University of Derby — Attraction in Great Britain

Ok, completely honest review time.

I'm currently a 40 year old student completing a BSc honnors degree in forensic science with psychology, I also completed a foundation year before starting my degree.

The university as a whole is in the Guardian's top 30 UK universities and the top 100 universities in Europe with many courses having near 100% student satisfaction ratings.

As a whole the Kedleston road (main) campus is actually pretty good, not as large as you'd imagine, but quite nice.

There's a union shop selling snacks, drinks, and University of Derby branded clothing, a bookshop, a union cafe called Blends(decent, pretty cheap coffee to go), a union coffee shop (also Blends) that serves food, coffee to drink in, soft drinks, and a limited selection of alcoholic drinks in bottles, a university of derby cafeteria (street food and traditional), Subway sandwichs, Papa John's pizza and a Starbucks.

The library is exceptional with enormous financial support. Books, Journals, articles, magazines and PCs, laptops and tablets for hire (free) intersite books are available (if the book is at a different campus they'll get it for you).

There's also wellbeing support, financial services and careers advice/employment services.

The tutors are generally all pretty good with some being exceptional; however, some things are poor to the point of being a hindrance.

The whole UDO app and Blackboard app is unreliable especially Turnitin (the main way you submit work), there's a lack of information regarding turnitin and how it works (regardless of operating system, Windows, Apple, Google) you need Google Chrome to enable submissions, ironically dispite needing Google Chrome, Chromebooks are pretty much unsupported.

Some assignments can take months to get back, this means you're doing multiple without any feedback as to how to improve; however, most are back within 3 weeks. Nevertheless there's a general air of disorganization that really needs addressing.

Generally it's a good university but with definite room for improvement. Although I very much doubt you'll be disappointed if you do attend, in fact I'm sure you'll love it, dispite it's faults it's a great place to be.

You cannot park at the university if you're a student unless you meet certain criteria and have a pass, unfortunately the buses have also been reduced and some classes don't...

I decided to attend university for a second time after having problems the first time round at a different uni which was a great uni. Anyway I wanted to study fashion and was struggling to get a place anywhere as my qualifications were in Science.

I was told on the phone by admissions that I would need to study fashion foundation due to having no previous fashion qualification. I attended the foundation I learnt nothing about fashion. The foundation year consisted of drawing dots on paper, drawing objects, collage making, making clay objects. Sticking pictures to paper, taking photos. All fine art based. It was a real waste of a year I learnt nothing about fashion that actually helped me on my first year studying fashion. So they just robbed me of a year of my education. I really struggled in my first year studying fashion design as I hadn't learnt the basics. Fashion design involved pattern cutting, sewing, fashion illustration, photoshop, printmaking, It makes me really angry that admissions insisted that I couldn't go onto the first year without doing the foundation. But I went into the first year with no knowledge of anything to do with fashion design. I would have been in the same position if I was just going straight onto the first year. The lecturers on the fashion design course were unhelpful and offered no support and didn't actually teach you, they are bullies, really nasty and rude and only like the top students as that's easy for them. I hated the course and the teaching was really bad. The lecturers were patronising and rude and I had frequent nasty comments made to me and they almost seemed offended at the thought that they actually have to teach as part of their job. A really arrogant bunch of people. A lot of people dropped out and felt bullied by the staff. I now have run out of university years and been robbed of a chance of a career. Due to me failing I dropped out as I didn't have the funds to retake the year. The lady who dealt with it despite me being visibly upset said " its not a big deal" the facilities are really poor also compared to other unis. Don't waste your time or money coming here you will regret it and Derby is not a friendly place and full of drug addicts a large homeless community people on drugs just slumped in the...

As a graduate student, I would like to share my experience at the university by discussing three key aspects:

Application Process

Applying to the university was straightforward, though it required some patience. It took about a month to receive my unconditional offer letter after submitting my application. Once I made the payment, there was a slight delay in getting my CAS letter, likely due to the Christmas holidays, but it arrived after about a month. The visa application process, however, was incredibly smooth—I received my student visa within two days. While the process took some time overall, it was well worth it in the end.

Student Experience

The university offers a fantastic experience for students. Personal tutors are available every month to provide guidance on assignments, group projects, and exams. They’re supportive, but it’s up to the students to stay focused and manage their studies independently.

The campus facilities are excellent, with well-maintained study spaces, a vast library, and a dedicated prayer room, which I really appreciated as a Muslim student. One highlight of my bachelor’s program was the opportunity to go on two fully funded trips to Belgium and Austria. These trips covered all expenses, including flights and accommodation, and gave me an incredible chance to learn more about the European Union.

Graduation Ceremony and Career Support

I graduated in July, and the ceremony was truly impressive. I also attended my cousin’s graduation at a different university, where he paid £16,900 per year, but the event was very simple. In comparison, my graduation felt like a grand celebration, even though I paid less (£14,000 per year). The university really put effort into making the day special, and it’s something I’ll always remember fondly.

After graduation, the university continues to support its students through access to the Career Hub. This platform is exclusively available for graduates and provides a wide range of job opportunities. It’s an excellent tool to help students transition into their professional careers and is regularly updated with roles that match their qualifications. The career hub shows the university’s commitment to its students, even after...