Ex-University

[kyoto49]

Actually, we're 69th in the Guardian League Table - all of the work we've done over the last few years is paying off. (and yes, we've already done every joke imaginable about that being 'our favourite position'.)

I suspect what will happen is choice will lesson too - Courses with low student satisfaction ratings from the NSS will go and low recruiting courses will go, it's harder to stand out in a crowded marketplace like Accounting, Engineering or Social Care, easier in a specialised field like Games, Journalism or Cermaics - and making the case for any new ones will be really hard. Most of the students I get at open days don't look at League Tables but do look at uni stats that compare course by course info.

A lot of this is above my pay grade to worry about - I'm concerned about my area (Games and VFX) and our applications are up and our attendance at open days has skyrocketed since moving to the Stoke Campus. We've got new labs, we've got excellent track records of alumni getting jobs in roles they want to go into, we've got great industry links and we've been recognised in a number of ways to be one of the best set of courses of it's kind in the country - Providing I can keep my teaching up to date, inform it with research and keep my students happy I'm pretty sure we'll be ok, whatever is thrown at us.

Uni's do more then undergraduate teaching too (we do lots of MOD contracts, Distance Learning and the new Higher Apprenticeships) - so the picture is not one as black and white as you suggest.

Thanks, that's really interesting and I tend to agree about courses being cut and Uni's keeping courses in areas they excel in. although this may mean some UNi's not ahving enough courses to be sustainable. Mmmmmmm interesting nonetheless. Cheers!

 

[camsnan]

Does anyone have any knowledge on Liverpool Uni? My Granddaughter is hoping to go there to study Law. I just worry that she is making the right choice, thanks for any replies.

 

[staffordjas]

@Wormella Just out of interest, do you know if Staffs Uni struggles for student numbers? I ask because not a single y13 at my daughters school is considering Staffs Uni, which I think is rather strange given it's closeness and the savings associated with staying home to study. In fairness none of them are applying to Wolves either, although a few are aplying to Medicine at Keele. Was just wondering really where Staffs gets it's students from if local kids/students appear to avoid it?

I also wonder, with students now being more particular over Uni choice whether they can all survive, the Uni's!!! that is? Some of these institutions really are offering poor quality degrees with incredibly low admission criteria. Given that students pay the same fees and get the same debt no matter pretty much which Uni they attend, I'm quite interested in how the lower performing ones will survive or whether some will close?

When son ( He is in his 3rd year at Worcester now ) put in his 5 choices to UCAS early in the October, and I was eagerly logging into his account millions of times a day looking for the offers coming in, I also regularly looked at the Student forum where they were reporting on what offers they had received so far as they came in.
It was amazing how many people were saying they had received an offer from Staffordshire Uni within hours of sending the application in. From the comments coming in, seemed like they were grabbing as many as they could before they realised the Stafford Campus was moving to Stoke. Lots were amazed that the conditional offers were lower than they expected, and some even had unconditional.

Son did his work experience in the Stafford Campus in the Nelson library (and a day with the computer 'tech guys' dept. which he found a lot more interesting ) and got to go along and spend a day in the Stoke campus with the people he was working with.

He didn't bother applying for Staffordshire Uni though. Far too close to home for his liking. He wanted to 'Go away' and experience the whole uni experience , and it's the best thing he ever did. A couple of his Stafford mates who are commuting to the Stoke Campus aren't having the experience of living away from home , and all the social events that go along with living with a load of other students.

 

[kyoto49]

Does anyone have any knowledge on Liverpool Uni? My Granddaughter is hoping to go there to study Law. I just worry that she is making the right choice, thanks for any replies.

Well having visited many Uni open days recently, Liverpool is my daughter's first choice!! Obviously it depends on the course, but the Uni has a good reputation, it's a great city campus and a very welcoming city. If you like large northern cities (with the good and bad that entails), reasonable cost and a quality education it's great! But no Uni will appeal to everyone!!! What are her criteria? Has she visited? Did she like the vibe of the place? Is the course what she's after? Questions only she can answer really!

 

[kyoto49]

When son ( He is in his 3rd year at Worcester now ) put in his 5 choices to UCAS early in the October, and I was eagerly logging into his account millions of times a day looking for the offers coming in, I also regularly looked at the Student forum where they were reporting on what offers they had received so far as they came in.
It was amazing how many people were saying they had received an offer from Staffordshire Uni within hours of sending the application in. From the comments coming in, seemed like they were grabbing as many as they could before they realised the Stafford Campus was moving to Stoke. Lots were amazed that the conditional offers were lower than they expected, and some even had unconditional.

Son did his work experience in the Stafford Campus in the Nelson library (and a day with the computer 'tech guys' dept. which he found a lot more interesting ) and got to go along and spend a day in the Stoke campus with the people he was working with.

He didn't bother applying for Staffordshire Uni though. Far too close to home for his liking. He wanted to 'Go away' and experience the whole uni experience , and it's the best thing he ever did. A couple of his Stafford mates who are commuting to the Stoke Campus aren't having the experience of living away from home , and all the social events that go along with living with a load of other students.

I went to Staffordshire, Stoke campus and Stafford campus, and lived at home. Have to say every single student I met had gone to Staffs (Stoke) through clearing, some didn't meet the grades for Keele, others just didn't do any work, but we all had a great time, and came out the other side with a rounded education. The course I did at Stafford got me the career I have today, but it was a miserable time surrounded by equally soul destroyed people. I think we all saw it as a test of endurance, but we did all get good jobs in IT as a result.

With student debt as it is I just don't get this moving away thing. Even if a kid stays at home to study for the 3 years, it's only deferring the inevitable leaving of home that all (well nearly all) kids eventually do? I do';t see why it has to be at 18, when so many aren't ready, when it could be left until early 20's when they are so much more ready, have an education and can get their own place. Personally speaking, my daughter is already self suffiecient at cooking and cleaning, and organising all her stuff and having a hectic social life, so she's not really going to learn any life skills at Uni that she doesn't already have or that can't be learnt a few years later when she moves out. She's just going to get an extra 25K of debt

 

[tek-monkey]

If they're at uni they aren't unemployed, that means we can charge them rather than support them. When uni was something only the intellectual elite (or rich) aspired to it was all paid for plus they got grants, now you're charged extortionately. 9k a year is over £200 a week, and you rarely get more than 20 hours of contact. That's £10 per hour per student, how many in a class?

 

[kyoto49]

If they're at uni they aren't unemployed, that means we can charge them rather than support them. When uni was something only the intellectual elite (or rich) aspired to it was all paid for plus they got grants, now you're charged extortionately. 9k a year is over £200 a week, and you rarely get more than 20 hours of contact. That's £10 per hour per student, how many in a class?

It's not quite as straightforward as that is it, they have a Uni to run, buildings to build/maintain, staff to pay etc etc!

 

[tek-monkey]

20 in a room is £200 an hour, I think they'll be OK. Especially as Stafford just sold the land taxpayers funded, will have made a few extra bob.

 

[staffordjas]

I went to Staffordshire, Stoke campus and Stafford campus, and lived at home. Have to say every single student I met had gone to Staffs (Stoke) through clearing, some didn't meet the grades for Keele, others just didn't do any work, but we all had a great time, and came out the other side with a rounded education. The course I did at Stafford got me the career I have today, but it was a miserable time surrounded by equally soul destroyed people. I think we all saw it as a test of endurance, but we did all get good jobs in IT as a result.

With student debt as it is I just don't get this moving away thing. Even if a kid stays at home to study for the 3 years, it's only deferring the inevitable leaving of home that all (well nearly all) kids eventually do? I do';t see why it has to be at 18, when so many aren't ready, when it could be left until early 20's when they are so much more ready, have an education and can get their own place. Personally speaking, my daughter is already self suffiecient at cooking and cleaning, and organising all her stuff and having a hectic social life, so she's not really going to learn any life skills at Uni that she doesn't already have or that can't be learnt a few years later when she moves out. She's just going to get an extra 25K of debt

The appeal the year son and his mates started was they don't start paying the debt back until you start earning 'X ' amount. (After a few ciders the old memory isn't working tonight !) Then after 30 years they say it's written off.......that's why everyone has been taking the maximum loans (we also still got the grants which he doesn't have to pay back as our earnings are below a certain amount.)
But must say the rent he's paying is rather extortionate for only having 2 four hour lectures a week this final year. Almost £500 a month for a crap room in a shared house ,even more last year in his city centre room!.( My neighbours are only paying £50 more for their whole 3 bed semi! ) He's working long hours in the evenings as well to get some spending money as there isn't much of his loan left after the rent has come out!

 

[camsnan]

Well having visited many Uni open days recently, Liverpool is my daughter's first choice!! Obviously it depends on the course, but the Uni has a good reputation, it's a great city campus and a very welcoming city. If you like large northern cities (with the good and bad that entails), reasonable cost and a quality education it's great! But no Uni will appeal to everyone!!! What are her criteria? Has she visited? Did she like the vibe of the place? Is the course what she's after? Questions only she can answer really!

Many thanks for the reassurance Kyoto49. Yes my Granddaughter has visited the Campus, she loved the Vibe and the City. Yes her Law Course is what she is hoping for. As you say the Accommodation is a lot cheaper than down south, and is only an hour on the Train from Stafford.

 

[John Marwood]

Staffordshire comes 80th for Law

Maybe the lecturers are all part time Stafford solicitors

 

[proactive]

Staffordshire comes 80th for Law

Maybe the lecturers are all part time Stafford solicitors

Nah. They wouldn't be as high as that if they were.

 

[staffordjas]

Many thanks for the reassurance Kyoto49. Yes my Granddaughter has visited the Campus, she loved the Vibe and the City. Yes her Law Course is what she is hoping for. As you say the Accommodation is a lot cheaper than down south, and is only an hour on the Train from Stafford.

Son also chose on the vibe of the campus and city as well as feeling comfortable talking to the lecturers on open days and on his interview.
I was just glad it is a reasonable distance away to be able to get there easily in the event of emergencies . With a yale lock on his bedroom door last year, my spare keys ( I luckily had cut straight away ) made several dashes down the motorway to let him back in to rescue both his orignal keys and spare keys he's used earlier and forgot to put back in the hiding place!

 

[John Marwood]

Here in Doxey the crime rate is so low we don't even bother locking our doors

 

[kyoto49]

The appeal the year son and his mates started was they don't start paying the debt back until you start earning 'X ' amount. (After a few ciders the old memory isn't working tonight !) Then after 30 years they say it's written off.......that's why everyone has been taking the maximum loans (we also still got the grants which he doesn't have to pay back as our earnings are below a certain amount.)
But must say the rent he's paying is rather extortionate for only having 2 four hour lectures a week this final year. Almost £500 a month for a crap room in a shared house ,even more last year in his city centre room!.( My neighbours are only paying £50 more for their whole 3 bed semi! ) He's working long hours in the evenings as well to get some spending money as there isn't much of his loan left after the rent has come out!

It's around c£21K they start repaying for most grads with decent degrees an almost instant repayment start. I still find it hugely unpalatable that my daughter will lose a chunk of her salary to repay this debt, I find tuition fees themselves disgusting if I'm honest, and very devisive as many poorer kids ARE put off going to Uni as a result. I know a few who just don;t want 50K of debt around therir necks and so have chosen not to go. It is a choice, but I beleive all kids should have equal opportunity to go to Uni based on ability, not Mummy & Daddy's ability to part fund it

One of the reasons I wanted DD so close is that it retains the option of commuting for the 2nd or 3rd year, and it certainly sounds like this will be a very feasable option come her final year if she's only at Uni for 2 days. AS you so rightly say, £500 a month for 8 hours of lectures is dreadful. Having said that, Worcester sounds very expensive for student accomodation? £500?? Pretty sure a room in a shared house is about £200 plus bills in Liverpool, although halls will be more obviously!

 

[kyoto49]

Many thanks for the reassurance Kyoto49. Yes my Granddaughter has visited the Campus, she loved the Vibe and the City. Yes her Law Course is what she is hoping for. As you say the Accommodation is a lot cheaper than down south, and is only an hour on the Train from Stafford.

These are all the reasons we fell in love wiht it. Great course, great city, great location relative to Stafford, and cheap Couldn;t fault it to be fair, but Sheffield is running it a close second! From what I've heard, lots of Staffordshire kids chose Liverpool so it will be like home from home!!

 

[Radioactive Wolf]

Perhaps the BSc in David Beckham Studies didn't enhance the academic reputation of Staffordshire University in quite the way that the bright sparks in management had expected. It's a pity for the town and a pity for the students. Why anyone, especially a young person, would pay £9k pa to live in Stoke is unfathomable.

 

[markpa12003]

I know many people that went to Liverpool Uni and had a very good time. I visited a number of friends at Liverpool University in the early 2000s and thought it was an okay City, however having returned recently it has certainly improved. For me, it still lags behind Manchester and Leeds, however it's a nice place to study.

 

[Wormella]

Does anyone have any knowledge on Liverpool Uni? My Granddaughter is hoping to go there to study Law. I just worry that she is making the right choice, thanks for any replies.

I had a cracking time as a post grad studying Digital Games at Liverpool John Moores - and I know Liverpool is a fantastic city to be a student in and Liverpool Uni is a great uni.

 

[Gramaisc]

Places change over time, both for good and bad, I had a look at Liverpool before coming here in the mid '70s. It was the first time that I'd ever been there and it was truly shocking - it looked like the Luftwaffe had just left.

It was the first "Northern city" that I'd ever been to - I'd seen a few bomb-sites in London and Bristol, but the state that Liverpool was still in then just amazed me.

Obviously, a lot of the desolation was not really war damage, just industrial decay, but it gave the same impression.

I was interviewed by a bloke who was obsessed with windmills, and, after he discovered that I had recently returned from Cyprus, that was all we talked about - the institution itself seemed OK, from what little insight I actually got.