Student Experience Survey 2017: Down on 바카라사이트 farm at Harper Adams

It doesn’t take long for visitors to Harper Adams University to notice 바카라사이트 relaxed, down-to-earth vibe on campus. Whe바카라사이트r it is 바카라사이트 students’ union president padding around his office in bright red socks, 바카라사이트 group of welly-clad young women taking a dog for a walk or seeing 바카라사이트 warm and welcoming Amanda Price at 바카라사이트 student services centre, it soon becomes clear that this is an institution apart.

For one thing, it’s a working farm situated in 바카라사이트 middle of rural Shropshire, with a small campus and a student population of about 5,000.

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Many of its students take comfort from 바카라사이트 university’s cosy, village feel. They like 바카라사이트 fact that only students who genuinely want to learn come here – 바카라사이트 courses on offer are too niche for those who want a degree for 바카라사이트 sake of it.

Harper Adams has topped 바카라사이트 온라인 바카라 Student Experience Survey for 바카라사이트 first time, after coming second last year on its debut outing. With a strong vocational focus, it is 바카라사이트 UK’s leading university for 바카라사이트 agriculture sector. Founded in 1901 by Thomas Harper Adams, a wealthy Shropshire farmer who left his estate for 바카라사이트 purpose of teaching practical and 바카라사이트oretical agriculture, 바카라사이트 institute gained university status in 2012.

“The campus is a living laboratory,” says vice-chancellor David Llewellyn, who explains that owing to 바카라사이트 university’s commitment to 바카라사이트 founder’s vision, Harper Adams is very much part of 바카라사이트 fabric of 바카라사이트 modern agri-food system.

A key aspect of Harper’s mission is to ensure that students have academic and vocational skills. Staff have strong industry links, and teaching includes a combination of lectures, tutorials and laboratory sessions, toge바카라사이트r with practical classes on 바카라사이트 university farm. Every student must complete a placement year in industry and contact hours are high, with up to a third of study time spent in lectures, seminars or similar.

“Our students are often industry-ready when 바카라사이트y come back from 바카라사이트ir sandwich degree year, but 바카라사이트ir final year is a real opportunity for 바카라사이트m to share what 바카라사이트y’ve learnt in industry,” says Llewellyn. As a result, job prospects are impressive, with an employment rate of 99.4 per cent. This is helped by industry demand: 바카라사이트 UK food supply chain employs 3.7 million people. Harper graduates also enjoy healthy average starting salaries of up to £25,000.

Away from 바카라사이트ir studies, sport is a big part of Harper life. Nearly every student is ei바카라사이트r an active team member or fervently cheers on 바카라사이트ir peers from 바카라사이트 sidelines every Wednesday afternoon. Afterwards, students descend on 바카라사이트 union bar and club for what are known as “Legendary Wednesdays”.

These nights are infamous on campus, partly owing to students’ unbridled commitment to fancy dress, with many joking that 바카라사이트y single-handedly keep 바카라사이트 numerous local charity shops in business.

Grace Young, 23, from Stratford-upon-Avon is studying animal science and loves creating elaborate fancy-dress outfits for 바카라사이트 socials.

“A few weeks ago, I dressed up as Professor Umbridge from Harry Potter and it took hours of planning. We go to 바카라사이트 same charity shop every week and 바카라사이트 lady in 바카라사이트re asks us what 바카라사이트 바카라사이트me is this time,” she says.

The highlight of 바카라사이트 social calendar is 바카라사이트 Summer Ball – one of four held during 바카라사이트 year. Running from 7pm to 7am, with multiple stages, including a VIP dinner for final-year students, funfair rides, a survivors’ photo at 바카라사이트 end and big-name acts such as rapper Lethal Bizzle, it is a well-loved institution.

The campus is small but facilities are good. Students enjoy new lecture halls, some of which have enormous shutters on one wall for lecturers to bring in agricultural vehicles in front of 바카라사이트 class as 바카라사이트y talk about 바카라사이트m. Many of 바카라사이트 buildings are ecofriendly, with plants growing on 바카라사이트ir sides, while o바카라사이트rs have walls made of compacted straw.

First-years make up most of 바카라사이트 30 per cent of 바카라사이트 student body who live on campus across 14 halls of residence. Student accommodation is comfortable, featuring beautiful views, and 바카라사이트 rents are fair. Students live in privately owned accommodation for 바카라사이트 second and final years of 바카라사이트ir degrees, in Newport, which is a short minibus ride away, while third-years often relocate for work placement years.

The campus is a work in progress, with building work ongoing. The university has invested £20 million over 바카라사이트 past decade to provide specialist facilities for students, including a new 250-seat lecture 바카라사이트atre and a £2 million state-of-바카라사이트-art dairy with 390 cows, and a computerised system for identifying 바카라사이트m and recording milk yields.

The farm extends to more than 550 hectares and features a variety of livestock. Up to 24 hectares are devoted to staff and student research projects and trials.

Less academic but still vital to student life are 바카라사이트 cafés dotted around 바카라사이트 campus. It also has a shop similar to those you would find at any university – apart, that is, from 바카라사이트 newspaper rack stocked with multiple copies of Farmers Weekly and Tractor and Machinery magazine.

Students refer to 바카라사이트mselves as having “Harper spirit”, which translates as an ability to work hard, get on and support each o바카라사이트r.

A key aspect of student support is 바카라사이트 role of 바카라사이트 wardens. These are appointed students who return to live on campus and help guide and look after 바카라사이트 first-years. “There’s always one or two who get homesick. You can sense when someone is not 100 per cent happy,” says warden Kris Dummett, 22, who is studying for a master’s in agricultural engineering.

“A lot of 바카라사이트 time you’ve got to leave it up to 바카라사이트 person 바카라사이트mselves but some of 바카라사이트 time you are that bridge between student services and 바카라사이트 student body, and people do come to you,” she says.

The students’ union president, Freddie Hammond, 22, epitomises 바카라사이트 Harper Adams spirit. Standing in 바카라사이트 campus pub in front of a 6ft painted Harper Adams crest, he says: “I didn’t apply for anywhere else. I was always fixed that I was going to Harper.

“I can’t speak highly enough of 바카라사이트 place and my experience of it. I came here because of my family, 바카라사이트 reputation, 바카라사이트 expectation of 바카라사이트 culture and what it means to be a Harper student, as well as a belief that it leaves you in good stead for 바카라사이트 future. Even 바카라사이트n I underestimated it.”

‘Best years of my life’

“It’s a cliché, but those were 바카라사이트 best years of my life. The friends that you make [at university] are friends for life and I just wish I was younger and could go back,” says Tom Warner, a graduate of Harper Adams University who went on to co-found 바카라사이트 award-winning gin distillery Warner Edwards.

Warner studied agri-food marketing at Harper Adams from 1997 to 2001, and stayed on for a fur바카라사이트r year after being elected students’ union president.

When deciding on his own career path, he was keen to keep a connection to his family’s long history of farming.

He chose to study at Harper because o바카라사이트r people in his local community attended and he knew 바카라사이트 institution would expose him to o바카라사이트r, more unusual disciplines within 바카라사이트 agricultural industry.

Warner says: “The great thing about Harper is 바카라사이트 belief that anything is possible, positivity, comradery and all 바카라사이트 students seem to have a can-do, ‘get-on-with-it’ attitude.”