LOUGHBOROUGH University, in the East Midlands of England, ranked 1st for Student Satisfaction in the 2016 Time Higher Education Student Experience Survey. For our new blog section, we asked current intern, Yada Yuchinda, to tell us why.
Before getting into the gist of the content, let me begin by telling you some background information about myself. My name is Yada Yuchinda or just Yada. I am from Thailand, and I’m currently doing an internship at Loughborough University (Lboro) as a part of my MBA degree here.
Today I am going to tell you seven good reasons why you should study at Loughborough University from my experiences here as an international student and a postgraduate student.
1. Diversity = Self Development = Opportunities
In my cohort, there were 13 different nationalities altogether. It is a great experience to know and learn across cultures. For me, it doesn’t only mean that I get to meet different people from different countries but it means that I learn to adapt better, and I can improve my people skills! Apart from making international friends, I also believe that I get a chance to develop a wider and greater network. You will never know, but one day you might end up doing business together with your colleagues in your or their country.
I used the library a lot during my study here. It is one of the main venues to get books, meet for group work, study for exams, and much more. The library also offers many free workshops that would help your academic study, such as how to avoid plagiarism and do citation, writing better essays and reports, etc. Moreover, if you have some problems with IT related issues, there is a PC clinic at the library as well. Also, if there are books that you cannot get within Pilkington library, you can request for an inter-library loan. I find this service very convenient and helpful.
There are four floors in total. The entrance is on the third floor where you can do both group and individual study; there is a café on this floor too. If you get hungry or sleepy this is the floor to go for – you can eat, drink, and use your mobile on this floor. Meanwhile, the first and second floor are for silent study; you can book a study carrel for more private concentrated study and some group meeting rooms. On the fourth floor, it is a mixture for quite individuals study, bookable booths (with a big screen to see and share your ideas), computers to use, and group study rooms. During term time, it opens till two in the morning and operates 24/7 during the exam time.
For me, having a library which provides so much means I get the support I need to help me study more easily and be able to develop my full potentials.
Apart from the library, you can also do group work in other buildings. Printing service is easy and accessible anywhere with your laptop (you only need to do the first setup bit). You can scan for free and there is also a binding service within the campus. There are free shuttle buses available within the campus which run from 5 to 15 minutes depending on the time of the day. Moreover, a similar bus also goes to the town centre and Loughborough train station.
Shops and cafes are spread around campus. Loughborough Student Union (LSU) is also one of the main factors that offers the best student experience to students. At the Union, you can find food, drinks, shops, a restaurant, entertainment and social activities, entrepreneurial hub, and even a barber shop! So, it is very convenient and comfortable here.
The career network and staff and student advisors are very helpful. They are various supports you can get from them:
• Career Fairs – we held one of the biggest career fairs in the UK. At the fair, it is a great opportunity for you to network and ask questions with your desired employers. It is always great to get some tricks and tips from them.
• Career advice – I often book a quick advice of 15 minutes online when I need some guidelines on how to write my CV and cover letter. Also, this year the career network has added a drop-in service for short advice.
• Workshops - There are different kind of workshops you can choose to attend to, according to your needs. For example, there are workshops for LinkedIn profile building, application forms, mock assessment, and mock interviews. Many of these workshops are very helpful, I can use what I learned from the workshops to improve my resume and ways of approaching the employer.
• Presentations – every week, there are company presentations from different employers. In my opinion, it is a closer approach to reach the employer and learn about them.
We all know, I assume, that Lboro is famous and has many athletes trained here. The sports facilities are, no doubt, excellent. For people who think they are not sporty, don’t worry, I am one of you. At Lboro, you don’t need to be good at sports. There is a place for everyone. You can get in the proper teams of the university, play for your hall of residence (accommodation), play for your department, or play for fun with friends at your own pace. The booking for the courts can be done online.
There are two gyms that you can choose to be a member of, normally the price will include free swimming pool entry and other exercise classes like yoga, zumba, body pump, etc. But if you think that you might not be that active, you have the options to go for ‘My Lifestyle’ or ‘My Activities’. For My Lifestyle, you can book a range of exercise classes online and the payment uses the concept of pay as you go. This means you only book when you feel like going, and you can always change to try different exercises. For instance, I went to yoga, Pilates, body pump, body attack, and legs, bums and tums. Then later I went to the ones I enjoyed more.
Also, you can go to join one of the free sessions, My Activities, which aims to encourage students to stay healthy. The sessions are for anyone who wants to try a new sport or who wants to start exercising. You can be a beginner or if you knew how to play some of the sports but don’t want to pay because you are not sure you can commit that much, I think this is for you. I went to some of these classes i.e. badminton and boxing. Both sessions were good fun. I got to exercise as well as making new friends.
To be honest, it is true that Loughborough itself is not a big city. At the beginning, I did complain about how small it is (comparing it to Bangkok). However, later I found that living here is very good especially for study. The environment is very safe. The city is compact but somehow has everything you need, and nowadays there is online shopping which makes our lives much easier. Living here helped me save costs. Personally, I did less shopping, enjoyed cooking at my flat and being able to focus more on studies.
And because Loughborough is located in the East Midlands, it is not too far from anywhere. It would take approximately one and a half hour from Loughborough to London by train, and similar duration to Birmingham, and Sheffield; and less than three hours to Leeds and Manchester. For shorter trips, you can go to Leicester, Nottingham, and Derby within an hour. As a person who loves travelling, I think it is not a bad location to see around the UK.
There are massive ways for you to get involve with the different type of activities and make friends along the way while you will be here. You can join a number of societies that match your interests. There are over 120 societies, for example, TEDx society, Fashion society, and Hiking Club. Moreover, you can participate in fundraising projects, also known as Rag. Annually, Loughborough Students’ Rag raises over one million pounds for local, national, and international charities. Another type of volunteering is called Action – this includes different projects that students can make themselves – useful for young persons, equality and diversity, community outreach, overseas opportunities, etc. Last but not least, you can go for some city trips organised by LSU with very small costs. It is also a great alternative to spending time over the weekend.
So here are what I found as good reasons to come and study here at Loughborough University. I hope that my experiences with Lboro so far would be helpful for those who are considering joining us.
If Yada has inspired you, visit our Loughborough University page for more information and to contact them.
