Don’t apply to geography at Nottingham university

[hnwis]

Seriously.. my DS has had over a third of his lectures cancelled in first term. He’s no idea what he’s meant to be doing and nobody seems to care to help. Socially it’s brilliant, but academically I do not recommend!!!

That sounds absolutely awful,is there anyone he can speak to at the University that can tell him what's going on and what he's supposed to do in the meantime?

I hope it gets sorted out for your DS and very soon.

I think it’s due to lecturers being on strike. Perhaps he could email the head of the department for clarification of what is happening.

I’d be asking for some of my fees back.

It’s not just Geography….. one of mine is a 1st year and keeps sending me photos of empty rooms where the lecturer hasn’t turned up. That’s said, it was the same for my elder DC at a different uni a few years ago. I’ve also said they should speak so someone about fees though I doubt that would get them anywhere.

DS1 had only the first half of his second year work marked three years ago at UON for Geogrsphy. He loved it there though. I think some other unis are just as bad for strikes tbh.

He will have the syllabus, and should be learning it himself. Any good university course will have you teach yourself the vast majority anyway it is the entire point of a degree.

He will have a personal tutor he can contact, and access to countless resources if he really need a pointer. There is zero chance that nobody is around to help, he just isnt bothering to do it himself as university is truly about.

I was a mature student at Goldsmiths graduating in 2024. Absolutely nightmare for striking, outside leactures book for special subject teaching cancelled (funding?) and double booking rooms. Certainly would not recommend Goldsmiths. I thought they maybe an exception. Clearly not

More and more it is apparent that university is, for many, a huge waste of money and time. If it’s about self study only, why does it cost so much? So many of them are flailing institutions ineptly run by top heavy and inexperienced leadership who have no idea what’s happening and staffed by overworked under financed course leaders and unappreciated, underpaid VLs.

We need more apprenticeships and bring back decent technical colleges.

He’s only had 67% of the lectures he’s paid for! Students might as well save themselves £30k and just work through the reading list if lectures are just to be regarded as a bonus.

My dd had no lectures whatsoever in her final semester at Newcastle university and no support at all for her dissertation which they then said might not get marked anyway so they would not be able to graduate.

She was completely devastated because she had gone to university because she enjoyed the learning side of things. She paid over ten thousand pounds to be in a city she didn’t need to be in doing a course that wasn’t taught. The university offered them…one hundred pounds.

My dd’s personal tutor and dissertation supervisor were on strike. She did ‘learn it herself’ but that’s not why she was there paying rent or what she paid for. Maybe nobody should bother going to university if they can ‘learn it himself’.

Yes Mrs Jones, your heart surgery is scheduled for tomorrow. Mr Surgeon is excellent, he learnt it himself.

I understand the value of independant learning, but if lectures aren't needed at all, then what exactly are students paying for?

Indeed! To have a third cancelled is ridiculous. How many did he even have anyway? Bet it wasn’t many contact hours! Stuff like this should be more highly publicised.

so agree. My daughter is in the third year of Geography at Nottingham. Options cancelled with no teaching but still expected to do the assessment. No work marked last year and appeal process to get it actually marked. It's been shocking

I suppose this is an argument for looking beyond the beloved Russell Group, to universities where teaching is prioritised alongside research…

I know someone who started at Edinburgh this year, and the first five weeks of teaching were entirely cancelled due to strikes. Nothing. The occasional perfunctory half-hearted setting of a piece of work that was never followed up. Absolutely dreadful for their mental health - he didn’t get on with small group of flatmates and was looking to meet people through the course, and there was nothing for weeks and weeks.

This is all appalling and I am sorry for the YP affected. Clearly it’s not just Nottingham as other posters note (and there have been strikes elsewhere) but it seems to be very poorly handled in Notts.

As an MFL specialist I and my former colleagues are appalled that MFL (and music) have been scrapped from an RG uni like that. Again, other unis have done similar (MFL offer at Lancaster for example is much curtailed this year). It’s worrying.

Ofc Nottingham has suffered and sadly I suspect is still suffering the fallout (as in, students not choosing to go there) from the awful and tragic incident in 2023.

Hoping it starts to improve for all those affected by these issues.

Nottingham is in a terrible position financially, lots of course cuts and redundancies. Anyone applying there should think very carefully as it’s in a very precarious situation.

My daughter graduated in the summer with her Notts geography degree - she had no lectures for about half of her second year and only just got her dissertation marked in time...it's really poor. The students shouldn't be caught in the middle of the administrations woes.

For many subjects, this isn't true.

Of my three degrees only one was learned myself. The other two had lectures and practicals mostly 9-5pm, five days a week.

In which case we should stop sending kids to uni and just give them a book?
Nonsense.
They've been sold something that isn't being provided. This is outrageous given they're paying through the nose for it. Breach of contract at some point surely.

Indeed. My DS is at a non RG mid tier and has had lectures or seminars every day, and has tons of different assessments this week and to do over reading week. It's not perfect and some lecturers are a bit rubbish at telling them when the assessments etc are due in and he's had to work out the learning portal himself which he's finding hard to navigate but it's more work than I expected from reading here!

It sounds very poor. I do think courses should be clear on contact hours and perhaps show show how many actually took place. Then students can make an informed decision.
Yes there’s self study but lectures and tutorials/seminars give structure.
The lecture used to introduce concepts. Point you in direction of what you should be reading. Go and read and then go to tutorial. If you were struggling to answer questions you knew you needed to study more and it highlighted if you had misunderstood points.
I’m not a fan of lectures being online. I think the structure of going into uni and seeing people and seeing daylight does them good. It’s very tempting to miss if it’s all online anyway.

My DH is in a role where he works with the top management from a handful of unis, Nottingham being one. Let’s just say, at my DH’s insistence, we didn’t take our DC to visit Nottingham for the open day. On balance, we did visit one of the other unis that he works with.

Can I ask those with yp at Notts on geography, how do/ did they find the experience? Has it affected employment opps? Can’t pull my YP out as would if it was a school as they’re just settled now and couldn’t contemplate starting somewhere new now.. so we’re in now (which imagine the unis know). Feel very helpless & generally ripped off!!!