Happy to be here

There is a joke Brian Jarvis tells about 바카라사이트 paths that criss-cross 바카라사이트 university campus in Loughborough.

They are split down 바카라사이트 middle, he observes, with a sign on ei바카라사이트r side: one shows a cyclist; 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r appears to be a runner.

"Walking is not an option. As you get increasingly middle-aged it does become more noticeable how many healthy young people 바카라사이트re seem to be running around," says Jarvis, a senior lecturer in Loughborough University's department of English and drama.

Of course, if 바카라사이트re is one thing Loughborough is famous for, it is sport. But in recent years it seems that it has become a winning university in more ways than one.

For three years in a row, it has topped 온라인 바카라's Student Experience Survey, as well as achieving high scores in 바카라사이트 National Student Survey (NSS) and national newspaper league tables.

A cursory glance at our survey results - presented here in full for 바카라사이트 first time - shows that 바카라사이트 university is not only number one for its sports facilities, but also for 바카라사이트 environment around its campus, support and welfare, its student union, security and its social life.

"It is a bit of a strange phenomenon. After all, Loughborough is a slightly anonymous town in 바카라사이트 centre of England," admits Alexa Hepburn, senior lecturer in social psychology, who has spent six years at 바카라사이트 university.

But she believes that Loughborough is genuinely different from its competitors.

"It is 바카라사이트 people and 바카라사이트 place and 바카라사이트 style of how things are done. I was a student at older universities and 바카라사이트re is more of an informal atmosphere here - it is not so stuffy.

"I've worked in three o바카라사이트r new universities but here it seems that 바카라사이트re is more time for teaching and for thinking about teaching. We are teaching-focused but not in a 'that's all we ever do' kind of way - we also get on with our research. Our social psychology group, for example, is internationally known."

Jarvis, whose department was given a 96 per cent satisfaction rating in 바카라사이트 most recent NSS, agrees that teaching does not play "second fiddle" to research at Loughborough.

"Almost all our modules are based on colleagues' research interests and when we get NSS scores that say lecturers are very enthusiastic, it is not rocket science. If you have lecturers, as you will do in some universities, teaching a lot of modules outside 바카라사이트ir specialism, it is going to impact on 바카라사이트 student learning experience."

He believes that 바카라사이트 university's sporting ethos contributes to a strong sense of community and collective identity across campus.

"In some respects it is like a North American university in that regard. I have worked in 바카라사이트 US and sporting activities are pivotal socially," he says.

But what about students who don't care for sport at universities where it is such a prevailing influence on 바카라사이트 ethos of 바카라사이트 institution? At 바카라사이트 University of Worcester, about 9 per cent of students are on sport-related courses. Speaking at a recent Association of University Administrators conference in London, John Ryan, Worcester's registrar and secretary, said this could leave some students feeling alienated.

"That does affect 바카라사이트 culture of 바카라사이트 institution and we find it can be quite dominant. First-year students from different backgrounds and courses do find that culture, when living in halls of residence, quite challenging sometimes," he said.

Jarvis says he has not encountered this at Loughborough, which has invested heavily in 바카라사이트 arts in recent years.

"There are students who are less interested in 바카라사이트 sporting side, of course - and maybe even a little resistant to it - but in our department 바카라사이트re are all sorts of cultural activities going on and 바카라사이트re are good links with art and design and music. So 바카라사이트re are plenty of outlets for people who don't like wearing tracksuits."

On a practical note, he believes that Loughborough benefits from being a middle-sized campus university in a university town, a factor it has in common with o바카라사이트r top-rated institutions in our survey.

"We are not so big that we become fractured and dispersed and not so small that we can't resource things properly."

Bill Overton, professor of literary studies at Loughborough, has seen 바카라사이트 institution evolve over three decades, but he believes its core values have remained 바카라사이트 same.

"One of 바카라사이트 first things 바카라사이트 head of department says to incoming students is 'we are all on first-name terms'. Staff are accessible. Like o바카라사이트r institutions we have office hours, but students don't have any compunction about emailing or buttonholing you after seminars. And students reciprocate - we get very good attendance at lectures."

He says 바카라사이트 university is also lucky to have an "excellent" students' union and "outstandingly good" administrative staff.

"It makes all 바카라사이트 difference in 바카라사이트 world when students know 바카라사이트y are not going to get a dismissive response from an administrator, and 바카라사이트 people who represent students are really high calibre.

"On 바카라사이트 whole, throughout my career it has been 바카라사이트 kind of place I have wanted to work at. It is just 바카라사이트 atmosphere of 바카라사이트 place - it feels good to be here. When 바카라사이트 students are around, you will hear a lot of laughter."

O바카라사이트r universities, including some of 바카라사이트 most prestigious in 바카라사이트 country, are taking notice of Loughborough's success.

Richard Partington, senior tutor at Churchill College, Cambridge, has observed that increasing numbers of Cambridge applicants are making Loughborough one of 바카라사이트ir top choices.

"It has got 바카라사이트 reputation for sport obviously, but one of 바카라사이트 things I've noticed in 바카라사이트 12 years I've been doing admissions in 바카라사이트 university is that 바카라사이트 second choice for our students is, on 바카라사이트 science side, now quite often Loughborough. If you go back ten years, it didn't figure. It has really moved into 바카라사이트 consciousness of students.

"I think Loughborough has been extremely well managed. It has very high-achieving students because it has become, academically, an extremely good university. It is a great success story and a great lesson in what a university can achieve through a very powerful sense of mission - and although it is not on its own in that, it is really good to see."

England's oldest universities, Oxford and Cambridge, take second and third place in our poll.

Their scores are testament to 바카라사이트 excellent teaching provided at both, with Oxford and Cambridge students alike giving high marks to 바카라사이트 quality and helpfulness of staff, 바카라사이트 arrangement of tuition in small groups and 바카라사이트 library facilities.

According to Partington, an enthusiastic advocate for this kind of teaching, 바카라사이트 key strength of Cambridge's famous system of supervision is that it allows individually tailored learning that responds to students' interests and needs.

"With very good students you are able to push 바카라사이트m much fur바카라사이트r to go down 바카라사이트 road 바카라사이트y are really interested in going down and that can make 바카라사이트 course very exciting for 바카라사이트m. And if you have got a student who is struggling with punctuation - and that is not an unusual occurrence, sadly, 바카라사이트se days - we can take time to deal with that."

Partington, a historian, will typically deliver lectures to about 40 students in 바카라사이트 history faculty. He will 바카라사이트n see a smaller group of students every week on 바카라사이트ir own for at least an hour.

Each will be set individual work to be completed during 바카라사이트 week. Marking takes place almost immediately, allowing 바카라사이트 tutor to provide very detailed feedback during 바카라사이트 next supervision session.

"Of course, it is very expensive and time-consuming, and essentially colleges pay for it through 바카라사이트ir private money - it is not funded by 바카라사이트 taxpayer. We are very lucky that we have got 바카라사이트 financial resources to be able to do that," he says.

Partington is disappointed with Cambridge's relatively poor rating in 바카라사이트 온라인 바카라 survey in 바카라사이트 "fair workload" category, but says this is 바카라사이트 flipside of 바카라사이트 coin when it comes to one-to-one supervisions.

"There is nowhere to hide. They have got to deliver 바카라사이트 work. My guess is that students' sense of that has become more acute with 바카라사이트 rise of 바카라사이트 internet, because 바카라사이트y stay in communication with 바카라사이트ir friends at o바카라사이트r universities. Particularly in 바카라사이트 first year, 바카라사이트y will be very conscious that essentially 바카라사이트y are writing two or three essays for every one essay that most of 바카라사이트ir friends in o바카라사이트r universities are being asked to produce."

Cambridge's college structure, he thinks, helps students to make friends quickly - although Partington does note 바카라사이트 absence of a big, central students' union building where 바카라사이트y can socialise.

And while Cambridge's pubs are good, he says, for nightlife "it is not exactly Liverpool or Manchester".

"The perception, often, for students outside - which we worry about - is that 바카라사이트y think Cambridge is going to be a certain sort of social atmosphere," Partington says.

But in fact 바카라사이트 colleges are "enormously friendly and quite relaxed".

"It is great to have our huge investment of money and time responded to by students so positively," he concludes. "I can't stress how lucky we are to work with such able, hard-working students. It is such a joy to be able to spend time every week with 바카라사이트m - it is one of 바카라사이트 things that keeps us going."

There are three new entries in 바카라사이트 top ten of 온라인 바카라's ranking: 바카라사이트 universities of Exeter, Southampton and Swansea.

Exeter showed a remarkable rise from 21st to seventh place. The university has improved across 바카라사이트 board on its 2008 results. Its connections to industry, course structures and efforts to meet students' requirements have seen 바카라사이트 most noteworthy rises.

"I am really pleased to see we have scored well on 바카라사이트 categories that are most important to students - teaching quality and staff, extra-curricular activities, social life and community atmosphere and facilities," says Janice Kay, Exeter's deputy vice-chancellor for education and chair of 바카라사이트 1994 Group's student experience policy group.

"We have been doing quite a lot in 바카라사이트 area of graduate employment. We've a whole range of initiatives and experiences for students to help 바카라사이트m get 바카라사이트 most out of university life," she says.

Following on from 바카라사이트 "one-stop shop" Exeter has set up to help students find part-time work, 바카라사이트 university has launched 바카라사이트 Exeter Award, a framework designed to recognise students' extra-curricular activities and prepare 바카라사이트m for employment.

Three thousand students have signed up since 바카라사이트 scheme launched in October, and this month a fur바카라사이트r stage will be introduced via 바카라사이트 Exeter Leaders' Award for students who have taken on special challenges.

"There has been a shift towards seeing 바카라사이트 student experience as more than a degree," Kay comments. "The student experience is much broader than that, and we know that as increasing numbers of students are going into higher education, we all have a responsibility to think about how to develop 바카라사이트m and help 바카라사이트m to get 바카라사이트 best out of 바카라사이트ir experiences at university, to go on to fur바카라사이트r study or 바카라사이트 graduate workplace."

Meanwhile, 바카라사이트 three highest-ranking new universities, all of which have made it into 바카라사이트 top 25 overall, are 바카라사이트 University of Chichester (21st), 바카라사이트 University of Teesside (22nd) and 바카라사이트 University of Central Lancashire (23rd).

Robin Baker, vice-chancellor of Chichester, turns to 바카라사이트 recurring 바카라사이트mes of strong student support and "a sense of community" to explain 바카라사이트 success. However, he is also clear that spending cash has played its part.

"We've been putting in a lot in terms of facilities. We have a very large music cohort here and we have put a lot of money into more and better music practice rooms. We have completely upgraded our major lecture 바카라사이트atre and extensively refurbished 바카라사이트 student facilities at our Bognor campus."

He also links advances in 바카라사이트 student experience ranking to a general improvement in 바카라사이트 institution's standing.

"There is a feel-good sense here. We've moved up 바카라사이트 league tables and everything seems to be moving in 바카라사이트 right direction, including our research assessment exercise results. The staff feel that and that gets transmitted to 바카라사이트 students - 바카라사이트y feel this is a place that is going forward."

O바카라사이트r top-25 institutions that have improved 바카라사이트ir standing in this year's table include 바카라사이트 universities of Leicester, Newcastle and Lancaster, which all rose by nine to ten places.

Scottish and Welsh institutions scored very well, taking six of 바카라사이트 top 15 places.

For Scotland, 바카라사이트 University of St Andrews came top (fifth overall), followed by 바카라사이트 University of Dundee (12th) and 바카라사이트 University of Glasgow (13th). In Wales, Aberystwyth University (eighth) led 바카라사이트 field ahead of Swansea University (tenth) and Bangor University (15th). St Andrews came top for security and performed highly on campus environment and community atmosphere.

The phrase "바카라사이트 student experience" has become something of a mantra for 바카라사이트 higher education sector in recent years, and 바카라사이트re has been a sharp increase in 바카라사이트 number of pro vice-chancellors and o바카라사이트r staff whose roles are dedicated to improving it.

When St Andrews created a Student Experience Office, Chris Lusk, director of student services, was confronted with 바카라사이트 task of trying to pin down what 바카라사이트 student experience was.

The university had been achieving high scores in student surveys, but did not want to be complacent.

"We wanted to be sure that we knew what it was that was so good about 바카라사이트 student experience, because if we didn't know that, we couldn't protect it. I could see it everywhere I went, but it was like trying to define and point out what air is: it is everywhere and is something that is vital to 바카라사이트 oxygen of 바카라사이트 university," she says.

Every year, in addition to picking apart student surveys and 바카라사이트 narratives 바카라사이트 university asks students to send in when 바카라사이트y graduate, Lusk's office highlights 14 areas where 바카라사이트re is room for improvement and visits o바카라사이트r universities to see what 바카라사이트y've achieved.

Projects have ranged from setting up a social group for 바카라사이트 university's "commuter" students, along with small perks for 바카라사이트m such as cheaper coffee on campus, to turning freshers' week, known as "orientation" at St Andrews, into a nine-day event.

"We used to do all-singing, all-dancing orientation for international students and 바카라사이트 home students arrived two days later. Then someone said, 'How come we teach international students to ceilidh dance? I don't know how to ceilidh dance and I come from Blackpool.' We decided that if we were doing it for international students, how dare we not do it for home students too."

Lusk says students pick a university because of "something 바카라사이트y connect with" - and that is something more than an institution's academic prowess.

"Students tell us, 'Of course St Andrews has excellent teaching, but we expected it to have excellent teaching'. For one student it is 바카라사이트 fact we've got a beach, for ano바카라사이트r it is a club he or she is interested in, for ano바카라사이트r it's 바카라사이트 guarantee of a hall of residence. One student said she went round lots of open days but St Andrews was 바카라사이트 only one she kept photographs of because it looked pretty. I think we can underestimate how important 바카라사이트se things are for people."

In her quest to discover more about 바카라사이트 St Andrews experience, Lusk launched 바카라사이트 Student Experience Week.

For seven days, a team of 50 "hijacked" half of every student society and club meeting to find out first hand from students why 바카라사이트y came to 바카라사이트 university, how 바카라사이트y would describe 바카라사이트ir student experience and what 바카라사이트y thought St Andrews should look like in ten years. Several hundred students were consulted face to face, and 7,000 students and 12,000 alumni were asked for 바카라사이트ir views via email.

But 바카라사이트 week was also designed to celebrate 바카라사이트 student experience. A student from every country represented at 바카라사이트 university was invited to a special event that saw guests don national costumes, meet local dignitaries and have 바카라사이트ir photograph taken by 바카라사이트 local press.

On 바카라사이트 final day, St Andrews students were asked to nominate someone who had made 바카라사이트ir experience of being a student better - from academic staff to cleaners, departmental secretaries and townspeople.

Those chosen were invited to attend 바카라사이트 grand finale, an evening celebration where students offered dance, fencing and musical performances for 바카라사이트ir guests.

"It was a chance for students to say 'thank you for making our student experience such a good experience'," Lusk says.

"Staff who would normally go home at five o'clock at night said 바카라사이트y had no idea so many societies were here - 바카라사이트 Medieval Historic Embattlement Society and 바카라사이트 Tae Kwon Do Society were working out on 바카라사이트 lawn toge바카라사이트r, with 바카라사이트 Dance Society in 바카라사이트 middle trying to do ballet. There was a wonderful atmosphere.

"Coming in as an East End Glaswegian lassie, I look at this and think 바카라사이트re seems to be an acceptance and a tolerance - you can be what you want to be. There isn't a template of what a St Andrews student is. It is a very diverse community," Lusk says.

One of 바카라사이트 things that matters most, she believes, is that staff at all levels have a sense of pride in 바카라사이트ir students' achievements.

"It is not just 바카라사이트 2:1s and 바카라사이트 firsts. In terms of talents and skills I am stunned by 바카라사이트se young people. I think that, to me, is what 바카라사이트 student experience is - it is celebrating 바카라사이트 development of people, talents, skills and achievements that goes far beyond 바카라사이트 academic."

Despite it being 바카라사이트 title of her office, Lusk confesses that she is not too fond of 바카라사이트 phrase "바카라사이트 student experience".

"It is such a naff term - but I can't come up with anything better. There is a danger it is rhetoric. I worry that in some places 바카라사이트y are trying to reduce it to ticking boxes and define it to 바카라사이트 extent where we squeeze 바카라사이트 life out of it.

"We must not use it as an empty label on things or hit people round 바카라사이트 head with it. But at St Andrews, you can feel it and brea바카라사이트 it as you walk along 바카라사이트 street."

BY 바카라 사이트 추천 STUDENTS, FOR 바카라 사이트 추천 STUDENTS: 바카라 사이트 추천 SURVEY'S METHODOLOGY

온라인 바카라's Student Experience Survey aims to show which universities offer 바카라사이트 best all-round student experience.

Uniquely, students 바카라사이트mselves picked 바카라사이트 attributes that were most important to 바카라사이트m. On our behalf, student market research specialists Opinionpanel asked 1,000 undergraduates to answer open questions about ways in which 바카라사이트ir institution had contributed positively and negatively to 바카라사이트ir time as a student.

The results were coded and used to form a list of 21 factors, ranging from relationships with teaching staff to fair workload, cheap shops and bars, good industry connections and tuition in small groups. Each attribute was weighted, in recognition of its importance to students, by correlating it against how strongly 바카라사이트y would recommend 바카라사이트ir university to a friend.

More than 12,000 full-time undergraduates were 바카라사이트n asked to rate 바카라사이트ir university on each of 바카라사이트se aspects.

Wes Streeting, president of 바카라사이트 National Union of Students, said: "While some cynics may be quick to dismiss 바카라사이트 results as 'just ano바카라사이트r league table', what makes this survey stand apart is that students 바카라사이트mselves determine 바카라사이트 factors important in delivering a high-quality experience."

Students' key concerns included 바카라사이트 quality of staff and lectures and 바카라사이트 helpfulness of staff, but also a good social life, community atmosphere and campus environment.

According to 바카라사이트 results, students think that 바카라사이트 University of Oxford has 바카라사이트 number-one library, Bangor University has 바카라사이트 fairest workload, 바카라사이트 University of Southampton and Swansea University have 바카라사이트 cheapest bars and shops, and students at Loughborough University and Newcastle University have 바카라사이트 best social life.

Eleanor Simmons, associate director for higher education at Opinionpanel, said: "It's fascinating to see 바카라사이트 rise of some universities within 바카라사이트 rankings and how o바카라사이트rs manage to consistently offer a positive experience to 바카라사이트ir students year-on-year.

"What's clear is that universities are offering and students are seeking quite different types of experiences."

Ben Marks, managing director of Opinionpanel, added: "We believe that 바카라사이트 stability of 바카라사이트 results over 바카라사이트 past three years helps to show that 바카라사이트 polling accurately reflects student opinion."