Warwick Uni (less face to face than last year!)

[Daisysway]

For those students applying in 2022. Really think twice about applying to Warwick University for any of the Bioscience Courses.

My dd just going into year 2 and she's got less f2f teaching than last year! Only 50 percent of her tutorials are f2f this term, all lectures are online and she only has 6 LABS all year.

There apparent excuse is they have a larger in take this year so more tutorials.

Shocking behaviour from a top 10 University.

@Kite22

No idea *@Newgirls*. My friend only has to do the preparation and delivery of the modules, seminars, tutorials, and of course marking and student support. The admissions team - obviously directed from the VC down (I'm not blaming anyone working in admissions either) - don't ask them for their input.

Madness. The impact on the staff trying to deal with that extra number. And the students not getting what they signed up for. They should have been told so they could get a place elsewhere or defer

@dreamingbohemian

I have also heard that some courses in our faculty are oversubscribed by about 100

I have no idea how that side of things works but I imagine there was a lot of uncertainty about how many offers would actually be accepted due to Brexit realities kicking in (student visas) and Covid (how many people did we see on here saying their DC wouldn't start uni as long as things were online?)

Perhaps some courses underestimated how many students would actually come

Clearly!

They could have used clearing if worried about low numbers.

5-6 over maybe but 100?!

My ds is interested in a subject that the “big name” unis don’t do (oceanography) so he wouldn’t be applying to them this year anyway. But my DD will be a strong candidate for oxbridge and other high ranking schools in 2 years time. If she was applying this year I would be counselling against the usual Durham-Bristol-Edinburgh-Warwick choices: (A) because there are plenty of other good unis despite what the pedestrian UMC ‘sheep think’ suggests, (B) because they are overfull and struggling with resources which leads to a pretty terrible student experience all round; (C) because part of uni life is meeting new types of people from all different backgrounds and these unis seem to be getting worse for social mobility, not better.

In fact although she is only 15 she is already depressed by what is going on in in the UK and currently is adamant she is going to go to uni and live in Canada. Can’t say I blame her.

It is madness BUT, looking at it statistically, it is "only" 25% more, and, statistically, I have read that only 75% of people get into their first choice normally, when students actually took their A-levels, so that begins to look slightly more logical.

though of course, no help for the lecturers who are somehow expected to suddenly be marking an extra hundred exam papers / dissertations/ etc, let alone offering any support; nor of course to the poor folk in the accommodation office who are supposed to be able to magic up all the additional accommodation; nor of course to any of the students who will
a) potentially not have got accommodation (or convenient accommodation)
b) potentially not fit into lecture theatres
c) on practical courses will get less 'hands on' practice - be that lab time or studio time or indeed placements
d) far greater competition for placements / years out / etc for those on that sort of course
e) less time with lecturers / bigger tutor groups or seminars / have to wait longer for any response from lecturers etc.
and probably other things I haven't thought of.

Life Sciences took in 21 extra
Students over the normal 400 in 2020. At a good guess they are probably well under that limit now because of dropouts (I think there were at least 2 out of dds tutorial group who dropped out may be 3 out of 9). I can't imagine that the numbers were well above that in 2021. There are 41 students on the Mbio course and whilst I know there are crossovers on modules you would think that they could make an effort to bring these students together if only once a term....31 of these students are looking to go on industrial placement in Yr 4 so will be making decisions before term starts next year.

Delphi I think your daughter and you are right - some of the big names seem to have messed up but others haven’t. It was clearly avoidable. Edin seems to have messed up more than say St Andrews. Leeds seems to be faring well according to students we know there. Applicants need to get on student room and find out what’s happening from other students

Totally agree @Newgirls. The most annoying thing is that Warwick were really good last year and did more f2f and labs than most universities.

Yes I agree @Newgirls. From here and student room it is possible to work out which institutions are doing well for their students and which aren’t. I’m impressed by Birmingham and Southampton atm

[quote Daisysway]@phphion... Perhaps Warwick need to take a look at their neighbours (Bham). Well done Birmingham for going the extra mile.. Sadly Warwick you need to learn to offer your students the education they are paying for![/quote]
Well I'm mighty relieved DD never applied to Birmingham!

@Newgirls

Delphi I think your daughter and you are right - some of the big names seem to have messed up but others haven’t. It was clearly avoidable. Edin seems to have messed up more than say St Andrews. Leeds seems to be faring well according to students we know there. Applicants need to get on student room and find out what’s happening from other students

@Newgirls my child's at Leeds and has no face to face - her tutors say it isn't safe and they won't come in. The university says it's up to the individual schools and have been shocking imo. I couldn't hand on heart recommend anyone went there.

My DD has just started at Sussex uni - and was told that it is 1 of only 4 universities where it is 100% f2f - not sure what the other ones are . She is thrilled and so am I .

Surrey and Southampton were two of the other three - I remember them because they were all S. York seems to be quite good too - my son has face to face lectures but they will be recorded for those who would rather attend remotely or listen to them after the event.

Bakewell sorry to hear that about Leeds. It must vary via dept. Can you say which?

I feel sorry for the students whose tutors don’t feel it’s safe. Are they all keeping their own kids at home? Not letting them go to school etc?

@Newgirls

I feel sorry for the students whose tutors don’t feel it’s safe. Are they all keeping their own kids at home? Not letting them go to school etc?

Are they bollocks. Bet they're fine with going to the supermarket too, or ordering stuff online for warehouse workers to pack up for them - you know, poor working class people who can't afford to sit at home being scared of Covid.

I have zero patience with "I don't feel safe" as an excuse for not going to work anymore. It's a load of shit.

@Newgirls

Bakewell sorry to hear that about Leeds. It must vary via dept. Can you say which?

@Newgirls - Language Department

@SirSamuelVimes..Im totally with you on this but its the feeble or monetary excuses that annoy me more.

Warwicks management are shockingly aloof (perhaps they are not aware how aloof they are but then that's just insulting their students intelligence). I don't actually blame the majority of the lecturers etc. it is the VC. Even students are not annoyed with the professionals that deliver the course (with the odd exception please refer to me as Dr. Pillocks).

The students just want to really interact with the professionals who hopefully can inspire them in their given field... They don't want to watch them effectively on "tele".

@BakewellTarter my DD has also just started at Leeds doing biosciences. All online except the occasional lab. Despite really bonding with her flatmates and loving the city she is now on the verge of dropping out. This is a girl who up to now has been very confident and has performed well at school. She feels like she has no academic support and is incredibly stressed. Hasn’t met anyone on her course to discuss the lecture content with or met her tutor in person. I am guessing she will give it a week or so before she gives up and comes home. It is outrageous that they can’t put in measures to facilitate in-person learning. These universities are making excuses, are not considering the well-being of the young adults in their care and should be totally ashamed of themselves.

It sounds like Leeds is not doing well after all. I’d heard good things about management and economics. Have they been guilty of over booking students too?

Will the students complain/protest?

Well exactly SirSamuel

I teach at a RG uni and we are pretty much all F2F! No excuses. Even vulnerable staff are being made to come in with a very few exceptions.

I'm pleased to be back in the classroom. The big classes though are huge this year, our intake is up 40%, it's crazy. I'm not sure that's increasing anyone's quality of education, nor being crammed in a teaching hall.

Unis were not given any funding to get through covid last year, they asked for a bailout and were refused, so they are clawing their deficit back by having huge student numbers.

I am not looking forward to the larger numbers, but I do agree face to face is the way forward if students wear masks, I wish that was compulsory but it isn't. I'm bouncing around campus though!

Two of my friends teach at Warwick ( humanities courses). Their courses are fully back to face-to-face teaching; they mainly teach seminars to small groups, not large lectures.

@Newgirls

It sounds like Leeds is not doing well after all. I’d heard good things about management and economics. Have they been guilty of over booking students too?

Will the students complain/protest?

My child is not in their first year, the staff spoken to have been quite explicit that they feel it's unsafe to return to a building and won't be doing it 🤷🏻‍♀️

I do wonder about complaints, I feel they've been missold tbh and there's a structure to deal with this in other industries but not so clear in this one...

I attended an open day at a different university recently where some of the staff kept saying how much the students loved online learning. I did ask how they measured it but got no substantial answer. I feel My younger child is having to looking out for very different things when choosing where to study, it's really sad tbh.

Bakewell one thing that’s worked at St Andrews is requesting to move tutor groups. Some managed it. Might ruffle some feathers? Your student is entitled to ask surely.