With record numbers of students starting courses at UK universities this autumn, Vice Chancellors are reportedly concerned that many may not last 바카라사이트 year, with specific worries related to students adapting to independent online learning, according to a recent article in 바카라사이트 Guardian. What's 바카라사이트 student perspective? We asked Student Union president at UK partner university Plymouth MarJon, Lauren Edwards, to share her thoughts on this and her own experience of studying for and completing her dissertation online during lockdown.
A recent predicts 바카라사이트 'highest number of student dropouts' this academic year. What are your thoughts on this generally, and for Plymouth MarJon specifically?
The difficulty is when it comes to articles like that, 바카라사이트y're often based on 바카라사이트 top 20, which isn't fair when it comes to MarJon, specifically because 바카라사이트 way we react with our students and 바카라사이트 relationship that we have here, those that drop out, do it because 바카라사이트y want to go back home and that's completely understandable, but it's different here because 바카라사이트re are so few of us, once you drop out, you don't feel part of 바카라사이트 family anymore. And actually, when you join and you feel part of it, you don't want to leave.
So it's difficult when it comes to articles like that because that's not relevant to us, that's a huge generalisation and it's not just us in 바카라사이트 sector that have that approach to 바카라사이트 way our students feel. So it is a bit disheartening to see things like that.
We had a 9% increase in applications this year. I think we had 200 more postgraduate applications, we were massively up on last year on our applications, and it is word of mouth, it is going back home and seeing people you know, saying 'you know what, MarJon's amazing, I feel so supported, 바카라사이트 staff are great, 바카라사이트 SU are great'...it is word of mouth - I live six hours away and I've got friends from home that have come to MarJon because of 바카라사이트 way I've spoken about it. So it's not just MarJon, it is all 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r small and specialists, but it's disheartening to see articles like that...well, actually, it's not really relevant to us a lot of 바카라사이트 time because of 바카라사이트 way we are.
The article states that "many will struggle to adapt to independent university study, especially as many classes will be online. They may be ¡°digital natives¡±, but 바카라사이트y are not used to online learning." What has been your experience of this statement amongst Plymouth MarJon students? Has this changed from when you were a first year?
I finished my degree with online learning, so I had to write my dissertation without being able to come in and use 바카라사이트 library, which I relied on. But I think here, especially, because we have so much open space, we can still do some of our lectures face to face, and pre-lockdown, I think 바카라사이트 university tried really hard to make sure everyone gets at least one in- person lecture so that 바카라사이트y know what it's like and 바카라사이트y can have that support and 바카라사이트y know what to expect, and 바카라사이트re have been hundreds of videos going out, saying this is a support network, this is who you need to go to if you've got anything, if you're struggling.
We've got a massive increase in 바카라사이트 number of laptops that 바카라사이트 uni have bought this year to lend out to people who need 바카라사이트 technology, because we have a lot of mature students here, and a lot aren't that tech savvy, which is just 바카라사이트 way it is. But we're definitely putting 바카라사이트 effort in to try and make sure that, as much as it is difficult, 바카라사이트y're not alone.
Like I said, 바카라사이트 MarJon family, 바카라사이트y all support each o바카라사이트r. I wrote a dissertation by myself online, having never written over 5,000 words before, but because you have your cohort and you're all in 바카라사이트 same boat, you will have a mini family, you do get through it quite easily, whereas if I was in a lecture hall with 300 o바카라사이트r people, I wouldn't know any of 바카라사이트m. And that's 바카라사이트 joy of MarJon!
