Good Practice Blog

I attended a graduation ceremony here last week. I must admit, rather shamefacedly, that it is the first I have attended in the two years I have been here. It’s always interesting to discover just how one more thing works at this University. And I think it worked very well.
I enjoyed it. I went in [...]

Several things strike me about ‘Intro Week’. One is the overwhelming sense of excitement. Another is the general feeling of anticipation, apprehension and bewilderment! One of our aims in Biomedical Science is to reduce the confusion associated with coming to University while maintaining the excitement in Biology. We therefore try to [...]

In working with part-time mature students, and more recently on the TASH project, I’m aware of some of the expectations that new students bring to higher education. Some that interest me in particular relate to identity, and how adults (young or old) engaged in university study construct themselves as “students”. For mature students [...]

Imagine you are making that phone call home after your first week at university. Somehow, although you realise your mum will be worried sick about you, it’s been a week of evenings in the bar, and long coffee sessions in City View Café with new friends – and you’ve neglected that call. So, [...]

While ‘Student experience’, ‘transitions’, ‘First Year Experience’ (See HEA resources and the National Resource Centre for the First Year Experience) and ‘retention’ continue to inform our professional discussions it will come as no surprise that we focus much of our attention on the smooth and successful induction of first year students into our institution. [...]