By Anushka Naidoo

Final year BU student , BA (Hons) Communication and Media

With the rise in Tuition Fees, more and more students are arguing that they are not getting value for money. Here’s a breakdown of what you can expect from university life and what in turn is expected of you.

Starting university can be a daunting experience. With the rise in tuition fees, many students are entering higher education with equally high expectations surrounding value for money.

A recent survey completed by 15,000 students and published by both the Higher Education Policy Institute, and the Higher Education Academy suggests that only 41% of students attending English universities believe they are getting value for money on their course.

Another 40 % of students said they did not find their lectures useful, claiming that they could get the same information from lecture slides online, whilst another 31 % believed they had actually picked the wrong course.

In order for you to enjoy your time at university and have a fulfilling and rewarding experience, you need to be entirely aware of what to expect. Here are 3 rules to university life that will help you manage your expectations and get you value for your money.

1.    It doesn’t stop at lectures

A common misconception is that you turn up to your lectures and you are taught everything you need to know to pass your degree. Wrong. Your lectures are there as a guide to point you in the right direction within your course. International student and final year in Communication and Media, Auguste Janutaite, explains why it is so important to attend lectures.

“PAL (Peer Assisted Learning) sessions for me have always been the place where you can find out how things work in the University. I took this opportunity as a chance to find better ways of doing my coursework, get involved in extra activities, and how to sort out any questions regarding assignments. “

Following her regular attendance and engagement with her lectures, Auguste was selected in her second year to her programme co-ordinator to assist him with various tasks and research projects.

“That was an absolute honour to receive such recognition and trust from an admirable tutor. It also aided me to attend the Global media Academy of Salzburg, which aims to encourage cross-cultural thinking about the role of media in today’s society. Through that I have built life-long bonds and it has been by far the most culturally diverse experience I’ve ever experienced at university.”

2.    Uni life is your stepping stone

You’re not just paying for the right to attend lectures at a higher education institution. You are paying for the right to access all sorts of opportunities at university. These include extra-curricular activities that are there to help you stand out in the tide of students who are attending university alongside you.  

Gemma Kingshott, recently elected President of SUBU Volunteering, is a prime example of making the most of your uni experience.

“Subu has had a strong influence on how much extracurricular activities I’ve done in my two years of studying at BU. Throughout the two years I’ve been involved with SUBU volunteering, student development award, the rep system, student ambassadors and  Nerve Media.  I’ve recently been elected SUBU Volunteering President and I was so happy that I was. I have lots of ideas to implement and I‘m really excited to try them out. I’ve watched SUBU Volunteering grow so much and now I really want to make a difference”

3.    Standing out to future employers.

One of the many reasons you come to university is to enjoy that all important boost in the world of employability. With competition not just from fellow students but non graduate employees too, it is important to make an impact.  

Mentor and SDA coach Leroy Winston Scott, explains what the benefits of engaging with extracurricular activities at university can truly bring you.

“The Student Development Award gives students a tangible and reputable achievement to aim for, it brings self-realisation, self-awareness and self-growth. The award pushes students to try new things and to enhance their knowledge and experience, it allows for a sense of prestige as 350 are on the award from a student body of 17,000+. With such competition around in the academic life never mind the rat race will become our working life, it is refreshing, inspiring and encouraging to see such a friendly way of getting ahead, thanks to Sonya Harvey and her incredible team. The potential and development the awards offers students who partake and get involved, provides so many opportunities to enhance their academic and non-academic skills, gain valuable experiences and witness their own personal development materialise”.