Best: easy for commuting Worst: PAL tutorials

Best: course content is interesting Worst: little contact hours with an awkward timetable

Ironically it was during a student progress meeting I was having my module teacher. I had missed weeks of uni and she had reached out to check on me and first I had felt intruded but also felt that it was a privilege as many of my friends at uni don’t have curious and helpful staff. I attended this meeting and addressed why I was missing uni and it was due to money and psychological problems. I expected to receive typical advice and a boost of temporary motivation but it was the complete. She told me the harsh truth, reality and potential outcome if I don’t “get my house in order” and from then on I’ve been so different. The most life changing conversation I’ve had with someone who was not family or my friend and I’ll never forget how life changing the conversation was as it proved to me that there are some staff that do love their jobs and actively try help and advise rather than finish their forced 9 to 5 job and go home unhappy. She helped me and I’ll forever be grateful. My worst experience was waiting for almost 2 hours for a meeting with the financial advisors about my money problems and student finance. Everyone hates queues but at Aston, it’s a constant line of pressed and angry people because they refuse to come up with ways to change the circumstances and adapt so that people are served quickly and better. And when you are served, you’re always redirected to a phone call or told to come back later and honestly the hun is the most disorganised and draining place to be and ironically, it’s where people go and expect to be helped. Overall, Aston is weak in adaptation; through student service in the hub and onto the decor and feel of the atmosphere and appearance.

Attending lectures is fun as I feel I’m engaging in something important however it’s the logistics that decrease the hype. People talk constantly, teacher looks like they’re being forced to present and points don’t get across very easily. Some teachers I have are foreign so accents are hard to understand however people try exploit them which is hard to watch but the lecturer does not help themself by not addressing it. They just steam through the session whilst students violate and us serious students find it harder to understand. All in all, since coming to Aston I have enjoyed myself and been through a lot but I feel that the whole idea of university should be flexible and students should name teachers by their name rather than ‘sir’ or ‘miss’ and viewing them as a provider than a professional, totally diminishes the respect they receive and in turn; jeopardises the lesson. Primary and secondary schools thrive because respect is always shown and you must or you’ll be sanctioned whereas at university, students enjoy lectures but in their own way and the lecturer always struggles to keep the classroom in order. My best aspect of the course is that I can talk to my lecturers openly. I had come back after weeks of missing lectures and I spoke to my module leader who didn’t waver but rather explained what I missed, what I need to catch up on and how I can achieve and this was perfectly articulated. I walked out of that meeting motivated and ready which is the best feeling to have during academic struggle.

I like that uni halls can enable you to make friends easier as you walk past various people constantly everyday and you start to build an honest and happy relationship gradually. Facilities are excellent and you get what you pay for which I’m honestly fine with. What I like least is that there are days where gates and certain doors are open and this can strike uneasiness in me as Birmingham is not a safe place and things have happened such as people walking around with actual guns and knives so I feel the accommodation must be consistent with keep gates locked and doors locked unless you have the accommodation pass to open them. It’s an issue I very much hate and I had faced someone who tried burglarising me of my jacket that I was actually putting on and would not let me enter my accommodation without letting them have it. I thought quick on my feet when that happened and told me I’d let them try it on I just needed to call my mum and tell her I was alright first. Instead I called my mate to open his accommodation door which was a 10 minute walk and I ran as fast as I could and managed to survive. That is one of two incidents I’ve had because the gate has been open and I just managed to escape and with that comes feelings of PTSD when you walk down the same route and fear, anxiety and pure anger at management for not keeping on top of things.