135 Solihull College & University Centre reviews

The facilities are good overall. IT facilities, with access to office 365 is fantastic. Other facilities such as toilets etc are satisfactory. The catering is yet to be desired.

I haven't used the counselling service but I am aware it is there and I feel I have been given all the relevant information should I need it.

I like the encouragement of group work and interaction. I always find it interesting to spot the leaders in a group and identify their personas etc. I'm very conscious of the amount of paper that is being used although I acknowledge that at the moment, this can't be helped. I have had some issues whereby the tutor instruction regarding the brief of the assignment is different to that of the handbook which has caused some ambiguity. This can cause anxiety if I'm feeling I may not score the mark that I am aiming to achieve. I do not like group presentations for an assignment which count towards your grading. as mentioned, our class is diverse and some individuals who do not aim to achieve the same standard of work. their is a risk that their shortfall in their approach to the assignment can affect you mark.

37.5

We have receive talk and discussions from careers teams etc and we have worked on personal development tools such as CVs etc which is welcomed. I do feel that my class in particular is made up of diverse individuals with varying skill levels and whom are at different points of their career so some topics might be irrelevant to others which risks some students feeling unmotivated or unchallenged.

Support is very good. There is a very good library facilities on site, along with numerous support mechanisms, including mental health, and careers guidance. The tutor support is excellent.

Courses are taught by knowledgeable tutors who have an "open door" policy if students are encountering an issues. This leaves the learner feeling very supported.

10

Wide range of facilities available, including careers advice, tutor guidance, development of personal skills.

Facilites are quite good. Canteen is awful, food is substandard. Get better food in prison yet they charge ridiculous prices for poor quality. Food is not healthy or fresh. Doesn't have any chefs.

Feedback is pathetic. Regularly get 65-75% and ill just get ticks and the word good and lucky to get one sentencing stating how to improve on a whole 2000 word essay despite being 30% off full marks.....

Lessons are bad, lack of information or direction. Teachers are ill-informed. They regularly provide wrong and conflicting information despite being core topics within a subject that they are meant to be teaching us. They talk about learning a subject rather than teaching it

10

No

PCs are running Virtual Machines, which are known to be unreliable amongst other students. However, the lectures PC is not connected to the virtual machine, ensuring the lectures are able to deliver powerpoints. There have been occasions where I have been marked absent and late when I have attended. Which meant I missed a scholarship payment on the second year. Scholarship payments rely on attendance. As we do very few lessons per week, the attendance can go down very quickly. A solution would be to fit an NFC-based attendance system to improve reliability.

The teachers offer us feedback. However, 1 day a week is restricting as we do not have much time. Results take a long time to appear. We are still waiting for semester 1 results. Also, we do not see our provisional results even though it states we are entitled to it according to Newman's legislation. Provisional results do not often change much, which could at least indicate the final results if shown.

I like that we are in the same room for every lesson. I least like the fact we are in 1 day a week. I do not believe a full-time course should only consist of 2 lessons per week.

6

We are not so lucky to get work placements. However, in the second semester of the 3rd year, we have received emails for job opportunities. The implication with late notice is that many students have already made alternative arrangements for either further education or other jobs. A solution would be to email first and second-year students for job offers.

The facilities are most of what you need. Library, canteen, study areas etc. One very good thing is ample parking. Though the campus is also close to many bus routes and Solihull railway station.

The tutors provide good feedback carefully linked to marking criteria. They provide other support but I have had no experience of these.

The course is very well organised. There is little to dislike about the way it is taught.

8

The CMDA course has a lot of workplace elements, so this is well accommodated for.

Good although the room is either too cold or two warm. There are so many students, the room can feel cramped at times

The tutors I have are really supportive. I have not needed the counselling aspect. The apprenticeship aspect is less supportive I find, its difficult to know what is required, and this is something that should perhaps be looked at. Including apprenticeship sessions as part of the schedule would provide the opportunity for students to work on their portfolio with guidance from the apprenticeship tutor on hand.

The course is taught well, the lecturers are great and supportive. It is a really intensive course with many assignments which are practically back to back. This means, for me, it is harder to apply the learning in practice before we are moving on to the next subject or assignment

10

Not applicable to me as I am in full time employment and have been oblivious to the opportunities on offer

The support is great. Personal counselling can be provided but booked in advance

The teaching material is given well in advance and well organised. The teaching follows the curriculum structure .

10

The college provide very good student support in terms of lecturers being there for you. There are talks about future career and guidance.

study areas are good and HE in particular but classroom facilities not so good, car parking not a problem and canteen acceptable, quality of lecturers good

only negative point is that doing the apprenticeship appears the academic side doesn't totally appreciate the pressure of working full time as well as studying for a degree

Learning 4 subjects at one time and having to juggle 4 assignments is not productive would prefer to have to do one subject up to assignment and then move to next subject, especially when doing business research alongside it

10

regular talks from careers team and plenty of information readily available via posters

Nice facilities, however lady's toilets are very busy

Very good support from all my tutors I'm aware of who to speak to if I require any support

I like how the modules are related to work based scenarios however the day is very long.

8

We have career advisers and have sessions to discuss are career aspirations

Good facilities.

Tutors offer support at regular intervals and are available vie phone and e-mail when needed to support with work and to gain further understanding.

It is frustrating that we have several topics to learn at the same time. I would prefer to spend 2-3 weeks studying one topic and completed all assignments and exams before moving onto the next subject. This will allow more learning and time to apply the new skills to my job.

8

College offers the above, but I am currently in full-time employment.