraft Prize), and Manav Gupta (AI wIE, Netcraft Prize). Huge congratulations to all. Really well done!

PASS1.

Simeon Tsvetankov (Y3, CSwIE) and Javier Rodriguez (Y3, CSwIE) write: Hope you're all doing well and keeping up with university work! Your tutorial groups have now been published so it's time for your first PASS session, where you will meet your PASS Leaders! It's scheduled for this Wednesday at 12:00PM and we have been working hard to make it possible for you to meet in your Discord server. Make sure you join all the other 1st Year students that are already making use of it. If anything else pops up in the meantime, please feel free to contact Simeon or Javier.

PASS2.

Teodora Balmos (Y3, CSwIE) and Boris Vasilev (Y3, CSwIE) write: Hello from the PASS2 team! We hope you enjoyed your welcome week. PASS2 (Peer Assisted Study Sessions for second years) will have its first session this Thursday, 8 October at 11 am. We will talk about PASS2 and second-year modules for the first semester. In the following days, we will set up a zoom meeting for the session and you will get the details in time for you to join. In subsequent weeks we will cover topics that will help you land an internship or a placement (CVs, technical interviews etc.). So please do come along and we hope to see you all on Thursday.

FIRST YEAR GROUP PROJECT.

As part of the COMP10120 introductory activity last week, the first year tutorial groups got together for the first time to produce a group coat of arms to describe their skills, interests, hobbies and unique selling points. There were some excellent examples produced, in particular from groups: Y16, X8, X16, Y9, W9, W3, M8 and M4.

DEUTSCHE BANK GLOBAL CODING CHALLENGE.

Take the opportunity to demonstrate your engineering skills, coding abilities, and creative thinking while competing against other talented software developers at the Deutsche Bank Global Coding Challenge. Our commitment to technology is clear to see; Deutsche Bank has become one of the first financial institutions to establish professional research and development capabilities, including our global network of five Innovation Labs, Global Technology Centres and Digital Factory. We have established a dedicated Technology, Data and Innovation function, which brings together our experts under one common IT strategy. Our commitment to you is to provide an engineering culture which inspires collaboration and innovation. At Deutsche Bank you can inspire, test, develop and progress. Show us your creativity, problem solving and programming abilities by taking on the Deutsche Bank Global Coding Challenge starting 5th October 2020 to 16th October 2020. Register now to take part.

UNICS.

This from Molly Foster: Hi everyone, we hope you are doing well! First of all, a massive thank you to everyone who used KB and supported the launch this week, we’d love to hear what you think of it! You can check out KB here. The committee recruitment is running until the 7th of October so submit your application form via this form. We ‘d love for you to be a part of the team! If you haven’t already, also join our Discord server (for all year groups). Be sure to follow all our social media: the Facebook group for event updates, also Insta: @unics_uom, Twitter: @unics_uom, and our website. See you at our next event!

CRACKCHESTER.

Hey everyone, we have recently published the first episode of The Crackchester CyberCast, the official podcast of the society! We had Adam Kramer, a Professor at the Uni talking about cybersecurity with us! Give it a listen on Podcast.co, where you can also find the links to your favourite platforms. Also, nominations for our committee positions are closing soon! There are 4 positions you can apply to: Dev Officer, Events Officer, Social Media & PR Officer and Content Manager. For more details on the positions and to apply, click here, before this Friday, 9 October 6PM! Catch us at the Society Expo and Virtual Fair today and tomorrow! Any questions, then contact us. And if you aren’t already, follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

*GAMEDEV. Gurneet Bhatia writes: Hey everyone, we hope that you have had a great start of the new academic year! We are so glad to see the interest over the past week in our GameDev project. If you haven't applied yet, you can do so here. The deadline for applications is Friday 9 October. We will look forward to reviewing your applications and hopefully collaborating with you! If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us over Facebook or Instagram.

MANCHESTER SATELLITE DEVELOPMENT GROUP.

This from Matilde Jahilo: The Manchester Satellite Development Group (MSDG) is a society dedicated to satellite design, build and launch. We are a group of hard-working students passionate about space technology and achieving something beyond a university degree. No prior experience in the aerospace field is necessary to join - anyone with similar values is encouraged to join our team. Our mission is to put the work of Manchester students in space while giving members unique exposure to the aerospace field. We provide the bridge between theoretical knowledge learnt in class and practical, hands-on experience. As computer science students, you will especially enjoy seeing the practical value of your knowledge in programming, data analysis or electronics. The Group is split into three areas of activity: Manchester CanSat Project, Manchester CubeSat Research Group and Outreach, to cater for various levels of experience - you could be taking part in a beginner-level simulated satellite mission, designing an actual space-capable satellite, or helping high school students get into STEM. What to know more? You can find out more information via the Students’ Union Society Fair, our Facebook page. Signup via the Students’ Union signup page.

LIBRARY.

This from Gemma Smith. As you know, we’re working hard to safely reopen our Library sites and deliver in-person services, details of which can be found here. Main Library opening times can be found here. Students can book study spaces in the Main Library, Joule Library or Alan Gilbert Learning Commons using this form. There are no group study spaces offered at present, all study spaces are individual. Each space is available to book for a morning or an afternoon session. Students have to wear face coverings at all times whilst in the Library sites (unless they have a medical exemption). Students can access a wealth of digital resources and ebooks via Library Search and through their Reading Lists. If you want to access a print book then they can use the Click and Collect service and they will be able to order a book to be collected from either Main Library or Joule Library. The Library’s service availability page has all the latest updates.

SOMETHING TO SHARE?

Deadline for sending in Monday Mail items: 14:00 every Friday.

Welcome to Puzzle Corner, this is your weekly fix of brain teasers and logic puzzles. Each week there will be some new puzzles for you to tackle and you will also receive a monthly bonus puzzle. Solutions to the weekly puzzles will be released in the following Monday Mail. You are invited to submit your solutions to the Monthly Puzzle Hunt for a chance to be mentioned in Monday Mail (staff are also invited to have a go!). So with that all being said, here are your puzzles for this week:

Quick Brainteasers

1. In the Kilburn canteen today’s special dish of the day has got a special price: “Cryptic Curry costs £2 plus half its price”. How much does Cryptic Curry cost?

2. Having won the Open, Shane Lowry is now playing a 235 yard hole and tees off with a drive of 128 yards. He only makes half the distance of the previous shot for all subsequent ones. Assuming he has to make a distance of 235 yards exactly, (i.e. the ball goes over the hole if hit too hard), how many shots does it take to complete the hole?

Logic Puzzle

Have a go at this Sudoku puzzle. Normal rules apply, and identical digits cannot be a knight’s move apart. The blue box is a magic square (each row column and diagonal sums to 15). The green boxes are exact clones (no rotation or reflection), the grey cells are even and the killer cage sums to 10.

Monthly Puzzle Hunt for October

You have a whole Month to complete this puzzle. This one is quite involved and can take some time to work out, Google is also your friend if you don't understand what solving a puzzle involves. If you complete the puzzle hunt then submit your solution plus methods for working it out to Gareth with the subject of: October Monthly Puzzle Hunt. The first 3 correct solutions with workings get a shout out in Monday Mail and a leaderboard will be created of all correct submissions (plus working) so we can have a Puzzle Champion at the end of the year! Good Luck!

Welcome Week 2 • Monday 28 September 2020 • #20.02

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Good morning! It’s Monday 28th September and the second week of the Welcome Week period. There are a number of Welcome Week activities arranged by the Department this week (see below), so please make sure you attend these ... virtually.

There has been an increase in COVID-19 cases across the country, in particular at some Universities, which has resulted in the UK government introducing more restrictions to try and combat the spread of the virus. Please keep safe and abide by the rules (more information below) and help stop the spread of the virus in our community. These are very difficult times and if you are forced to self-isolate then this can be very lonely. Please keep in contact with each other and make use of the Zoom license provided by the University to keep in contact with family and friends. Don’t forget that staff in the Department are always on hand to offer help and support.

On with the rest of today’s news ...

Paul
Director of Undergraduate Studies

COVID SAFETY.

It’s important you keep COVID safe, particularly when on campus. When you are on campus please abide by the measures that have been put in place including following one way systems, using cleaning and hand sanitising stations, and wearing face coverings. Full details, including handy summary animated video, can be found on the Staying Safe website. You should also follow UK government guidance at all times, including restrictions currently in place in Greater Manchester on socialising. Breaches of COVID-19 guidelines will be taken very seriously by the University. If you have symptoms, need to self-isolate, or have tested positive for the virus then you must let SSO know immediately by email. Do not come into the University.

VIRTUAL MACHINE IMAGE.

Please make sure you have downloaded and installed the Linux VM image for VirtualBox produced to support your learning this semester. If you have any issues then please contact the support team.

WELCOME WEEK ACTIVITIES.

There are a number of activities scheduled for this week. Year 1 - there are a range of activities, details can be found on the 1st Year Welcome Week page. Year 2 - there is a Welcome Week talk scheduled for 2pm on Wednesday 29 September via Zoom, which will be followed at 3pm by a 1-hour workshop. Year 3 - there is a Welcome Week talk scheduled for 10am on Wednesday 29 September via Zoom. Year 4 - see the information on the COMP40901 Blackboard page.

LOOKING FOR INFORMATION?

Bookmark the UG homepage and get familiar with the UG handbook, your one-stop source of information. It tells you about student support, course structures and assessment, how you progress between years, all the rules and regulations, and much more.

WHERE TO FIND SUPPORT.

There are a huge range of services across the University to support you throughout your studies, covering everything from your academic life and personal wellbeing to specialist services like DASS, counselling and careers. Our Department Student Support Office (SSO) are your first point of contact and can help direct you to the appropriate service as needed. No question is too big or small so please do contact SSO if you need any help. Each week we’ll include a support services spotlight in the Monday Mail which will focus on a different UoM service or resource. Don’t forget to bookmark the A-Z of services though so you always have these to hand!

ACADEMIC ADVISORS.

If you are a 1st or 2nd year student, your academic advisor is your Personal Tutor (you can find out who that is here). In the 3rd year your academic advisor is your project supervisor, and in the 4th year it is Tim Morris. As it currently stands, all meetings this semester between you and your academic advisor will take place online.

COURSE UNIT SELECTION.

FINANCE HELP & ADVICE.

Need help managing your money? Check out the University’s Finance Help site.

DISCORD SERVER.

We have set up a 1st Year Discord Server for this academic year. It is designed to be a social space to chat about anything you fancy with your fellow classmates. It is going to be a very difficult year for meeting new people so by joining the server they were able to meet like minded people and in some cases go and try something new. There are channels in the server with members actively discussing everything from Climbing to PC Hardware … to a Daily Cat Photo. Last Thursday, Harry, Joel, Jorgen, Ben (left-hand picture) Adam and Ivan (right-hand picture), who are all new 1st Year Students, ventured out to The Depot Climbing Centre in Manchester having met via the Discord server. I encourage all first years to get involved in the server even just to pop in for a (virtual) coffee. Over 150 1st years have already signed up, but the more the merrier. So please get involved and join the community! Details of how to join are in your welcome talks or contact Gareth Henshall.

ONLINE TEACHING.

The University will be using a number of different technologies to facilitate online learning this academic year, more information can be found on the University Online Learning webpage, which contains some useful information on how to use Blackboard and Zoom. All students now have access to a full Zoom license. This provides full functionality such as unlimited meeting length, up to 300 participants, breakout rooms, polling and more. Zoom can be used to communicate with anyone inside and outside of the University. Visit Zoom.us and sign up using your University of Manchester email address (@student.manchester.ac.uk) and you will be migrated onto the full license. For any issues with signing up contact Media Services.

DO YOU WANT TO BE A STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE?

Represent your fellow students and make a difference. The UG Student-Staff Committee (SSC) meets twice each semester. It’s a friendly and open forum for student reps to discuss any issues, or to let us know of anything positive about what we do in the Department. If you are interested in becoming a student rep for the coming academic year, then there is still time to apply, please check out the Students’ Union student rep webpage before 5pm Monday 5 October. We are particularly interested in hearing from 1st Year students.

PASS1.

Simeon Tsvetankov (Y3, CSwIE) and Javier Rodriguez (Y3, CSwIE) write: Hope you are settling in well and getting a hang of university life, as unusual as it is these days! We are here to remind you to join and verify in the Discord server if you haven't done so already. The server has been created with PASS1 in mind and you should have received an invitation to join last Monday. During PASS, you will find lots of information and help about course units and university life; you'll meet your peers and get all your questions answered. See you there!

PASS2.

Teodora Balmos (Y3, CSwIE) and Boris Vasilev (Y3, CSwIE) write: Welcome back to university from the PASS2 team! We'll be having our sessions every Thursday from 11am. The first one is on the 8 October. Hope to see you there. Best wishes to all of you and have a great second year of university!

BE A PASS LEADER.

Are you in the 2nd or 3rd Year and interested in becoming a PASS Leader? We're still recruiting student volunteers to become PASS Leaders for this academic year. Volunteers will receive full training and support throughout their time as a Leader, and develop a range of valuable skills to increase their employability, all whilst having a real impact on the university life of the first years they support. For more information about PASS and becoming a Leader, please speak to Simeon Tsvetankov and Javier Rodriguez.

UNICS NEWS.

Hi everyone, we hope you had a great first week! Recruitment for the committee will start on September 30th - we’d love for you to join the team! There will be 2 sessions running, one at 4PM and one at 8PM, UK time, 30th September. We will be having our first social on KB very soon so be sure to follow all our social media and join the Facebook group for event updates, Insta: @unics_uom, Twitter: @unics_uom, Website. The committee can’t wait to meet you all!

GAMEDEV SOCIETY.

Geuneet Bhatis writes: This summer, the Game Dev Project team have been busy at work developing a prototype for our first game, and we're excited to release our first teaser trailer here! 'Exploit' is a puzzle/stealth game inspired by cybersecurity and set in a cyberpunk future. Now that we have a working demo, we're moving into the next stage of the development process and therefore expanding our team. We're looking for programmers, level designers, art and sound designers, and many more, so if you want to be involved in the production of this game then now is your chance! This project would make a great addition to any CV and give you the valuable experience of working in a large team towards a complete project. To apply, please fill in the form here and we will look forward to welcoming you to our team!

HCI SOCIETY.

Hi everyone! We’re the Human Computer Interaction Society! We want to bring together students who wish to venture beyond Computer Science, into the realms of Psychology, Neuroscience and more. Through our events, we aim to explore topics ranging from algorithms to brain cells. We’re kicking off the year with a website concept design competition coming late October. Around the same time, we will debut our algorithms course for interviews and competitive programming. Additionally, we’re preparing talks on HCI research from experts in the field. We are also looking for more committee members! If you are interested in being a PR or Graphics Officer, then fill out this form. To keep up with news about the society and HCI, in general, don’t forget to follow us on social media: Instagram and Facebook.

CRACKCHESTER.

Hi everyone, Crackchester Cybersecurity here! If you haven’t heard, we have opened nominations for some committee positions! There are 4 positions you can apply to: Dev Officer, Events Officer, Social Media & PR Officer and Content Manager. For more details on the positions and to apply, click here. The deadline for applications is 6pm, 9 October, so make sure to fill it in before that! If you have any questions about these roles, contact us. And if you aren’t already, follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

UOM ISLAMIC SOCIETY (ISoc).

This from Thasneema Naushad: The University Islamic Society is a student run welfare organisation dedicated to helping Muslims and non-Muslims on campus to develop academically, spiritually and socially! We hold events such as islamic story nights, day trips, weekend retreats, educational classes, dinners, debates, lectures, sports socials and so much more! To all our new (and returning) students of 2020, make sure to check out ISoc’s socials and get involved if any of this is your cup of tea.

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Deadline for sending in Monday Mail items: 14:00 every Friday.

Welcome Week 1 • Monday 21 September 2020 • #20.01

Paul pic

Good morning! It’s Monday 21st September 2020 and it's (almost) the start of a new academic year, and the start of the extended Welcome Week period for our new students - a very warm welcome to those joining us for the first time! I'm Paul Nutter and I’m the Director of Undergraduate Studies, which basically means I’m responsible for the day-to-day running of the undergraduate degree programmes in the Department.

This is Monday Mail, which, as the name suggests, is sent to all undergraduate students every Monday during term-time. The aim of Monday Mail is to keep you up-to-date with what’s happening in the Department, as well as publicising all the great things our students get up to! If there’s anything you’d like to share via Monday Mail, then please send me an email.

It’s clear that this semester is going to be very different to previous years considering the current situation and the COVID-19 pandemic. Staff have been working tirelessly over the summer to transform their teaching so that it can be delivered in an online, blended format. I very much hope you appreciate their efforts! Please make sure you install the VM image we have provided to support your learning this semester (details below) and make sure you find your way round Blackboard, where all the teaching material for your course units can be found.

There are a number of University societies that our students are closely involved with - see below for details - so please get involved. Have a great week, there’s lots of items today ...

Paul
Director of Undergraduate Studies

MEET THE YEAR TUTORS.

The Undergraduate team are here to support you throughout your time in the Department and you’ll meet them virtually during the extended Welcome Week period. Each year has a Year Tutor who is responsible for looking after that cohort of students, apart from CM students who have the same Year Tutor across all years. The tutors are here to provide you with help and support, so please contact them if you have any issues/questions. Clockwise from the top right hand corner: Paul Nutter (Director of Undergraduate Studies), Tim Morris (3rd/4th Year Tutor), Ahmed Saeed (2nd Year Tutor), Gareth Henshall (1st Year Tutor) and Andrea Schalk (CM Tutor and Deputy Director of Undergraduate Studies).

MEET THE SSO TEAM.

Meet your Student Support Office team! They are here to support you throughout your studies and can be contacted by email. Usually SSO are located in the Kilburn building but this year (at least for the first few weeks) they will be located in the new FSE student support hub in Booth Street East. You can find out more information about contacting SSO here. Left to right: Lisa Wright, Senior Undergraduate Administrator; Cameron Macdonald; Undergraduate Assistant; Graham Richardson, Senior Postgraduate Administrator; Daisy Towers, Student Support Office Assistant; Chris Calland, Postgraduate assistant; Hannah Cousins, Teaching and Learning Manager; Mabel Yau, Careers and Employability Officer.

STAFF DEPARTURES.

It was sad to see a large number of teaching and support staff leave the Department over the summer. Clockwise from the top left: Jennie Ball-Foster, Gavin Donald, Toby Howard, Lynn Howarth, Mike Keeley, Dave Lester, Tony Mcdonald, Antoniu Pop and Carole Twining, who between them have given nearly 200 years of service to the Department. We wish them all the best for the future.

VIRTUAL MACHINE IMAGE.

Given that much of the teaching and learning activities will be on-line this semester, it is important that you have access to your own computing hardware and access to the internet during semester 1 for you to be able to engage with your studies. To help support remote learning for our course units during semester 1 we have produced a Linux VM image for VirtualBox. Please make sure you install the image. If you have any issues then please contact the support team.

UNIVERSITY WELCOME EVENTS.

Even in light of current circumstances the University and Students’ Union are still planning a wide range of events and activities over the extended Welcome Week period, including outdoor cinemas and a wide range of fitness activities. There are hundreds of different activities to choose from. You will need to book on to events through the University Welcome Pages.

SETTLING IN.

As we reach the start of term, it is normal to feel apprehensive about settling in and adjusting to University life. You may find it useful to take a look at this pack of resources that contains lots of information and tips that should make the transition a little easier. You could also check out the dedicated settling in page on the Student Support website, for further guidance. Also, there's a short module about starting university that you might find useful.

NEW YORK FAME!

Jason Ozuzu (Y3, CSwIE) on placement at Morgan Stanley (in London) has had his picture on billboards in New York’s Times Square, as part of a “welcome 2020 summer analysts and associates” message. Well done Jason!

PASS1.

Simeon Tsvetankov (Y3, CSwIE) and Javier Rodriguez (Y3, CSwIE) write: Hello and welcome to all new First Year students! We are the PASS1 Coordinators for this year. Peer Assisted Study Sessions, aka PASS, is a scheme where students mentor students, helping you build a network and making your university life easier. This Wednesday, 23 September, we are hosting a fun informal session about PASS and life at university! So come along and meet us at 12:00pm online on Zoom to have a good time with your new coursemates. Contact Simeon or Javier with any questions!

SOCIAL JUSTICE CHALLENGE.

It's time to tackle social injustice. The Social Justice Challenge introduces you to ways of thinking about social justice and invites you to explore six themes: race, migration, homelessness, mental health and higher education. If you’re a Year 1st or 2nd year undergraduate student, you have been automatically enrolled. You can find it in the “My Communities” section of Blackboard (from 22nd Sept for 1st Year and 29th Sept for 2nd Year). If you can’t see the challenge then tell us. For 3rd Year+ you will need to self enrol using the links provided (from 28th September). To complete the challenge, you’ll need to work through the introduction and two of the themes (but you can do them all, if you want!). Make sure you complete the short multiple choice tests at the end of each section you complete. The Social Justice Challenge forms part of the University’s prestigious Stellify Award.

COURSE UNIT SELECTION.

DO YOU WANT TO BE A STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE?

LIBRARY.

The Library is here to support your learning throughout your University experience, even if it’s not what you expected it would be this semester. We provide students with access to resources like books, journals and databases, training to help you develop your study skills, and spaces to study if you’re on campus. Of course, we’re doing things differently at the moment because of the ongoing impacts of COVID-19 on our University campus. To find out more about Library services and how you can access them, visit the Get Started page.

UNICS NEWS:

Hi everyone, welcome back! UniCS are so excited to tell you about our new application ‘KB’ that will be launching soon, via which you will be able to create your own profile and use our networking feature to video call and text chat with your new colleagues. Recruitment for the committee will start on September 30th - we’d love for you to join the team! We will be having our first social on KB very soon so be sure to follow all our social medias and join the Facebook group for event updates (Facebook, Insta: @unics_uom, Twitter: @unics_uom, Website). The committee can’t wait to meet you all!

CRACKCHESTER.

We’re Anonymous Crackchester. We are a society whose main focus is to bring life to the idea of hacking and cyber security within the University of Manchester. We host tons of fun events such as Capture The Flag, our flagship events that often have practical components such as lock picking and escape rooms, as well as workshops. This year we are launching a monthly competition (with prizes!) and a cyber security podcast featuring guests from the different companies across the industry. And if this wasn’t enough for you, guess what? We have Dev Officer, Events Officer, Social Media & PR Officer and Content Manager committee positions available. If you have any questions about these roles don’t hesitate to contact us. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and join our discord server.

AI/ML SOCIETY.

Manav Gupta (Y2, AIwIE) writes: Hello everyone, welcome to the University of Manchester, we are the AI/ML society! We are a group of AI loving, machine learning enthusiasts with a passion to teach and share our interest with others. We have a lot in store for you this year, ranging from basic and advanced workshops, to social events to relax and get to know one another better. Joining will allow you to increase your knowledge about this industry leading technology and meet a group of people who share your passion/interest. So, no matter if you’re a beginner or advanced, join our society today by following our social media: Facebook and Instagram.

GOOGLE DEVELOPER STUDENT CLUB.

This from Finn Hudson (Y2, HCI): Google Developer Student Club has come to Manchester this year! Developer Student Clubs are groups of passionate students which are interested in developing practical skills which build on the theory which we learn within University. We focus on learning web and mobile technologies which can are being used in the real world right now. This year we are focusing on education through workshops and technology talks from both student experts and professionals. If you any of this sounds interesting to you and/or you want to get involved come along to our introductory talk. We also have social media channels which you can use to keep up to date with all our new events and contact us if you are interested in helping run and create events! See our Community, Instagram and Facebook pages.

MANCHESTER UNIVERSITY DATA SCIENCE SOCIETY (MUDSS).

This from Paul Okeahalam: MUDSS is a new and dynamic society here to accelerate the development of your data science skills via hands-on, industry-level workshops and sponsored hackathons. MUDSS is for students of all levels who are ready to take their data science skills to the next level. The workshops place an emphasis on machine learning and cover topics that are not only fascinating in and of themselves, but also likely to come up in technical interviews. While still very new, we are one of the fastest growing societies on campus. Find out more and register at our website and/or like our Facebook page in order to stay up to date with workshop dates, and careers events.

SOMETHING TO SHARE?

Deadline for sending in Monday Mail items: 14:00 every Friday.