Keele UniversityInternational Study Centre
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Keele enters UK's top 10 for student satisfaction
Keele University, on August 17th 2011, entered the top ten out of 120 mainstream public universities for student satisfaction according to the government initiated National Student Survey.
The annual survey which began in 2007 has shown that 90% of Keele students were satisfied with their courses compared to an average of just 83% nationally. Keele students were particularly pleased with the intellectual stimulation that their course offered and the quality of feedback they receive from academic staff.
Students also indicated that they felt Keele's courses made them more confident personally and equipped them to deal with a breadth of challenges that modern day graduates are required to face.
"This is an excellent result for the University and is testament to all the hard work of both staff and students", said Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Rama Thirunamachandran, in reaction to the survey results.
"Keele recognises that students have real choice in where to study and we take the responsibility of supporting them and ensuring that get the most from their time at Keele very seriously", Thirunamachandran added.
The national data can be found online at the following URL: http://www.ipsos-mori.com/nss/results
Charles Okhuevbie : My experience at Keele University
Studying in Keele has been a dream fulfilled... Honestly, I have enjoyed every single day of my stay in the UK and specifically, my study at Keele University.
That there are several student support representatives at the University to assist international students settle in very quickly at Keele has been a huge motivation for me. The Independent and Advice Unit (IAU) treat students as though they were the only students on campus.
They seem to understand the interests and needs of the International students. They also appreciate the fact that such needs and interest need to be represented and protected. The International Support Officer (ISO) oversees the wellbeing of International Students. I have had to solicit help from the ISO; I was amazed by the prompt and professional assistance I got.
Academic
In terms of standards and facilities, Keele thrills me to no end. The top–notch facilities on campus and in the various hostels are compelling.
I arrived at Keele University from an engineering background and I thought I had been ‘spoon-fed’ all through secondary school and Higher education. Studying in Keele and in a new discipline entirely has richly enhanced my research and presentation skills and has also raised my professional competence.
I have learnt teamwork in a very compelling environment. I have had to continuously brainstorm in small and large groups, synergizing and complementing the efforts of one another with zero tolerance for destructive criticism. This has further strengthened my self-confidence and ability to think independently.
Every corner in the school is Wi-Fi connected; the library is equipped with ultra-modern facilities, books and journals in both hard copies and electronic copies. There are also DVD collections to stimulate and aid learning. Every student has automatic access to thousands of online databases where they can access electronic resources across various disciplines as opposed to spending extra ‘quid’ to buy them.
The interesting thing about it is that these databases can be accessed from the convenience of one’s room without necessarily going to the library. I have never had reasons to buy books! This is because every material I need is always available in the library. In cases where they become unavailable, the librarian outsources them from neighboring libraries - this I find satisfying.
ISC Experience
I would probably had found it difficult to cope with studies at the masters degree level had I not taken the pre-masters programme at the ISC. Having switched from core engineering to Internet and Web Technologies, I was prepared to face the challenges of having a career change because I had no experience whatsoever in programming language or web scripting. However, ISC gave me a soft landing.
The terms I spent doing computer programming and databases were rewarding in the sense that I actually started learning the abstractions from scratch. By the time I finished my programme at the centre, I had reached a considerable level of proficiency which made it very easy for me to cope on the course while I was studying for my masters degree programme; ‘Kudos’ to the team of lecturers and tutors at the ISC.
Aspirations
I look forward to becoming an IT consultant to multi-national companies on my return home after my studies. For my short term goal, I will focus on Network Design and Securities. For completeness, I have started gathering materials for my networking certification. All these certificates and certifications put together are enough to set me on the path of a rewarding career.
Welcome to our first student intake!
The Keele International Study Centre was officially launched on Thursday, 8th October 2009. In the presence of staff and students, the Deputy Vice Chancellor Rama Thirunamachandran unveiled the commemorative plaque and said the work of the ISC was "consistent with the internationalisation of the university".
More than 70 international students have already received a warm welcome to Keele University when term began at the end of September. Some of them are preparing for postgraduate study on a Pre-Masters programme and some are on the Foundation Diploma programme, which will allow them to progress directly onto the 2nd year of an undergraduate degree at Keele. Depending on the degree they want to enter, they are taking either Business and Management modules, Computing or International Relations and Politics.
