13 reviews for University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI)

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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.

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.

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

5

Yes

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

Yep, good.

They are responsive, and help if you ask. there is a counselling service.

They are great. Always friendly and helpful, and they know what they are talking about, or know someone who knows. Active in the college, and connected across the university so have a louder voice than just one campus. There are activities appropriate to the college.

There are things to do, and people to meet, pubs and clubs, to suit most. Music and sport is available regularly with new folks welcomed. There are also Arts Venues, cafes, community events, all the usual things. The Surroundings are very beautiful, with places to surf, hill walk, loads of beaches that are good for barbecues, and you can chill out at Calanais Stones, and find old Celtic places.

not sure.

The course has options, and covers a wide range of communication and feedback techniques. You get to practice Asymmetrical student blackboard, and use lots of online services both individually and in teams. I like the wide variety of resources used for accessing materials, although these sometimes take a while to work out how to get to. On the other hand, this means you get very good at research skills in finding information, and is great for accurate referencing. The course is taught across all the different parts of the university, so other Students and your tutor can be in a different parts of Scotland. This works well for getting diverse inputs. The Lectures by Video Conferencing are an interesting format, and excellent for communicating between the Scottish Cities, and it is great to get practice at this prior to use for workplace activities. This is sustainable practice in operation and shows a way forward for global solutions, in terms of how to do business without travelling.

4

UHI has a really good Careers department, which is clearly highlighted on the Student pages. It connects to all the usual options for how to get work, starting at the beginning with developing commercial awareness and gaining useful experiences while studying, all the way to support for CV/Cover letters, interview techniques etc. They have very nice staff, friendly and helpful.

Happy with the facilities I am having (online) access to. The library could be a little bit more comprehensive, I sometimes find that there is no institutional subscription to some publications I'd be interested in. It took me a while to find alternative platforms where students can subscribe at no cost to widen the access to publications.

So far I had only very positive experiences. My PAT is always supportive, whether it was dealing with administrative issues or providing other assistance. Tutors are approachable and always willing to provide advice.

Not involved in Union due to time constraints (work and volunteering in charity).

No city life on a remote island. Luckily!

n/a

I personally like the flexibility of studying an online course. It is up to the student to make best use of all what is on offer, learning materials, video conferences and tutorials. Most lecturers are very approachable and advice is always available if needed. I went into my course with the expectation to conduct a lot of self-directed study which provided me with the freedom to give my education a 'personal touch' and focus on the areas I am most interested in. This was definitely the right choice for me, but might be difficult for students who do not take a proactive approach and expect knowledge to be served on a silver plate. The online delivery of the course has very practical benefits too: no costly accommodation at campus is required and I can fit my coursework between work and other activities. For someone based on a remote small island, studying wouldn't be possible at all if it were not for the opportunity to study online.

5

Uni offers many options from career advice to internships and exchange opportunities.

As an online-only course, my engagement with the UHI facilities is through their IT systems. I'm now in my third year of the degree and the systems are more than fit for purpose, delivering course content and access to library resources painlessly. They're also always evolving with new features, versions and products being introduced when they're available, always as an improvement to what was available before.

The support from the university has been superb. During my studies I've experienced a few personal setbacks, including treatment for cancer. Nobody from the university has ever been anything but fully supportive and they have gone out of their way to accommodate changes that have allowed me to stay on the course.

My main involvement with the Students' Union has been through the Sustainable Development Student Society. The opportunity this gives online students to meet one another face-to-face is great, and the extra insight into the subject through field trips has been invaluable.

The Sustainable Development Student Society has been great throughout my studies. Field trips have taken me throughout Scotland, including Orkney and Skye, as well as to an industry conference in London.

Because this is an online degree course I am able to study from home, with the flexibility to fit it around work and other responsibilities. The option to study part-time makes this even easier. It does take self-discipline, but the clear and engaging content helps to keep you on track. There are also regular tutorials (either via collaborative chat sessions or video conference) and I've found my tutors to be very helpful when I've had questions, either about the content or about the course itself.

2

There are frequently opportunities for students to apply for work placements, and the field trips with the Student Society have been a great opportunity to meet with people who are currently working in the field

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.