Ask a current Coventry Student

I am a Photography student in my 3rd year and happy to answer any questions I can.

I have involved myself as much as possible during my time here and had a broad experience of the university.

I have been a student union rep, a student union counsellor, and employed by the uni as a photographer. I have had good times and bad and experienced how the uni supported me with advice and counselling during the latter.

I am a member of the Global Leaders Program and I am currently on the Erasmus scheme studying abroad.

Lastly, I am also a mature student and I have lived in student accommodation and in a shared house in order to truly experience student life.

I am utterly honest and will tell you the good and the bad as I have experienced it and if I do not know I'll say.

So, ask away!

Hello, my name is Vanessa and I really appreciate you starting this thread, I do have a few questions

Do you think that joining a few societies gets in the way of your learning? I am planning to join 3 in my first year?
I am also planning on living at home and commuting because I live in Birmingham, do you think that socialising will be hindered for me because I am afraid that I might not make as much friends in the first couple of weeks?
Is it beneficial to join the student society?
And do first year grades matter because people say that you enjoy yourself in the first?

Any replies would be much appreciated thank you xx
Goodluck with everything btw i wish you success.

Hiya,

Can't decide between Coventry and Bournemouth for my Firm choice for Marketing and feeling pressure to do it soon as I really need to apply for an academic scholarship.

I was wondering if you could tell me what you thought of the area? In terms of nightlife it looks a bit dead and I just wondered if you got bored or thought there is enough going on?

Photography is obviously quite a different course to Marketing but in terms of the help and support they have given you, inside and outside of your course has this been satisfactory to you?

I'm thinking of applying to do a placement abroad either as part of my sandwich year or separate and wondered if you think the university has good links with companies abroad? and whether they assist you in finding and organising these opportunities?

Thanks

Afternoon Alex,

Congratulations on your offer from Coventry University to study Marketing. I'm currently a final year student studying Business Management, so same Faculty but just a different School.

Area: Coventry University is based in the heart of the City Centre. The City Centre is currently going through a huge regeneration project which has seen it improve in terms of it's offerings in a number of aspects such as Wagamamas and The Cosy Club to name a few places that have landed since late last year.

I haven't personally been bored with the City Centre in my 4 years being here, it totally depends on what you in to or what you want to do, but the main road serving the campus has a lot of student spots where everyone tends to go including myself such as Quids Inn/The Phoenix. If that's not enough for you then we have great transport links with the main train lines going both South and North, a lot of my friends tend to go over to Leamington & Birmingham at times. Again it's all about what you'd be wanting to do.

The Course (Business Management): Has been great, from studying economics and statistics modules to globalisation and entrepreneurship (to name a few). The support given by the academics who deliver the course has been excellent as they have worked in industry and do research relevant to the School and they are really approachable if you need support or clarification on content.

Finally the Business School really has been pushing the innovation frontier in all aspects of course delivery, student satisfaction and facilities like our new Trading Floor and the Business School revamp. I also secured and completed both an Industrial Placement and Summer Internship with the support of the specialist Faculty specific Employability Placement Unit too.

Work Abroad Year: It's great that you're already thinking about doing a study/work abroad year. A number of my friends have done this last year as part of their course and have really enjoyed it. From my experience the University has good links with employers, within the UK I worked for a multinational automotive manufacturer in their Head Office, followed by a Summer Internship in the Financial Services industry working for a Global Investment Bank, also one of my friends is in Germany currently working with IBM for her work abroad year as an example. The great thing is that the University has a specific department called the Centre for Global Engagement (CGE) which specifically helps students who wish to work and study abroad do so, the aforementioned Employability Placement Unit can also help with getting your CV and Cover Letter etc ready for this too.

I hope this helps and have you been to one of our Open Days? As I highly recommend it as a way of speaking to current students on your course and as a way of getting to understand the support that CU can given to you during your time here.

If you have any further questions, please let me know.

Naomi (CU Student Social Media Assistant)

Hi, I know this isn't your subject area but I am having a tough time deciding between Coventry and Portsmouth for psychology.

I just wondered if anyone could tell me if it's easy to get a placement, if the course has any particularly interesting or different study areas compared to other unis and if the teachers are good at what they do. Also I was unable to see accommodation on the open day I went to and wondered if there's anything you could tell me in regards to quality, space, security and any other helpful things. I've been trying to find out more about it on the website but the photos are quite limited so it's hard to see what the rooms look like. Also how is the student life, is Coventry a lively pace, does it have student bars, are there opportunities to work close by? In addition, I have a real difficulty with maths and numbers in general (waiting to undergo testing for dyscalculia), is there support available for people like me in terms of extra sessions to go over some of the things learned as I know that statistics features on the course?

If you can provide any answers it would be greatly appreciated. Trying to make the decision soon but I was thoroughly impressed by the open day and am just unsure of which to choose. Thank you.

Hi

I am unable to tell you anything about the Psychology course and its teaching team as I can only draw on my experiences in the Photography department but during my time with the university it has seen a dramatic upward march in the league tables, been consistently named Modern University of the Year and now the overall University of the Year. The success has in a large part come through an increase in student satisfaction and this is not down to random chance.
There is a real feeling of strong leadership and passion from those employed at the university and this transfers to the students. It has been my pleasure to meet and be involved with many remarkable young students who belie their years and are embracing the challenges they face rather than becoming frustrated by them.

The nightlife is often judged by your expectations. Someone arriving from a large and vibrant city with a wealth of entertainment venues will probably find Coventry somewhat lacking in variety and choice but there are still plenty of great bars which stay open very late and a few nightclubs that are more than adequate to satisfy most. It is also worth noting that the ongoing expansion of the university in size and numbers will naturally attract continued interest from new businesses and the city is receiving significant investment from outside to aid in its bid to be the UK City of Culture in 2021. Coventry was a neglected city but recent moves to remedy this are in abundance and the city appears to be entering a mini-renaissance.

In my first year I stayed in a university house and it was clean, comfortable and dry. The facilities were good and if you get Janet as your cleaner you also get a surrogate mother figure. As for the main halls of residence I did visit a few friends and found all the rooms to be almost identical. I also have friends at other universities (Lincoln, Derby and Sheffield), have seen their accommodation and it appears that everyone is building them from the same architectural plans. During your first year it serves as a place to sleep (sometimes study but let's not get carried away) and for many your first foray into new friendships. Everyone's experience of student accommodation is unique, the majority usually work out positive but in the rare cases where things are less than optimal, the university is on hand to help.

As for your mathematical struggles my only experience in this field came when I was tested for Dyslexia and Dyspraxia. The team that helped me were incredibly professional and very understanding and the university is fully committed to supporting all of its students to achieve. I am confident they will help you but make sure they are aware and ask for help if needed. Don't rely on them to work it out, they have hundreds of students under their care so always speak up.

When it comes to finding work placements I found this was largely down to the individual. The opportunities exist if you are prepared to take them. On my course we had a module that ran through the whole year requiring each student across the entire media department to obtain a significant amount of varied work experience. The university will help you with advice and guidance and it will supply a constant list of work placement opportunities but in the end, it is down to the individual to seize them. At the end of the year it was clear to see which students had done just that and which had not.

In addition to the module I also felt that I wanted to gain some genuine work experience in my chosen field and I found a job with the university, in fact, I found that many students are employed whilst studying and after graduation. This is further testament to Coventry's continued investment in its students and alumni.

I often hear torrid tales from unhappy students based at universities that appear to be in terminal decline. Coventry is the complete opposite, right now it goes from strength to strength and is ideal for any student wanting to make the most of their university life. There will always be bad stories and negative opinions but in an institute frequented by thousands not everyone will leave happy but I was taught that you get out of life what you put into it and Coventry embodies that ethos.

Come to Coventry, embrace everything it has to offer and I am sure you will experience the best years of your life.

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer its been really good to find this stuff out

I am a Photography student in my 3rd year and happy to answer any questions I can.

I have involved myself as much as possible during my time here and had a broad experience of the university.

I have been a student union rep, a student union counsellor, and employed by the uni as a photographer. I have had good times and bad and experienced how the uni supported me with advice and counselling during the latter.

I am a member of the Global Leaders Program and I am currently on the Erasmus scheme studying abroad.

Lastly, I am also a mature student and I have lived in student accommodation and in a shared house in order to truly experience student life.

I am utterly honest and will tell you the good and the bad as I have experienced it and if I do not know I'll say.

So, ask away!

I am a Photography student in my 3rd year and happy to answer any questions I can.

I have involved myself as much as possible during my time here and had a broad experience of the university.

I have been a student union rep, a student union counsellor, and employed by the uni as a photographer. I have had good times and bad and experienced how the uni supported me with advice and counselling during the latter.

I am a member of the Global Leaders Program and I am currently on the Erasmus scheme studying abroad.

Lastly, I am also a mature student and I have lived in student accommodation and in a shared house in order to truly experience student life.

I am utterly honest and will tell you the good and the bad as I have experienced it and if I do not know I'll say.

So, ask away!

Heyy
I've applied for Coventry University for a Art course but I'm having trouble on what accommodation to go for. I've looked up the reviews but they're all really mixed, they all either have really bad review and really good reviews. I was wondering if you could help me out and tell me what you think of the accommodations, the choices I can apply for are Liberty Point, Callice Court, Victoria Hall, Lynden House, Paradise Palace, Singer Hall or Raglan House. Thanks

I applied for adult nursing but was told I might be put in the feb 2017 intake and not the sept 2016 intake that I really want. Could you tell me if it will be harder to start in feb as you miss the getting to know you of freshers week . I am worried that I will not get halls as it is a first come basis and that probably means it will be taken by sept intakes and I don't want to be in a flat with older years. would appreciate any feedback

My experience of the halls is limited as I stayed in a uni house in my first year but I did visit friends who were in the halls and I thought all the rooms looked almost identical. The positives or problems nearly all revolve around fellow students and their behaviour. The vast majority of people have an enjoyable time but if you do encounter some issues the universities accommodation department are very good at helping you resolve them.

Thank you,
I know you said that you did not have much experience with the halls, but did you know anyone who stayed at liberty point and did you know if they let you have people stay with you for a couple of days whilst they visit you? Its just that the research I have done says that Liberty points security is really strict and im worried they wont let me.

Is it true that this uni awards degree classification based on just 3rd year results? So suppose someone gets 58% during their 2nd year, and gets 72% in their 3rd year, would the 3rd year grade (2:1) be the degree classification that is determined? Who determines it and under what circumstances does this occur?