The primary purpose of tutorials is to discuss mathematics in an informal setting, although notions of people sitting in armchairs sipping sherry are somewhat misleading. There are no hard and fast rules about how a tutorial meeting is conducted, since this depends largely on the individuals involved. However, discussions are often sparked by questions about the current batch of lectures. The informal atmosphere of tutorials also helps new students to settle into the Department, and make the necessary adjustments to university life. After the first term, tutorials are superseded by seminars, and these run until the end of the second year.
Seminars differ from tutorials in several respects.
The number of students involved in a typical seminar is between ten and twelve, in addition to which there is the seminar leader, who is either a member of staff or a postgraduate student. Each lecture course has its own seminars, meeting fortnightly in the Autumn and Spring terms, and weekly in the Summer term, and each student on the course is allocated a particular seminar group to attend. Topics discussed in seminars vary from the unpicking of lecture notes, through worked examples and exercises, to new material suggested but not covered by the lectures. In addition, seminars provide an ideal opportunity for many students to take an active and constructive role, by presenting some of their own work to the rest of the group, using either the blackboard or an overhead projector. Such presentations are valued by many students as a means of developing their communication skills, and can legitimately be mentioned as such when it comes to preparing your curriculum vitae for a prospective employer.