M500 Society The Open University
Mathematics Society

The M500 Society

35th Mathematics Revision Weekend

Aston University 11th - 13th September 2009

The 35th M500 Revision Weekend will be held at Aston University, Birmingham, from Friday 11th September to Sunday 13th September 2009.

We expect to present the following maths-based OU courses, subject to sufficient numbers:-

M208, M248, M256, M337, M343, M346, M359, M362, M363, M366, M373, M381, M820, M821, M823, MS221, MST209, MST326 and MT365

The Weekend is designed to help with exam revision, and is open to all OU students. We offer full board and non-resident tariffs and there is a discount of £10 per person to current M500 Society members.

If you are taking a mathematics-based course which is not included in the above list, either because it is a new course or it did not run in 2008 because there were insufficient applicants, then please contact Jeremy and ask if the course may be included.


2009 Weekend Application Form

But read all the information below first
  PDF format for printout (includes summary of booking information)
Late News Check here from time to time for updates.
Lifts to Aston - Wanted and Offered Visit if you want to find or to offer a lift
Jeremy Humphries E-mail the M500 Weekend Organizer
Science Revision Weekend A similar format to the M500 Revision Weekend covering Open University chemistry, physics and biology 'S' courses



Accommodation Requirements Full Board Non Resident Tuition Non Members
Weekend Information Entertainment Catering All Bookings Parking Closing Date

FULL BOARD PACKAGES

Accommodation
Friday night and Saturday night

Meals
Saturday - cooked breakfast, lunch and dinner
Sunday - cooked breakfast and lunch

Breaks
Tea, coffee, etc., Saturday and Sunday, morning and afternoon

Residences and charges

Lakeside
Standard charge - £234.00
Discounted charge to M500 members - £224.00
Additional charge for bed and breakfast on Thursday or Sunday night, if required - £40.00 per night

Aston Business School

Single
Standard charge - £278.00
Discounted charge to M500 members - £268.00
Additional charge for bed and breakfast on Thursday or Sunday night, if required - £65.00 per night

Twin/Double - there are only 6 twin rooms
Standard charge per person - £235.00
Discounted charge per person to M500 members - £225.00
Additional charge for bed and breakfast on Thursday or Sunday night, if required - £44.00 per person per night

NON-RESIDENT PACKAGE

Accommodation
None

Meals
Saturday and Sunday Lunch

Breaks
Tea, coffee, etc., Saturday and Sunday, morning and afternoon

Standard charge - £115.00
Discounted charge to M500 members - £105.00

TUITION

Classes will be held in Aston Main Building. Approximate distances from the residences are Lakeside 500 yards, Aston Business School 100 yards.

There are five teaching sessions for each course, which are Friday 19.30 - 21.30, Saturday 9.30 - 12.30 and 14.00 -17.30, and Sunday 9.30 - 12.30 and 14.00 - 17.00. Total teaching time, excluding the tea breaks, is about 13.5 hours.

If you are doing more than one course, you are free to go to any of your courses for any session. Most tutors will produce a timetable to help you decide which course to go to for any particular session.

ACCOMMODATION

Aston Business School is not arranged in flats; it’s like a hotel, with bedrooms on floors 3 and 4. All ABS rooms have en-suite facilities.

The medium-rise and high-rise Lakeside accommodation is in flats of six to ten bedrooms. All Lakeside bedrooms have en-suite shower and toilet.

Lakeside is near the city centre ring road, so traffic noise can be quite noticeable

ABS is away from the road (and nearer to the teaching block), so is quieter.

Aston require that all bedrooms in ABS be vacated after breakfast on Sunday, unless you are staying Sunday night. Residents in Lakeside may keep their rooms until 5pm on Sunday.

YOUR ACCOMMODATION REQUIREMENTS

Sexes in flats are mixed in general. We assume 'single-sex' is less important in the en-suite accommodation in Lakeside, where facilities are not shared.

We allocate low flats on a first come, first served basis. There are not many low flats, so please ask only if you really need one. All flats are served by both lifts and stairs.

There are a few specially equipped ground floor rooms in Lakeside which are suitable for wheelchair users.

We put 'quiet-requesting' people together by flats where possible, and we also ask everybody to be reasonably quiet. But, as we said, there may be traffic noise, particularly in Lakeside, which we can't do anything about.

Aston is a non smoking campus and you must not smoke in any communal area.

Groups of friends larger than two are not put into 'quiet' flats, because it's possible such groups will socialize a bit too enthusiastically. And if one friend wants 'single-sex', the other friends have to belong to whichever sex that is.

CATERING

Friday dinner is not included, but hot food will be on sale before classes on the Friday evening for those who want it.

ENTERTAINMENT

On the Saturday night we plan to have a 'popular mathematics' lecture and quiz.

WEEKEND INFORMATION

Full details, instructions, maps, etc., are sent to all students shortly before the event.

The Aston University web site has information about travel, campus layout, maps and so on.

CAR PARKING

Due to a new student residences project, the university car parks will be unavailable on Friday afternoon. There are pay & display car parks close to the venue, but Aston University highly recommend the use of public transport.

Limited car parking in one car park on Aston Campus is available between 6pm on Friday and 9am on Monday, with clamping possible outside these times.

ALL BOOKINGS

Receipts are issued on request; but there is no procedure to issue invoices in advance of payment (to sponsors, for example).

If you cancel your booking, please confirm in writing. If you cancel before the 20th August 2009, you are entitled to a refund of your payment less £20. Refunds for later cancellations cannot be given.

If your course is full, there will be a waiting list, and your cheque will not be cashed unless a place becomes available.

If a course has to be cancelled for any reason, a full refund is made to students who consequently do not attend the Weekend for tuition or study.

NON-MEMBERS

Non-members can apply to the Weekend at the discounted member rate (£10 off) if they also apply to join the M500 Society for year 2009. Membership will be backdated to the beginning of the year and end on 31st December 2009.

Annual subscription to the Society is currently £15. To join, fill in an application form and if including this with the Weekend application please enclose a separate cheque.

Note: Every year a few people erroneously claim to be members, and this causes us unnecessary work. If you claim to be a member, but are not, we reserve the right to charge you the full fee for the Weekend even if you later join. The membership year runs from January to December. If you receive the M500 Magazine by post every two months through 2009 then you are a member. If you don't then you probably aren't.

PAYMENTS

Please enclose a stamped addressed envelope if you want a receipt / acknowledgement.

If you book after 30th June 2009, you must send the full fee, and a stamped addressed envelope please.

Please make cheques payable to 'The M500 Society'.
Cheques must be in sterling and payable at a UK bank.

Please make sure you have funds to cover your cheque. A bounced cheque will incur charges and may cause you to lose your place.

If it's difficult for you to send a cheque - if you are overseas and don't have a UK bank account, for instance - then we can take
payment by BACS transfer.

CLOSING DATE

The last date for receipt of bookings is 20th August 2009.


Details of payment by BACS transfer
Email Jeremy Humphries if you have any questions.

Jeremy Humphries, M500 Weekend 2009, 36 Penmanor, Finstall, Bromsgrove, Worcs B60 3BZ

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