Do you think Staffordshire uni is a good uni?

And your reasons for this are?

It's in Stafford.

Union crap, lecturers 98% useless, room ok, computers slight improvement not much overall rubbish uni

Thanks

not really if i'm honest

You're not understanding my words. I, personally, don't think it's a good university for anything. I don't care what statistics and accolades you can throw at me, my opinion will not change.

I'm sorry Infallible, but you just seem really narrow minded and don't have a valid reason (or any reason) for your disliking to staffordshire uni. It's really what you make of it. If you come here determined to have a fun time, then you will. If you come to work hard and get a first, then you certainly will. If you come expecting to have everything on a plate, sit in your room all day and hope for a first for playing COD then you will fail. I love uni, I love my course and although I won't get a job in it, my uni experience (because I made it so) has given me the skills to hopefully get an exciting job, completely irrelevant to my course. My course is unsuitable for me but that does not mean it's a bad course. And Stafford is a lovely friendly place.

So what's you're grown up mature reason for not liking stafford or staffordshire uni?

It's not a nice area or a good university.

Here is a circle:

Hi,
Just thought I'd give you my opinion, as an undergrad (1st year) here at Staffs. Uni - Stoke campus (teaching split over Leek Road and College Road – although literally two minutes walk). I'm going to be brutally honest, if you have the option of another Uni. then I would go with it, I wouldn't waste time on Staffs. Uni. If you insist on applying to the Uni, I would totally recommend visiting the Uni. And by visiting, I mean try and make contact with someone already at the Uni. and meet up with them and get them to give you a complete tour - so you can get a feeling of the proper atmosphere of the place - the true atmosphere of the students; and not that of the ambassadors who're paid to show you around. Most of the students at the Uni. (certainly on my course) are either clearing applicants, or are at Staffs. Uni not through choice per se. However, it's not all bad - and I'll break it down into academics and the social side.

Academics: Let's not kid ourselves, Staffs. Uni isn't the most prestigious Uni, nor is it academically outstanding. If you're after prestige etc. I would avoid Staffs. Uni altogether - it offers not what you're looking for. On my course, as an example, the tutors aren't the most committed in seeing you succeed, nor do they appear to be well learned in what they're lecturing in. For example, in one module I haven't seen any original content - 100% of the lecture materials have been sourced from an intranet of another university (you can't tell on the printed handouts, but if you download the file via the Student Portal you can check the properties and the meta formatting hasn't been removed, displaying clearly the source - as well as its age!) In one lecture a point was raised (aka read off of the PowerPoint) which made no sense whatsoever. You could tell no one understood the point as there was the awkward looking around at one another to see if your coursemates understood. Being brave, a girl from the lecture raised this during the lecture and asked for clarification. The lecturer's response? 'If you submit that to me via the student portal I'll endeavour to have an answer for you!'

I have a total of 4 hours of lectures per week and an additional two hours of seminars. Since the start in September, I have had, almost every week, a lecture or a seminar cancelled or rescheduled without failure - it might just be my course, but during your orientation week you'll be told a billion times (literally) that cancellations rarely happen and in the event they do, you'll be notified a minimum of 24 hours prior to the lecture/seminar, just as you're expected to email your tutor with ~24 hours of notice if you're unable to attend. In my experience, this hasn't happened once. A couple of times I failed to check my student email in the morning and turned up for a 9am lecture to find it was cancelled - on checking my email it would appear the email only went on an hour before ~8am is not acceptable for a ~9am lecture - and yes, you could blame me for not checking my emails, but a couple of times I have checked before leaving to go and get breakfast and meet up with coursemates at ~8am for there to be no email, and to turn up to the lecture to find it was rescheduled. No email for rescheduled lectures, but simply a note on the door. I have a couple of mature students on my course who juggle dropping off their children in the morning before making their way to Uni. - this is simply not on. But nothing appears to be done about it. Unfortunately, towards the end of the first semester a couple of tutors went AWOL. It turns out one had a bereavement and the other medical problems - their lectures/seminars were covered, but covered by assistants who weren't really qualified nor experienced in what they were asked to cover. Not their fault per se, but not value for money at all.

Here's something that may alarm you. Staffs. Uni regularly conducts an attendance check - you're emailed a form to get signed by ANY course tutor which must be submitted by a certain time/date. If you don't you're removed from the course and SLC is notified. A friend of mine had some trouble at home so left for a few weeks (~3 weeks) during which the attendance check took place. He wasn't able to get it signed, nor was he able to hand it in. To save him from the hassle, and to check if we could pull it off, I was able to take his form to a tutor and get it signed (a different tutor to the one who signed mine) and hand it in at the office - just a few minutes after submitting my own. :/ The tutor clearly didn't know either of us (despite being the undergrad 1st year tutor - as well as MY personal tutor), or else she would've spotted it wasn't him and my name wasn't that on the form. The office staff didn't think anything of it. On the other hand, a mature student friend of mine had a poorly daughter and was unable to get into the Uni. to sort out the forms etc. Despite emailing the tutors constantly as the deadline loomed, she got nothing back. In the end she missed the deadline and has been removed from the course and is trying to get an appeal. SLC has been notified and because of that she won't be getting her January loans in time.

On a more upbeat note, the facilities here are pretty good. The library is excellent and well equipped and has very helpful staff (I'm always getting lost) - it has the typical problems (loud people etc) but if you let the library staff know, or the people themselves, they're generally very receptive. However, the IT facilities are not the best - but they work, and that's what matters - although there are improvements going on over the whole Uni. atm. PS. I would be careful when using the men's toilets in the main Thompson Bldg. Library, it has a reputation. Have a Google.

Social Side: Uni really is what you make it. If you're going to be pompous about your business, then expect to struggle to fit in - in fact, you'll probably hate it here. However, if you're open and willing to try new things and go out etc, you'll fit in perfectly. The Uni doesn't have the most exhaustive list of societies, but there's something for everything. And if you really want to set one up, then that's quite easy and simple too. The LRV ('Leek Road Venue') is a nightclub-esque venue, with the Verve (a place for food) attached next door. On the whole, they're quite good. However, unless there's a proper act on - it can get boring. For example, Wednesdays are 'Gobble' nights - a fancy-dress event. But most people rarely bother to make an effort which sucks, and the music is hardly appealing (usually the same playlist each week for several weeks). Fridays are 'Super Fridays' - which are far from super. But if you're in the mood of cheap drinks and poor music - this is perfect.

I live in the normal halls (not en-suite) and thus it's same sex - which seemed like an annoyance at the start of the year, but it's been OKAY! We've made great friends of the girls on the two floors above and thus there's always a good mix lounging around in the kitchens (which are massive! - we regularly host movie nights in there). The rooms aren't the largest, but you can cram a lot into them. In fact, for the price you pay they're excellent value for money. It's around ~£2800 or so for the year. However, the beds combined with the breeze-block walls make it very prison like. Site maintenance are pretty good when it comes to ensuring the bins are emptied each morning and fixing things you've reported. But I should warn you, the 'housekeepers' (as they like to be called) are arrogant and rude sods. If you leave a plate/mug etc out on the table and on their arrival they see it, they will remove it and dump it into a large box/pot - with no concern for the item. I've had two mugs have their handle snap (probably 'cause they were cheap mugs too) and one novelty one I got from my grandparents have the glass ball (one of those with a little snowball effect dome on) broken. There's also a warden per block of flats (ALL halls are sorted into colours/blocks - 3 flats per colour/block - almost always the ground floor and the two directly above - the ones who you share a foyer with) - the warden is supposed to be there for you to be able to report niggles to and support you with any problem. But, as they're also students, they have lives too and aren't always around. Unlike some Unis where they aim to put people together of similar likes/dislikes etc, it would appear Staffs. Uni doesn't bother - which isn't a problem. In fact, it's excellent - you get to meet a good mix of people direct from the off.

One thing I should warn you of: THE BLOODY ALARMS! I live in the halls called Royal Doulton, which has a long-standing tradition of setting off the alarms for one to partake in the Royal Doulton Dash. I should explain. The blocks of flats are blocked off from one another by a trap door - a door which unlocks only when the alarm goes off. The aim of Royal Doulton Dash is to remove one's clothes and run all the way around the whole building through all the blocks and return before the alarm is deactivated. Two problems with this: no one ever does it properly; you either do it with your clothes off or you don’t do it. Secondly, the chosen time for this is almost always ~2am – great if you’re still awake. Not so great if you have an 9am lecture and struggle to sleep and had only just managed to fall asleep. The wardens are meant to be quick in reacting to the alarms to check the situation out and disable them – our warden is never to be seen when an alarm goes off and as the main alarm terminal box is located in the foyer of my block and our warden out, we have to wait for site security to disable it, or a warden from a neighbouring block to take pity on us all. One plus with a poor warden is that you’re free to have whoever over and whenever. Most of my block regularly have BF/GFs over staying a night or two at a time – no bother whatsoever.

Outside of the Uni. In Stoke within the vicinity of the Uni. there’s not much to do that’s very welcoming. Luckily there are a couple of shops literally five minutes from Halls and thus if you run out of bread, milk etc it’s not a problem – there’s also a few take away/fast-food parlours on the road directly opposite the Halls on Leek Road. And there’s the usual Sainsbury’s, Tesco’s a few minutes away too. However, the local cinema is in the middle of nowhere (an industrial park) and travelling in the dark in the evening isn’t most appealing as it requires walking through some of the ‘rough’ ends of Stoke – certain areas which are locally accepted as no-go areas for white people, and in the opposite direction areas which are no-go areas for Asians/ethnic people. However, I’ve walked alone at ~2am through both ends (got lost during freshers’) and I survived with all my belongings intact. There’s also the Potteries centre which is home to all the shops you’d see in your local High St. For nights out, there’s loads going on in Hanley – which isn’t too far or get a taxi, which are cheap in Stoke at ~£4 for most places. Or if you’re not too keen on proper nights out, there’s always the Ember Lounge, which is another one of the Uni’s venues. It is an excellent host to some cheap nights, including the Sunday pub-style quiz – you’re not able to get drunk here, as the staff are quite strict on serving people who look even remotely intoxicated. Or join some societies – and find things to do that way. The Uni. also has a gym, but I can’t tell you what that’s like as I don’t use the Uni. gym. But I hear it runs some excellent sports clubs etc. The laundry room is also situated a minute from the Halls so that’s all good too.

If you drive then I wouldn’t bother bringing your car to Uni. You will not need it, nor would it be safe on the campus – not from deliberate vandals, but inconsiderate drivers. There’s a parking problem at the Leek Road side and people park anywhere and everywhere – even where there aren’t parking bays. Car doors will get bashed – I promise you.

I think I’ve covered most things here. So to summarise why I came to my decision to avoid: Staffordshire Uni (Stoke campus) could be an excellent university, as it appears to be ‘up and coming’ (with regards to refurbishments, including the new Science and Technology block) – however, at the moment, the only thing it has going for it is the fact people are happy to settle with it. Yes, it’s full of sociable people and you can have an excellent time, it doesn’t rid the fact you come to Uni. to learn and get a decent education to provide you with the necessary academic skills to better yourself. Yes, you’ll gain social skills, but you won’t academic. And for that reason, if you have the choice I would study somewhere else where you’ll also gain academic skills/knowledge as well as the social side that almost all Unis do well.

I was kinda aware that Staffordshire isn't meant to be one of the best uni's in the world, but isn't it meant to be like one of the best for some computing courses? For example I want to do Digital Forensics and it seems to be one of the best, and one of the students doing Computer Networks or something like that said the uni was one of the best for that too. Am I wrong? Were they just trying to persuade people to go there?

I was kinda aware that Staffordshire isn't meant to be one of the best uni's in the world, but isn't it meant to be like one of the best for some computing courses? For example I want to do Digital Forensics and it seems to be one of the best, and one of the students doing Computer Networks or something like that said the uni was one of the best for that too. Am I wrong? Were they just trying to persuade people to go there?