Students show evidence of being more discerning in choice of HEI

The sixth biennial Sodexo-Times Higher Education University Lifestyle Survey has just been published. Amongst its findings are that 27% of students said that their university study would not be worthwhile in the long run, compared to 18% two years ago. In terms of future plans, 23% said future debt had affected their career choice, up from 15% two years ago, when fees were much lower. Other findings were that 24% said that access to wi-fi was their top priority in choosing university run accommodation, compared to 6% who said having a good student bar or café. The proportion of students living at home has remained broadly the same over the last 2 years, up from 18% to 19% but more students are choosing universities within reasonable travel time from the family home. Some 33% said they did not drink at all, compared to 23% two years ago, whilst 40% said they drank just once a week. The percentage of students worrying about their degree classification was 84%, compared to 72% two years ago and only 57% in 2006.

 

Reasons for University Choice	%		% who feel the debt is acceptable
Favourable internet research	55%		Medicine & allied subjects	79%
Friendly atmosphere	51%		Maths/computing & technology	73%
Good impression from open days	50%		Science and engineering	67%
Campus university	38%		Business and management	64%
Attractive environment	38%		Law	64%
Location/transport links	35%		Social sciences	60%
Living away from home but close enough	33%		Humanities and arts	54%
Recommendation from friends/peers	30%		Overall	64%
Advice from parents	26%
Quality of accommodation	24%

Students urged to show restraint in Personal Statements

In advice to applicants who intend to study English, Southampton University has told students to avoid “frantic self-advertisement” and says they are “applying to the English department, not The Apprentice”. Linda Ruth Williams, a professor of film studies at Southampton, said: “Some personal statements suffer from hyperbole, it’s media-fuelled. We want to hear their own voice, not a self-aggrandising voice.” Alan Carlile, head of admissions at Sheffield University, said: “Confidence is great, veering into egotism is not. It is amazing when you read personal statements, which are simply lists of superlative accomplishments, students could not have had the time to accomplish all the stuff they list.” He gave examples of a psychology applicant who wrote: “Thomas Edison made fantastic discoveries, which changed his life and this world for ever, and by reading this personal statement you are doing the same”