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UHI is a fantastic university for distance learning courses. The support that they provide is assuring, teachers are helpful and knowledgeable, and the intended learning outcomes are very clearly outlined from the very start. Accordingly, I enthusiastically recommend studying the PG distance learning courses through the UHI!
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Incompetent lecturing staff and very laid back approach to learning. Was shocked when we got a very inexperienced lecturer take over half way through the course leading to problems and complaints from everyone on the course.
The best aspects of the course were the first semester, felt structured, organised and most of all supported by every lecturer from every module. Once semester 2 began it became evident what we were in store for, and it didn't dissapoint. The main focus of semester 2 was the Graded Unit, this is critical to achieving a good grade from the HNC. Yet UHI gave us a new lecturer that didn't have any experience teaching. As you can imagine this didn't go well. The graded unit changed so many times and led me and others to get very behind as we were constantly having to rewrite and reevaluate what was expected because the lecturer couldn't make up his mind.
UHI is a great university as it is located in a beautiful part of the highlands, the campus is also modern and resourceful. The classes are always recorded so you can go back at any time and further your learning. The course content is very challenging and varied so there are always aspects that different people may feel more confident in. For example, we have a range of assessments that make up our final grade, including an essay, multiple choice quiz, physical performance exams and discussion sessions. This is to ensure that everyone plays up to their strengths, and are not stressing about a singular essay that makes up the whole grade, if essays are not your strong point. UHI could improve on their student support, as there have been times were I have felt my health isn’t great and have raised this as a concern. I have not received much input or help at times when I needed it most. However, overall I think that the university is a good institution with lots to offer education wise.
I like how my course is mainly online, with some physical classes and seminars mixed in to consolidate our learning. Online work prompts you to be independent and you have the freedom to work anywhere, especially in environments that you enjoy. However, physically going in for classes is also good as you can occasionally have input from your peers on the course and socialise with others. The physical classes help put you back on track if you perhaps feel sometimes like you are wandering a bit with the content online.
The highlands have beautiful scenery, low crime rates, and plenty of part time work opportunities to slot in with your university timetable. Where I go to university in Inverness, there are good eateries available, and entertainment, as well as places to socialise with others who are also studying etc. The cost of living is not too bad as we have a range of supermarkets which are cost efficient and accessible to the university.
I studied at the centre for history with uhi and if you have any other choice in university take it. I would consider taking an access course in a more reputable college before accepting a place at uhi. The classes on history modules are glorified Skype calls (even before the pandemic) where the "lecturer" will spend 20 minutes lecturing before asking open questions for the students to fumble their way through to fill time. If you are expecting a traditional university experience uhi is not where you want to go. It doesn't help that the assigned readings range from the overly simplistic to incomprehensible babble which leave you understanding less about the modules themes than if you just skip them. The staff are difficult to get hold of and often do the bare minimum amount of feedback which is a slight problem when you write a dissertation. During my last year at uhi, I was only able to have 3 half an hour meetings with my dissertation "supervisor" and the feedback was so unhelpful that I might as well have asked a bowl of spaghetti as it would have been just as useful. My experience with this programme was not good and I would implore anyone wanting to study History to avoid UHI. The programme is very good at promoting itself as a forward thinking academic department in touch with modern issues. It is nothing more than meaningless virtue signalling. The lecturers don't care about its students unless they share the same academic interests and approaches of the lecturing staff. This means that if you have academic interests outside of a narrow field of historiography you will recieve no support from the department and will be treated as nothing more than a vessel for them to plant their backwards ideas into. The modules themselves although interesting at times were not well taught and it was very hard to gauge what the lecturers wanted in terms of assessments which basically meant you went in blind to every assignment hoping you wrote the magic combination of words to get a good grade. It also doesn't help that the marking scheme was so vague that a lot of the grades I got felt subjective and more determined by a lecturers personal preferences rather than a standardised criteria. Complaints or concerns are treated as personal attacks on the department which makes change impossible. It also means that toxic students are allowed to get away with nasty behaviour as the department will protect their favourites from any sort of discipline.
The universities facilities were decent for a small university but services were not easy to access unless you knew the right people. It also didn't help that to access services like counselling or additional support you would have to enter a glass transparent room in the middle of the main foyer. I found this very uncomfortable as I find it difficult enough asking for help without having to do it in a room that felt like a fish tank.
I was able to access counselling and other student services in the university but unless you booked early enough spaces for things like counselling and additional support were limited which made it impossible to get help in the middle of a semester unless something major happened.
The course comprised entirely of 2 to 3, 2 hour long online classes in an average week which meant that students only got six hours max of class time. The classes themselves consisted of 30 mins to 1 hour of time dedicated to lecturing with the rest of it filled by lecturer led class discussions. On top of this out of class hours with tutors was very difficult to come by and the only students who were able to get additional help were the lecturers personal favourites. Lecturers were very difficult to get hold of as teaching the under grad modules was not their priority.
5
Career services are limited.
No
I have enjoyed my time at university so far even if nearly all of it has been online, we are give lots of notes to help us understand all the different subjects.
5
Yes
Been very good so far highly enjoyable . Met good friends. College staff are excellent and very clear and helpful. Course itseld is well laid out and easy to follow. Loving it
Excellent
Very good always helpful
N/A
Yes very good
Football on a monday night Plenty of time to play golf
Very relaxed atmosphere
40
Compulsory placements over summer for opportunities
If you would like to study geography you must do it at UHI, which is situated in the geographic and geologic wonderland that is the Highlands. Field trips to the Cairngorms and NW Highlands, as well as further afield to the Swiss Alps all serve to reinforce the classroom learning, while the friendly and professional staff demonstrate all the modern technological methods you can use to present what you have learned.
The university facilities which I used were ideal for modern tertiary education. Clearly a lot of thought had gone in to the building's design and the classrooms, lecture theatre, library and catering facilities were all great.
As a mature student, I feel I received all the support I required returning to academia, and was inpressed by the personal support extended to everyone. The university has a number of support groups out-with the support offered by the academic staff and they take their responsibilties to students very seriously.
UHI had just moved into a new complex just outside the city and there was no student union building. However the student union, as a body, were very active and resourceful and created a wonderful environment for students. They have many groups, teams and societies and are very keen to develop links with city enterprises to the student's benefit.
Inverness has everything a small city requires and is a great place to study. It's situation is ideal in that within a couple of hours you can be exploring the spleandour of the Highlands, travel to the central belt by road or rail, or London or Manchester by air.
Although I was involved with the student union as a rep, I was bot a member of any clubs or societies. However, I am aware that there is a tremendous amount and variety available for all.
As a member of the student representative I was involved in course development meetings with the programme leaders and lecturers. Throughout these meetings there was a strong ethos on the student experience and the leaders successfully worked to ensure that course delivery was varied, made use of all current technologies and prepared students for work in many different sectors. Coursework was delivered using a range of methods including online lectures, discussions, tutorials, and practical sessions with lecturers either in attendance or available through digital technology or video conferencing.
12
The course was designed with a large focus on group work. Every module has some aspect of marked groupwork encouraging collaboration, teamwork and effective communication. The course designers also ensured there was variety in their assessment types. To ensure personal development we were marked on essay and report writing, field skills, personal and online presentations and GIS projects. Graduating from this course, I felt that the development of my theoretical geographic knowledge was surpassed by the employability skills that were enhance throughout the course. Part of the course had modules devoted to developing enployability skills for geographers including field skills, employability and work pacement modules which prepared us for the transition to professional life.
Absolutely hate it!!! Cannot day enough negative things regarding my experience, the people who run UHI should seriously take a look at themselves because I get the impression they are not concerned with the responsibilities of the role they have committed to and do as little as possible to make things more convenient for themselves.
Exceedingly poor! The building is in disrepair and it’s still more visually appealing than the staff.
They claim one thing and act in complete contradiction. Numerous times waiting for months, despite chasing up feedback. Countless times member of staff would say “we’ll just cut corners” and as previously said lack the ability to accept responsibility for their actions, their values and standards are completely false and misguided. Honestly attending UHI ruined my life and cannot emphasise strongly enough how much I would not advise people to enroll with them. I actually have correspondence from the deputy head admitting their would be more benefit to enrolling with open university.
Never given any information about it.
Depends what you make of it?! UHI done absolutely nothing to get involved with the community, that would mean effort on their part.
There weren’t any.
It’s ran and organised by people who cannot stand by their own word. They are compulsive liars who do the bare minimum required to earn their pay check and are quick to have their excuses in place. Horrendous experience and stuck up expletives whom place absolutely no value on themselves as individuals so not too sure what they’re expecting their students to learn other than their bad habits.
12
None whatsoever! They made the student experience so woeful that they have deterred me from my original goal. There is not an honest voice amongst them. They expect students to inform their “course directors” regarding what is required for their course despite the course director advising completely differently. Despite being open and honest with them, they used my personal situation to excuse their lack of knowledge and competence! Thanks to putting my faith in the disgusting “human beings” that run this establishment I have lost every of any materialistic value!! Do not attend here!!! And yes I have physical proof of not only their negligence but their audacity to put the blame on me.
A dreadful uni. I would advise anyone thinking about this uni to think teice. Areas of expertise are limited and the calibre of that expertise, poor for the most part. Supprort staff are diorganised and lack sufficient knowledge to supprt students properly. Any critiicism is met with a highly defensive approach and it seems like one big vanity project to boost the Highlands appeal to locals. In fact above undergraduate level and most post-grads are from outwith the area or in the case of science, Scotland. There is a reason why this university continues to rank so low. Stuidents are ill-supported and the clambour for funds at any cost, turns UHI into a failing marketing machine, not an academic institution, with the vanity pproject, not the student at its heart.
Not for someone looking for the "university experience". Campus buildings are in a poor state in comparison with other universities eg; obvious leaks in the roof, some rooms are freezing cold, other are swelteringly hot. Students don't seem to care about their subjects i.e don't do the required reading, not too surprising when you consider the entry requirements. Lectures are often poorly organised. There are also a severe lack of societies and clubs to join. The student union... What union? Well below the expected standard of a University.
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The lecturers are very welcoming. It’s a good community. The studying space is great.
Lots of facilities and welcoming people. Easy to navigate and good location. However could have an increase in events to do on campus both in day and nighttime, as they have both d...
Best: Everyone is welcome and friendly. Worst: Not many student events