University rating
Tell us about your overall university experience so far.
My overall experience of university has been fab.
I've thoroughly enjoyed my course, and the support I've had from both academic tutors and the wellbeing team has been absolutely amazing.
This is particularly important to me as I am autistic and have anxiety, so moving to university was a big step for me. My time at university has prepared me for the future in terms of building my resilience, giving me academic skills and preparing me for the world of work. But more importantly, it has prepared me for life beyond university and now I'm ready to go out and take on the world.
Facilities
How good are your university's facilities?
The facilities are great.
There are a number of different campuses and each one I've been to is fab.
Being a media student, access to equipment is quite important. There are several Mac suites with access to a range of software such as Photoshop, InDesign and Premiere Pro. There is also the Media Loan Hub, which I personally think is one of the best things about the uni! Students are able to loan out all sorts of professional equipment for both university and personal projects which is fantastic. It allows you to create work of a professional standard that can be used as part of your portfolio when going into employment. Also, it's really cool having access to the equipment! There is also state of the art radio and television recording facilities.
There are a number of libraries as well as the one at the main site, which you can request books to be sent to when reserving them. This is particularly useful for students who don't go to the main campus as we don't have to travel all the way there just for the library!
I particularly like the Britannia Mill library as it is smaller and has a nice atmosphere that is good for people who, like myself, have autism or don't really like big spaces. It's a great place to access resources and to study.
There is also a Doctors surgery specifically for students making it easier to get appointments and see a regular doctor. This and the wellbeing facilities are so so so fantastic!
There are also loads of great catering facilities of course, as well as union shops and Blackwell's book shop.
Also, this will mean very little to most people but to my autistic self is important... the toilets are great and always clean and nice to be in!
The facilities at Derby Uni are genuiniely great.
Student support
How good is the support offered by the uni? Think both academic (tutors/feedback) and personal (counselling, etc).
The academic support at Derby is good. Lecturers are always ready to support you and help if needed. You are also allocated a personal tutor to help throughout your time at university. Feedback from tutors could be a bit better but if you email them and ask for more specific feedback they are, in my experience, more than happy to help.
The support from the wellbeing team is absolutely fantastic and I cannot praise it enough. There is so much support available, from short-term counselling to specific personal mentors through DSA for those who need them. Everyone I've met in the university's wellbeing department has been amazing.
They are available to give you advice on anything from mental health issues, academic concerns to money worries. If the department can't help you specifically they will ensure you get the support you need from someone who can help. They also do a lot in terms of psychoeducation. They hold events for new students with specific learning differences and disabilities, which I attended when I started, which are so helpful.
This will be the thing I miss most about the University of Derby.
Students' union
What do you think of your Students' Union in terms of student representation and facilities?
The union is great.
I wasn't involved too much with them in my first year due to anxiety, which I do think they could take into consideration more as you often have to really put yourself out there to access much of what they do.
However, for my last two years, I've been part of a few society's and student-led services which have been great. As well as societies and sports, the union is always there to offer advice and support on anything from financial worries to concerns about your course, and works closely with many other departments within the university. There are lots of opportunities to get involved in a variety of events. The student-led services such as the student media are particularly fantastic.
What I like most about the union though is that they genuinely care about the student's ad their university experience.
Local life
Is your university in a good location in terms of distance to accommodation and local amenities?
Derby is a great city as it's not too big but has plenty to do.
There are so many good places to eat from big chain restaurants to small quirky cafes (including a book cafe and a board game cafe!!)
There's so much to do in Derby; Cinemas, bowling, mini-golf, museums, Derby Theatre, Queens Leisure Centre with the swimming pool, night-life and bars, Parks, shopping and so much more! Honestly, Derby is a fab place to live whether you enjoy going out and partying or prefer a quieter life like myself.
There are also loads of great vents going on all the time, such as the Derby Knife Angel, an ice-skating rink at Christmas and the Bustler food market.
I would also highly recommend the Quad, an art cinema that shows big hits and indie films. It has a bar and art gallery, and puts on loads of great events. It also does amazingly cheap student tickets!!
Societies and Sports
How would you rate the variety of societies/sports?
There are loads and loads of clubs and societies at Derby uni!
There are lots of sports clubs from traditional sports like Football and Rugby to unique sports like Quidditch and Snow Sports! The sports clubs are great and cater for everyone no matter what their experience or ability is. We also have Varsity in which many of the sports clubs compete against other universities.
I think there must be a society for almost everything at Derby, and if there's not one you can create it!
I personally have experience of the gaming and Imagineers society which are wonderful. There are societies based on gaming, beauty, reading, Harry Potter, Education, marketing, religion, theatre, BSL and so much more.
There is also the student Led Services, which are separate from societies, such as student media. These are also really great and provide fantastic opportunities to meet new people and to develop skills and experience to help academically and for your future career.
Lecturers and teaching quality
What do you like most and least about the way your course(s) are taught?
My course is very different from A-levels in the way that it makes you think for yourself. There are no exams and coursework often involves responding creatively to a brief. Though this was daunting at first, this gave me a lot more room for creativity and has taught me to think more independently and openly, rather than regurgitating information given to me just to pass an exam.
Lecturers are there to help when needed and provide you with useful information in lectures and seminars but largely leave you to your own devices and allow you to create work of real value. My lecturers have always been there to help and guide me when needed though.
The mix of independent work, online resources and lectures are great, allowing me to develop both academically and personally. There is also the opportunity to undertake work experience which is good.
How many contact hours per week do you have?
12
Career prospects
How does your uni make efforts to increase your employability (careers department, work placements, transferable skills)?
Derby's dedicated careers department is helpful in so many ways, from helping students to get part-time jobs and internships while at uni to developing skills for a career after university.
As part of my course, I've been able to complete work placements and have gained experience of working for real-world clients. I've also gained many transferable skills including working with a team, presenting, working to a brief, research, and how to work independently and be able to think critically and creatively. My course has also provided me with a showreel and portfolio to show to future employers.
There are always workshops and events aimed at helping students generally with their CVs, networking and career advice, as well as more specifically such as talks about how to get into particular sectors and how to develop skills such as social media strategies and marketing. There are also lots of opportunities such as the Be The Boss program aimed at helping people who want to start their own business.