A Student Accommodation Guide

Deciding where to study can possibly be one of the most important decisions that you could make for your future. However, once this has been made deciding where to live as a student is of equal importance. Your living arrangements at university can have a huge influence in helping you settle in more easily, and can often make the difference in getting the most out of your university experience.

Courses & Careers recognises that being a student is not just about studying it can also be a lifestyle. This Accommodation Guide is here to help you make a more informed decision about where you may choose to live and how to get the most out of you accommodation.

accomodationFirst Year Accommodation - Making the right choice
Most, if not all, students during their first year of study are offered on-campus accommodation at their university or college Halls of Residence, if available. Whilst there are many reasons why students are encouraged to stay on-campus in their first year, Careers and Courses weighs up both the advantages and disadvantages to living in Halls to give you a fuller picture

Advantages
· Help at hand - In each Halls of Residence you will have a 'Hostel Representative'. These are often second or third year students who have lots of experience of being a "Fresher" at university. These people who live in Halls with you are there to help you with any problems that you may have in settling in and to also show you around.

· A protected environment - Having just moved to a different part of the country it is very important that you feel safe and that you have people to turn to whatever your needs. On-Campus accommodation is extremely suitable for international students for exactly this reason. On-Campus students are able to adjust to UK culture at their own pace under the protection of the university.

· No 'hidden' costs - Once you have paid for your accommodation bill at the beginning of term you have no other bills to concern yourself with - apart from your day to day living and studying expenses. Living off campus can often result in a lot of extra 'hidden' costs including council tax, water rates, electricity, gas etc.

· Easy access to on-campus facilities - Living on-campus provides you with easy access to library facilities, your union facilities and whilst it may not seem important to you at present, that extra hour in bed before your lectures not spent on travelling can be a lifesaver - particularly after a heavy night out at your local union bar!

· Instant friends - Often you will be put in Halls with other International Students so you will instantly be mixing with people who are in exactly the same boat as you. You may also be lucky enough to find people who speak your native tongue - which, if you are homesick or concerned about your English, can be of a major comfort.

Disadvantages
· Noise - Hopefully you will be in the Halls that you are happy with. Often you may have to fill in a questionnaire before you are placed as to what type of residence that you would prefer i.e. smoking/non-smoking, noisy/quiet etc. However, if the noise does become a problem then the Hostel /representative is there to sort out any problems that you may have and to negotiate with other students in the Halls to create a pleasant living environment

· Limited community - whilst learning to adapt to UK culture under the protection of on-campus accommodation, it could be argued that you are limiting yourself to a direct cultural experience by not 'throwing yourself in at the deep end' and living in your nearby city. However, it could be equally argued that International Students can experience this in their second and third year at university once they have had time to adjust to the UK.

· Access to the city - Whilst most campuses are 'self contained' with their own living quarters, shopping and recreational facilities, by living off campus you will have a greater variety of activities to choose from right on your doorstop. However, if you choose to live on-campus - don't panic you won't be missing out! Most universities are situated within good walking distances from most of their main cities or towns.

· Limited facilities - When living in campus your facilities may consist of your own room but shared facilities in terms of kitchen, bathroom and laundrette. By living in your own house you may only be sharing these with a selective few.

· Tolerating your neighbours - One of the main disadvantages that students often describe about living on-campus is that you stuck with the people that you are place in Halls with for better of for worse! However, it must be said that this is unfortunately the 'luck of the draw'. Hopefully you will be placed with individuals that you share a lot in common with however, it this is not the case remember that tolerating others is a valuable learning experience that will stand you in good stead for the future!

Conclusion
Having looked at both the advantages and disadvantages to living on or off campus it would appear that wherever you may choose to live, it is extremely dependent on your individual experience and needs. If you are a student who is extremely confident, who has a lot of travelling experience and is used to adapting to different cultures then you may prefer to live off campus. However if you are a student with a limited experience in this area that would prefer to make mistakes and adapt under the protected environment of the university then you should consider on-campus accommodation.

It can be argued that by living in Halls as a first year student and then moving out with friends to your nearest town or city for the rest of your time at university that you are allowing yourself to have a fully rounded student experience. Do remember, however, that not all universities or colleges provide their won accommodation in the UK so this, for some students may be a decision that they may never have to take. If this is the case don't panic! There will always be an accommodation adviser available, however you choose to live, to help you with all your accommodation needs

Which Engineering Department - A Guide to Selection

The problem - You are considering studying engineering in the United Kingdom. You contact the British Council or your careers advisor and you are confronted with the UCAS directory listing dozens of universities offering the same or similar engineering courses. How do you choose?

Everybody "knows" the "good" universities for engineering - or do they?

The reputation of many universities has been based upon their research output. This is quantified by the Government through the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE). This is useful if you require a research post, but it is NOT a measure of a university’s ability to deliver an effective and high quality undergraduate degree programme.

Fortunately, there now exists an objective measure of how "good" each University actually is in terms of its undergraduate programme as opposed to its research programme. It is this measure which will enable you to make a sensible and informed choice.

The Solution - The British Government, through the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAAHE), is providing an objective measure of the quality of each university’s undergraduate engineering provision. This measure can be used to help you select "Which Engineering Department" to study at. It is a particularly valuable measure because from 1998/9 onwards, you and/or your parents will have to contribute financially towards your course. Clearly, you will be demanding value for money and good job prospects to enable rapid repayment of loans and the best possible career progression.

The QAAHE assessment of the quality of education, grades and reports on 6 areas of undergraduate provision. Each of the areas is graded between 4 (the highest) and 1 (the lowest), which gives a maximum possible overall score of 24. Before making any decisions you should contact the university department of interest and request either a verbal report on its grades, or request a copy of the QAAHE Report. If the department has not yet been assessed then you should ask the university questions related to each of the 6 areas and draw your own conclusions. Each of the 6 areas, together with some of the features you should expect from a good engineering department, are considered below.

Area 1 - Curriculum Design, Content, Evaluation

A good department should offer a range of undergraduate degrees which offer cater for a range of entry qualifications, allowing students to maximise their potential, providing support in areas of weakness and challenge in areas of strength. Courses should be practical and industrially based to satisfy both national and industrial needs. Routes to both chartered and incorporated engineer status should be available.

Additionally, courses should focus on integrated activities, for example, students on automotive courses should design, build and race cars, while students on aerospace courses should design and build aircraft and satellites, etc.

Students should work both individually and in groups on industrially-based design projects such as the Thrust Project and one year industrial training programmes should be strong feature of the department.

Area 2 - Teaching Learning and Assessment

The standard of teaching should be good and appropriate for students of varying abilities. The delivery should be responsive to areas of the curriculum which the students find difficult and the teaching should impart the transferable skills so sought after in industry.

Area 3 - Student Progression and Achievement

A good department should offer a comprehensive portfolio of courses which ensures that students leave with an appropriate qualification. If one course proves to be unsuitable then an alternative can be offered.

The ultimate measure of a department’s undergraduate programme must be the level of appropriate employment of its graduates: a good department should be able to demonstrate good links with industry, high levels of relevant employment and good career progression.

Area 4 - Student Support and Guidance

A caring attitude should be demonstrated with a good tutorial system and student services provision. Facilities to cater for special needs and disability should be available as well as support for students on industrial training. An established tradition and experience of dealing successfully with overseas students should be clearly demonstrated.

Area 5 - Learning Resources

There should be modern, spacious and well equipped accommodation, including lecture theatres, laboratories, equipment, library etc.

Staff should be well qualified, both academically and as teachers, with substantial industrial experience. They should be actively engaged with industrial projects.

Area 6 - Quality Assurance and Enhancement

Good quality assurance procedures should be well established. Course monitoring and development procedures should be clearly defined with student input.

In a recent QAAHE inspection, Kingston University’s School of Mechanical Aeronautical and Production Engineering was awarded the maximum score of 24 out of 24 for the quality of its provision. University departments offering provision of this quality make an excellent choice and offer extremely good value for money, maximising your chances of success and a good career in engineering.